Lemon Pepper Tilapia

Here is a simple and light dinner that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

First, take the fish fillets.  Rub a bit of extra virgin olive oil on both sides so it doesn't stick to the pan/foil and so the seasonings can stick.  Sprinkle lemon-pepper seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and basil leaves all over the top (I like a bit of extra lemon-pepper, so I rub that seasoning on both sides).

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, and make sure you cover the fish with foil.  I set the fish in for 20-30 minutes until the fish is no-longer transparent and becomes white.

The fish has little to no "fishy" taste.  Best with a
wedge of lemon spritzed on top just before eating.

Rotini Pasta as a side dish.  Fairly simple and easy to make,
but I would suggest making it a day before so the flavor can
soak in (marinate the veggies).  Recipe followed online!

The girls loved the juice!  I mixed pineapple-mango juice, orange juice,
and a strawberry punch to some ginger-ale.  Stirred, on the rocks.  ;)

Quick, easy, and affordable.  Any side dishes can be prepared with it- potato salad, rolls with butter... anything!

Grand America Hotel: Afternoon Tea & Bonne Vie

Last week I had an auntie visit from Taiwan.  Iris took my sister and I to a great restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan and we wanted to return the favor.  The question was: what sort of food should we treat her to?  We were looking for something unique and nice that you can rarely experience.

The choice:  Afternoon Tea at the Grand America Hotel.  This hotel stands as the most expensive five star hotel in Salt Lake City.  They have several dining experiences that are signature to their hotel, including Sunday Brunch, The Grand Spa, Bonne Vie Shop, and Afternoon Tea.

The setup when you are first seated.  The china is so cute!

Seasonal strawberries and cream to start off the "meal."
We were lucky to have been seated in front of the entertainment-
a very talented and young harpist.

There are two choices you can make during tea time: Afternoon
Tea ($16) and The Grand Tea ($32).  The difference is a glass of
champagne and a few extra desserts.  The menu features various
types of tea, including un-caffeinated teas and hot chocolates. 

The first "course" of Afternoon Tea comes with 3 tiers of yummy-ness.

Everything is strategically placed to enjoy your afternoon.
We opted to sit on the sofas, taking our time eating, drinking, and conversing.

Notice the glass on the right?  That's the centerpiece- a tea flower.
Once the food is served, she added hot water to the glass- a
drinkable centerpiece.

Each order comes with 2 cups of hot tea.  Additional hot water
can be added upon request.  Milk, cream, and brown/white sugar
cubes are available to add as needed.

The bottom tier:  Marble turkey sandwich (front), creamy cucumber
on white (right), tuna cheese sandwich (back), tomato-egg on rye (center),
and smoked salmon wrapped in puff pastry (left).

Middle tier: Raisin scones :)  Last time we came they had black
currant scones (winter).

Top tier:  Spreads for the scones!  English cream (top left),
strawberry preserve (top right), and lemon (bottom)

After you finish your sandwiches and scones, here comes round 2:  desserts <3

Bottom Tier:  Chocolate mousse crisp cake and caramel chocolate cake

Middle Tier: Almond chocolate brownies and citrus Madelines

Top tier:  Jellies!  Passion fruit, raspberry, and mango :)

Overall, it was pricey but something people should
try to experience on a relaxing afternoon.

Take a walk around the lobby and main floor and you'll be amazed at some of the floral arrangements and interior decor.  If you turn just around the corner (still inside the hotel), you'll reach a sweet shop called Bonne Vie.  <3

This cute shop sells stationary, crafts, and food-related packaging/cooking items in addition to their personally-made sweets.

A table of cute knick-knacks :)

Delicious sweets.  Many of them are some of the
sweets we had during afternoon tea~
PS- top shelf = my favorite desserts:  macaroons.  <3

Everything is cutely displayed ^.^  It just makes you want to
browse everything!  Lots of cooking material here

See?  Cute!  On the right you can order gelato they make, too.

We were too stuffed to buy more dessert, but the gelato is good (source: samples).  Prices are surprisingly low-moderate.  Macaroons were $1.50 ea.!

Dolcetti Gelato

Salt Lake has, within the past few years, picked up on the hot trend of iced desserts.  Whether it's self and soft serve yogurt or the better/healthier alternative to ice cream-- gelato (yuuuuuum, if you couldn't tell, I totally prefer gelato over ice cream), you can find a local or chain place quickly.

After tingling our pallets with food from Cafe Trio, we (Khanh AKA Penguin and I) headed down the street to indulge in a favorited Italian dessert.

Dolcetti Gelato features many foods/drinks that make you want to come back for more.  From Gelato to belgian waffles, espresso to locally made pastries, this unique "cafe" is one you'll want to visit more than just the one time.

We went late when they were about to close...
but doesn't it look so interesting inside?

