Holland-Grand Rapids Tour - Day One

中文菜谱： Holland - Grand Rapids 二日游第一天

Finally spring is in the air!  The weather is getting warmer.  And flowers are blooming.  We drove to Holland and Grand Rapids for a weekend getaway.

 Every year there is a tulip festival in town.  We went on Friday to avoid tourist peak.  That was such a wise decision because we enjoyed some really nice and quiet walks around downtown and parks area.

For brunch, we headed for Windmill restaurant in downtown Holland. 

The restaurant is a bit small.  We waited for while for a table.  The staff was super nice.

My husband ordered pancakes.  They are soft, warm and fluffy. 

Eggs and bacons.

Cinnamon toasts.  We were hoping for French toast.  This is the closest one they have.  The bread is good, soft and fluffy.

I wasn’t sure what to order.  So the waitress recommended harsh brown omelet.

It came in a huge plate.

Just one bite, I was hooked.  Wow, that is really awesome!  The harsh brown is crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and cheesy on the inside, with tons of bacons bits in it. 

We ditched everything else on the table and shared my harsh brown together.  That was so good.

Flowers are blooming everywhere.

We went for a nice walk in the Holland State Park.  It is right next to the Lake Michigan. 

After the walk, we went to JP for coffee.

Latte and cappuccino

Aroma was great.  Crema was thick and beautiful.

What a nice afternoon!

We took another walk in downtown area.  It was a perfect day for ice cream.  Apparently a lot of people thought so, because the ice cream shop was really crowded. O(∩_∩)O~

We had strawberry and chocolate frozen yogurt.  They were really good and creamy, but too sweet for my taste.

After the ice cream, we drove to Grand Rapids and checked in our hotel. We decide to skip dinner and went directly to his favorite bar in town, Founders.

See, flowers are indeed blooming everywhere, even in the parking lot.

Founders is one of best local breweries.  We have to stop by here every time we are in town.   Their beers are also sold in grocery and liquor stores.  But being here is a total different experience. 

I forgot to take pictures from outside.  So I found a couple pictures online.

We ordered a Founders All Day IPA and a Dirty Bastard.  They are both quite good, intense flavor and earthy, but just a little bit too dark for me.  I personally prefer light and fruity beers.

Guacamole and chips to go with the beers.  It is very light, bland and kind of lack of taste.  Well, we are here for the beer, not the food.

Multi Grain Pancakes with Strawberries and Honey

中文菜谱： 杂粮小煎饼

I have been a really huge fan of multi grains lately.  Last weekend I turned our regular pancakes into a healthier version of multi grain pancakes.  They are so good that we might have a new weekend morning regular! O(∩_∩)O~  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of multi grain flour
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk (different grains might need different amount of liquid; adjust accordingly)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
fresh strawberries
honey / maple syrup

Directions:

I love buying different grains, rice and beans from Wholefoods and finely grind them into multi grain flour with my beloved vitamix and its dry cup. 

Store any extra flour in air-tight glass jar.

Shift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

In a medium bowl or cup, add eggs, buttermilk and oil.  Whisk together.

Add shifted flour to the egg milk mixture.  Whisk just until the dry flour is gone.  Don’t over mix because the more you whisk, the more gluten will form, and the chewier your pancakes will get.

Heat the griddle  to 350. 

Add batter.  We are using a non-stick griddle so I skip oil spray.  If you use a cast iron griddle or stainless steel pan, oil spray will be a life saver! O(∩_∩)O~ 

Let them cook on one side until you see a lot of bubbles, flip the pancakes.  It takes about more or less than one minute.

Both sides are golden brown.  That how you know they are ready.

Top with fresh strawberries

And honey or maple syrup; doesn’t that look great? O(∩_∩)O~

Famous Dave’s BBQ

中文： Famous Dave’s BBQ

Last weekend was a bit chilly and rainy.  So we decided to go get some comfortable food.  Yeah, that is right, BBQ! O(∩_∩)O~

We went to Famous Dave’s BBQ.  We have been there a couple times before but that was a long time ago.  Just when we were about to order, we found out that every table, I mean literally every table, has a huge tin pan with all kinds of delicious looking food in it.  We immediately switch our order to a BBQ feast for 2.  

The food came quick after order. We didn’t have to wait too long.  That would have been a torture to sit in a BBQ restaurant with an empty stomach surrounded by smoky BBQ air. O(∩_∩)O~

BBQ ribs were a little bit disappointing.  The flavor was good.  But they were kind of dry.  Maybe they have been sitting in the oven for a bit too long that the meat became chewy and dry.  I would not call it juicy at all. 

