Guts, grit, and lots of heart.

“You can always tell when a person has worked in
a restaurant. There’s an empathy that can only be
cultivated by those who’ve stood between a
hungry mouth and a $28 pork chop, a special
understanding of the way a bunch of motley
misfits can be a family. Service industry work
develops the “soft skills” recruiters talk about on
LinkedIn – discipline, promptness, the ability to
absorb criticism, and most important, how to read
people like a book. The work is thankless and fun
and messy, and the world would be a kinder place
if more people tried it. With all due respect to my
former professors, I’ve long believed I gained
more knowledge in kitchens, bars, and dining
rooms than any college could even hold.”

– Anthony Bourdain

I came across this quote today and it holds so true for me and others in the culinary world. Working in this industry takes guts, grit, and lots of heart. You have good days and bad days. Some days you’re on top of your game, and others you scramble to keep up. Full of long hours, striving for perfection, neverending tickets, sharp knives, and lots of fire. In this world, you’ll find it full of people who are scrappy, endearing, hardcore, and full of life. I have learned so much from culinary school like how to be prepared, try new things, build priceless relationships, and find my fire. Working in different restaurants over the past ten years, and now owning two has been a wild ride I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Until next time~J

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Greek Salad

I love a good salad. We have this at our cafe and it’s one of my favorite items on our menu. Lots of fresh ingredients with balsamic dressing and crumbled feta cheese.

Yield: 2 salads

Note– to make this vegan substitute chickpeas and any plant-based cheese you like

Ingredients:

1 head green leaf lettuce

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cooked chicken breast

1 English cucumber

1 tomato

1/4 red onion

1/4 cup green olives

Balsalmic vinaigrette

Preparation:

Wash all produce.

Dice/ chop lettuce into bite-size pieces. Slice the olives in half.

Thinly slice the red onion, dice the tomato, and slice the cucumber into rounds.

In a medium bowl add the lettuce, onion, cucumber, olives, and tomato.

For the chicken, you can use ready-cooked frozen and thaw. I like to cook a whole sheet pan of chicken at the beginning of the week and use it for meals to save time. In a single layer of a sheet pan, add chicken, lightly pepper, and salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven @ 375 for 45 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165*F.

Dice the chicken breast and add to the salad. Toss all ingredients with the dressing and top with feta cheese.

What do you love about your salads? To see more recipes like this one, comment below with your favorite ones!

Until next time~J

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Chocolate toffee scones

Scones, light, crumbly, flaky, buttery, and filled with goodies. For this recipe, I used chocolate-covered toffee chips and topped them off with a chocolate glaze and powdered sugar. To save time I used Bisquick baking mix.

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick mix

2 tbsp. sugar

1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk

1/2 cup butter

3 tbsp milk+ more if needed when mixing

flour- for dusting

1 tsp. almond extract

Icing-

powdered sugar 1/2 cup

1 tbsp milk.

chocolate syrup 1 tsp.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375*F

In a medium bowl mix all the dry ingredients together- Bisquick mix and sugar together.

Cut the cold butter into small dice (pea size) and add to the dry mix.

Rub the butter into the dry mix with your hands until it’s coated well in the mix. Add in the toffee chips and mix lightly.

In a small bowl add the egg and egg yolk with the almond extract and milk. Add to the dry mix and lightly stir with a fork until it starts to come together. Dust your table/surface with flour and scoop out the dough. Lightly kneed until a soft dough forms, similar to cookie dough.

Note-If it’s too crumbly when mixing add more milk or water. If it becomes too wet add a little flour

Once you have a ball of dough lightly press down and flatten it to a circle about an inch thick. You can flour a rolling pin to spread out the dough. Once you have about an 8-inch circle, use a knife or bench scraper and press into the dough about halfway but don’t cut all the way through. This gives the dough a chance to rise into the classic wedge shape. Divide into 8 pieces- divide it right down the middle, and halfway across, then diagonally like an x and you have 8 sections.

Next place on a lined baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and bake for 12-15 minutes, just until slightly golden around the edges. Take out of the oven and cool on wire racks if you have them or a plate.

Next, make the icing-

In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, milk, and chocolate syrup. Mix with a fork, if it is too runny ass more powdered sugar.

