hopeless foodie

Project Lumpia: The Post-Thankgiving Edition

2010-12-14T09:00:00.009-05:00

While trying to come up with different ideas for utilizing Turkey Day leftovers, my mind kept going back to lumpia. Maybe it's because I hadn't had any in a while, but I was thinking it might be another way to use up the remaining turkey and spare veggies not used for the holiday stock or stuffing/dressing.

I had my first taste of the crispy fried spring rolls as a child when my Filipina stepmom made a huge batch for a family get-together. I've loved them ever since but only recently have I attempted to make my own (I would normally depend on the kindness of a good friend for my local lumpia fix). As you'll soon see, my lumpia rolling technique needs a lot of work, but I plan to get more practice in over the next few weeks.

As a reference point, I turned to a recipe for Lumpiang Shanghai from one of my favorite food blogs, Burnt Lumpia. I made a few changes for this Turkey/Shrimp version (I decided not to add ginger and opted for slightly less garlic). For this recipe, I used roasted turkey thigh meat. I'm usually more of a "white meat" gal, but for this recipe the higher fat content of the thigh meat makes it more ideal. I also decided to throw some shrimp into the mix as well-just because. In retrospect, I think I should have followed Marvin's instructions and made them a bit smaller (he suggests cutting each lumpia wrapper in half-I think I'll do that next time). The lumpia I'm used to are usually the size of cigars-don't ask me why I decided to make them larger! This recipe yielded 10 large lumpia and should yield about 20-25 smaller ones. Recipe follows after the jump...

Turkey & Shrimp Lumpia
(adapted from this recipe from Burnt Lumpia as featured on Rasa Malaysia.com)

Two roasted turkey thighs (skin removed)
1 lb shrimp (30-40 ct per pound), peeled, deveined and chopped
1 large carrot, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 tbsp minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chicken stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pkg lumpia or spring roll wrappers (available at Asian supermarkets)

Remove the meat from two roasted turkey thighs and chop finely. Stir in two tablespoons of chicken stock (if you have turkey stock, that's even better). Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the carrot, onion and garlic in two tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat.

Stir in shrimp and 2 tbsp of the soy sauce. Cook over medium low heat just until shrimp begins to turn pink.

Stir in the reserved turkey thigh meat and remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Cook for an additional minute. Transfer filling to a bowl and allow to cool completely before preparing the lumpia.

Rolling the lumpia:

Carefully remove each lumpia wrapper sheets from the package. They are delicate and can tear easily. Have a dish of warm water on hand to moisten the edges of the wrapper as you roll your lumpia. As you will see below, my rolling technique was pretty crummy but it will improve...

Raggedy lumpia...

...and slightly better looking lumpia. Next time, I'm making them smaller!

Fry the lumpia in a large frying pan with about ½ inch of vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Frying the raggedy lumpia

My dipping sauce of choice is sweet chili (just like my friend), but rather than use the bottled variety I decided to make my own (with a little bit of a twist). It's a very simple recipe and once you try it you might not want to go back to the bottled stuff again.

Sweet Lime-Chili Sauce
(adapted from this recipe from taste.com.au)

2 cloves garlic
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup of white or rice wine vinegar
3 long red chilies (this added just the right amount of "oomph" for my tastes, but as always adjust to your liking)
½ red bell pepper
2½ cups sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (I use a Vietnamese-style fish sauce for this recipe)

Halve each of the long red chilies (you can de-seed some of them if you want to reduce the heat level but I don't think you'll need to). Roughly chop the chilies and bell pepper and place in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic cloves and vinegar. Process until finely chopped.

Add the chili mixture, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce to a large saucepan. Cook (stirring) over low heat for about five minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes (or until sauce thickens). Allow sauce to cool before storing. This recipe should yield one 12 oz jar of sweet lime chili sauce.

Sweet Potato & Cranberry Nut Bread

2010-11-30T18:19:00.002-05:00

Have a few extra sweet potatoes left over from last week's holiday feast? Here's one way to put them to use! This quick and tasty sweet potato and cranberry nut bread is great for breakfast, brunch or anytime snacking. If fresh cranberries are a bit too tart for you, use sweetened dried cranberries instead.

Sweet Potato & Cranberry Nut Bread

(yields one 9x5 inch loaf)

2 cups cake flour (or all purpose flour, sifted)

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cinammon

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium sized tater)

1 cup fresh cranberries or ¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed (scraping the sides of the bowl) for about 1 minute.

Fold in mashed sweet potato, chopped pecans and cranberries.

Pour batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Indulging My Sweet Tooth

2010-11-27T18:07:00.001-05:00

I normally don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I recently indulged a bit while attending The Broke Socialite Does...Sugar Coma Festival. The event brought some of Atlanta's best bakeries, caterers, ice cream shops and restaurants together under one roof (Le Fais do-do on Atlanta's westside). Since I'd missed previous tours, I figured that I needed to have the full Sugar Coma experience at least once. This was the perfect venue and opportunity to do so!

Talk about sensory overload-I didn't know where to start sampling! The venue was jam packed with everything from cakes and pastries to truffles and tarts. Cotton candy, petit fours, little marshmallows, brownies, and cupcakes. Tons and tons of cupcakes. Cupcakes as far as the eye could see...

