naughty | Dayton937

Has this face been nice?

Dear Santa,

“You see us when we are sleeping, and know when we’re awake. /We know we better be good, but some shortcuts we just had to take.”

The Food Adventures Crew admits it. We made the naughty list. Today we come clean about our secret shortcuts we use from time to time while in our kitchens.

THE BIG RAGU HAS BEEN NAUGHTY:
The Big Ragu has a secret. It is a blemish on his Food Adventure career… Yes it is true, sometimes he fakes it. Sometimes, when in a pinch and he needs some marinara sauce, he turns to a locally jarred sauce. It is one of the only ones

The Big Ragu gets help on occasion

he trusts. Mamma DiSalvo’s Marinara Sauce has saved him in many a tight spots. From parties, to last minute luncheons, it has saved him from Manicotti to Mostaccioli. When faced with hours and hours of cooking down a home made spaghetti sauce, sometimes he gets a little help from Mamma! The sauce is the closest thing to The Big Ragu’s family recipe that he has tasted in a jar. Ahh and the stress it saves. Seriously, Foodies out there, this is the best jarred sauce in the WORLD. Honorable mention to 2 other sauces: Schiavione’s and Zappia’s, both made locally! I’m sorry Santa, shhhhhh no one knows!

HUNGRY JAX HAS BEEN NAUGHTY:
Jax has a secret. Yes, this impeccable home cook has a naughty short cut. Not even her Elf on a Shelf knows about this one. Her bad Food Adventure act? Sometimes she uses American cheese in my mac and cheese. To top it off, she uses

Jax Mac n Cheese

the Boar’s Head Sharp American Cheese instead of Kraft. (This is actually a great tip for you cooks out there who love a rich Mac n Cheese. Hint #2 add maple sausage crumbles into your mac n cheese.) Ahem .. Dear Santa, I am sorry I have been bad, and if you think I deserve coal in my stocking, I will use it for summer cookouts.

Adopt puppies like me through Miami Valley Pit Crew

CHEF HOUSE HAS BEEN NICE:
Dear Santa, I have been nice. I would never do anything like those culinary shortcuts, as you know. If you need a wooden spoon to spank the other two, you can borrow one of mine. Now to reiterate my Christmas list, let’s go over it again shall we Santa? To start with, I want a HUGE de-stemming machine, something that can really breakdown the peppers for my sauces. Also, an endless supply of empty glass bottles would be nice. And a cleaver, remember? A BIG cleaver. One last thing… how about one more little sweet puppy from the Miami Valley Pit Crew, who rescues local dogs? (Miami Valley Pit Crew is a great organization that has helped place dozens of dogs into loving homes. Locally owned, it is a great Dayton area charity to support this holiday season). That’s all, Santa. (Here is a tip though… the frozen gnocchi at Trader Joe’s is a great product if you don’t have time to make your gnocchi from scratch).

Have you been naughty or nice this year? Do you have any shortcut culinary confessions you want to share below?

Please comment and tell us about your naughty Food Adventures!

From all of us at Food Adventures, we with you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very prosperous New Year.

Have you been naughty ?

Chef House needs some pepper peelers, Santa !

Big Ragu uses Mamma DiSalvos Jarred sauce when he doesnt have enough time for his own sauce

Chef House has been nice – she wants some more cutlery, Santa

Jax uses Boars Head instead of Kraft for her Mac n Cheese

Jax is a whiz in the DLM Culinary Center

Chef House at a Spicy Olive Cooking Class

Mac N cheese with Maple Sausage – Hungry Jax made it

More empty bottles please !

When it is gonna take hours and you got minutes.. Ragu fakes it

Manicotti from Ragus Kitchen – he didnt use DiSalvos Sauce this time

Kitchen Perfection

A scoop of Hungry Jax Mac N Chese

Dear Santa – maybe one more play pal for these guys?

Dear Santa – a pepper processor would be great, thanks !

Hello .. my name is Big Ragu and this is my manicotti

Sometimes Ragu is nice …

Frisch’s Hot Fudge Cake is Sinful

We all have them, we all need them… guilty pleasures. As we get older, we try to eat healthier, but once in a while, you gotta splurge. Dayton is a great place to do so. Sure, there is fear in seeing the calorie count, and scary scale readings the following week… but sometimes you gotta have a ghastly, full blown Food Adventure.

So without further ado, we present present our list of the Top 15 Guilty Food Pleasures of the Dayton Area:

15) THE FOOTLONG CHILI DOG at THE ROOT BEER STANDE: Long and strong, we came to get the friction on. This wiener is a mouthful of goodness and a ruined shirt waiting to happen. Eat it in your car, roll up the windows so no one can see,. But we know… this is one of your guilty pleasures.

14) FRICKER’S RIBS & WINGS DINNER: This huge meal comes with a half rack of ribs, those famous fried chicken wings, cole slaw, roll and an side. Finger lickin’ good, and a naughty belt buster for sure.

