Wilmington Restaurant Rave: Manna

Saturday night my mom suggested we go to a relatively new restaurant in downtown Wilmington and see a play at City Stage. Manna is one of the best restaurants I can remember going to in Wilmington especially in the upscale category. I love my standbys like Sweet N Savory and Terrazzo, but for a nice meal, this is one of the best and definitely most inventive spots in town.

We went early before the play and got several apps and cocktails. Their cocktails are what really set them apart. Their mixologist created drinks where I didn't know most of the ingredients on the menu. That's when you know it's going to be good. The addition of flower garnishes really sealed the deal.

I got the Lavender Citrus Blossom, which consisted of vodka, lemon, orange, lavender syrup and west indian orange bitters. I thought it was the best cocktail order but my mom and sister might disagree. Quin got the Elderflower Fizz made with gin, st. germain, grapefruit, lemon, soda and grapefruit bitters - also delish. My mom went really sassy with her order an opted for the Cat Smash - cat daddy moonshine, lemon, mint and soda water. 

I thought we'd peaked out too early in the meal, and there was no way the food could live up to the amazing cocktails. Wrong. We ordered 4 small plates to share and each one was awesome. For thinking I did not like beef tartar, this is the second tapas tasting where this dish was my fave. Maybe I need to reevaluate some things? This preparation had a tapenade of caper & chive, a sherry poached egg, and roasted garlic and horseradish emulsion all served with grilled bread.

The braised pork belly with a cauliflower puree was also on point, but then again, when have I not loved a dish with pork belly? This was the most hearty and comforting dish of the night.

We also tried a selection of six cheeses and meats from the charcuterie. I have no idea what they were, but all of them were tasty. We had housemade salami and prosciutto with cheeses that reminded me of blue and brie varieties. These were served with some fresh baked bread, stone ground spicy mustard, fruit jams, and pickled veggies.

Finally, there was the beet salad. My mom decided we needed some greens so we went for this. Being my first time with beets, I can now say I'm a fan. The salad had roasted yellow beets, arugula, almond oil, grapefruit, and a rhubarb and beet mousse. The mousse was awesome, but this dish was my least favorite if only because it was a salad. 

This is a solid spot for dinner and drinks in downtown Wilmington. If you're ever in the area, check it out.

http://mannaavenue.com/

Turkish Mini Meatballs with White Bean Hummus and Toasted Pine Nuts

I figured a month was long enough to go between meatball posts. Somehow I have not burned myself out on the meatball yet. They're just so versatile. Italian, Mediterranean, Buffalo, turkey, lamb, pork... However, you want to slice it, they're just delicious. I should be a spokesperson for meatballs. And tacos.

You're drooling, aren't you?

The original recipe calls for lamb, which I'm definitely taking for a spin next time. It's a big deal that I'm saying there will be a next time, meaning this dish was insane. I used a mixture of ground pork and beef, which was tasty, but I feel the lamb would really kick it up a notch.

I am obsessed with Mediterranean cuisine and would prefer to eat pita and dips all day long. This white bean hummus did not disappoint, and if you wanted to go all Sandra Lee on me, you could save a little time and buy white bean hummus or regular hummus from the store. But why would you when all you have to do is put everything into a blender/food processor? Also, much cheaper.

The recipe says to put the meatball ingredients into the food processor after you've made the dip to emulsify it with water. I wasn't sure the blender could handle this so I went the old fashion way and mixed by hand sans water. Still good, but I can see how emulsifying the water into the mixture would make it really silky. I'll remember that for next time.

Mmmmmmm

Now get in there, and make a million TINY meatballs. Mine were probably a little bigger than necessary, but I'd try to get them about one and a half teaspoons. Food is so much cuter in mini form, and that means you can eat more of it so I'm down.

They don't need long to bake since they're so mini. Check after about five minutes to see if they're almost done. They don't need to be entirely cooked through because you'll finish them off on the stove with a little more EVOO, pine nuts, fresh mint and red pepper flakes. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Serve these bad boys over the dip with some warmed pita wedges, and you've really treated yourself. I'm kicking myself for not remembering the Greek Yogurt, Cucumber and Feta Sauce I made last night and plopping some of that on top too. It's impressive enough for a date night, your roommates or a dinner party (could be an app?) but easy enough to cook for number one. Yourself.