Somehow I made my way to the Peacecake table, which is where I began my sampling. I was really impressed with the Vegan & Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes and their Gluten Free Brownies. Delicious stuff! You can order their Organic, Vegan & Gluten free brownie, muffin, cupcake and cookie mixes online at their website, www.mypeacecake.com.

There were so many treats to sample and after a few I'd had my limit (I tihnk I may have suffered from Red Velvet Overload). Among my favorites: a mini pear frangipane tart from Konfections by Kristina, the Whoopie Pies from West Egg Café, and a wonderfully refreshing Meyer Lemon Sorbet from High Road Craft Ice Cream and Sorbet (love!). I'm kind of kicking myself for not sampling their Citrus Ginger sorbet (which received raves from several Sugar Coma Fest attendees). A delicious Patrón Margarita cupcake from CEO Custom Cakes (purchased at the Sugar Coma Marketplace) was the perfect ending to a sweet afternoon.

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop

2010-11-01T10:00:00.029-04:00

I recently had a chance to visit the sandwich shop so many seem to be raving about, Super Pan in Poncey-Highland. In a little space just behind his popular tapas restaurant Pura Vida, chef Hector Santiago and his staff have been whipping up specialty sandwiches for the intown lunch crowd since earlier this summer. After reading various reports from fellow food bloggers, critics and general Atlanta food fanatics, I had been dying to see what all the fuss was about. One problem: Super Pan is only open for weekday lunch service (Tuesday through Friday) and my half-hour lunch break and (former) Alpharetta work locale made it virtually impossible for me to stop by and sample the goods. When I was fortunate enough to have a rare week off before beginning a new job in Buckhead, I was determined to pay a visit to Super Pan to check it out.

I was immediately impressed by the prompt and friendly service. I arrived towards the latter part of lunch service and fortunately did not have to deal with the long lines and wait times others have experienced. On this visit, I ordered Super Pan's version of the Cuban media noche sandwich, the Medio Dia.

The Medio Dia

I loved everything about this sandwich: the toasted pineapple "submarino" roll, the gooey melted Swiss cheese covering the slightly sweet Niman Ranch ham, juicy roasted Berkshire pork and crispy pork skin. Habanero mustard and chayote pickle round out the sandwich and give it a nice little kick. Of the Super Pan sandwiches I've tried so far, the Medio Dia is my hands down favorite and the one that I'll order on every return visit.

Because I wasn't sure when I'd be able to visit again, I ordered two more sandwiches "for the road": the BBQ Rib Bolillo and the Coca de Jamón y Queso. The bolillo is quite substantial, loaded (and I mean loaded) with tender adobo beef rib and topped with fresh grated carrot, onions and cilantro. A deliciously sweet and spicy orange chipotle BBQ sauce was served on the side; I was able to add just enough to suit my tastes. Even upon re-heating a few hours later for my evening meal, this sandwich was still fantastic.

The Jamón (with Serrano ham, manchego cheese, arugula, date marcona almond butter and piquillo pepper agridulce) was also quite tasty. However, it ranks third among the sandwiches I've tried so far and I don't see myself ordering it again on a future visit.

Yes, these sandwiches are far from "cheap eats". The least expensive sandwich, the Smoked Tofu Buns (a veggie version of their smoked Pork Belly Buns) comes in at six dollars and their most expensive sandwiches are twelve bucks. However, when you consider the quality of ingredients that go into these sandwiches, you really do get what you pay for. Not only are the ingredients top notch, the folks at Super Pan don't skimp on them either! Speaking for myself, I felt like I got more than my money's worth and will have no problem forking over another eleven bucks for a Medio Dia or twelve for the BBQ bolillo (I'm looking forward to trying those pork belly buns as well). Obviously it's not something I would eat every day or even every other day (for various reasons), but I can see Super Pan becoming my off day "splurge". A Medio Dia washed down with a ice cold bottle of Mexican Coke is my idea of a perfect little lunchtime treat.

My lone complaint: I really wish Super Pan was open for Saturday lunch service. Even though I now work a lot closer to Poncey-Highland, it's still not close enough for me to swing by for an occasional weekday lunch (pouts). But if you're fortunate enough to work close to the neighborhood and haven't made it to Super Pan yet, do give them a try and see what you think.

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop

1057 Blue Ridge Avenue NE (just behind Pura Vida)

Atlanta, GA 30306

(404) 477-0379

http://superpanlatinosandwichshop.com

Open Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 AM-2:30 PM

Taste of Atlanta 2010

2010-10-27T23:46:00.001-04:00

Blessed with a rare Saturday off, I was one of many who flocked to Tech Square for the annual Taste of Atlanta festival this weekend. This was my first time experiencing the food fest since it moved to its current location and I had a great time. I've never been much for huge crowds, but I was able to maneuver through the sea of festival attendees fairly easily.

I decided at the last minute to "splurge" on a VIP ticket. Although I missed out on the VIP swag bags (that's what I get for running late), I did enjoy some of the other perks. Always up for a tasty cocktail, I sampled a mojito made with VeeV Acai Spirit that was absolutely fantastic. Also under the VIP tent was one of my favorite "tastes" at the event: a coconut panna cotta with Malibu rum, mango gelee and caramelized pineapple salsa served by Paces 88 American Bistro (so good that I have to admit to having a second "helping").

I also attended one of the Inside The Food Studio sessions, a new addition to this year's Taste of Atlanta fest. My session (Southern Food Traditions: A New Take On The Old South) featured Chef Marie Nygren of The Farmhouse At Serenbe and Chef Hugh Acheson of Empire State South.

