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!

RECIPE: Thai-Style Shrimp & Veggies with Toasted Coconut Rice

Rachael Ray

365: No Repeats

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Difficulty:
Taste:

Pros: Pretty easy to make and has great flavors.
Cons: Takes us a little longer than the 30-minute goal.
Bottom Line: Almost as good as Thai take-out and much cheaper.

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We Hippos love Thai food, and this recipe delivers on many of the familiar flavors of the cuisine without requiring a trip to an international grocery store. As a Rachael Ray meal, it is only supposed to take 30 minutes. Though the preparation was relatively simple, we did find that, due to all the chopping involved, it will take those with less than stellar knife skills about 10 to 15 minutes longer than that.

The various flavors of this recipe come together very nicely. The shredded coconut makes the dish subtly sweet, and all the fresh produce and herbs make for a light, delicious meal. The cilantro and lime finished off the flavor in a refreshing - but not overpowering - way. The texture of the dish was also pleasing. The chewiness of the toasted coconut and the crunchiness of the veggies made an appealing contrast with the rice. However, we did feel that this contrast could have been a bit more pronounced. When we make this next time, we will cook the vegetables a little less and reserve half of the cabbage until the very end of cooking time. This will allow it to wilt a bit while still retaining a nice crunch. We paired this dish with a simple salad served with a homemade creamy peanut-lime dressing. Overall, we loved this recipe, and it will definitely be appearing in the Hippo kitchen again!

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Thai-Style Shrimp & Veggies with Toasted Coconut Rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 1 cup long-grain rice (we substituted brown rice) 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 small yellow onion, sliced 8 napa cabbage leaves, thinly shredded (we used about 1.5x this amount) 1 cup store-bought shredded carrots

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (we omitted this) 3 large garlic cloves, chopped 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated (we substituted dry ground ginger)1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons tamari 5 scallions, thinly sliced 20 fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped Juice of 1 lime

Combine 1 cup of the shredded coconut with 1 1/2 cups chicken stock in a sauce pot. Bring to a simmer, add rice, and return to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook covered for 18 minutes (less if you are using instant rice - check the box's directions).

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the remaining coconut. Toast the coconut until golden, stirring frequently to prevent burning. This will take a couple of minutes. Remove the toasted coconut from the pan and save for later.



Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp in the skillet for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and save for later. Add the remaining vegetable oil to the skillet. Add all the veggies, the red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes.



Add in the remaining chicken stock and the tamari. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir. Cook a couple of minutes more. When the shrimp are thoroughly cooked, add the basil, scallions, half the cilantro, and the lime juice.

Mix the cooked rice with the toasted coconut. Mound up some rice on a plate, then top with the shrimp, veggies, and some sauce. To finish it off, sprinkle some of the remaining cilantro on top of the dish.



If desired, serve with a salad of lettuce and carrots. Whisk up some peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, a bit of water, and some ginger for the dressing. Enjoy!

REVIEW: Tchoupstix

69305 Hwy 21
Covington, LA

View the menu

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Overall:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Food:
Price:

Pros: Good service and appealing food presentation.
Cons: Sushi rolls were average at best.
Bottom Line: All that glitters isn’t gold.

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As part of our never-ending quest to find outstanding sushi in the Greater New Orleans area, we were excited to try a new sushi restaurant in Covington called Tchoupstix (pronounced chopsticks for all you non-Louisianans out there). Once inside, we were impressed by the décor and atmosphere – fun, but not too casual. The hostess asked us if we preferred a table, booth, or the sushi bar. This was very welcomed, as we generally prefer the intimacy of booths. We were waited on right after we were seated (though, in fairness, the restaurant wasn’t too full). Tchoupstix was off to a good start.

For an appetizer, we ordered gyoza, the pan-fried dumplings, served with a spicy sauce. While the sauce didn’t have much flavor except for the spice, the dumplings were one of the best dumplings we’ve had on the Northshore. We then decided to try three rolls from the very-tempting list of “Tchoupstix VIP Rolls” (mostly $10-12 each), along with some salmon sushi. We picked the King Neptune (lobster wrapped in rice paper with snow crab, fresh crisp lettuce, and rice), the Mount Fuji (Cali roll topped with baked scallop), and the Mai Tai (shrimp tempura and avocado topped with crunchy snow crab and served with a peanut sauce). Makes you hungry just reading that, huh? When the food arrived, we really started salivating. We just knew we had finally found the sushi restaurant we had been looking for. The presentation was gorgeous, though the camera on our phone doesn’t do it much justice.

We started with the Mount Fuji. (When eating sushi rolls, we always start by tasting a piece of each roll at the same time so we can discuss our opinions together.) As scallop lovers, we were anxiously waiting to try this roll – it is the first sushi roll we’ve seen with scallops around here. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed. The scallop was chopped up with some crab stick and covered in a mayonnaise-y “creamy” sauce. This topping completely overpowered the roll, and the scallop went unnoticed. Next was the King Neptune. Though a nice-sized piece of lobster was included in the roll, it was overcooked and tough. With nothing in this roll but bland seafood and rice, it lacked flavor. It seemed like it was missing a piece of fruit or vegetable to tie the elements together. Our final roll was the Mai Tai. When we ordered, we were very excited about the peanut sauce on this roll, as we had been debating whether to eat Pad Thai or sushi for dinner. However, we were disappointed again. The drizzle of sauce over the roll was so tiny that we actually forgot that the roll was supposed to come with a sauce at all. Accordingly, the "peanut" flavor made no impact at all. While the crunchy snow crab was nice in texture and flavor, again, this roll was absent of anything distinctive. Even the avocado was small in the roll, missing an opportunity to give this roll some clear flavor. Finally, we tried the salmon sushi. The salmon was fresh and had a nice consistency. With the least amount of ingredients (and by far the cheapest choice on the plate), the raw salmon and rice was the most impressive aspect of the meal. Overall, the sushi was not bad but certainly nothing memorable. What high hopes the beautiful presentation and interesting ingredients gave us were quickly dashed by the mediocre and unimpressive sushi.

While it certainly wasn’t worse than much of the sushi we’ve tasted around the New Orleans area, that isn’t saying too much. Tchoupstix was extremely disappointing when it came to its sushi rolls. Though the price of the rolls was on par with most sushi places, it wasn’t worth the money in our opinion. It’s doubtful we’ll be traveling there again, but if we do, we’ll be sure to try something off of their entrée menu instead. And so our quest to find amazing (or even just really good) local sushi continues…