Beef brisket was way better than the ribs.  It was smoky, tender, juicy and flavorful.  Thumbs up for the brisket!

Chicken was better than what I expected.  The seasonings were really great.  They were strong but not overpowering the chicken flavor.  The skin was the best part; crispy, crunchy and loaded with concentrated flavors.

We finished all the chicken…skin…O(∩_∩)O~

Cole slaw was too sweet for my taste.

 Didn’t like the chili either.  The flavor and taste were not right.

Corns were ok.  But the corn muffins were too wet inside.  We each took a bite and gave up on the muffins.

The fries were good.  Potatoes were fried into a perfect golden color.  They were crunchy on the inside, soft and tender on the inside.  

The feast was definitely not our thing.  We won’t order it again. 

There are many BBQ trophies on display in the hallway, impressive!

Salted Eggs

中文： 咸鸡蛋

Salted eggs are a popular side dish all over mainland China.  They are usually served with congee or porridge.  The traditional ones are made with duck eggs.  Fresh duck eggs are rarely available on the market where I live, so I substitute with chicken eggs.  They turn out great.   I am quite happy with the results.

After brined in salty water plus alcohol brine for 4 weeks, some changes have been going on inside the eggs.  Aside from being salty, the cooked egg whites look pretty much just like regular hardboiled egg whites.   The best part is the yolks.   The salt and alcohol transform the yolks into a delicacy.  They are beautiful golden color.  The yolks taste a little bit grainy but in a good way.  The whole yolk is loaded with oil which comes from the yolk itself during the brining process.  That is a sign that I have a batch of successful salted eggs.

Whoever invented this way to preserve eggs was definitely a genius.  Ordinary duck and chicken eggs are transformed into something delicious and amazing which you have to taste for yourself. 

Ingredients:

24 fresh chicken eggs
1 cup table salt
1/2 cup Chinese rice liquor （I substitute with vodka）
 

Directions:

Rinse the eggs under running cold water.  Pat dry with kitchen towel and then allow the eggs to get completely dry at room temperature.

Soak each egg in vodka for 20 to 30 seconds.

Coat with a thin layer of salt

Wrap up with plastic wrap

Add the eggs to a Ziploc bag.  Seal and mark the date.  Wait for 30 days.

Remove the plastic wraps and rinse off the salt.  Cook the eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes.

After the eggs are completely cool down, it is time cut them in halves and serve with congee.

Sweet Black Rice Congee

中文：黑糯米红枣桂圆糊

Congee is a traditional comfort food very popular in Southern China.  It can be sweet or savory.  It is usually thin, sometimes runny but always loaded with rich flavors.   For the homemade version, you can cook it any way you like; add any ingredients you like; and enjoy it any way you like. O(∩_∩)O~

I make sweet black rice congee with some very traditional Chinese ingredients like sweet black rice, dried jujubes, red beans and dried longan fruits.

For sweet black rice flour blend：

1 1/2 cup sweet black rice
1/2 cup sweet brown rice
1/2 cup red beans
8 to 10 large dried jujubes
1/4 cup dried longan fruits

Aside from different colors, sweet black rice has a firmer and tougher texture than the regular sweet rice.

I use sweet brown rice because it contains more fiber and nutrition than the regular one. 

Red beans are also a good source of dietary fiber and they also help to regulate cholesterol level.

Dried jujubes can be served as snacks, cooked in soups, congees, or many other Chinese dishes.

Dried longan fruits have more intense tropical fruity flavor than the fresh ones.  Sometimes I snack on them.  They can be used in desserts, sweet and savory Chinese dishes too.

Add all the ingredients to a Vitamix dry cup

Cover tightly with its lid.

Grind at low speed first and then tune up to high speed.

In less than 30 seconds, all the ingredients are milled to fine powder.

Store extra flour in glass jars

Now I can make sweet congee.

For the sweet black rice congee：

2 cups of water
1/3 to 1/2 cups of sweet black rice flour blend
2 to 3 tablespoon brown sugar (use more if you have a sweet tooth)

Directions：

In a small stock pot, add water.  Heat over high heat until the water boils.  Add sweet black rice flour blend while whisking.  When the water boils again, reduce the heat to medium low.  Add brown sugar.  Continue to cook for 5 to 6 minutes.  Stir from time to time to prevent burning on the bottom.

Cover the pot with its lid. Turn off the heat and allow the congee to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  It is necessary because sweet black rice’s tough texture. 

And now it is time to enjoy sweet black rice congee! O(∩_∩)O~