It was a lively discussion and Q&A session in which the chefs offered tips on obtaining the best seasonal produce as well as pointers on cooking light and tasty versions of Southern specialties. We sampled Chef Marie's tasty collards along with the most perfect Italian flat beans with gremolata. I fell in love Chef Acheson's offering: a chiffonade of turnip greens and thinly sliced baby turnips lightly tossed in a wonderful vinaigrette. I had never had turnip greens prepared in that way, and they were so good. My only complaint is that I wish I could have had more of them! I doubt I'll be able to duplicate Chef Acheson's recipe, but I'm going to attempt to make a reasonable facsimile.

After the session, I made my way to the festival main stage to watch top chef Kevin Gillespie's cooking demo. Kevin was the main reason I decided to attend on Saturday, and he did not disappoint. A man after my own heart, Chef Kevin prepared a pork schnitzel dish which involved lots of pork fat and butter. Oh, how I wish I could have been one of the lucky tasters! I must get to Woodfire Grill soon.

I really don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I surprised myself by how many desserts and treats I sampled on Saturday. Among my faves: the red velvet and pumpkin mini cupcakes from Highland Bakery, the ridiculously good Black Bottom Cupcake from West Egg Cafe, and a delicious Brazilian passion fruit mousse from Mina's Emporium. The sweet treat I loved most was the organic pumpkin ice cream from Five Seasons Westside, so refreshing on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Kudos to everyone involved with this year's Taste of Atlanta event. I'm already looking forward to next year!

New Addition: The Foodie Event Calendar

2010-10-21T22:35:00.001-04:00

What's up? I'm finally getting over a pretty bad cold (my explanation for the lack of blog updates lately). I'm ready to see what I can get into this weekend!

I've added something new to the blog. If you look above this post you'll notice an additional tab, the Foodie Event Calendar. Every so often, I like to post about upcoming events in and around the city. Now you can just click on the Foodie Event Calendar tab to find a list of upcoming events along with a description and additional information. To view more information on a specific event, just click the event name in the calendar list for a detailed description. You can also add the events to your own Google calendar by clicking the "copy to calendar" link just below the event description.

I'll try to keep the calendar updated with new events as I learn of them. As always, if you have an upcoming event you'd like me to add to the list, please drop me a line using the contact tab above.

Scenes From Atlanta Greek Festival 2010

2010-10-07T17:38:00.004-04:00


The baklava sundae, one of the popular treats at the Atlanta Greek Festival

We were blessed with picture perfect weather along with some fun "foodie" events around town this past weekend. There was the first ever Battle of the Burgers on Saturday and the Field of Greens festival (a celebration of locally grown organic and sustainable produce) at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm in Walnut Grove (Savory Exposure has some great shots from the event here). Being the cheeseburger fanatic that I am, I had planned to attend Battle of the Burgers but my work schedule forced me to miss out. I'd forgotten that Field of Greens was scheduled for this past Sunday (I hate that I missed it!), but I was not going to let this weekend go by without getting into something. With that in mind, I headed out to attend the final day of the Atlanta Greek Festival.

It was a fun afternoon full of great music, great live entertainment and (of course) great food. I enjoyed hanging out with fellow festival goers at the "sports taverna" set-up, where we were able to catch up with the Falcons and Braves games simultaneously. But let's get back to the grub-I mean, that was the main attraction as far as I'm concerned. A friendly lady at the concession ticket booth urged me to try the Greek potatoes and the lamb sandwich. Since I'd had lamb earlier in the week (more on that in an upcoming post), I decided to pass on the sandwich but I did heed her advice and tried the potatoes: deep fried wedges tossed in lemon juice, herbs and spices and served with tzatziki sauce. I'm glad I listened to her because these were very good! However, by the time I polished them off I was too full to partake in any more festival treats. I wound up taking home the rest of my Greek goodies: souvlaki (juicy grilled marinated pork) and a mezze sampler which included loukaniko (sausage), tiropita (cheese pie), spanakopita (spinach & cheese pie), kalamata olives and feta cheese. I couldn't leave a Greek fest without taking home some sweets, so I picked up baklava and melomacarona (a delicious crumbly spiced cookie soaked in honey syrup).

Melomacarona

All in all, it was a great way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. I don't know why it took me so long to check this festival out, but I'm already looking forward to next year.

Foodie Events: Atlanta Greek Festival, Battle of the Burgers

2010-09-30T18:09:00.012-04:00

It's that time of year again! The annual Atlanta Greek Festival returns this weekend to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Clairmont Rd. Stop by and enjoy plenty of great shopping, entertainment and (of course) great Greek cuisine! Just to show that they've thought of everything, they've even set up a "drive-thru" where you could swing by and grab a plate of moussaka or a sampler of delicious Greek pastries to go. Local Greek chefs will also be on hand performing live cooking demos. The festival begins today and runs through Sunday, so you have plenty of time to sample the best of Greek culture here Atlanta. Adult admission is only $5 per person; children 12 and under only $3. Free parking and shuttle buses will be available at the Century Center office park on Clairmont Rd (just off of I-85). Take advantage of a great deal by pre-purchasing tickets and shave $1 off the admission price. To purchase tickets and for more information, click here to visit the Atlanta Greek Festival official site. I'm looking forward to stopping by this weekend!

