Best Deal This Week: Half Price Appetizers and 10 Cent Wings at The Kinsale

When I go out to eat, a lot of times I will order one or two appetizers versus an entree to save a few bucks - and, because the serving size of a typical restaurant entree can be large enough for two or three people. With that being said, I love it when local eateries give diners a discount on their appetizer offerings. The Kinsale, for instance, has half price appetizers every single night after 10 p.m.

Loaded nachos (originally $11), spinach artichoke dip (originally $9) and Gaelic Four Onion Soup (originally $6) are just a few of the items on The Kinsale's substantial appetizer menu. While 10 p.m. is a little late for me to eat dinner, this deal is definitely great for ordering a few snacks with a few brews to share with friends.

In celebration of the football season, The Kinsale also offers 10 cent wings at the bar during all Sunday and Monday NFL games. The Kinsale's sister restaurant, The Asgard, has its own deals, too - including 10 cent wings at the bar every Monday starting at 5 p.m.

P.S. As you know, I am participating in FoodBuzz's Project Food Blog to try and become the next food blog star. Voting is now open for the first entry, and I'd appreciate it immensely if you could take a second to click here and vote for me! Voting is open from now until 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 23rd. Thank you!! 

Project Food Blog: Ready, Set, Blog!

As some of you may already know, I am participating in a challenge created by FoodBuzz called Project Food Blog. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting blog entries that are relevant to the challenge - assuming I continue on for several rounds. Let's be optimistic here.

The first post requires me to defines myself as a food blogger, and to explain why I should be the next food blog star. My purpose in blogging is to share recipes that are easy and affordable for the "average" person to make at home, as well as showing my readers that you can eat out at the restaurant of your choice without completely blowing your budget. For me, food is a large part of my life, and depriving myself of delicious, quality food because of the small budget I'm working with is unacceptable. My reason for blogging is to show others how you can achieve a balance of quality of life with approachable, tasty, and affordable food.

With that being said, why on earth should I be the next food blog star? I cook, write and preach exactly how I live. You will see no sugarcoating or random product placements and very few giveaways on this blog. This blog is all about me eating, cooking and enjoying the food I want to, despite how small my budget is - and hopefully inspiring you to do the same.

Local, Seasonal Fare at Hyatt Regency Boston

Sometimes, other people's passion for food can be so strong that it ignites excitement in others. Chef Kelly Armetta at the Hyatt Regency Boston is one of those people.

Chef Kelly Armetta (courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston).

Last Thursday evening, I was invited by Jon of Local in Season to a private tasting at the Hyatt. Although I gladly accepted the invitation, I had no idea what the night would entail - and I ended up being extremely surprised by how the night unfolded.

Although I envisioned a sit-down dinner that included a preview of the Hyatt's fall menu, I was instead greeted with several large display tables covered in intricately presented culinary masterpieces. The Hyatt had set up displays of EACH of their seasonal menus, as well as several cheese displays, a dessert display, and several stands for pouring cold summer Sangria and warm fall/winter Sangria.

Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston.

Oh, and I should also mention that the majority of the food served on Thursday evening was local. Yes, a hotel in Boston utilizing as much local food as possible. As Chef Armetta admits, it's not easy acquiring the large amount of food he needs from local sources, but he does the best he can - and it shows in his food.

The highlights for me that evening included the local cheeses and the kobe beef sliders. You forget what good beef is supposed to taste like - until you take a bite into one of these babies. The biggest surprise of the evening, though, was that one dessert in particular ended up being my favorite dish of the night - when, normally, I can easily do without dessert. Behold, Chef Armetta's Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding:

Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston.

Decadent would be an understatement here. This bread pudding was chocked full of intense, "real" chocolate flavor without being sickly sweet, and the chunks of tart, fresh cherries provided a necessary break from the chocolate flavor. The bread itself was also surprisingly creamy and moist, while some bread puddings can tend to be dried out and chewy.

After eating all of the delicious, local, fresh food at the Hyatt, one thought kept bouncing around in my mind: How ungodly expensive would it be to host a special event here? Due to the quality of the food, my first guess was well over $100 a plate. However, once I looked over the menu that the Hyatt sent me home with, I was shocked.