The long list of ingredients might intimidate you, but get over that. Most are things you already have in your pantry so you have no excuse. Unless you just prefer subpar food in which case I'm sad for you.

Turkish Mini Meatballs with White Bean Hummus and Toasted Pine Nuts

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

White Bean Hummus:

2 cans of cannellini beans

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp of tahini/sesame paste

1/4 tsp of ground cumin

1/4~1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

Meatballs:

1 pound of ground beef, pork and/or lamb (mix and match!)

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 shallot, finely minced

1 tsp of ginger, grated

1 small egg, or 1/2 large egg

1 1/2 tbsp of corn starch

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 tsp of ground allspice

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp of ground cumin

1/4 tsp of ground coriander

1/2 tsp of salt

1/8 tsp of ground black pepper

2 tbsp of water to drizzle in (if using food processor method)

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle

2 tbsp of pine nuts

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped

1~2 tsp of chili flakes

Pita 

Directions:

Drain the cannellini beans of any excess water (the dryer the better). Add beans, Greek yogurt, garlic, tahini/sesame paste and cumin in the food processor. Run until a very smooth puree forms. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. You could cook the puree in a pot for a few minutes to get rid of the “can”-taste, but it doesn’t really bother me so I wouldn’t stress it. Set it aside until needed.

If using food processor to mix meatballs, clean the food processor bowl and towel-dry it really well.  Add ground beef/pork, garlic, shallots, ginger, corn starch, olive oil, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper.  Pulse until all the ingredients are evenly combined, then keep the machine running on low and start drizzling in 2 tbsp of water.  Keep the food processor running for a few seconds until the mixture become “paste-like”.  You could also do this on a stand-mixer with a pedal-attachment.  

If going old fashioned, mix all meatball ingredients together without the water by hand until fully incorporated.

Preheat the oven on 430ºF.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Form the lamb mixture into tiny meatballs, approx 1 1/2 tsp each and lay them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs start to brown and are set in shape, about 5 minutes, but keep an eye on them. Once the meatballs are set, take them out of the oven. Heat up 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.  Add the meatballs and brown them all over. Add the pine nuts and let them toast until golden brown (this would happen relatively quick!). Then add the minced garlic, fresh mint and chili flakes.  Cook only for another few seconds. Re-season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the white bean hummus on a big platter or individual plates. Add the meatballs and pine nuts on top and drizzle more extra virgin olive oil and chili flakes on top.

Serve with hot pitas.

[Recipe adapted from Lady and Pups]

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli

Just so you know, sweet potato fries are tricky. Delicious but tricky. It's so hard to get them crispy and perfectly browned. Last week I set out to perfect this delicious side item.

Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the french fry (for the moment) and also one of the healthiest. Nine times out of 10, if these are on a menu, I'll order them.

After several failed attempts including burned and soggy fries, I have a few tips to get you on the right track.

1) Soak the fries in water an hour to a half day prior to baking. Also, try to cut them around the same length and thickness.

2) Coat in a modest amount of cornstarch. Just enough for crunch but not enough to taste powdery.

3) Bake in small batches to ensure maximum crunch. Otherwise you'll end up with steamed, soggy fries. Sick.

I may not be 100% restaurant ready on these yet, but with a little more practice, I think I'll get the hang of it. Check it out.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli
Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch
Olive Oil
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp adobo sauce 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into fries no thicker than 1/2″ and similar in length and thickness. Soak in water for minimum of one hour, but preferably for half a day.

Drain water from bowl and lift fries out by the handful.  Shake off excess water. They should be dry but still have enough moisture on them to allow the cornstarch to stick.

Put cornstarch in a plastic bag and drop all of your fries in. Blow a little air into the bag, twist the top and shake it vigorously.  Lift the fries out onto one or two baking sheets.

Coat with olive oil.  The more you use, the crispier and less sticking you’ll have, but the less healthy they’ll be.  Use two pans if you have to.  You want to make sure the fries aren’t crowded on the pan otherwise they’ll steam as opposed to getting crispy.

Bake for 15 minutes then check.  Once bottom of fries are getting crisp, flip them over and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Chipotle Aioli:
Mix together mayo and adobo sauce.  Adjust to your taste.


