Satchel's Pizza

Satchel's is kind of a Gainesville legend, it would seem. I'd been hearing about it since my freshman year, but the first time I actually tried it was just a few weeks ago. The prices are a little steep, but reasonable when you consider what you're paying for. It's easy to see why this place has such a cult-like following.

The atmosphere is great. It's artsy and eclectic, from the sculpture outside to the local art that adorns the walls. Satchel's also makes their own sodas. I tried three of them, and all were really good. My personal favorite was the root beer, and I'm not even a big fan of root beer typically. We also got a four topping pizza (with steak, bacon, garlic, and onion), which was really good too. I hope to go back soon and get to sit in "the van", which is exactly what it sounds like.

If you're in the area, go soon (and invite me)!

Salmon Tacos with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

First things first. I love salmon. I love tacos. I love sriracha. I love crunchy slaws. So what did I do? I threw them all together in a tortilla. It's delicious.

Okay. Now let's discuss some fun stuff. I made these at my friend Kaylyn's because the dorm in which I am an RA for the summer doesn't have real kitchens? We survive with hot plates and mini ovens, but blog stuff is usually not really practical with such a setup. So the motto for the summer is "need kitchen, will travel". Being my friend this summer is going to be very fun.

So anyway. Cooking in others' kitchens has some funky side effects that you might not consider. Other people don't have the same cooking stuff that you do, and, as I learned when cooking at Kaylyn's, you can't just assume everyone will have a sharp knife and a can opener.

That's right. Everything in this recipe was cut with a little butter knife. The good news for you? There's no excuse not to make this. I did it with only a butter knife. You can handle it.

Despite the, um, challenges, these turned out delightfully. We ate them and watched the live-action version of Cinderella, which I highly recommend (yes, I am behind the times). It's such a sweet, aesthetically pleasing movie, that it might have even made the tacos better. I'm not sure, but it's possible. Either way, it was a nice break from the serial killer documentaries I've been binging lately....please tell me I'm not the only one with a weird fascination with those. 

Bottom line: these tacos are what your Wednesday night needs.

Salmon Tacos with Sweet and Spicy Sauce
Ingredients
salmon
1 lb salmon filet
1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
salt and pepper
sesame oil

slaw
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
salt and pepper

sweet sriracha sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sriracha (less if you aren't a spicy fan)
2 tsp sweet Thai chili sauce

tortillas

1. Salt and pepper the salmon filet, then place in a bowl and cover with the Thai chili sauce, turning a couple times to coat on all sides. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the slaw. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix gently with a fork. 
3. To make the sauce, stir ingredients together in a bowl.
4. After the salmon is done soaking, cook it in a pan over medium heat in the sesame oil, flipping after 6 minutes on the first side, and cooking 4 minutes more on the second side.
5. Gently cut the salmon into strips, then assemble the tacos by adding a piece of salmon, some slaw, and sauce to each tortilla. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Moxie (and the events that followed)

Moxie is a restaurant in downtown(ish) Jacksonville. They're known for their cocktails and describe their food as modern Americana. I unfortunately don't have pictures of our food, but The Boyfriend (who is now the fiance but I'm still not used to that....) and I had dinner there together and it was fantastic.

The only picture I actually took...

I made Alex get a cocktail, since he's 21. He doesn't drink really at all and didn't like it that much, but that says more about his alcohol consumption than Moxie's cocktail skills. He's drinking one of their signature drinks, The BLT, which was bourbon, lemonade, and thyme.

We got an appetizer because we like to fully experience new places, and weren't disappointed. The appetizer our waiter recommended was cheddar biscuit tots, and they were funky and delightful. Think deep fried Red Lobster biscuits. You can't go wrong with those.

For dinner, he had a burger (he's a man who knows what he likes) and let me taste it. Moxie uses a blend of beef, pork, and bacon, and that was a nice touch. Alex also topped it with more bacon, which made it even better. I got the recommended signature dish, which was chicken and waffles, but not made normally. The chicken was hot and spicy, and the waffles were little sweet medallions, as expected, but it also came with maple mousse, and that was a really nice addition.