Take the Hyatt's Build a Breakfast Buffet Farm Breakfast, for instance. The Farm Breakfast includes smoked bacon, three cheese potato pie, roasted eggs with rosemary, roasted chorizo sausage and New England cobb - and the cost is only $8 per person. Plated lunches range from $45-48 per person, and reception meals range from $10-25 per person. Sure, their prices tend to be a tad bit higher for other meals/occasions, but the price tags are still very reasonable for the quality food you are getting, not to mention the animated, kind and passionate Chef that is preparing that food for you. There are also plenty of food and pricing options on their menu to fit anyone's budget and culinary needs.

Another bonus: If you book a meeting by December 30th and hold it at the Hyatt before March 31st, and participate in the Meet and Be Green program at Hyatt Regency Boston, you will be eligible for a 3 percent rebate on qualifying charges on the master bill. Meet and Be Green is a small part of Hyatt’s goal to "conserve energy, minimize waste and create responsible, sustainable corporate practices to care for the earth and guests. By empowering guests to do the same, Hyatt and its planners can help minimize the environmental impact of meetings."

Thank you again Jon, Chef Armetta and the Hyatt for hosting me at such a wonderful event!

Disclaimer: Although I was fortunate enough to attend the Hyatt's private tasting free of charge, all opinions expressed in this post are 100 percent honest and my own.

Second Helping: Chunky Jalapeno & Cilantro Hummus

One of my grocery list staples is hummus. I could eat hummus with a spoon - it's just so creamy, versatile, and chocked full of nutritious, delicious flavors. However, the best thing about hummus is that it's also affordable - especially when you make it at home.

I had picked up 10 hot peppers for $1 from The Neighborhood Farm at the Roslindale Farmers' Market several weeks ago, and finally used them up in various recipes last week. The final recipe that used up the remainder of the peppers was my Chunky Jalapeno & Cilantro Hummus (so, technically, this post should be a Third or Fourth Helping...not Second).

Chunky Jalapeno & Cilantro Hummus

Yields: 6-8 servings 

-1 can chickpeas (which were $0.99 at Stop and Shop last week)

-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or more, depending on the consistency you desire)

-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

-1 teaspoon minced garlic

-1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

-Salt and black pepper to taste

-Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Directions: Pour chickpeas, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro and lemon juice into a food processor. Add olive oil (1 tablespoon at a time) and pulse until hummus reaches your desired consistency (I like mine a little chunky, so I didn't pulse it until completely smooth). Take lid off food processor and season hummus with salt and pepper as needed; also add more lemon juice if needed. Pulse hummus again to mix in salt and pepper (you may also need to add more olive oil as you pulse the ingredients together). Serve with sturdy pita chips.

This was one flavorful bowl of hummus, and I loved how a few whole chickpeas were still present throughout. Although I made this last week, I still have some leftover hummus in my fridge - the stuff lasts a good 1 to 2 weeks, I'd say, and can easily be used for dipping, on sandwiches, or even on flatbreads. 

Bonus: The price of this recipe in its entirety was under $2. Please hold your applause. 

Do you make your own hummus at home? What's your favorite flavor combination?

Cheesy Black Bean and Rice Bake

One of my favorite things about cooking is that you can take pretty much any recipe and modify it to make it your own.

Last week, Tina mentioned that her sister had made a rice bake for a family party, and I immediately started researching rice bake recipes. I have had a ginormous box of brown rice in my pantry for a while now, and, in an effort to save for Italy, I wanted to make use of it versus buying more food and thus spending more money. After some research, I found this recipe for an Easy Rice Bake by The Neelys. However, I didn't have onion or spinach to make their recipe, and I didn't want to make 4 cups of rice since it was only me eating the dish. As a result, I ended up making Cheesy Black Bean and Rice Bake.

