TdK Finalists and Showdown Challenge

The time has finally come to crown a tdk victor. This email went out to our four finalists to decide once and for all who will be crowned the tdk "Overall Best Dinner" winner! The other tdk participants will have the final vote. We can't wait!!

Congratulations! You four have been selected as a Tour de Kitchens "Overall Best Dinner" category finalist! After almost twenty different dinners spanning all manor of culinary experiences, Lauren and I have narrowed it down to the "best of the best"! However we feel that we are unable to select between such amazing experiences with you all. So with this privileged recognition comes an exclusive opportunity. In order for a winner to be named, each of the finalists (i.e., you all) must prepare an appetizer of your choice to bring to the TdK finale so that all TdK guests can sample and help decide on the winner. Votes will be cast on the following criteria: presentation, taste, originality and overall best app. The TdK finale has been scheduled for Saturday, July 9th at 6:30pm. So begin planning your outstanding appetizer submission and let us know if you have any questions. The TdK finale invitation will soon follow! Only one rule: must be present to win! Let the real competition begin!

AWESOME!

Tour de Morrow - Practically restaurant quality

After a brief, but serious consideration of going vegetarian after Tour de Apple, that crazy notion quickly dissipated along our next stop at Tour de Morrow. Lauren and I were lamenting the fact that this was our last scheduled TdK dinner, and while it means the kitchen will be done soon (please Lord, please!), having dinner with our friends was proving to be much more fun than we realized. This was, by far, one of the best ideas ever!!

So Thursday night rolls around and we are eagerly anticipating the culinary treats that Chef Emily was going to serve. Emily has a tendency to play down her culinary skills, but I felt sure she was just being modest. Indeed Chef Emily knows how to plan and prepare an amazing meal and I'm so thankful to have been able to experience it. So when we arrive we are greeted by something never before experienced on tdk, waiters. Emily had actually ensured that every detail was taken care of and this included someone to serve us dinner. She had menus printed out, a full cocktail and wine list, and we were able to choose from a number of different entrees. Chef Emily really began to show off for us with an innovative chicken lollipops appetizer. These delicious apps were served with a bbq sauce with a jalapeno kick and a side of blue cheese fondue! Can you say yummy?!

For dinner, Chef Emily gave us so many options it was difficult to choose. Fortunately she had enough dinner options for every palate so we all went with something different. Lauren selected the Grouper with Lump Crab Meat, risotto and asparagus...amazing! Emily selected the Sea Scallops with a chilled pesto noodle salad and sliced tomatoes, and that too was pretty incredible. I, however, selected the best thing on her menu, NY Strip topped with melted pimento cheese and fried oysters with spring onion mashed potatoes. Wow!! Terrace Cafe couldn't have made anything this good!! Chef Emily blew us away!

But Chef Emily wasn't done here. She actually gave some amazing dessert options as well. There were so many incredible things to choose from, we had to pick two, the peanut butter and chocolate cake and the flourless chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. Whoa! Chef Emily is not only an amazing cook and baker, she also crocheted the the hot handle holder for the brownie skillet. This girl is amazing!

We were sad when this stop on TdK had to end, but Chef Emily once again proved why she's so amazing. I hope that one day everyone gets the opportunity to dine here. Thanks Em!

Veg-All at Tour de Apple

Our first Saturday night meal was kicked off at Tour de Apple with a celebration of Julie passing her NASM personal training certification! While Julie was happy to finally be out of the books, Ashley and I were a little worried that she might try out her new found skills on us. However, we ventured on with high hopes for our first vegetarian meal. We were relieved when Julie answered with a smile instead of taking on a Biggest Loser alter ego.

This meal might have been vegetarian, but it was definitely not low carb! Against Dr. Atkins advice, we lavishly enjoyed Chardonnay and nine grain bread with oil and balsamic vinegar. If bread and wine are good enough for Jesus, they are good enough for us! Take that Robert!

But, never fear, we of course saved room for our piece de resistance! This entree didn't just contain vegetables, as foreshadowed by the title, it was one big vegetable. The spaghetti squash (yes, this was Atkins approved) complete with marinara, mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta was c'est magnifique. Even the most devout red meat eaters might be converted!

The third course has quickly become our favorite on Tour de Kitchens. Mmmm dessert...its a good thing we've started running again. After Ashley questioned the name and function of Julie's baked goods, we convinced her that Cherry Dump Cake did not contain prunes and that "dump" only referred to the process of making the cake. I then proceeded to educate the girls on every other kind of fruit that could be used to make this cake. For a quick summary, click here.


While we greatly enjoyed our bread and wine, spaghetti squash, and yes, even the dump cake, we mainly enjoyed the company! After TDK, we will be back to sign up for your personal training services. Thanks Julie!