Calling All Foodies and Amateur Chefs for Saucy Salad Day Recipe Contest

Kansas City, MO — The 2010 City Market Farm to Table Festival Series continues with the Saucy Salad Day on Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. There will be plenty of fun to be had for the entire family. The City Market is calling all foodies and amateur chefs! If you have a particularly tasty vegetable or fruit salad recipe, join us for our Saucy Salad Recipe Contest from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Compete against others for culinary bragging rights and win some great prizes in the process. To register, download the registration form on www.thecitymarket.org and submit your registration no later than Wednesday, June 2. Kids, there is plenty for you to do as well; try your hand at the silly salad game, learn how to juggle produce, get creative with themed art projects by the Wonderscope Children’s Museum and be inspired by the whimsical stories of Mother Nature.

Find a wide selection of produce options for all your needs including numerous lettuce and greens varieties to perfectly complement the Saucy Salad Day theme. Grow your own salad ingredients with vegetable plants ready to transplant and obtain all the gardening advice you need from greenhouses and from the University of Missouri Master Gardeners.

While at the Festival, consider those who are less fortunate in our community; either bring a non-perishable food item or purchase additional fresh produce and make a contribution at the Harvesters Food Collection Bin. Harvesters will be on site to accept public food donations during festival hours. There are even more ways to enjoy the Farmers’ Market; purchase a book at the Friends of the Kansas City Public Library’s Used Book Sale, and enjoy additional shopping with more than thirty City Market Merchants who offer a variety of gifts, flowers and specialty foods. Farmers’ Market hours are 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and festival hours are 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Additional Festivals will take place the first Saturday of each month. Be sure to mark your calendar for these upcoming City Market events:
July 3 - Twisted Tomato Day September 4 Pepper Party
August 7 - Crazy Corn Day October 2 Harvest Festival

The Farm to Table Festival Series Saucy Salad Day is sponsored in part by the Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund, 105.1 Jack FM, Tastebud Magazine, the University of Missouri Extension Office, AT&T Yellowpages and the City Market. For more information, contact the City Market Office at 816-842-1271 or go to www.thecitymarket.org.
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Where The Locals Go: The City Market is open seven days a week year-round. The Farmers’ Market is open Saturday and Sunday.

New Salty Iguana Opens in Western Shawnee!

Okay, okay...the new Salty Iguana is technically in Olathe, but it's in the very northern part of Olathe (K-10 & Ridgeview Road), so it's a mere 7 minutes away from my house in western Shawnee.

Yes, I timed it.

Before I discovered Mi Ranchito, Salty Iguana was my very favorite Mexican place. But it was just too darn far away. Not any more. Yippee!!

If you've never tried Salty's, make sure to start with the Iguana Dip (a spinach/cheese dip). Also, they serve black beans for the most part, instead of refried (similar to Mi Ranchito), so if you don't dig these, make sure to ask for refried. But, PLEASE try them first...yummy.

Another favorite of mine is the Mini Chimichangas (beef, pork or chicken). These are listed in the Appetizer section of the menu, but I often get these for my meal and walk away stuffed.

Enjoy!

website: http://www.saltyiguana.net/

location: 10478 South Ridgeview Road, Olathe, Ks. 66061 913-310-9003 (new!)
also locations at Prairie Village, Independence and Lawrence

Cellar Rat's $100 Monthly Case of Wine

$100 case of wine!?!? How good can that be? Sounds too cheap ('bout 8 bucks a bottle)!

Well my wine-loving friends, it's good AND cheap AND the coolest thing around!

We discovered Cellar Rat Wine Merchants about a year after it opened. We visited for a free wine tasting and were floored by the awesome cellarlike-but-large space and the knowledgable staff. These ain't minimum wage liquor store clerks...these are wine experts! And to top it off, they are APPROACHABLE wine experts. We immediately loved the place, bought some wine, and signed up for their e-newsletter.

Over the next few months, we kept seeing the "$100 Case" mentioned in the newsletter. "Yuk!" I remember thinking, "How good can that be?"

Well, in December, my curiosity finally got me and I headed down to "taste the case" (an event they hold around the 5th of each month). Once again, I was floored. These wines were damn drinkable. Most I would buy again! And, while no expert, I'm fairly picky about my wines.

So we bought the December $100 case. Okay, okay, I must confess that we actually bought it TWICE. December's a festive month! Then we bought January's $100 case. And February's. And now March's. We have become regulars.

And, the cases continue to impress us. They come with a tasting sheet that describes each wine, and makes some suggestions about food pairings. No, we don't LOVE every wine. But we are trying varietals and regions that we would not normally select. And we have come across some gems.

It's delicious and a fun experience. I highly recommend it. If you're unsure, do the "Taste the Case" to check them out before you commit. Cheers!

location: 1701 Baltimore, KCMO

website: http://www.cellarratwine.com/

Broadmoor Baking Friday - Tomorrow!

