In the summer, my diet revolves around fresh veggies like these I recently picked up at the Grandview Farmer's Market*

Soup isn’t something I typically eat in the summertime. To me, it’s a hot food meant to be eaten on cold days. I’m not even a fan of gazpachos and other cold soups because I don’t like their texture. But sometimes, a soup recipe catches my eye in spite of the high temperatures, especially if that soup focuses on seasonal produce (aka corn, tomatoes, zucchini and/or summer squash). The most recent Food Network Magazine has a recipe for Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup that I had to try ASAP. I already had tomatoes that needed to be used up and Jared made this incredible Savory Zucchini Bread from the “What Geeks Eat” blog the other day. I just needed to pick up the Muenster and I was ready to make this recipe.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is comfort food to me. It always has been. Like many Americans, I grew up eating the tomato soup in the red and white can accompanied by melted American cheese on white bread. If that’s what you’re expecting, this is not the meal for you. For one thing, it’s much less salty. For another, this soup actually tastes like tomatoes! Jared and I both really enjoyed this meal, especially once we had doctored the soup a little bit.

Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings

Soup Ingredients
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Sandwich Ingredients
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt & black pepper
4 slices muenster cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices thick bread
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, onion, sugar, chile powder, cumin and one teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Add cheese and stir to combine.
2. Puree soup with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper. Return soup to stove and keep over very low heat while making sandwiches.
3. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Split equally among 4 slices of bread, and use one slice of muenster for each sandwich. Top with remaining slice of bread. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, adding more butter as needed. Sandwiches should be done after 4-5 minutes per side.
4. To serve, dip sandwiches in soup. Enjoy!

My thoughts & Suggestions

• As usual, I made some changes to the recipe. After combining the original ingredients, Jared and I decided the soup needed more flavor. So I added cumin and chipotle chile powder. I also thought it needed a little creamier texture. Since I had no cream, I melted a little cheese into the soup instead.
• Like I said, we used homemade savory zucchini bread for this recipe. You could use any good sandwich bread. But I think a homemade or artisan bread elevates this above plain old grilled cheese.
• Since there are only two of us, I did cut the sandwich recipe in half. I made the full soup recipe, providing us with leftovers to take to lunch. I don’t usually cut recipes since Jared & I are both fans of leftovers for lunch.

*As you’ve seen in several of my past photos, my everyday dishes are black. I’ve been meaning to buy white plates and bowls. While I love my black ones, they’re not so conducive to food photography. I couldn’t get a decent shot of tonight’s meal. But I prefer to use my own photos whenever possible. This is why you’re getting a photo of seasonal veggies instead of soup and a sandwich.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, September, 2010

A colorful cake for a whimsical bridal shower (made by yours truly & her mom)

A few weeks back, I wrote about my sister’s upcoming bridal shower. At the time, I didn’t want to reveal everything I was doing because I wanted Ashley to be surprised. Now that the shower is over, I can finally blog about it. First, a quick reminder of what I had planned. For her bridal shower, Ashley wanted a tea party, complete with the traditional High Tea menu of tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. I decided to make it more Alice in Wonderland/whimsical and less Queen of England/formal, with a bit of a garden party feel.

The Shower Site - The Carriage Barn at Mill Hollow Metropark in Vermilion, Ohio

When I started planning, I had a million ideas bouncing around my head. And I wasn’t entirely sure I could use them all. I was also a little nervous, as I had never thrown such a big and important party. And, in addition to planning and hosting the shower, I was determined to make the food and the cake. Fortunately, the wonderful ladies in my family were there to help me pull everything together for Ashley’s shower. I am happy to say that it turned out exactly how I’d pictured it in my head.

Teapot Centerpieces & Lollipop Flower Favors

Click below for my tea party menu and lots of pictures of the event. Maybe they’ll inspire you to host your own tea party!

Tea Party Menu

• Cucumber Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Dill
• Tomato Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Italian Parsley
• Mini Egg Salad Croissants with Green Leaf Lettuce
• Tortilla Roll-ups
• Raw vegetables with Dill Dip
• My Tropical Fruit Salad & Key Lime Dip



• White Chocolate Cranberry, Orange & Maple Scones from Avenue Fine Pastries in Lakewood, Ohio, served with clotted cream & preserves
• Strawberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes with Almond Whipped Cream Frosting

• White Cherry & Lemon-Mint Iced Teas, Raspberry Limeade & Coffee

With the exception of the tortilla roll-ups, scones and raspberry limeade, everything was made from scratch by me or one of the ladies in my family. I used cake recipes I had tried before, though they were in a different form. For the cake, I used this Strawberry Cupcake recipe. I like it because it does not call for cake mix or strawberry-flavored gelatin, which a lot of strawberry cake recipes do require. Also, it isn’t overly sweet which is nice when you’re using a frosting that’s as sugary as buttercream. For the cupcakes, I used this recipe for the Great American Chocolate Cherry Cake. Both recipes turned out moist & fluffy cakes that were easy to frost and work with. (A quick aside on the cake. It’s maybe the fifth cake I’ve ever made and the first tiered one. Considering this, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out!)

