Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

spices

Miami Valley Meals Introduces Chef-Crafted Spice Blends For 3rd Anniversary

By

Miami Valley Meals uses chef-led teams to  transforms recovered (a.k.a. “rescued”) foods into hearty and nutritious prepared meals that are then distributed to a network of nonprofit partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge. They currently distribute an average of 3,700 meals per week to 45+ partners per month.

These meals play a critical role in the full spectrum of services that help the underserved people in our communities. By providing our network of partner organizations with free meals, we bolster their food inventory and free up resources for their other programs, such as providing shelter, healthcare services, addiction recovery programs, and other assistance.

As part of their 3rd anniversary Miami Valley Meals has just introduced 3  chef-crafted spice blends. These blends are uniquely crafted by MVM chefs Angie, Laura, and Patricio and produced locally in partnership with Big Axe Spice.

Free of salt, sugar, and gluten, these spice blends are friendly for any diet and flexible enough to use in just about anything! From meats and marinades to dips and snacks, the possibilities are endless.

Each purchase supports our mission to transform donated food into nutritious meals for the hungry in Dayton.

The Root of Love

Chef Angie’s spice blend is specifically crafted for root vegetables, though it can double as a multi-purpose savory spice.

Try it with: roasted root vegetables, shrimp, or rice

Give Back Garlic Blast

Chef Laura’s garlic blend is a flavor explosion that will elevate any savory dish.

Try it with: burgers and ribs on the grill

Feel Good Fusion

Chef Patricio’s spice blend celebrates the best of Latin and Italian flavors, perfect for adding flair to meats, marinades, dressings, and more.

Try it with: a bit of lime juice and olive oil to create a salad dressing

Bad News & Good News from Dayton’s HouseMade

By 1 Comment

Chef LeeAnne House of Housemade

In some exclusive scoop this week, we have learned that Dayton company, HouseMade LLC has good news and bad news.

You have come to love their hot sauces and spice rub lines. This locally owned company, owned by Chef LeeAnne House (also one of our Food Adventure Crew) has thrived at local vendors and has won national sauce competitions.

Unfortunately, they have had an ongoing problem, getting the Thai Chili Peppers used in their signature sauces. Currently, they have been unable to source peppers for several months due to import restrictions, trade law changes, and simple lack of local suppliers being able to handle the volume of peppers needed.

Housemade Sriracha Sauce

Housemade couldn’t have picked a more elusive pepper to make their delicious sriracha and hot honey sauces. After dealing with this “too many times” in the few years that they have been in business, Chef LeeAnne House has regretfully announced, that they will no longer continue production of her sauces.

This is heartbreaking for many local foodies, who have fallen in love with the Thai Chili Sriracha Sauce, the addicting Hot Honey Sauce, The Hot Peachy Habenero Sauce, and the Green Serrano Hot sauce. These sauces were not only popular in local stores, but many local restaurants featured dishes on the menu using these Housemade sauces.

Hard to find Thai Chili Peppers

But, there is good news.  This isn’t the end of Housemade’s culinary adventures! Chef LeeAnne has her great new spice blends available around the city and has more varieties yet to come.   She says there are no problems sourcing ingredients for these blends like they had with peppers.

HERE’S THE SKINNY on HOUSEMADE SPICE BLENDS:

You can currently find the spice blends  at:
Ghostlight Coffee House
Spice Paradise
Heart Mercantile

Housemade will still produce spice blends !

Maria’s Unique Foods
Spicy Olive (all 3 locations)
Treadway Gardens
Celebrate Local
Kroger on Stroop Rd.
Ollie’s Place
Greg’s Prime  Meats
Keener Butcher Block
Eclectic Essentials

and many more places outside of Dayton.

Chef House and her Peachy Hot Sauce

Housemade promises to continue to make cooking at home fun for everyone! Chef House will still be teaching cooking classes with her spice blends both at Dorothy Lane Market Culinary School and The Spicy Olive, olive oil stores. She will also continue to rock the local foodie scene here at Dayton Most Metro, each week with her part in Food Adventures.