Saturday, October 2 (12-4 PM): There's no shortage of great burger joints in this city, but whose burger is the best? This Saturday, 17 Atlanta restaurants will compete for bragging rights in the first ever Battle of the Burgers at John Howell Park in Virginia Highland. The participating restaurants (which include Farm Burger, The Nook and Manuel's Tavern) will all be competing for the title of Best Burger. A select panel (including Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta anchor/foodie Suchita Vadlamani, Chef Hugh Acheson (Five & Ten, Empire State South), The Next Food Network Star finalist Herb Mesa and a certain Krystal lovin' Buddha) will decide the Judge's Choice title while you'll get to decide the People's champ. The cost is $20 per person and includes 20 taste tickets for sampling burger bites, fries or milkshakes. Don't forget your mobile devices 'cause you'll need them to text your choice for Best Burger among the participants. The best part: Battle of the Burgers will benefit Embraced Atlanta, a non-profit organization which collects gently used orthopedic equipment (such as wheelchairs, braces or crutches) to distribute to those in need. To purchase tickets and for all the details regarding what is sure to be a fun event, click here to visit the Battle of the Burgers site.

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese "Sizzling" Crepes with Pork and Shrimp)

2010-09-23T20:02:00.016-04:00

My second attempt. Not perfect but still delicious!

I guess you could say that I've fallen head over heels for Vietnamese cuisine lately. I'm beginning the process of exploring some of the Vietnamese eateries around town and I've recently dabbled in a bit of Vietnamese cooking at home. Here's one of the first dishes I attempted: Bánh Xèo.

These "sizzling" crepes are a popular street food in Vietnam. The crepes are cooked in a wok or large skillet and then filled with slices of pork, shrimp, fresh bean sprouts, and onion. Full disclosure: I have to admit that my first attempt at bánh xeo was a big fat failure. I didn't use the right pan, didn't use enough oil (and it wasn't quite hot enough) and the resulting crepe stuck to the bottom of the pan. My second attempt was a little bit better-far from perfect, but still quite tasty. You can opt to use a packaged bánh xeo mix if you'd like (found at most Asian supermarkets), but I like to make the batter from scratch. Recipe follows next...

Báhn Xèo (serves four)
(adapted from this recipe from Gourmet)

For the crepe batter:

¼ cup dried peeled yellow split mung beans (soak the beans in water for at least 30 minutes before using)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
6 tbsp water
1 cup rice flour (not sweet or glutinous rice flour)
1/2 tsp sugar
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt

Yellow split mung beans

Rice flour (don't use the sweet stuff!)

For the filling:

¼ pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed or skinless fresh pork belly, sliced
¾ pound medium or large shrimp, peeled
2 tbsp fish sauce (see below)
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1 fresh lemongrass stalk, root end trimmed and one or two outer leaves discarded
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
___________

4 teaspoons vegetable oil (for cooking the crepes)
¼ cup chopped green onion
2 cups fresh soybean or mung bean sprouts, trimmed
reserved steamed split yellow mung beans (optional)

Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (see below)

Green leaf lettuce and fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, basil, perilla (you'll find it packaged as tía tô in the fresh herb section of Super H Mart) for "wrapping".

Before going further with the Bánh Xèo recipe, a word about nuoc cham (or nuoc mam cham). You'll come across plenty of recipes on the web for this Vietnamese staple but the ingredients are basically the same: fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar and fresh chillies. Personally, I like author Andrea Nguyen's (Into the Vietnamese Kitchen) method for making nuoc cham. You can find her recipe here at her blog Viet World Kitchen. I love her blog-it's a great resource for recipes and information on Vietnamese and Asian cooking. She also has a handy fish sauce buying guide here, where she advises on how to choose the right sauce for preparing Vietnamese dishes. My preferred fish sauce is Three Crabs brand (you can occasionally find it on sale at Super H Mart for about $3 a bottle). Whatever brand you choose, be sure to use a Vietnamese fish sauce (look for nuoc mam on the label).

Preparing the crepe batter:

Drain the pre-soaked mung beans in a sieve and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Transfer beans to a blender along with 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk and 6 tbsp of water. Puree mung beans, coconut milk and water. Add rice flour, sugar, turmeric and salt to the mixture and puree until smooth. Set aside.

For the filling, cut pork or pork belly slices into 2-inch strips. In a bowl, stir together the pork, shrimp, fish sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.

Mince enough of the lower portion of lemongrass for two tablespoons.

Heat oil in a wok or 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir fry onion, lemongrass and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add pork and shrimp and stir fry just until shrimp turns pink (about 3 minutes). You don't want to cook the pork and shrimp completely-they'll finish cooking in the crepe. Transfer the filling to a bowl, then clean skillet in preparation for making the "sizzling" crepes.

Preparing the crepes:

Heat two teaspoons of oil in the nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Give the batter a quick stir before pouring 1/2 cup into the skillet. Quickly rotate the skillet so that the bottom of the pan is covered. Sprinkle 1/4 of the fresh bean sprouts over half of the crepe (as if you were making an omelette), then spoon 1/4 of the filling evenly over the sprouts. Sprinkle 1/4 of the green onions over the top. You could also sprinkle some steamed yellow split mung beans over the top, but this is completely optional (I chose not to). Reduce heat to moderately low, cover skillet and cook for about three minutes (or until edge of crepe begins to pull away from the sides of skillet). Reduce heat to low and finish cooking the crepe (uncovered) for an additional 2-3 minutes or until underside and edges of crepe are crisp and golden. Fold the other half of the crepe over and carefully transfer to a large rack or large baking pan. The crepes can be kept warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.

