Word of Mouth: January 21st 

Brandon Burt: Recently, PetSmart mailed a card informing us that my boyfriend’s cat was about to have a birthday. (This was puzzling, since even we don’t know the cat’s exact age, but PetSmart must have its ways.) We weren’t sure how to celebrate the cat’s birthday—she’s jumpy as it is, so a surprise party seemed out of the question. So we decided to have dinner at Himalayan Kitchen. It was a fine time—I always love the tandoori chicken tikka masala, and Dave got a wonderful saag with jumbo prawns. (The cat stayed home, but I don’t think she minded.)

Scott Renshaw: Tucked away off the frontage road north of IKEA in Draper, there’s an amazing little doughnut place called Beyond Glaze. It’s basically fancy icings and toppings on top of classic glazed doughnuts, but the flavors are terrific. Gotta try the Key Lime Crumble with crushed graham cracker on top.

Tracey Stout: A little piece of Spanish tradition hits Sandy. Who better than the former owners of Salt Lake Pizza to open up a tapas restaurant in Sandy? Tin Roof Grill has an array of options for your cravings. My fave is the flatbread: It’s a little piece of heaven with fresh basil pesto, olive tapenade and a white been puree for a trio of dipping options!

Jayne Pedersen: For all of you broke-ass peeps out there, this is one of my faves: beef Stroganoff (a la Ramen). Cook the noodles, just like you normally would (don’t pretend you don’t eat Ramen from time to time!) Drain most of the water, leaving about 1/4 cup or more if you like it a little soupy. Add seasoning packet, cream cheese, and pepper to taste. Hint: You can pick up packets of cream cheese at some convenience stores for free (or with a bagel)! This is the perfect amount.

Marc Brancaccio: If you haven’t been to the new wine store, you are sorely missing out. I’m from California mainly and the corner 7-Eleven had a better wine selection than what I’ve found here so far. Don’t get me wrong, the 3rd & 3rd Wine Store has a great high-end selection but lacks good variety in the $10 and under category. The new Wine Store on 300 West has it all. It may look like a space-age DMV but inside, it’s a wine drinker’s paradise. Go, drink, and be merry!

Susan Kruithof: Sushi in my hood (yes, even Murray can serve a mean piece of nigiri). Yamasaki was just wonderful the other evening. I really couldn’t get over how fresh all the fish was that I had. Now, the menu looked fantastic, but I was with my boys and sushi was all they wanted that night. The Nemo was so fresh, with plenty of mouth-popping fish eggs. I learned you don’t have to go all the way downtown to get excellent sushi.

Jennifer Nixon: Over the last six months or so I have taken to the kitchen, in an effort to create new, exciting, and most importantly allergy-free recipes. I discovered early last year that I am allergic to essentially everything delicious. So instead of sticking to raw veggies and saltine crackers, I got creative. My newest, and most favorite, recipe is for Carrot Soup. It may sound bland, but it’s anything but! It’s easy to make, it freezes very well, and best of all—delicious. I never use “exact” measurements, since I base everything on taste. I encourage all pretend chefs to do the same!

Ingredients:
n4 cups of water (or vegetable/chicken stock for those that have no allergies/food restrictions)
n1 bag of baby carrots (about 2 lbs.)
n1 can coconut milk (in the Asian/ethnic food isle)
n2 limes
nFresh or dried basil & parsley (a few pinches)
nGinger powder
nCumin powder
nBlack pepper
nSea salt

Combine basil, parsley, a few pinches of salt, a dash or so of ginger and cumin to the water (or stock). Add carrots and boil until soft (about 15 minutes or so) and then let cool on the stove top. Spoon the carrots into a blender and add liquid until it’s reached the half-way point. Blend! The consistency is up to you, I blend until there are no chunks. Pour blended carrots into an empty pot. Add half the can of coconut milk, squeeze one lime into the soup and stir. Add more ginger, cumin, salt, lime, and pepper to taste. This soup can be served cold or hot with coconut milk and lime slices as garnish.

Eaten anything especially tasty lately? Memorable? Weird? Bodacious? Messy? Let us know by emailing tscheffler@cityweekly.net. tttt