Like Chef LeeAnne House says “This isn’t the end, it’s a fun new beginning.”

If things change and supplies are plentiful, would she go back to making her sauces again?  Answer:  “They may be back! You never know!..”

So until then, we will never say never.

Please browse the photos below for more info on Housemade.

For more saucy fun bout Dayton’s local food scene, click HERE and follow Food Adventures on Facebook.

Spice Blends

Housemade Sauce lineup and Sriracha Powder

Green Serrano Sauce

PEACHY !!!

Peachy sauce in production

Hot Honey

Elusive Peppers

Pepper Processing

 

 

 

Food Adventure Recipe of the Month: Zucchini Ribbon Skewers

By Leave a Comment

Thinly sliced grilled zucchini, the beginnings of a recipe

Attention Dayton Cooks and Foodies !

You know the Food Adventure Crew from their weekly articles and food photos shared on this site, or maybe their dinner events.

With all of this original content, there is more …. Did you know they also have a nice collection of recipes? Some have been shared in various cooking classes at Dorothy Lane Market, Living Dayton TV, Spicy Olive, or through Foremost Seafood’s site. Some recipes will make their debut here.

It is all in a NEW monthly feature now cooking on Dayton Most Metro: “Your Food Adventure Recipe of the Month.”

June starts out featuring our culinary crew hero Chef LeeAnne House and a summer favorite that will wow your friends.

Chef House getting ready for a cooking class !

Chef House has always been known for her love of veggies and her philosophy of using local vendors for that fresh,  “farm to table” dimension.  The results are Dayton’s seasonal flavors, bursting on your plate and leaving your tastebuds happy.

Without further delay let’s dive into one of those fresh recipes.

 

ZUCCHINI RIBBON SKEWERS with PEPPER SPIKED MOZZARELLA & ARUGULA PESTO 

Ingredients:

2 zucchini

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Lemon juice

ZUCCHINI RIBBON SKEWERS with PEPPER SPIKED MOZZARELLA & ARUGULA PESTO

Directions:
Pick the straightest zucchini, these will be easier to cut on the mandolin. Slice them lengthwise ¼ inch thick. Toss with olive oil and salt.

Grill on high heat quickly, get grill marks on both sides and off the grill. Toss with a pinch more salt and a little lemon juice.

 

PESTO:

1 clove garlic, smashed

4 ounces basil

2 cups arugula, packed

1/3 cup roasted salted pistachios

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

Directions:
Puree all of the above ingredients in a food processor till smooth. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Now we add and assemble with:
-Fresh mozzarella
-Hot pepper flakes or even better use HouseMade Sriracha Toasted Sriracha Powder

Assembly Directions:
Roll the zucchini ribbons up and skewer 2 to a small skewer. The mozzarella goes on the end. Season it with kosher salt and spiced pepper. Serve with the pesto.

Pesto in the processor

Try this for a summer picnic, or a party on the patio.  Your next cookout is a great chance to skewer some of these bites.

More about Chef House.  In addition to being a member of the Food Adventure Crew, she has her own line of locally made, all-natural sauces, spices and rubs called Housemade.  Her Thai Chili Sriracha sauce and Hot Honey sauce have won National competitions.  She also teaches many local cooking classes.   In the past, she has helped with catering companies and has been a chef at some top notch local restaurants.  You will be able to catch her in a FREE COOKING DEMO on Saturday July 22nd at Garlic Fest at the Sons of Italy Bella Villa Hall on County Line Rd.  Chef House will be giving out free tastes of her garlic dish to those in attendance.  Come join the party at Garlic Fest !

See you next month with another fun recipe.

Follow Chef House, the Big Ragu and Hungry Jax on Facebook by clicking HERE.

We are not food critics, we are just 3 passionate foodies that love to feature local foods!

ZUCCHINI RIBBON SKEWERS with PEPPER SPIKED MOZZARELLA & ARUGULA PESTO