Dessert was a cake inspired by Snickers bars, chocolate with nougat filling and ganache, which came with salted caramel ice cream, which I'm always a sucker for. 

Afterwards, we decided to walk around the shopping center for awhile. There was a nearby fountain, and when we got near there, Alex wanted to stop and talk for a little while. We chatted briefly, then he kissed me, hugged me tight, dropped to one knee, said some of the sweetest things in the world, and asked me to marry him. And of course I cried and said yes.

So maybe my feelings about Moxie are a little skewed by my feelings for the sweet boy I went there with, but either way, I highly recommend it, even if you aren't planning on proposing!

BLT Hot Dogs with Beer Mustard

Can you tell it's summer and I'm excited?

Honestly, I don't really eat hot dogs very often. But they're just so summery. They're perfect for cookouts. They belong by the pool or on the beach or something. They immediately evoke those images to me. Or I guess images of baseball. Which, in my head, goes with beer. So the beer mustard happened. Oh....now I want to go to a baseball game.

Anyway. These are delightful. I enjoy the mustard, and the little salad thing on top is pretty wonderful. I just love them. Even as a non-lover of hot dogs.

BLT Hot Dogs
Ingredients
4 hot dog buns
4 hot dogs
4 slices of bacon, cooked
1 tomato, diced
1 cup lettuce, shredded
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp dark beer

1. Place the hot dogs in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, until they are warmed through. Place each in a bun and top with bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
2. For the mustard, blend together the mustard and beer. Add to the dogs. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Rice Krispy Treat Milkshakes

Iiiiit's SUMMER TIME. And guess who's excited?! That's right. Me.

Um, I hope you're ready for milkshake recipes. Because I sort of love them, and they're finally weather-appropriate.

This particular milkshake is a little weird. It has actual cereal in it. I love the taste and the texture it adds. You could make this with the chocolate krispies too, but I don't like them so much. Instead I always ate my rice krispies with chocolate milk. Probably basically the same thing. But I had a preference anyway.

These were fun to decorate. That's going to be my new thing. It's inspired by this restaurant in NYC that I've been following on Instagram. Their handle or whatever is blacktapnyc, and you should definitely go check them out. Also go visit and then ship me some of their food. Thank you so much.

Rice Krispy Treat Shakes
Ingredients
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice krispies + more to top and rim
1/4 cup marshmallow fluff + more to rim
whipped cream

1. Rim the glass by spreading fluff around the rim, then rolling in rice krispies.
2. Blend together the ice cream, milk, fluff, and krispies until mostly smooth. It's okay if there are a couple bits of krispies left.
3. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and rice krispies. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Lobster Mac n Cheese

This dish makes me feel....classy. Because lobster. Even though I added beer. Which isn't classy. But lobster. Yum.

Actually, honestly, I probably like shrimp better? I don't know. I like the taste of lobster better, but the texture of lobster is usually a little weird. Like rubbery, kind of. Or maybe I'm just not getting good lobster. I don't know. I'll work on it and report back to you.

Also, this isn't technically macaroni and cheese. I used shells instead. Because it's lobster. You'll get that on the drive home. Anyway. It's good, I promise.

Lobster Mac n Cheese
Ingredients
1 lb shells
2 lobster tails
2 + 4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup dark beer
1 cup whole milk
1 lb white cheddar (I used extra sharp), shredded
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1. Cook the shells to al dente, according to package directions.
2. Melt the 2 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium heat. Sear the lobster tails on both sides, then reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 4 minutes, until white all the way through. Chop the lobster and let cool.
3. Melt the remaining butter in a pot over medium low heat. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly until golden.
4. Add beer and milk, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and add cheese, stirring until melted.
5. Add lobster. Pour into a casserole dish, top with bread crumbs.
6. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden. Enjoy!