The Beautiful Bride showing off her edible cake topper

Of course, we had to play a game. I hate the majority of shower games, especially the one that involves making a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Instead, I decided to do a quiz called “Getting to Know the Bride & Groom”. I asked 21 questions: 7 about Ashley, 7 about Justin & 7 about them as a couple. The questions asked about things like his winter hobby (snowboarding), her (a daycare) and where they’re honeymooning (Ocho Rios, Jamaica). The winner was the person who got the most questions right.

After the game, my grandma (Honey) cut and served the cake. Everyone had cake and chatted while Ashley opened her presents. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that someone had booked the Carriage Barn for right when the shower was scheduled to end. So we had to leave in a bigger hurry than I would have liked. But the rest of the day went so smoothly that I couldn’t be too upset over it. I am so thankful that I had the chance to throw this shower for Ashley, and that it allowed so many wonderful ladies to get together and enjoy good food and celebration on a Saturday afternoon.

From L-R: Me, Mom & Ashley modeling our tea hats

Finally, I can’t thank my Mom, Honey, Aunt Ruby and Cousin Dianna enough for helping me make this such a special day for Ashley. They put up with my bossiness and helped me with anything I asked them to do. Without them, this wouldn’t have been such a success.

Jared and I decided to order an appetizer and sandwiches. To start, we split an order of Flash Fried Sweet Plantains. Shortly after ordering, a basket full of plantains arrived. They had been coated with a thin layer of seasonings (I think this was salt and cumin with a dash of cinnamon and maybe something else) and fried. Being a fan of salty/sweet combinations, I liked them right away. The plantains were great on their own, and even better when dipped in the accompanying Ya-Ya sauce. This was a sweet sauce with a strong habanero bite. The end result was a spicy, sweet, salty flavor that was full without being overwhelming.

Jared ordered the Little Havana Cubano with a cup of black bean soup. The pork, ham, swiss and pickle sandwich was served on pan cubano. The pork was sliced thickly and had a slight citrus flavor. The bread reminded me of focaccia in both taste and texture. It wasn’t the most authentic Cuban sandwich; but it was satisfying. The soup was even better. It was a thick black bean soup garnished with cheese, sour cream and green onions. The meaty, earthy flavor makes it a definite comfort food. My only complaint is that it could have used a little more heat.

I had the Calle Ocho sandwich with sweet potato fries. This sandwich also had thick pork slices, which were complimented by a salty olive and caper salad and a smattering of manchego cheese. It was served on the same thick bread as the Cubano. The pork and cheese tempered the salad’s saltiness quite well, making the sandwich quite flavorful. I preferred this sandwich since it had less meat and a more interesting flavor. The sweet potato fries were crinkle-cut and slightly salty. They were nothing special, but were perfect alongside the sandwich. Both sandwiches were large. Neither of us could finish them after the heavy plantain appetizer. We took the leftovers home to eat for lunch the next day.

I’m now two for two on satisfying trips to this restaurant. Too often, foods revolve around only one flavor. They’re either really hot or really sweet. Even worse, they are just plain bland. Combining salty, sweet and hot flavors into one dish can be a tricky business. The Banana Bean manages these somewhat unexpected combinations very well. Their food combines flavors so that they compliment one another and taste good without being overwhelming. Since their menu is full of tempting items, I’m sure I’ll be back very soon.

Banana Bean Cafe Info
Location: 340 Greenlawn Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43226
Phone: (614) 443-2266
Website: http://www.bananabeancafe.com
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-3pm
Type of Food: Floribbean cuisine and cocktails

It was a nice surprise to walk in expecting deli sandwiches and be greeted by the sweet smell of baked goodies. The French Loaf does serve soup and a few basic sandwiches like chicken salad, ham and turkey. But their specialty is obviously baked goods. They offer a variety of great-looking breads, cakes, cupcakes, pastries and several types of croissants. There are a few tables and chairs inside and outside of the store, though no one was eating at them when I was there around 2:00pm. I ordered my standard sandwich place meal, chicken salad with lettuce and tomato on a croissant. Being a sucker for chocolate croissants, I took a couple home with me.


The chicken salad was good, if a little heavy on the mayo. The lettuce was crisp and the tomato tasted quite fresh. But the star of the sandwich was the croissant itself. It was flaky and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness. This, of course, made me more excited about the chocolate croissant. I was not disappointed. It was large and filled with a generous chunk of dark chocolate that contrasted perfectly with the salty-sweet croissant. With a cup of black coffee, it would have been a great breakfast. Overall, I don’t know that I’ll get sandwiches at The French Loaf very often. But I’ll definitely go back very soon for the melt-in-your-mouth croissants and to try their other delicious-looking goodies.

French Loaf Info
Location: 1456 W. Fifth Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43212
Phone: (614) 488-6843
Hours: Tue-Sat 7:30am-7:00pm, Sun 8am-5pm, closed Monday.
Type of Food: Sweet and savory baked goods, light lunches