Eating bánh xèo:

Cut a portion of the bánh xèo, then wrap in a lettuce leaf along with the fresh herbs. Dip the "lettuce wrap" in nuoc cham and enjoy!

Quick Bites: What The Pho?

2010-09-14T22:19:00.002-04:00

For the life of me, I don't know why it took me so long to check out What The Pho? in Duluth. I have driven past this restaurant on Pleasant Hill too many times to count, but it wasn't until recently that I stopped by for a first visit. I wouldn't normally order a steaming bowl of Vietnamese beef noodle soup during the dog days of summer, but on this visit I decided to order a small bowl to sample. If this is considered "small", the "large" bowl must be humongous! Needless to say I wasn't able to finish the entire bowl, but I certainly enjoyed what I had. The broth was rich, tasty and satisfying. Now that I know what to expect in terms of portion size, I can see myself ordering just a small bowl of pho and making a meal out of it on a future winter evening.

I loved my Cha Gio (egg rolls): perfectly crispy, not greasy and very delicious. They were so good that I almost bought an extra order "for the road", but I didn't want to be greedy.

Heeding Chloe's (Chow Down Atlanta) recommendation, I ordered the crispy noodles and was not disappointed. This was so good: delicious stir-fried meats and veggies on a bed of fried egg noodles. I'm looking forward to making a return visit to What The Pho? to sample some of the other dishes on their menu. Great food, prompt service, and very affordable-no complaints here!

What The Pho?
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd Suite #3A
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 814-9396

Foodie Events: Midtown Restaurant Week & More...

2010-09-04T09:00:00.012-04:00

The Labor Day weekend is upon us, and there's no shortage of places to go and good food to eat! Here are some of the events on tap for the week of Sept 4-12, 2010. I think I'll probably stop by the Carribean Jerk Festival this Sunday-what will you be getting into this weekend? Whatever you decide, have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!

Midtown Restaurant Week (Sept 4-12): Starting this Saturday, the 5th annual event is your chance to sample some of the city's best restaurants at a great price. Participating restaurants will offer a three course menu for only $25. 4th & Swift, Pacci Ristorante, One Midtown Kitchen and Spice Market are just a few of the restaurants taking part. For a complete list of participating restaurants and for more information, click here to visit the official site.
Street Food Soiree (Sept. 9): The Atlanta Street Food Coalition (the folks behind the monthly Urban Picnic events) presents a Street Food Soiree next Thursday from 5-9 PM at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. If you're like me and have been unable to attend their monthly lunchtime events, here's your chance to sample goodies from popular street food vendors such as Yumbii and The Good Food Truck. Free parking will be available under the I-85 bridge.
Hands On Creative Sushi Workshop with Chinese Southern Belle (Sept. 9): Join CSB's Natalie Keng as she presents a Creative Sushi Workshop next Thursday from 7-9 PM at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. She'll give you tips on making sushi rice, rolls and the proper cookware needed to prepare your own sushi creations. The cost is only $15 and upon completion of the workshop you'll receive a BHFM gift card! Natalie's classes fill up quickly so register now by contacting Bill at the BHFM by phone (678)873-7447 or click here to register via email. For a complete rundown of Chinese Southern Belle's upcoming workshops and events, visit their site at http://www.chinesesouthernbelle.com/
Low Country Boil (Sept. 11): The folks at Black Tie Barbecue are having an end of the summer Low Country Boil next Saturday between 7-10 PM. Join them as they serve up a big spread of tasty jumbo shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and corn. The cost is $35 and includes alcoholic beverages. Much like their "secret suppers", the location will be revealed to attendees prior to the event. Tickets on sale now-buy yours before the event sells out! Purchase Tickets

Strawberry Lime & Basil Sorbet

2010-08-31T19:43:00.004-04:00

Not long ago, I posted a little recap of The Broke Socialite's Graze tour and raved about a refreshing strawberry cocktail served up at our last stop, Noon Midtown. I managed to get the "recipe" from Reggie the mixologist, but because I'm old I don't remember everything he put in the cocktail. What I do remember is strawberry, rum(?), lime, lemon and a basil simple syrup. This is my attempt to recreate it in (non-alcoholic) sorbet form. Since I gave my ice cream maker away, I had to use the old "stainless steel pan in the freezer" method which worked pretty well. I also used agave nectar as a sweetener. Recipe follows next...

Strawberry Lime Basil Sorbet

For the basil syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup light agave nectar
1/4 cup chopped basil
The juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 lb fresh (or frozen) strawberries

In a saucepan, combine water, lemon juice, lime juice, agave syrup and basil. Stir over a low heat until agave nectar dissolves (about 1-2 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for a bit, then place in the refridgerator to chill and allow basil to steep (about 1 hour). After an hour, strain the mixture and set aside.

In the meantime, puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Strain the pureed strawberries before combining with the basil/lime syrup.

If you have a ice cream maker, follow the normal procedure. If you don't have one (like yours truly), pour the stawberry mixture into a stainless steel pan and freeze for three to four hours. Remove pan from freezer and allow to partially thaw at room temperature. Give the partially thawed sorbet another whirl in the blender to break up any large ice crystals. Transfer the sorbet to a container and allow to freeze again for at least three hours (stirring the sorbet at half-hour intervals). Enjoy!

