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Jumper’s Junction, Washington, PA

October 17, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Jumper's Junction Bar

I had the opportunity to go to Jumper’s Junction in Washington on Tuesday night for a debate party. The large, sports-themed bar/restaurant had a reserved, semi-private area for our party of 25. I had never heard of Jumper’s before… it is after all a bit out of the way. When I arrived I was greeted by an enthusiastic, young woman who hurriedly directed to the debate-party location. I noticed only one other person at Jumper’s Junction when I got there. That being said, it was Tuesday night at 7pm.

Jumper's Junction Dining Room

As I said, the restaurant is quite large. I estimate that it seats at least 150, with room for an additional 20-30 people at the bar. The walls were decorated with various sports memorabilia. The restaurant was clean and organized. Several large screen TVs were hung about; this seemed like a great place to watch a sporting event.

Before the debate started, our servers showed up with mounds of wings. These were full-sized wings, not the half or ¼ sized. The wings were served with standard barbeque, red-hot, ranch and blue cheese dressings. In addition to the wings, the wait-staff gave us a large cheese/meat platter, barbeque dip, and buffalo-chicken dip. The dips were presented with large tri-colored chips.

Jumper's Wings and Cheese Platter

Jumper's Buffalo Dip with Tri-Colored Chips

The wings were good, but some were moist-free and overcooked- the sauces were a nice accompaniment, and helped ease some of the dry chicken parts down my throat. The cheese/meat platter was good, and the dark mustard was a nice addition to the salty fare. My favorite food of the evening was the buffalo chicken dip. Large chunks of chicken were saturated with Frank’s Red Hot, gobs of melted cheddar cheese and plenty of salt and pepper.

Bright red, blue, and regular corn chips were perfect vessels for lapping up piles of the tasty concoction.

The best part of my visit to Jumper’s was the service provided by our servers who kept our drinks filled, platters stocked, and cleared soiled dishes.

I’m not sure if I would go to Jumper’s Junction again- it’s just too far off the beaten path. It may however be a fun place to get some wings and watch the game.

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Giovanni’s Pizza, Pittsburgh, PA

September 21, 2012 By Chef Chuck 1 Comment

Giovanni’s Pizza & Pasta
123 6th St,
Pittsburgh PA 15222
(412) 344-6622

Written by: Jackie Allenberg

Giovanni's Pizza

On a particularly busy Sunday night after a Steelers game, we walked into the downtown establishment and were warmly greeted by the Owner, Alihan. Flooded with orders, employees were working hard rolling dough and preparing the food. We took a look at the menu which offered way more than just pizza. Giovanni’s has something for everyone! They have gourmet pizzas, hoagies, strombolis, wings, wraps pastas and desserts… just to name a few! We opted to go with a gourmet pizza—the Chicken Carbonara—loaded with grilled chicken strips, mushrooms, bacon and Alfredo sauce. It was prepared so quickly and was bursting with flavor. The staff was very accommodating and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. Since then, I’ve placed orders to the office, and had the pizza arrive hot upon delivery. Not to mention the hours are unbeatable: Mon-Thu 9a-1a, Fri-Sat 9a-2a, & Sun 10a-1a. And they cater! So many reasons to give Giovanni’s a try.

Author, Jackie Allenberg

http://www.eatgiovannis.com/our-menu.html

http://www.allmenus.com/pa/pittsburgh/27873-giovannis-pizza–pasta/menu /

Chef Chuck Kerber

pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: chef chuck kerber, dinner, dinner ideas, dinner ideas Pittsburgh, eating, eating out, Giovanni's, Giovanni's Pizza, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh restaurant, Pittsburgh restaurant reviews, pittsburgh restaurants, vegan, vegetarian

Salmon Salad

September 19, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Salmon Salad

Salmon Salad

Do you like tuna salad? Well, salmon salad is even better. Whenever I fabricate salmon for grilling or pan-searing, I always have various parts left-over. I never throw this extra salmon away… it’s too valuable!

Once you try this easy recipe you’ll be hooked!

Salmon Salad

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

8-10 ounces of cooked salmon broken into bite-sized chunks

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

½ cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

The juice from 1 lemon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently.

Let sit for 30 minutes, serve.

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: chef, cook, cooking, dinner recipes, eating, Food, fresh, lunch recipes, mayonnaise, recipe, recipes, salmon, salmon recipes, salmon salad, seafood, seafood recipes, swordfish, tuna

Sweet Potato Salad with Candied Pecans and Orange Vinaigrette

September 4, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Sweet Potato Salad with Candied Pecans and Orange Vinaigrette

Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Candied Pecans

I came up with this recipe for a client of mine that wanted a non-traditional sweet potato dish. It was a real crowd-pleaser!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

8 large sweet potatoes

¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

½ cup organic honey

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup olive oil

2 cups shelled pecans

1 egg white

½ cup sugar

½ cup each, chopped red, yellow, and orange peppers

¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel the sweet potatoes- chop into cubes approximately ½ inch each. Place the chopped sweet potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water, and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Test the sweet potatoes as they’re cooking, and remove from the water when they are al dente; firm to the bite.
Once the sweet potatoes are strained, place them in an ice water bath for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooled. Strain the potatoes and set aside.

For the Vinaigrette:

Place the orange juice, honey, and vinegar in a bowl and whisk until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Add the olive oil and continue whisking, until an emulsion forms. Add salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.

For the Pecans:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pecans in a large metal bowl with the sugar, egg white, and a small amount of salt and pepper. Toss until all of the nuts are covered with the sugar mixture.

Place the nuts on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the nuts from the oven and let sit until they become cool, at least 1 hour.

When the nuts have cooled, chop them unto small, bite-size pieces.

Assembly:

Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped peppers, chopped parsley, vinaigrette, and half of the candied pecans. Gently toss the salad until all of the potatoes have become coated with the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Place the sweet potato salad on a large platter. Put the remaining candied pecans on top- garnish with sliced strawberries!

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

Pittsburghhotplate.com

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: chef chuck kerber, dessert, desserts, Dining, dinner, eating, family recipes, Food, potato, potato recipe, potato recipes, potatoes, salad, salad recipes, salads, sweet poatoes, sweet potato, sweet potatoes, vegan, vegetarian, yams

Baba Ganoush

August 19, 2012 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is an Arabic dish made with eggplant, tahini, and garlic. It’s perfect for pita, and raw veggies.

Baba Ganoush

Serves 4-6

3 medium sized eggplants, peeled and cubed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sesame tahini

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Directions:

Place a skillet on the stove over high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When the olive oil begins to smoke, add the cubed eggplant and sauté until it becomes golden brown- season lightly with salt and pepper.

Place the eggplant on a sheet and let cool.

One the eggplant is cool, place it in a food processor with the sesame tahini, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, and cumin, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Blend until all of the ingredients have become incorporated and smooth, approximately 1 minute. Add the chopped parsley and pulse for a few additional seconds.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and dust with paprika.

Remove from the food processor and enjoy with fresh pita chips of cut vegetables!

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: appetizers, Arabic, Arabic food, baba ganoush, babaganoush, cook, cooking, eating, Food, Pittsburgh, recipe, recipes, vegan, vegan recipe, vegan recipes, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian recipes, veggie