Making Macarons With Tartelette!

A couple of  Sundays ago I was fortunate enough to take part in a macaron workshop taught by the wonderful food stylist/blogger/photographer/pastry chef extraordinaire Helen of Tartelette.  I had never tasted these trendy French confections (let alone attempted to make them) so this was a special treat for me!  It was great to finally meet fellow bloggers Tami (Running With Tweezers), Jennifer Z. (The Blissful Glutton) and Shameeka (The Broke Socialite), along with new friends Angie (Bakerella), Susan (The Frugal Hostess), Emily (Ultra Foodie and the Poodle Revolution), Katie (Whisk Away), Wendy, Lisa, Caryn, Paula (bell'alimento), Jennifer B. and our gracious hostess Patti (Anatomy of a Dinner Party) who welcomed us into her lovely home for the afternoon.  Our macarons weren't perfect, but I think we did pretty good for our first effort!  Many thanks to Helen, Patti, Tami and Shameeka for pulling this all together, and a special shout out to the ATL Macaron Crew-it was a pleasure meeting all of you!  I'm looking forward to whipping up my own macaron creations very soon.  I can't wait to put what I've learned into practice!

Help For Haiti

We've all seen the heartbreaking images from Haiti as that nation struggles to recover from the devastating earthquake which struck last Tuesday.  Around the world, relief efforts are underway to give much needed assistance to the Haitian people.

The United Nations World Food Programme has launched a six month emergency operation in Haiti to help feed millions of Haitians affected by this tragedy.  As some of you may remember, food and wine bloggers worldwide recently united to support the WFP through blogger Chez Pim's annual Menu For Hope fundraising campaign.  The most recent campaign raised nearly $79,000 for the WFP.  Several food and wine bloggers are once again answering the call to assist those in need, and you can help as well.

Marc Matsumoto (blogger at No Recipes) has organized a special fundraising campaign through his Blog Away Hunger effort.  The following bloggers have pledged to donate their January ad revenue to assist the Haiti relief efforts of the WFP and other charitable organizations. You can help by simply checking out their blogs if you haven't done so already.  Ad revenue is generated through page views, so I encourage you to peruse some of the older posts on these blogs.  This is a good opportunity to check out some great recipes (not to mention some gorgeous food photography) while helping a worthy cause. 

• gas•tron•o•my -I've followed Cathy (a.k.a the gastronomer, an L.A.-based food blogger) for a while.  It is through her site that I found out about this particular fundraising effort.
• Zen Can Cook
  
• Laura's Best Recipes
  
• Online Pastry Chef 
• Feeding Maybelle 
• Croque-Camille 
• My Baking Addiction 
• Ambitious Delicious(ness) 
• One Food Guy 
• The Duo Dishes 
• Hey What's For Dinner Mom? 
• Food Wanderings 
• Domestic Divas 
• High/Low/Food/Drink 
• dlyn 
• inuyaki 

If I may direct you to my sidebar---->, I've added a badge (just like the one pictured above this post) which will link you to the WFP's donation site where you can give directly to their efforts in Haiti (if you choose).  I've also added a link to Marc's Blog Away Hunger page.  Every little bit helps and no gift is too small. Even if you are unable to donate, just spread the word!  Thanks!

ETA:  I just found out about another great fundraiser coming up through Rob over at North Georgia's Montaluce Winery blog.  It's STIR IT 28: Food Bloggers Align For Haiti Relief, and it's being organized by local food blogger Bren Herrera (FlaNboyant Eats) along with Chicago-based food blogger Courtney Nzeribe (Coco Cooks) and L.A.-based food blogger Chrystal Baker (The Duo Dishes).  For more info and details on this fundraiser, click here or email bren@flanboyanteats.com.   I will do a more detailed write-up on this event in a post coming soon.  Stay tuned!

Quick Bites: Quoc Húóng

I was a bánh mì virgin.

I'd heard all about these sandwiches (a fusion of Vietnamese and French influences) but until recently they'd remained on my gastronomic "to do" list.  Craving something different and wanting to try something new, I headed to Buford Highway to sample my very first bánh mì.  Previously recommended by The Blissful Glutton, EatBufordHighway and Food Near Snellville (whose opinions I value), I decided to visit Quoc Húóng.

I opted for the BBQ pork bánh mì (bánh mì thit nuong) to go.