Broadmoor Bistro's Baking Friday is tomorrow (2/20/09)! In short, there will be loads of yummy baked goodies (breads, cookies, decadent desserts) for sale from 12:30-4:00 pm or until sold out.

Lots of folks are becoming privy to this sale, so you'll see me waiting in line right at 12:30am, money in hand. These students make the best Snickerdoodles I've ever had. Even better than mine...sniff.

More details here.

Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe

Someone told me about a place in the Bottoms that had great burgers. I heard "blah, blah, good burgers, blah, weathersomething, blah blah". So when I went to find this place, I couldn't. You see, they don't have a website. And my searches just weren't close enough to the real name to find even a review. Wetherby's? Wetherfields? No and no.

So I gave up for a while...

Then one fine day I picked up a copy of The Pitch, and there it was! An ad! With the address and everything! Yeah!

Then I lost the ad...

So I put the challenge to my husband...Find This Place! And...he did! Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe!

Even though they had changed locations at some point, he found it! I guess the name comes from their old location - on Woodsweather Road.

And guess what? The burgers are good! And although I didn't have room this time, so did the giant chocolate-cake-under-a-dome. Mmmm....

This place is a good ole fashioned diner. Like the kind you trip into when you are traveling in rural Iowa or Arkansas. You see a variety of folks here...construction dudes, white collar dudes, moms with kids. Everyone loves a diner, right?

So the burgers....they are big. They come with the best fries I've had in a long time. They seemed to be hand-cut, but I'm no expert. I just know they tasted damn good. I actually requested a box to take home the leftover fries. Sadly, there was no leftover burger.

Here's what it looked like before it disappeared...The total tab was $7.49 for the burger and the addition of a giant sweet tea. My only suggestion is to pay .50 for extra cheese. The regular slice of cheese was no match for this gigantic monster of a burger.

Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch only: Mon-Fri from 5:30am - 3pm; Sat 6am-1pm.

Location: 1414 9th Street (at 9th & Hickory), in the KC Bottoms area

website: none that I could find

Broadmoor Bistro - Baking Fridays

I've written before about Broadmoor Bistro - a bistro-style restaurant staffed entirely by high school students in the Culinary Arts program at Broadmoor Technical Center in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Last month, they started their "Baking Fridays". I've just now returned from the sugar coma that I've been in from enjoying all those delicious goodies last month. I especially enjoyed the Chocolate Decadence and the Snickerdoodle (best I've had...even if I make them myself).

The good news? This Friday (11/21/08) is a Baking Friday. Whee!

Enjoy choices of pies, tarts, cookies and cakes during Broadmoor Baking Fridays. Certain Fridays of the month the students will be selling the products of their lessons that they’ve made in their classes at Broadmoor. Check it out in the school foyer from 12:30-4:00 pm or until sold out on the specified Fridays: Nov. 21, Jan. 16, Feb. 20, and April 17.

Credit cards are preferred and NO CASH will be accepted for purchases.

Also you can order your Thanksgiving holiday pies, to be picked up either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

website: http://www.broadmoorbistro.org

AMC Theatres Premieres "Fork & Screen" Concept

AMC Theatres' Olathe location has re-opened their east wing as an entirely new concept called "Fork & Screen". Fork & Screen offers in-theatre dining, with comfy seats and ample counters or tables on which to eat while watching your movie.


I was invited to a 'sneak peek' of this concept last night, and it is SPECTACULAR.


When you enter the Fork & Screen wing, you first encounter MacGuffins, a lobby-bar that offers food and drinks (both adult and soft). You can dine/drink here either prior to entering the theatre or for dessert afterwards (or both!).


When you are ready to watch your movie, there are two theatre-style choices: the Fork & Screen theatre and CinemaSuites theatre.


The Fork & Screen theatre has larger seats, more legroom between rows, and a roomy counter on which you can dine. A concierge button allows you to call waitstaff when your popcorn runs dry or you need another Guiness. Yes, they have Guiness...I checked.


The even-more-cool, upscale CinemaSuites theatre has larger, reclining seats with footrests, and swivel tables (kinda like college, only with a place to put your beer). CinemaSuites has reserved seating, offered online. There is an additional charge of $10, but $5 comes back as a food credit and for the extra comfort and intimacy, the extra $5 is well worth it.




In conjunction with the Fork & Screen rollout this weekend, AMC is hosting some special events and giveaways, including free movie tickets for a year (Friday), a free Rock 'n' Roll party (Saturday) and a Mom's Day Out (Sunday).


NOTE: To enter the Fork & Screen wing, you must be 18 years old or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian. To enter the CinemaSuites theatre, you must be 21 years old or older. Movie selections will reflect this demographic.

Wanna go? I've got coupons for one free admission and some buy-one-get-one food. Be the 10th person to comment and I'll send them your way! Good luck!