When the scones are slightly cooled, cut out wedge slices, drizzle the scones with the icing, dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy.

To see more recipes go to https://nosh63272528.wordpress.com/category/recipes/

Comment below with your thoughts, or any ideas on what recipes you would like to see here on the blog.

Until next time~J

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Cherry Hand Pies

This is a wonderful heat-warming recipe that takes me back to childhood. Warm and flaky pie crust filled with sweet cherry filling, ah so delicious! You only need 6 ingredients to make these delicious pies and be the dessert hero of the day.

Yield: 8 pies

Ingredients:

cherry preserves (or any fruit you like)

sugar

cinnamon

flour

vegetable or butter nonstick spray

1 package of 2 frozen ready-made pie crust

Preparation:

Thaw pie crust overnight in the fridge.

Take the crust out of the package and unroll it out on the counter lightly dusted with flour.

Preheat the oven to 425*F.

Cut the crust into fourths, straight down the middle, and across. Then take 1-2 tbsp. of the cherry preserves and fill in the middle of each section.

Then fold in half and pinch the edges so the pastry is closed all around. Trim off excess dough and using a fork lightly press along the edge and poke holes on the top of the pies in the middle to help them bake evenly.

Then in a small bowl mix 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon together. Using the pan spray, lightly spray on top of each pie. (you can also use an egg wash for this step). Then sprinkle on top of the pies the cinnamon and sugar mix.

Bake at 425*F for 20-30 minutes until pies are nice and golden in color.

Cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy. These are also delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

I’d love to hear your comments on this recipe or ideas for recipes you want to see on this blog.

Until next time~J

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Sweedish Meatballs

This recipe is a warm and cozy comfort recipe that is easy and ready in thirty minutes! I made these with penne pasta. This recipe is perfect on a cool day. These meatballs are great with rice, egg noodles, roasted veggies, or potatoes. With less than 10 ingredients, what’s not to love?

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

18 meatballs (frozen and pre-cooked)

1 x can of cream of mushroom soup

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. brown gravy mix

1/2 cup water or beef broth

dried chives

2 1/2 cups penne pasta

Preparation:

In a large pot, on medium heat- mix the mushroom soup, worcestershire sauce, gravy mix, broth, or water, and stir well.

Next, add in the meatballs, and stir until covered and mixed well. Then cover and cook for 20- 30 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, cook your pasta per directions. Drain and set aside.

To serve-fill your bowls with pasta and top with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with chives and enjoy.

Comment below if you liked this recipe or suggestions on what recipes you would like to see on this blog!

Until next time~J

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Hometown Goulash

Here on the plains, I’ve been working hard to get our second restaurant open. Taking over a place that has been shut down for over two years is a lot of work. We’re excited at the possibilities and it’s coming along with lots of elbow grease! Even so, after a long day of cleaning, this recipe hit home. When life pulls you in so many directions, having recipes like this one is a snap to put together after a long day. This goulash recipe is a favorite for quick and easy comfort food. It’s a family-style recipe that I love, so gather with the ones you love and try this one out.

Note- For a leaner recipe, you could use turkey. For a vegan meal-substitute, plant-based meat, and butter. Or lentils are also great with this too!

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag of elbow macaroni pasta

1 lb. of ground beef

1 12 oz. can tomato sauce

1 white or yellow onion

1/2 stick of butter unsalted

olive oil

spices- salt, pepper, chives, chili powder, paprika – all a half teaspoon. Then add more to your taste if needed

Preparation:

In a large pot fill half with water and some salt. Heat up to boiling and add the pasta. Stir every couple of minutes so it won’t stick. Cook for about 8- 10 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Add in the butter and stir until melted.

Wash and peel the onion and chop it into a large dice size.

In a large skillet, heat on medium and add the ground beef. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Start to break up the beef with a wooden spoon. When the beef is about halfway cooked, add the chopped onion. Add all the spices and continue to stir and cook until the beef is cooked through.