Only $2.50 for this sandwich? Are you kidding me?!

WOW.  That first bite really was like an explosion of  flavors and textures: the perfectly crusty baguette, the crunch of the carrots and cucumber, the spicy kick of the fresh jalapeno, the sweet dressing and savory BBQ pork.  I know the whole "explosion of flavors" bit sounds kind of cheesy, but that's just the description that comes to mind.   This bánh mì newbie became an instant fan.  The $2.50 price tag made me even happier-this is a steal.  There are other spots for bánh mì on Bu Hi that I still have to try, but Quõc Húóng will be one of the places I will return to again and again. 

Quoc Húóng 

5150 Buford Hwy NE

Doraville, GA 30340

(770)936-0605

Foodie Events: Cooking, Culture and Fun With Chinese Southern Belle!

Meet Natalie (far left) and Margaret (far right)-the ladies of Chinese Southern Belle

Mother/daughter duo Margaret and Natalie Keng-the ladies behind Chinese Southern Belle-are bringing their interactive food and cultural workshops to the Buford Highway Farmers Market during the months of January and February.    Join the ladies as they share cooking and health tips, family stories, and kitchen shortcuts.  Of course, no workshop would be complete without a tasting! 

Here are the upcoming workshops and dates.  All workshops are from 7-9PM.

• Wednesday, January 20 - Homemade Spring Rolls
• Tuesday, February 16 - Asian Hot Pot and Happy Lunar New Year!
• Thursday, February 25 - Dumplings

Registration is only $10, and workshop "graduates" will receive a $10 gift card upon completion of each class.  You must register in advance for the workshop(s) you plan to attend, and spaces are limited.  To do so, click here or call Bill at (678) 873-7447.  You can also register at the BHFM customer service desk.  I plan to attend one of their upcoming workshops-should be fun!

The ladies are also bringing their free Saturday Express Demos to BHFM this January and February.  If you're doing a little weekend shopping in the area, why not swing by and say hello to Natalie as she shares recipes, cooking tips, and samples!  Demos will be held every half hour between 1-4:30 PM.  Here are the upcoming demos and dates:

• January 23 - Sushi Express
• January 30 - Tour de Tofu
• February 6 - Asian Noodle Crazy

For more information on the ladies of Chinese Southern Belle, please check out their website at www.chinesesouthernbelle.com or email info@chinesesouthernbelle.com.

Buford Highway Farmers Market
5600 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 455-0770
website 

Quick Bites: The Red Hen Cafe

I love breakfast/brunch yet I really don't go out to eat it that often.  That will likely change this year as there are so many new (well, new to me) breakfast & brunch spots out there that I really want to try.  A couple of weekends ago I was feeling a bit "brunchy" (is "brunchy" a word? well, it is now!) so I decided to check out one of those new (to me) spots.  An internet search led me to Mr.Breakfast.com, a nifty little site that features breakfast recipes and reviews of breakfast/brunch restaurants nationwide.  A search of Duluth/Alpharetta restaurants eventually led me to The Red Hen Cafe in Alpharetta.

Foodie Events: Sugar Coma is coming January 16th!

Happy New Year everyone!  Here's a heads up on a fun foodie event that's coming up this month.

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll definitely want to take part in The Broke Socialite's Sugar Coma Tour on Saturday, January 16th at 9 AM!  You'll get to hang out with fellow foodies as you tour some of Atlanta's finest bakeries, restaurants and cupcake shops.  You'll go behind the scenes at the participating establishments to learn from the chefs as well as have the opportunity to sample their delicious treats.   Among the great perks for Sugar Coma attendees:

• You will be chauffeured to the tour stops in style courtesy of Cadillac, who will be providing four 2010 SRXs
• Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta is offering the opportunity to win one of two pairs of tickets to the Celebrity Chocolate Buffet @ the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta on March 19th
• Sugar Coma doesn't end after the last tour stop thanks to Yelp Atlanta, who will be hosting a after-party for all attendees

Join The Broke Socialite along with "Sugar Mama"/tour guide (and pastry chef) Helen (from the fantastic Tartelette blog) for what promises to be a fun day of learning, socializing and tasting.  Registration is only $40.80 per person.  To reserve your spot on the Sugar Coma tour, click here.  I plan to be there!