[Recipe adapted from The Art of Doing Stuff]

French Onion Soup Pizza

French onion soup is one of my long term favorite foods. Even when I was picky, this was one of my go to restaurant orders. It's a little trickier to make in my kitchen due to an old and scary broiler so when I saw this recipe for french onion soup pizza, I was game. This was great as dinner but would be just as good/better cut into smaller slices as an appetizer.

I had originally intended to buy pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe's or even Safeway. Now that we have a hand mixer with a dough attachment though, I decided to tackle my first yeast experiment. I associate yeast with baking, and baking scares me. 

It's alive!

It rose! All that stress for nothing. I think with a little more practice I could actually make a pretty tasty dough. I had all the ingredients for it in my kitchen already (minus the yeast, but that's cheap), and all I needed to do was follow the instructions on the package. I did this first to give my dough the maximum amount of time to rise.

Next up were the onions. While caramelizing this amount of onions takes a while, it's extremely low maintenance and requires little actual work.

Chop

Throw in a pot

Stir every once in a while

The onions took a little over an hour to really caramelize. Just leave them on medium low heat for an hour or so, stirring occasionally. This also gives the dough plenty of time to rise and you time to do productive things like watch The Bachelor and/or paint your nails.

Once the dough has doubled in size and the onions are nice and brown, assemble on an oiled baking sheet and bake. Don't forget to chop some fresh chives over the whole thing at the end.

Boom

French Onion Soup Pizza
Serves 5-6 as dinner


Ingredients:

For the Crust:
1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 packet instant dry yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds onions, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, but sherry would be best.)
1 pound gruyere, shredded
freshly snipped chives (for garnish)

Directions:

For the Crust:
Combine the warm water and maple syrup. Sprinkle the yeast onto the sweet water and swirl to combine. Allow it to proof. Add the flours and incorporate on low speed with the dough hook. Add the salt and olive oil. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl. Coat the surface with additional olive oil, and cover with a damp towel. Set in a warm place to rise, 45 minutes to several hours.

For the Topping:
Heat the first six ingredients in a heavy pot, on medium low heat, for one hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 550 degrees.

Once the dough has doubled in size, flatten it onto an oiled half-sheet pan. Working quickly to avoid the dough rising again, spread the caramelized onions evenly on the dough, and top with shredded gruyere. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Top with freshly snipped chives and truffle oil if you have it.


[Recipe adapted from Yin Mom, Yang Mom]

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Stuffed with Feta

I'm having a meatball moment. I seriously can't get enough of them - turkey, pork, chicken, on a sub, on top of a pizza, etc. You put a meatball in the description, and I'm sold.

This probably can be attributed to my greater weakness of bar food. And even more so, bar food with a twist. Nachos? Yum. Pork belly nachos with chipotle crema and mango salsa? Whoa. Needless to say, Super Bowl Sunday is my guilty pleasure* and favorite food holiday after Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

While I enjoy these deliciously dumpy treats, I can't in good conscious make something that combines mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and/or any type of creamed soup. So this year I opted for the lighter, healthier and more impressive version of the chicken wing inspired by The Washingtonian's Healthy Super Bowl Recipes. 

Biggest hits of the night.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Stuffed with Feta
Makes about 45 bite-sized meatball

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chicken breast
1/2 finely chopped small red onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 egg whites
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons powdered ranch dip mix
1 pack low-fat feta cheese (or better yet, a block cut into small cubes)
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups Frank's RedHot Sauce

Celery sticks and ranch/blue cheese dressing for serving.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together red onion, garlic, egg white, bread crumbs, and ranch dip mix in a large bowl.

Add ground chicken and mix with hands until just combined (mess with it too much and your meatballs will be tough). Roll 20-22 small meatballs. Press a cube of feta into the center of each ball, then close mixture around cheese to seal.

Place meatballs onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

While meatballs are baking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Buffalo sauce and stir to combine. Add cooked meatballs to skillet and use a spoon to coat in sauce. Place a lid on top and turn heat to low to keep warm until serving.

[Recipe adapted from The Washingtonian] 

Working on my photo skills so bear with me.

*Not that I actually watch the game. My routine is usually comprised of eating my way through the first half, avidly watching the halftime show and passing out on the couch right after.