Foodie Events: Celebrating Ice Cream and Carribean Jerk, plus The Atlanta Food Rave

2010-08-23T14:49:00.005-04:00

Chef Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante, one of the featured chefs at The Atlanta Food Rave

Here are a few upcoming food events you may want to add to your calendar!

Friday, August 27, 2010 The Atlanta Food Rave, a fun evening featuring delicous food samples from some of Atlanta's hottest chefs. Cocktails will be served at a premium open bar featuring Three Olives Vodka, Leblon Chachaca, Tapena Spanish Wines, and live entertainment will round out the evening. The featured chefs for the evening are Chef Keira Moritz (Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge), Chef Lance Gummere (The Shed at Glenwood), Chef Alex Friedman (P'cheen International Bistro & Pub), Chef Delroy Bowen (GA International Convention Center) and Chef LaToya Starks (Norrish Personal Chef and Catering Services). Not only will you get to sample each featured chef's tasty offerings, you will also be judging as they compete to win the title of best chef of the evening, The Rave Review. The event will be held this Friday from 7-11 PM at the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery in Midtown. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit The Atlanta Community Food Bank. Tickets are $55 per person, but quantities are limited and they will not be sold at the door. Purchase your tickets now before the event sells out! For more information, visit http://www.atlantafoodrave.com/. Purchase Tickets
Saturday, August 28, 2010 Here's a fun way to beat the heat this weekend: The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival, coming to Piedmont Park this Saturday from 1-7 PM. The event will feature live music, multiple vendors serving up delicious ice cream, food and beverages, and a Kids Zone with fun activities for the young ones. Leaving no stone unturned, the festival also will feature health and fitness activies (no doubt to burn off all the ice cream and treats you'll consume). For more information, visit the event site at http://www.atlantaicecreamfestival.com/.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 The first ever Morningside Summer Block Party happens this Saturday between 12:30-9PM in the parking lot between DBA Barbecue and The Original El Taco (1190 N. Highland Avenue at Amsterdam Ave). DBA, Vali Thai and El Taco will be serving up food, Abita beer and cocktails for purchase. There will also be a designated kids area for the young ones, and live music all day Advance tickets are only $5 ($10 at the door) and kids 14 and under are admitted free. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Firehouse #19 in Virginia-Highland. Purchase Tickets
Sunday, September 5, 2010 Ohh...I think I'll be including this in my Labor Day weekend plans-The 5th annual Atlanta Carribean Jerk Festival at Panthersville Stadium in Decatur from 12 PM-11 PM. Live reggae, soca and calypso music, a jerk cook-off to crown Atlanta's next Top Jerk Chef, plus a new addition for this year's festival-a celebrity jerk cook-off! There will be tons of family friendly activities and of course plenty of delicious Carribean fare-everything from curried goat to roti! The event will also feauture a variety of fruit and craft vendors. I love Carribean cuisine, so this event is right up my alley! Admission to the event is only $10, and kids under 12 get in free. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Atlanta/Montego Bay Sister Cities Foundation and other charities. Free parking will be available at the event. For more information, visit the event site at http://www.atlantajerkfestival.com/

Bits And Pieces And Odds And Ends...

2010-08-17T22:51:00.002-04:00

This is a sort of long overdue "catch all" post. The job that barely pays the bills has been kickin' my butt lately, so I haven't been devoting as much time to blogging as I would like. I definitely haven't been devoting as much time to cooking as I would like, but I plan to remedy that now that I have my first Saturday off in weeks! I did have a couple of fun "foodie" outings before I was knee-deep in mandatory overtime, so I thought I'd do a bit of a "rewind".

Let's "rewind" back to late June, when I finally had the opportunity to attend one of The Broke Socialite's popular foodie events. The overwhelming success of her Sugar Coma tours spawned two offshoots, Freeze (a tour of ice cream, froyo and other frozen treats) and Graze (a tour featuring small bites). I opted for the Graze tour. While I do love a good cupcake or two, the whole idea of Graze was more my speed.

The Graze tour was loads of fun. We were chauffeured to each tour stop in nice rides provided by Zipcar. The car I was riding in was chauffeured by none other than the hubby of our tour hostess, Mr. TBS himself (who was fantastic-great guy)! I also had the pleasure of hangin' with "Auntie" TBS for most of the tour. Our first stop was the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, where we visited Grindhouse Killer Burgers and sampled a variety of tasty sliders and chocolate peanut butter shakes.

We also visited a new little Italian restaurant in the market that's right around the corner from Grindhouse, Ciao Bocca. Ciao Bocca set out a great spread of light, delicious Italian fare (including a delicious hearts of palm salad that was to die for).

Next we visited Woody's Cheesesteaks, Sheik Burritos and Kabobs, the beautiful Mansion on Peachtree and Noon Midtown. At Noon, Reggie the mixologist whipped up the most delicious strawberry, basil, lemon and lime cocktail-so good that I was thinking about it days later. I haven't had a chance to yet, but I plan to attempt a reasonable facsimile at home.

There were a couple of faves on the tour that I plan to pay a second visit to, but I'll keep those under wraps for now and will have more to add in a future post. If you haven't done so before, I highly recommend that you take part in one of The Broke Socialite's future tours. It's definitely a fun way to spend a Saturday morning or afternoon. Check out her page here for upcoming events.