Next, add the tomato sauce into the skillet, stir and cook for 5-10 minutes until it has thickened up a little and soaked in with the beef and onions. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. When this is ready pour it all in with the noodles and stir and you’re all done!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Comment below with your thoughts and what other recipes you would like to see on this blog! Until next time~J

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Nosh Recap

The last two years have been a rollercoaster and whirlwind of progress. My now-husband and I moved to a small town, got married the next year, bought a cafe, and have been going non-stop ever since. I originally started this blog back in 2016 to organize my recipes and turn them into cookbooks which I have. Now 5 years later and with four cookbooks out on Amazon, along with meal planners, and journals I’m ready to make something new.

I’m back at it and ready to write even more. Working at our cafe has been such an amazing experience so far. We’re proud to be a part of the community and happy to have a special place of our own. This blog and creating new recipes are still a big part of me. I’ve missed it and am ready to jump back in. So stay tuned for new recipes and cookbooks to come from Nosh with Chef Julie!

This blog will still hold all the author interviews I have done in the past. Going forward I may bring them back and have new author interviews from time to time. I’m trying to find the balance between running soon-to-be two restaurants, this blog, being married, taking care of our home, and helping our community is a challenge, to say the least. I will update news and recipes when I can. Take care for now, until next time~J

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Blogger Spotlight- Interview with Food and Travel Blogger Rethabile Mabula

Tell us about yourself and how we can connect with you (links, website, social pages)

My name is Rethabile. I am a food and travel blogger from South Africa.

You can connect with me on my blog: https://myfoodortravel.com/  

As well as on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest using the handle @myfoodortravel

What would you like to promote? (Add links, description, photos)

I focus on relatable and affordable reviews mostly based in Africa. I know that there are a lot of people that are in this particular niche however, I like to look at the cheaper options!

I also give advice as well as share my experiences and reviews. More frequently on Instagram at the handle @myfoodortravel

How do you attract new business?

I love connecting with fellow bloggers, especially on social media platforms. I have found Twitter and Instagram to be very helpful! I use Facebook more to attract people to my blog posts. I try to post blogs as often as I can, that is mostly how people get to know about me and tend to follow my experiences as well as subscribe to my mailing list.

What is your favorite comfort food?

I like to try out new restaurants and different food, mostly for my food reviews. However, I love my seafood. Anyone that dines with me frequently knows that I would pick calamari and prawns over any dish, any day!

What has influenced you the most?

I got the chance to have my first out-of-the-country solo trip about 3 years ago. That was the source of starting my blog. I have always been really interested in traveling however the questions I got about my travels then were what made me realize that most of the time the lack of information on travel information is what limits us. That is why I decided to blog all about it. Also seeing fellow bloggers trying out new experiences in South Africa makes me want to do more as well on my end.

What helps you to stay motivated?

I love getting feedback from people who have used my blogs to visit restaurants and plan their trips. Just knowing that I was of some help to someone always motivates me to share my experiences. That is the reason I started the blog, to begin with.

Thank you Rethabile for this wonderful interview!

If you are a fellow writer, author, or blogger and want your own interview go to https://noshwithchefjulie.com/contact/

To read more author interviews click here https://noshwithchefjulie.com/category/author-interviews/

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Blogger Spotlight- Interview with Tarabud

Tell us about yourself and how we can connect with you.

Hi Everyone! I am Tarabud, Food Blogger of Foodie Out of the Closet. My food interviews can be found on Soundcloud (www.soundcloud.com/foodie), I am always on Twitter (@Tarabuddelight), and you can find all my projects on www.Tarabud.com. 

How did you get started? 

I started my food blog after I quit my boring office job and wanted to focus on my passions. At the time, I was going through an Ecological Anxiety crisis, reading books such as The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, and  Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. To feel less miserable, I was determined to live sustainably as possible, making a backyard garden, and raising chickens. I was not completely radical just focused on sustainability and eating seasonally and most importantly locally. 

It was through that personal crisis that evolved my Food Blog: Foodie Out of the Closet, and the recipes that I was making. One day I went down to my local farmers market in Oakland, California, with my camera and microphone on a mission to feature the farmers and organic food vendors. It was great fun, but quite a learning curve for video editing when I first started! To save me hours of editing, now I only post audio interviews. The food blog has been around for more than 10 years, and it ebbs and flows as I move around the country and travel, but I still post my favorite recipes from home and do interviews with people that inspire me.  

What is your favorite thing about being a blogger?