13) THE PEANUT BUTTER SUNDAE at JET FREEZE: Homemade peanut butter sauce, ice cream, whip cream, nuts and a cherry on top. The peanut butter sauce alone is so sinful that it catapults it onto the list.

12) THE BROOKYLYN BRAWLER PIZZA at JOHNNY’S SLICE of NY: When you serve a giant, stuffed pizza as big as a spare tire, it has to be a guilty pleasure. Big eaters of the Miami Valley come from far and wide not only to eat this giant creation, but to see if 2 of them can finish it in 30 minutes or less to get on the wall of fame. Filled with various meats and cheeses, this guilty pleasure is for serious eaters.

11) THE SEAFOOD PLATTER at TREASURE ISLAND: Deep fried scallops, a cod filet, frog legs, fried shrimp and stuffed crab on a plate with 2 sides. You can taste it all, but don’t test your cholesterol that day. The over the top moment of this dinner is when they serve you some drawn butter for dipping. Oh, behave !

10) ALL-YOU-CAN EAT FISH at the HASTY TASTY PANCAKE HOUSE: For just $7.25, you can literally fill yourself to the gills. Breaded and crispy, it is one of the best ‘bangs for your buck’ as far as sinful meals go. The fish is Alaskan pollock, and when you add the sides, rolls and butter slabs, the wheels come off the diet train.

9) BROASTED CHICKEN at GEORGE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT: Deep fried in a pressure cooker, this stuff is guilty fun for the while family. Moist inside, the chicken is always cooked to perfection. Get some heavenly comfort food sides and complete this trip to dream street.

North China’s Crispy Shrimp: Rich, Spicy Flavor with a Touch of Sweetness

8) CRISPY SHRIMP at NORTH CHINA: One of our favorite Chinese restaurants serves us a sweet sauced, deep fried shrimp dish that will knock you on your socks. The taste, the crunch, the bites of sauce mixed with rice. Overdone richness? Guilty as charged.

7) POTATO SKIN CUPS at ANGIE’S FIREHOUSE: Stuffed with chili, bacon, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapenos and sour cream they are a beautiful piece of work. You will find yourself eating an entire plate of these and passing out in a food coma.

6) BISCUITS & GRAVY at TANK’S: Delicious, artery clogging goodness. Although this legendary spot on Wayne Avenue has many treasures, we find this to be our most guilty pleasure.

5) THE HOT FUDGE CAKE at FRISCH’S: We know, this is semi-local and more of a regional treat, but it deserves a spot on our list. Hot, steaming fudge, hitting the cool cake and ice cream. The feeling of the whip cream and hot fudge on your lips is worth every calorie.

4) THE PANZAROTTI at MAMMA DISALVO’S: This is pretty much a calzone that is the size of a small kid. Imagine an extra large pizza full of toppings and cheese, that has been folded in half. Served with dipping sauce, it is like cutting into a turkey to begin eating. Go all out and dip your forkfuls into marina or ranch. It is absolutely delicious.

Click to Enlarge: Broasted Chicken from George’s Family Restaurant

3) THE HOG BURGER at VOLTZY’s: Voltzy says he named the burger after his ex-wife. All we know is that this mammoth 20 ounce burger melts in your mouth, and you find yourself saying “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

2) CASSANO’S BIG CHEESE PIZZA: Like Vic Cassano Sr said “It’s one heck of a pizza.” That famous Cassano’s crust and sauce, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives and finished off with a m0und of cheese. The proof is in the taste.

The Big Bo BJ Breakfast Sandwich from B&B Carryout

1) THE “BIG BO BJ” at B&B CARRYOUT: Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a breakfast sandwich. And it is one helluva guilty pleasure. This craziness is a bun with sausage, a fried egg, a hash brown patty, American cheese,strips of bacon and hot pepper cheese. You won’t feel that guilty, because the every bite is just so darn good. A handful of greasy, gooeyness, with great flavor. If you haven’t tried the Big Bo BJ, you need to grab yourself one.

Do you feel guilty yet? Naughty nibbles indeed. Honorable Mention to : Paragon Supper Club’s Paragon Supreme Dessert- a peanut butter and chocolate ice cream mousse, Marion’s Super Cheese Pizza – delicious, Tank’s Chili Cheese Fries-out of this world, and Submarine House’s Super Duper Cheesesteak– triple the meat and cheese & 16 inches long.

DID WE LEAVE ANY OUT? WHICH OF YOUR FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURES SHOULD WE HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR LIST??

Please comment below and let us know !

For more fun from Dayton’s one-of-a-kind foodies visit FOOD ADVENTURES with THE BIG RAGU, CHEF HOUSE and HUNGRY JAX on FACEBOOK and “like” us HERE .

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“Santa, We’ve Been Naughty with Food”

The Fearsome 15: Top Guilty Food Pleasures in Dayton