In late July, I had the pleasure of attending an "Eat Up" organized by one of my favorite local food bloggers Eat Buford Highway. On this occasion we visited La Casona, a Colombian restaurant just off of Buford Hwy near I-285 in Doraville. I finally had a chance to meet another blogger fave (Food Near Snellville) and it was also great to meet up with Emily from Ultra Foodie and the Poodle Revolution again. The food was quite good, the prices very reasonable, and the portions were humongous!

The Bandeja Paisa @ La Casona

I didn't think I could handle the Bandeja Paisa so I decided on a steak dish with creole sauce thinking that the portion wouldn't be so massive. Wrong! One thing is for sure, you won't leave hungry after a visit to La Casona.

It's always fun to share a meal and chat with fellow "foodies". Due to my work schedule it's something that I don't do as often as I would like, but I'm hoping that will be changing in the not too distant future. Fingers (and toes) crossed!

Here's a slideshow of pics from The Broke Socialite's Graze Tour:

MasterChef Goes Stateside

2010-07-25T15:54:00.004-04:00

MasterChef makes its FOX debut this Tuesday night and I have to admit that I'm actually looking forward to it.

Co-produced and hosted by chef and FOX staple Gordon Ramsay, U.S. MasterChef will be based on the popular Australian version of the culinary competition series. The basic setup: 50 amateur cooks (selected following a nationwide casting call) compete in various challenges week to week until a new "MasterChef" is crowned. Gordon will be joined on the judging panel by restaurateur/winemaker Joe Bastianich and Chicago chef/restaurateur Graham Elliot Bowles (who competed in both seasons of Top Chef Masters).

Now, I haven't been that crazy about the Foxification of Ramsay's other shows (Kitchen Nightmares comes to mind, and I thought that Cookalong special was lame), but I'm feeling a bit optimistic about U.S. MasterChef (call me crazy). While I've watched some of the UK variations of MasterChef (I'm a fan of The Professionals series and was pleasantly surprised by what I've seen of the Celebrity version), I've never watched the Aussie version which Fox's show will be based on. I'll be tuning in on Tuesday night-don't disappoint me Fox. MasterChef premieres Tuesday July 27 at 9 PM EDT on FOX.

A preview clip from FOX TV:

Quick Bites: Quinoa Tabouli

2010-07-01T22:11:00.016-04:00

Needing a quick, light veggie dish that I could throw together after a long workday, I made this easy tabouli recipe using quinoa instead of bulghur. Refreshing and full of flavor, this gluten-free version tastes even better the following day. I didn't use quite as much parsley as most recipes call for, but that's just my personal preference.

Quinoa Tabouli
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced (about 2 small or 1 ½ medium)
½ large red onion, diced (about ½ cup)
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup diced roasted red pepper (optional)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a large heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of vegetable stock. I like to "toast" my quinoa first by adding it to a medium-hot pan with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Stir the quinoa to coat in the olive oil and cook just until light brown before adding the veggie stock. Bring quinoa/stock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes (or until quinoa has fluffed up and all the stock has been absorbed). Set aside (while the quinoa cooks, dice the veggies and chop your herbs).

In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and stir in the veggies and herbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Pour dressing over quinoa/veggie/herb mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning before serving. I prefer to allow the tabouli to chill in the fridge overnight before serving the next day.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta With Amaretto Cherry Compote

2010-06-20T16:37:00.002-04:00

One of the things I love about summer is cherry season. I get downright giddy when the Rainier variety start showing up in supermarkets! Here's what I made with part of my cherry stash (managed to pick up a couple of pounds on sale). It had been a while since I'd made panna cotta for dessert, so I decided to try this easy recipe from Food & Wine's website. I love the creamy consistency, plus you don't have to fuss around with unmolding them. My grandmother (who'd never even heard of panna cotta, much less tried the dessert) gave them her stamp of approval, so that's good enough for me! I made a simple amaretto-flavored cherry compote to spoon over the panna cotta. Recipes to follow next...

Amaretto Cherry Compote

1 cup cherry juice

1 tsp lemon juice

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp of amaretto liqueur (or 1/2 tsp of almond extract)

1 ½ pounds fresh cherries, pitted & halved (or 20 ounces of frozen cherries)

2 tsp corn starch

In a heavy saucepan, bring cherry juice to a simmer. Add cherries, sugar and lemon juice and simmer until cherries soften. Make a "slurry" by blending the corn starch with the amaretto liqueur. Slowly stir the amaretto/corn starch mixture into the cherry mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Allow mixture to cool a bit before transferring to a container. Cover and chill in the refridgerator until cold.

And now for the panna cotta...

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta (serves four)

(a scaled down version of this recipe by E. Michael Reidt at Food & Wine.com)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

¼ cup sugar

½ of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped (if you don't have a vanilla bean, you can substitute 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp water

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring mixture just to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and allow cream to steep for about 15 minutes.

While the vanilla cream mixture steeps, sprinkle one teaspoon of unflavored gelatin over a small bowl containing two tablespoons of water. Let stand until evenly moistened (five minutes).

Uncover the vanilla cream mixture and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, add geletin and stir until dissolved. Remove vanilla bean and pour cream mixture into 4 four ounce ramekins and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for about three hours until the panna cotta is set. No need to unmold-just spoon a bit of the cherry compote over the panna cotta before serving.