 Eating good food of course! Fortunately, I have been able to maintain some balance in my life with exercise and my love of French pastry. LOL. (See my latest French pastry chef interview in Texas on my Soundcloud podcast.) But seriously, I do enjoy sharing food cooking tips and also promoting what is best for our planet- local, healthy, sustainable. I have learned so much along the way. For example, I learned what our over-consumption is doing to our Oceans, and what mono agriculture is doing to our lands and wildlife. These days, it is hard not to be concerned about everything you stuff in your mouth. That being said, I feel strongly we must enjoy our lives!  The first step in solving any problem is acknowledging and learning from scientists and experts what will be the best for our planet in the long term. If that means cutting out certain foods, then so be it.  

If you could have superpowers what would they be?

 I would like the superpower of giving humans lots more compassion. More compassion can go a long way in how we treat each other, wildlife, and the ecosystems of Earth. I little extra compassion could even give some longevity to this aching planet.

What is your favorite comfort food?

 Eggs and rice are my comfort food. I know… so boring; but it was my comfort food while growing up in Colombia.

If you could learn how to make any food what would it be?

 I would love to learn to make traditional Indian cuisine. I guess I better travel to India!

What projects are you working on right now?

 I am working on staying positive and active with my blogging. I have people I want to interview, but the pandemic has really hindered that. Darn it. This 2021 I am making a concerted effort to be more productive. Stay tuned for more exciting things coming from my blog! 

Thank you Tarabud for this lovely interview!

If you are a fellow writer, author, or blogger and want  your own interview go to https://noshwithchefjulie.com/contact/

To read more author interviews click here https://noshwithchefjulie.com/category/author-interviews/

Blogger Spotlight- Interview with Food Blogger Mateja Brescak

Let us know a little about yourself and how we can connect with you via website, blog, books, and social media sites.

Hi, my name is Mateja and you can find me under PassionSpoon on Twitter (my favorite) https://twitter.com/PassionSpoon1, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/passionspoon/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PassionSpoon1 or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateja-brescak/. On my website, you’ll find delicious recipes all written and cooked by me(photos included). I love to cook and bake. Therefore, I decided to start this blog about 4 years ago. In the beginning, it wasn’t easy and still today I’m learning new things. But I am enjoying it!

What is the name of your blog or book and how did you get started?

A couple of years ago I moved to Hamburg. Then, somehow I had this idea to start a food blog. I love to cook, bake, create new recipes and make people happy (also with food). That’s how I created PassionSpoon. (https://passionspoon.com )

What is your favorite food? 

Hmm, my favorite food. This isn’t easy at all. I’ll say pasta, meat, salads….oh, no I can’t pick just one. My favorite food is food. I love everything and I try everything.

What foods do you crave all the time?

I crave mostly savory food. However, I never say no to sweet things. I am also a bit of a sweet tooth. 

What is your favorite comfort food?

My favorite comfort food is a thick bean soup with some chunks of meat in it. Oh, lovely.

If you could learn how to make any food what would it be?

Oh yes, that would be the macaroons. I just can’t deliver those. But, this year I start with a new path, as a patisserie and I will learn that for sure. Can’t wait!

What is your favorite thing about being a blogger, writer, or author?

I don’t need any excuse to talk about food all the time. Wink. I love to spend my time in the kitchen, to enjoy all of the lovely food with my friends and my boyfriend and to share my love for food. 

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to draw (since little), to sketch, to paint, to read (at the time I am reading Inferno from Dan Brown. Yeah, I have it in three different languages) , of course, I like to learn new languages (the last two year I am improving in my German) and I love to watch movies (we have quite a big collection). 

If you could have super powers what would they be? 

To never ever get ill.

What projects are you working on right now?

My goal this year is to slowly update my first recipes. The beginnings are not easy and most of the times we don’t know how to do the things right.

Any other information you would like to include to our readers?

I hope you’ll jump on my website from time to time. You can leave a comment, new recipe ideas. I love to try new things. Or just to say hello. I will definitely wave back. Wink. 

dav

Thank you Mateja for such a wonderful interview!

If you are a fellow writer, author, or blogger and want to be featured with your own interview on this blog go to https://noshwithchefjulie.com/contact/ for all the details!

To read more author interviews click here https://noshwithchefjulie.com/category/author-interviews/