RECIPE: Toffee Tiramisu

from bettycrocker.com

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Difficulty:
Taste:

Pros: An extremely simple recipe with big flavors and easy-to-find ingredients.
Cons: May not satisfy those looking for an authentic tiramisu recipe.
Bottom Line: A great tribute to tiramisu without any fuss.

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This is a delicious, easy-to-throw-together dessert that makes a big impression. It only takes 15-20 minutes to make (though it does need to sit in the fridge for an hour after it's made), and it indulges coffee lovers with a tiramisu-esque dish without having to search multiple grocery stores for speciality Italian ingredients. And since there is no baking involved, you won't even have to break a sweat! The pound cake substitutes for the ladyfingers in the traditional recipe, providing a moist, buttery base for the creamy, chocolatey topping. And the toffee bits on top provide a fun, unexpected twist on the original Italian dessert. Though the dish may not be a true tiramisu and some Italian enthusiasts may find the flavors a bit lacking, this dessert definitely has bang for the buck. It comes together as a delicious dessert with bold flavors that looks and tastes as though it took much more effort than it actually did. Use it when you need to impress your guests and you're pressed for time!

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Toffee Tiramisu

1 package (10.75 oz) frozen pound cake loaf, thawed and cut into about 10 slices 3/4 cup strong coffee (we use a full cup) 1 cup sugar

1/2 cup chocolate-flavor syrup 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 2 cups whipping cream 2 bars (1.4 oz each) chocolate-covered toffee candy, chopped

Slice the pound cake and arrange on the bottom of the serving dish.



Drizzle the coffee over the pound cake layer.



In a large bowl, mix the sugar, chocolate syrup, and cream cheese on medium speed until well mixed. Add the whipping cream, and beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. This should take a few minutes.



Spread the chocolate mixture over the cake. Top with the chopped toffee bits.

REVIEW: Thai Orchid (Take-Out)

785 Robert Blvd.
Slidell, LA

View the menu

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Overall:
Service:	It was take-out!
Atmosphere:	It was take-out!
Food:
Price:

Pros: The dishes and flavors you would expect from a Thai restaurant.
Cons: Nothing extraordinary to make it truly stand out from other Thai restaurants.
Bottom Line: Solid, satisfying Thai food and good for take-out.

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Sometimes after a long day, you'd much rather curl up on the couch in your pajamas to eat dinner instead of having to get dressed and dine in a restaurant. For that reason, we feel it's important to include take-out reviews in this blog in addition to the traditional dining reviews. It is often difficult for dishes to carry as well at home as in the restaurant. Not only are you missing the ambiance of the restaurant contributing to your dining experience, but the dishes have to be packaged in unattractive containers - often separated into elements you have to recombine yourself - and survive the trip home, losing the perfect temperature along the way. But who doesn't love good take-out now and then? So, it's part of the Hippo goal to clue you in to some of the restaurants who do the take-out thing well.

So, when the Hippos were worn out from a long day of work, we turned to Thai Orchid for some comforting Thai take-out. When we got to the restaurant, the food was already waiting for us to pick up. Though it was nice that the food was ready without us having to wait, sitting out meant it didn't stay at hot as it could have. The restaurant only had one table filled with diners and only one other take-out order waiting, so we guess they had some time on their hands. (In their defense, we didn't eat dinner until pretty late that night.) When we got home, the food was still warm (but not piping hot), and the portions were generous.

The first dish we tried was the traditional Pad Thai with chicken. It definitely met our expectations flavor-wise of what we expect in a Pad Thai, but it didn't exceed them. One downside was that the noodles were rather oily, creating a less appealing texture and appearance. Other than that, the dish was a decent, typical Pad Thai.

Our second dish was the Gaeng Kaew Wan with pork, or a green curry dish with coconut milk. The dish had a bit of heat to it, but it was not overpowering. There was a large amount of bamboo shoots in the dish, but it also included a pleasant combination of vegetables - eggplant, red and green bell pepper, and carrots. Again, portion size was generous, but we were not given enough rice for the amount of sauce provided. This was odd, since steamed white rice is usually given in abundance with take-out. Eaten in these proportions, it would be a very soupy dish. The smoothness of the coconut milk combined with the heat of the curry made an appealing dish. It was good enough to eat again, but not necessarily something we loved so much that we'd have to get it over and over.

Thai Orchid provided the comforting, familiar flavors we expect from a Thai restaurant. The food seemed pretty authentic - it felt home-cooked and not commercialized. And, with the exception of the stingy serving of rice, it definitely served its purpose for good take-out. The food did hold up well from the restaurant to our home. We'll probably eat at Thai Orchid again (especially since there aren't many other Thai restaurants in Slidell), but they do still have room to grow in terms of flavors if they want to really set themselves apart from being "just another Thai restaurant."

RECIPE: Avocado, Tomato, & Mango Salsa

adapted from Allrecipes.com

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Difficulty:
Taste:

Pros: Unique salsa with easy-to-find ingredients.
Cons: A good bit of chopping involved.
Bottom Line: Impressive flavors with little skill required.

