Eat Out- The Tobacco Company

1201 E. Cary St. Richmond, VA
$$$$$
This is a definite special occasion restaurant, but I enjoyed absolutely everything I ate- even the bread was delicious! I had been to The Tobacco Co. to see shows before, but had never before had the pleasure of dining there. The building itself is pretty awesome, as it dates back to 1866, was once a tobacco warehouse, and has an impressive antique chandelier and antique elevator. We started off with cocktails and cups of she-crab soup. Yum! I had a Key Lime Martini that tasted exactly like key lime pie, so it was a nice summer choice. The soup was absolute rich, buttery deliciousness. For my entree I had the Seafood Pasta: Salmon, Shrimp, Scallops & Crab meat in a smoked Gouda dill cream sauce over linguine. It was decadent and definitely richer than what I would normally choose, but as it was a special occasion and a fancy new restaurant, it was fun to go all out! There was absolutely no room for dessert and plenty of delicious leftovers!

Eat Out- Fat Dragon

1200 North Boulevard, Richmond VA
$$$ ($40 for 2 of us- 2 drinks, 1 app & 2 entrees)
This place is soooo delicious! I've been here a few times but tried new dishes this last time. This restaurant has such a cool vibe. It is within walking distance from the Bowtie Theater, so you can take advantage of any drink specials! To start off with, I had the honey ginger beer from Ardent, a local brewery. It was pleasantly gingery and flavorful, and deceptively strong. As an appetizer, I shared the Beer Battered Mushrooms. They were delightfully spicy and had a wonderful combination of unexpected flavors such as cilantro and sriracha. I had the Shrimp & Kim Chi Fried Rice as my entree, and it did not disappoint! It was a warm, melty, delicious mix of comforting fried rice and cheese, what's not to like?! Large portions and a fun take on Chinese food make this place a win!

Eat N- Easy Homemade Pickled Jalapenos

Who doesn't love jalapenos?! I had the happy problem of way too many jalapenos from the garden at the same time and didn't want to waste any of the delicious little peppers. What to do? Pickle them of course! What an incredibly simple, useful way to preserve jalapenos. Now they're ready to be used in anything and everything over the next few weeks!

I found the recipe that I used from www.simplyscratch.com . Here it is:

15 jalapenos (I probably used more than that)
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
4 TBSP sugar
2TBSP salt

In a saucepan combine the garlic, water, vinegar, sugar & salt.
Heat to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once at a boil, add the sliced jalapenos and press them so they are submerged under the pickling liquids.Remove from heat and let the jalapenos sit for 10-15 mins (they will start to turn a duller green when they are ready). Fill a clean pint jar with all of the jalapenos and pickling juice. Let cool and then seal and refrigerate.

These will last as long as any other pickled item kept refrigerated in an airtight jar. The first time I made these, I used a much bigger jar and consequently had to pretty much triple the pickling juice recipe. However, it was no big deal as it comes together so simply and quickly. Also, I would suggest wearing gloves when slicing the jalapenos. Obviously, when dealing with jalapenos you should avoid touching your face for a long time after cutting them as the capsaicin in the jalapenos will produce an irritating burning sensation. The last time I made these though, my entire left hand was red and burning for a good while- it will go away eventually but I had to try both rubbing olive oil on my hand and then washing it off after a minute, and periodically submerging my hand in ice water.