Cheesy Black Bean and Rice Bake
Yields: 4-5 servings

-1 tbsp. butter
-3 cups cooked brown rice
-3/4 can black beans
-2 chili peppers, seeded and minced
-1 and 3/4 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, plus extra for top
-3/4 cup milk
-1 egg
-Dried cilantro
-Salt and black pepper to taste
-Squirt of fresh lime juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 350* degrees. Butter a medium-sized casserole dish. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Add the cheese, rice, black beans, chili peppers, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, and add a generous squirt of fresh lime juice.
Pour rice mixture into buttered casserole dish and top with extra shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and serve hot.

The end result was a cheesy, not-too-spicy dish chocked full of texture, flavor, and...well, cheese. Next time, I will probably add some cayenne pepper or leave the seeds in one of the chili peppers for some extra heat, though - it was a little too mild for my liking.

What recipe have you recently modified to make it your own?

P.S. What do you guys think of The Economical Eater's new banner? A big THANK YOU to Tim Anderson, a Massachusetts-based freelance graphic designer for making it for me. Tim can be reached at timaa84@gmail.com if you have any graphic design work you'd like a quote on.

Best Deal This Week: $28 for Three Courses and Free Travel at 62 Restaurant & Winebar

Three courses for $28 is a pretty good deal all on its own - but once the opportunity to travel the globe is thrown into the mix, this becomes a while different kind of deal.

Courtesy of state.gov

62 Restaurant & Winebar in Salem launched their three-month long Passport Series promotion on September 1st where diners can enjoy a three-course, prix fixe menu that highlights a different European country each month. The dinners are available Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. each week, and diners will be issued passports that will be stamped each time that diner orders from that month's featured European regions and cities. Guests that travel to every region in a certain country within a single month will be given a free prix fixe dinner next time they visit 62 with a guest for the Passport Series. Guests that visit one country per month for the entire series will still be entered to win a free European vacation compliments of 62 and Colony Travel out of Lynnfield. The trip includes a three-night stay and cooking class at Relais Riserva di Fizzano, Castellina in Chianti.

Here's the line-up of the European countries you can take a culinary tour of at 62 over the next few months:

September 2010: Spain
-Barcelona
-Madrid
-Basque region
-Sevilla

October 2010: Italy
-Venice
-Lombardy - Milan
-Tuscany
-Piedmont

November 2010: France (this menu goes until December 2nd)
-Bordeaux
-Alsace
-Paris
-Burgundy

Travel and food for under $30? I dig it. To make reservations, call 62 Restaurant & Winebar at 978-744-0062.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why?

Financial Friday: Write it Down

Courtesy of a-debt-free-life.com

When I was in college, I couldn’t remember a thing I learned in class if I didn’t write it down. The same goes for my expenses – if I don’t write how much I spent down, I won’t remember what I spent my money on…until it’s too late.

When I first got a checkbook back in junior high, I used the balance sheet for every single thing I purchased and every single bill I paid. However, as time went on, my expenses became larger and more consistent, and I stopped writing all of my expenses down due to the weighty “chore” it became. But it wasn’t long before I realized that because I couldn’t see, everyday, how much money was left in my account, I was spending more than I actually had – which resulted in overdraft fees, which resulted in (obviously) more unexpected expenses for me.

The point of today’s Financial Friday tip is to encourage you to write everything down. Being able to actually see, on a daily basis, how much you’re spending, what you’re buying, and how much money is in your bank account makes a world of difference – and makes it almost impossible to make any “overspending mistakes.” Keeping track of everything I buy with the checkbook balance sheet just stopped being conducive to my computer-driven lifestyle, although the balance sheet may work better for you – just do what works best for you. Below are some other ways I keep track of my expenses:

               

-Excel spreadsheet: Using Excel is just like using a balance sheet, but electronically. I sit in front of a computer for most of the day, so Excel is a much easier way for me to write my expenses down – and basically has a built-in calculator that shows my account balance after every new expense without me having to do anything.

-Mint.com: I have to admit, I was skeptical of Mint.com at first. A website wants my bank account number? Really? But I’ve discovered it’s a safe and secure site that helps me manage my financial goals, my bank accounts, and will even tell me if one of my accounts is getting low on funds via email.

How do you keep track of your finances? Do you write everything down?