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This salsa is a great go-to dish when you need to put something together quickly for a party or get-together (just double the ingredients if it's going to be a big party - it will go far). It is a refreshing, new take on salsa that easily impresses. Only a little time and some chopping are involved to throw this dish together. Even the ingredients are ones that can be easily found at any grocery store. The fresh, bright flavors of the mango, tomato, and avocado and the no-cook recipe make this one a great summer dish.

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Avocado, Tomato, & Mango Salsa

1 mango - peeled, seeded, & diced 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, & diced 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 teaspoon olive oil

Chop the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic and combine in a bowl. Add the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. Stir to combine.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors develop.

REVIEW: Emeril's New Orleans

800 Tchoupitoulas St.
New Orleans, LA

View the website

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Overall:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Food:
Price:

Pros: Refreshing flavors and perfectly-cooked meats.
Cons: Felt overcrowded sitting next to a large dinner party.
Bottom Line: Worthy of its reputation.

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Emeril's three restaurants in New Orleans - Emeril's, Delmonico, and NOLA - are offering a special where each restaurant features a different country's cuisine each month from July through September. You can purchase a 3-course dinner in the "Cuisines of the World" special for $35, or purchase a passport to enjoy one of these specials from each restaurant for $90. We Hippos decided to go for the passport, so that we get to enjoy (and review!) all three restaurants this summer. For July, we decided to visit the flagship Emeril's restaurant, which was featuring the cuisine of Spain.

Emeril's is located in downtown New Orleans in a desirable location. The beautiful brick exterior continues on the inside, where the exposed brick gives the space a hip, yet cozy feel. Though the average entrée here nears $30, the restaurant remains a casual, down-to-earth place where jeans are acceptable. The service staff here were very attentive and friendly and on par with a fine-dining establishment; however, the atmosphere was slightly dampened by the proximity of the tables. This created a feel of overcrowding, especially since we were placed extremely close to a large, 10-person table.

For appetizers we ordered the Catalonian Flatbread with Yellowfin Tuna, Iberian ham, boquerones, and fresh tomato; and the Vine Ripe Tomato Gazpacho with redfish escabeche and aged sherry vinegar. The flatbread had solid flavors but fell a little short of what we expected from a restaurant as well-known as Emeril's. The smokiness of the ham was pleasing, but parts were a bit gristly and the flatbread was too tough, making the dish difficult to eat. However, the gazpacho was near perfection. It tasted light and fresh - a great way to start a meal. The soup was herby and not too acidic, as tomato bases can often be. There was enough texture to the soup with nuts and redfish incorporated. The redfish was the highlight of the soup - it was tender and flavorful and stood up well within the soup.

For the main course, we ordered Solomillo a la Plancha - seared hangar steak, patas bravas, Gulf shrimp romesco, and lemon verbena allioli - and Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Spanish bean-jumbo lump crab salad and mojo verde. Both dishes were plated very well, with a drizzle of each dish's sauce surrounding the food. The steak was topped with a beautiful, large Gulf shrimp. Both the steak and shrimp were well-cooked - tender and not overdone. The dish was built upon a bed of potatoes that were covered in a smoky sauce. While the sauce was tasty, it had a very strong flavor that permeated throughout the plate. Overall, the steak course was good, but each bite was dominated by the smokiness of the sauce, masking the rest of the fresh flavors in the dish.

The Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass was our favorite of the two main courses. The dish included a generous portion of sea bass, which was seared nicely on the skin side. This provided a crunch to the outside of this tender, moist, flavorful fish. Once again, the plate's herby flavors, reminiscent of a chimichurri, brought the dish together in a perfectly light and fresh manner. The only downside was that there was not much lump crabmeat, and what little was there tended to get lost among the other flavors. However, this was a delicious, filling course without being heavy in the least.

Dessert included Carajillo Semifredo with crisp churros and a Cava Sorbet with fresh berries. Both dishes were very impressive, with the former providing a comforting, heavier finish to the meal and and the latter a light, refreshing endnote. The semifredo had a licorice flavor to it, which was not our favorite at first. However, paired with the crisp, cinnamon churros, the licorice flavor grew on us, as the two elements complemented each other well.

The sorbet was a very different dish than the semifredo, with its simple, vibrant flavors and overall lightness. The sorbet had a hint of melon flavor, was refreshing, and paired well with the seasonal berries. The flavors also balanced nicely here, as the sorbet was not too sweet and the berries not too tart. This dish was surprisingly satisfying, even for a sweet tooth.

The trip to Spain at Emeril's was a mostly pleasing experience. The special courses offered both comfort-style plates and light, refreshing dishes. The restaurant did a great job of utilizing fresh herbs to bring together and accentuate the flavors on most of the plates. The few misses were compensated by the perfectly-cooked meats and exceptional service. This meal set the bar pretty high for the remaining two countries to visit on our Emeril's passport!