the neon carrot

So...I've been quite frugal lately, avoiding spending money as much as possible. I've been saving up for this little beauty...her name is Lola:

So whenever the opportunity arises for a free lunch, I jump on it like a fly on toast. My aunts were in town, and there's nothing like taking advantage of family members for my blog. I've been hearing so many things about the neon carrot, I found myself desperate to try it...so I dragged Barbara and Tracy along...assuming the food would be good.

Also, my aunts have a tendency to order more food than they actually eat, giving me the opportunity to try quite a large variety of the menu...thank you auntie (-:

"The neon carrot uses locally and organically grown produce whenever possible. We give thanks to the dedicated local farmers, fishers, winemakers and artisans for taking such care with their product and for understanding the wholesome experience of eating." This was written on the back of the take home menu. The owners of the restaurant (Maegen & Jeff Loring) were working the day I went in, and they were both more than willing to answer any questions I had.

I ordered "the park burger" described as "hearst ranch beef or house made veggie burger" ...I got the veggie patty...
To my surprise, the patty was BRIGHT PINK!!

The patty was full of sunflower seeds, beets, squash, and carrots, and tasted like dirt...IN A GOOD WAY! (-: like, that good earthy flavor... don't get me wrong, I liked it...and after asking the ingredients in the house made patty, I learned that the owners put beets in the patty to give it a "meaty" color...that's bull...it was pink...I've never eaten a real burger that color in my life.
Barbara ordered the "savory tart of the day" which happened to be one with figs, caramelized onions, and Gorgonzola cheese.















The "tart of the day" is served with the customers choice of a green salad or a fried egg...hmm...cool option...perhaps Wendy's should consider adding that option to their dollar menu?

Tracy ordered the quesadilla...consumers beware because this ain't your Mexican grandma's quesadilla! This grilled cheesy creation comes packed with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, pasilla salsa and...wait for it...roasted butternut squash! Yeah, I know, y'all are freaking out, but I applaud the bold move. Besides, anything covered with melted Gruyere cheese is bound to be good, regardless of the ingredients used.





























Tracy also ordered a bowl of their soup of the day, which was Indian yellow curry and yogurt. The soup was awful...I love Indian food, and I couldn't stand more than 2 spoonfuls of this belly-flop. The soup tasted like uncooked roux. A moment of honesty: I am not a particularly exceptional soup-maker, but I do know how to cook a roux.

So, in conclusion, sorry neon carrot. I had such high expectations, and I was somewhat disappointed. Would I recommend this restaurant to my friends? sure. I like the idea of locally grown organic food. I hope the restaurant succeeds in business. Perhaps the quality of the food will improve with time? For me,however, I will not be jumping on my scooter and rushing to return to the atomic *ahem* neon carrot.

Cheese-the basics

Cheese is my favorite food, hands down. On the sweet/savory scale, I have always considered myself on the far end of the sweet spectrum...which makes me feel like a hypocrite when saying "cheese is my favorite food" but who cares...perhaps I am a hypocrite.

The evolution of cheese began around 5,000 years ago in both Central Asia and the Middle East. At some point, the people in these regions discovered they could preserve curdled milk by draining off the watery whey and salting the remaining curds. If you've ever tried them, you know that cheese curds are very squeaky when you chew them. The Egyptians discovered that the curds became more pliable and soft if the curdling took place when in contact with an animal stomach (yummy). The earliest good evidence of cheese making, a residue found in Egyptian pot, dates from 2300 BC (1).

(1): On Food and Cooking

Brown Butter Cookie Company (Cayucos, CA)

First, let's discuss brown butter. Have you ever tried brown butter? It's like an almond-walnut crossbreed that has busted out of its shell and ruptured into a stream of caramel-y goodness. Let's not even begin discussing the smell...it's pretty much ridiculous...in a good way (-:

Brown butter(beurre noisette) is made by cooking butter long enough to turn the milk solids and salt particles brown while cooking out any water present in the butter. It's fun to watch the process because the milk solids separate and fall to the bottom...but watch out, these milk solids will burn if you don't keep your eye on 'em! To brown butter at home, put some butter in a pan on medium heat, stir the butter frequently until it smells nutty and looks brown...voila!

My first experience with brown butter was at Central City Market in Santa Maria (my previous place of employment). I was told to make brown butter chocolate chip cookies wiuth sea salt sprinkles. I learned to brown only 1/2 to 3/4 of the butter because the cold butter is needed for the traditional cookie texture due to the emulsification of butter, sugar, and eggs. Try this technique the next time you bake...it can add a dimension of flavor to almost any baked good (-:


Cayucos is the first city in the US to open a brown butter bakery; these women know what they're doing. The quite successful business location has been open for 2 years now. Owned by sisters Traci Nickson and Christa Hozie, the company sells 8 cookie varieties-4 of which are made with browned butter. Each cookie is hand sprinkled with sea salt, another unique characteristic of the bakery...the best part of the cookie! Check out their website and buy some for yourself: http://brownbuttercookies.com.
You can even join their Facebook group...I did.

They also sell some amazing granola by the pound! I liked it.

It is really worth the experience to go to the bakery itself. They allowed and encouraged me to try all eight of their cookies; the honey brown butter one is my favorite, made using locally made honey from Atascadero. Sadly, the only cookies offered for sale online are the "original" and "cocoa" brown butter flavors. The other six flavors are only offered in-store for fear that the delicate taste and texture will fade if not eaten fresh. There is one gluten-free option: double chocolate chunk...it's delicious, and my mother can eat it (-:

The packaged cookies come with an ingredients list...are you ready for this!?!: flour, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, sea salt. The end.

So, I liked it. I paid $14 for a dozen cookies packaged with a cute bow and label...kinda steep if you ask me. I would take my grandmother here (-: with her money...on a college budget, I would pass.