AMAZINGNESS.  Penguin got cherry and fleur de dolce,
and I got pistachio and fleur de dolce.  $3.75 sm/ $4.50 med

Interesting chandelier inside~ there was also a lounge area
where you could watch old black and white movies :)

The spread.  It was so hard to decide!  You can try
as many flavors as you want before you order  <3

Doesn't it look delicious?  The Fleur was a mild creamy
sweet flavor... I thought it was a bit creamier than the other flavors.
 It isn't a regular flavor, so make sure you stop by for a taste!
PS- don't you love this table?  :)

Inside you can view bees at work on their honeycomb.
 It was really gross/creepy at first... but then you realize that
you CAN'T STOP STARING O_O

Cute quotes on the front windows about the food/drinks here ^_^

Next time, I know Penguin wants to try their equivalent version of Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate....

Cafe Trio

Going out to a classy restaurant is always fun.  Dressing up and enjoying foods you would normally not indulge in... something that Khanh and I have decided to do on a regular basis.

Oh, by the way, Khanh is a new contributor to this food blog.  WELCOME KHANH!  ^_^

Cafe Trio is a moderately priced restaurant that serves pretty simple food on the menus.  I like how they take simple ingredients and fuse them into something that's light, yet flavorful.

Rosemary cream veggie soup of the day, $5

It was quite tasty!  I love soups :)  This is Khanh!  Shhh, don't tell her I put this up...

This was her salmon over risotto with arugula and a mustard sauce...  very good.  $24

Lemon chicken salad.  Grilled chicken with a lemon vinaigrette in romaine lettuce. $9 

The salad also had caper berries!  I've never had these before,
but they were sour and... weird looking.  Click for a close-up!

The salmon was so moist and flavorful...

This place has an open cork policy and serves cocktails and wine.  Great place to enjoy out on the patio in a cozy little neighborhood, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Salt Lake City.  I would recommend trying it out!  It is definitely not a place to go if you're looking for quantity.  I would also recommend their flat-bread appetizer- I ordered it before and it was fabulous with the dressing the drizzle over it.

Go give your taste buds a ride!

Yellow Chicken Curry

Maybe I should have a category just for curries.  Since my first post, this will be my 2nd post on curry (out of 12).

BUT, the difference is, this kind is the Chinese curry.  Yes, there are different curries.  YES, they all taste different.  Hm, maybe I should try making a Thai curry, too....

Anyway, the Octopus helped me out with this one (since I didn't exactly make the first one the best).  We peeled and chopped garlic, lemongrass, carrots & potatoes, then sliced chicken into thin pieces.  It would have been nice to add onions and tomatoes, but they weren't available at the time.

Sautee carrots & potatoes with garlic and oil ~

Add chicken and lemongrass~

*mix mix mix*

Official helper ^_^  She did so well *pat pat*

Add yellow curry powder and water until almost
covering the mix (cubes are actually a bit easier to use)

Add a little squeeze of this paste- it gives the curry a kick!

Salt and bay leaves for flavor~

*mix mix mix*

Once everything is mixed in, put over low heat
and simmer stirring occasionally

Voila!  Yellow Chicken Curry <3

Curry with white rice on the side is the best.  <3  Have a go at it!

Carl's Cafe

Breakfast and lunch is always at it's best when it's affordable and tastes great.  Once in awhile, you have to dig in to those local owned restaurants and see what your city is made of.  Residents of Cottonwood Heights are all aware of this restaurant.  Hell, all the high schoolers at Brighton know about this place.

Between Rite Aid and (what is now) Planet Fitness

Carl's Cafe is a small restaurant joint hidden near the mouth of the canyon.  Only open until 2:30 p.m., this restaurant features some good old fashion diner-type food.

Great ceiling to floor windows bring in the natural light :)
See how small the place is?  It doesn't extend beyond this...

When I was in high school living in this area, I remember coming here and ordering nothing but scones.  Back then it was a bit cheaper, but $1.50 per scone isn't too bad.  They are to die for... a member of our group said it's waaay better than Scone Cutter.

:D

Add a bit of butter and honey, then you're good to go!

Now, the "main course."  We all sort of just ordered whatever.  Some were craving breakfast, some craving lunch.  Here's the spread~

The Westerner (swiss & mushroom burger) was HUGE.  For $5.75,
I would say that's a pretty good deal with fries on the side

Breakfast burrito with your choice of meat... always a classic breakfast 

Sandwich with corned beef & provolone with onion rings
on the side.  He said this was the best sandwich he's ever had!

The Breakfast Sandwich with eggs and sausage, hash on the side, and a scone 

The Reuben... it was much bigger than I thought it would be (look at all that pastrami!)

Overall, this small-town joint did not disappoint.  The food was good, the prices were cheap (between the ranges of $4.25-$7.75, not including substitutions/add-ons) and the company was good.

If you're ever in the neighborhood, why go to Subway when you could have a full, complete meal here?

Lollipops from Carl's!  (L to R)
Butterscotch- Root beer- Banana split- Grape- Mango-  Tangerine