Foodie Events: Meet Chef Marcus Samuelsson @ Macy's North Point Mall This Thursday

2010-06-13T22:33:00.005-04:00

The latest winner of Bravo's Top Chef Masters will be making an appearance in the Atlanta area this Thursday, June 17th at 6:30 PM. Award winning chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson will be presenting a free cooking demo at Macy's North Point Mall (Alpharetta) location as part of Macy's Culinary Council The cooking demo will be based on recipes from his most recent cookbook New American Table, which explores regional dishes and the cultural influences and traditions that have inspired American cuisine. After the demonstration, Marcus will meet fans and sign copies of New American Table (which will be available for purchase). Seating is limited so call 1-888-MacysNY (1-888-622-9769) to reserve your spot at this special free event.
www.chefmarcussamuelsson.com
Macy's Culinary Council

My Thursday Night Veggie Meal: Sweet Potato & Plantain Curry

2010-06-12T12:24:00.004-04:00

As I've may have mentioned in a previous post, I decided to go "meatless" for most of the month of May. Even though I'm back to my usual omnivorous ways, I am trying to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals into my diet. Here's a recipe that I plan to keep in my back pocket when I want to whip up a quick meal after a long work day. I'd originally planned to make a simple sweet potato curry, but I decided to add some nearly ripe plantains as well ('cause I love em). This is a tasty and satisfying veggie meal that even a "meat and potatoes" gal like me can enjoy! I tweaked the originial recipe a little because it was a bit too "mild" for my liking. If you're like me and enjoy curries with more of a kick, you might want to add some chopped chilies or a bit of cayenne pepper. Recipe follows next...

Sweet Potato & Plantain Curry
(adapted from this recipe from BBC Good Food.com-serves four)

3 tsp mild curry paste
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 ripe plantain, diced
1 can coconut milk
3 tbsp red split lentils
1 ¼ cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
Juice of one lime (optional)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

In a large frying pan, saute the diced plantain in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil until golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the curry paste to the pan and fry for one minute. Stir in cubed sweet potatoes, lentils and plantain to coat in curry paste. Pour in vegetable stock and coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil then allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in one cup of frozen green peas, bring to a boil and then simmer for an additional 4-5 minutes. If desired, add the juice of one lime. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Quick Bites: Mr. Taco (Roswell)

2010-06-06T16:59:00.003-04:00

I have a certain favorite taqueria in SoCal where I had some of the best tacos I've ever eaten. I've been to a few places here in Metro Atlanta, but so far Mr. Taco is the only place that comes pretty close to what I had in Cali. I'm talking specifically about their "Mexican" tacos (two mini corn tortillas, meat, onion and cilantro). My faves are the chorizo, pastor and carne asada (pictured below). I'm a big fan of their salsa & condiment bar-I always go for the "guacamole" salsa whenever I visit.

Sadly, the torta I tried on a past visit was a major disappointment. It was quite pitiful actually, with mushy tomatoes, mushy avocado and a sad little piece of cheese. I'm willing to give 'em another try-maybe it was just an "off" day for tortas when I visited. That said, Mr. Taco is still my "go-to" spot on the Northside for fresh, delicious tacos. They have an expansive menu of authentic Mexican specialties as well as "Americanized" fare.

Mr. Taco

893 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Suite 200

Roswell, GA 30076

(770) 993-4505

www.mrtacoatlanta.com

(near intersection of Holcomb Bridge & Warsaw Rd, behind CVS Pharmacy)

A Black Tie Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

This past Wednesday I finally had the opportunity to experience a Black Tie Barbecue Secret Supper, this time in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. A little background on Black Tie: this local full service catering company is the realization of the dreams of two couples (Spencer & Allison Humphrey, Neil and LaToyin Rollins) with a love of cooking and entertaining. After experiencing job layoffs in 2009, both families made the decision to join forces and pursue their passion. Black Tie is quickly becoming an Atlanta success story and their Secret Suppers (which they hold periodically) have become quite popular. I had the pleasure of meeting both couples a few months ago while attending a food and wine "conclave" at Montaluce Winery & Estates-great people!

The location for this Cinco de Mayo themed secret supper was Relics & Rarities, an ice cream parlor/vintage car & memorabilia gallery in downtown Decatur. When I arrived, I ran into Patti Davis (a great lady and blogmistress at Anatomy of a Dinner Party) and her husband. I'd met Patti a few months prior when she hosted a macaron workshop (taught by Helen of Tartelette) in her home. We were a little bit early, so we decided to take time to look around and check out some of the restored classic cars.

The whole evening was a lot of fun. There was music, games and even a bit of comic relief. Mingling was strongly encouraged-I had the chance to meet a few new folks as well as chat with a few familiar faces who were in attendance. The dinner menu included a nice spread of grilled shrimp, pulled pork and marinated skirt steak tacos (plus a vegetarian station featuring black bean quesadillas).

Sides included some delicious grilled corn on the cob (rubbed with an herbed butter and cheese), black beans and bbq chicken nachos. Oh those nachos...I'm still daydreaming about them. I have been doing the meatless thing for the past few weeks so I didn't partake of the tacos (although I really wanted to), but I have to confess that I had a weak moment and ate a few bits of the chicken in the nachos. If the little bits I had are any indication, let's just say that I can't wait to try more of Black Tie's barbecue once my "meatless" month is over (May 21st, not that I'm counting down or anything). Everything was delicious, right down to the margaritas (my compliments to the folks behind the bar).

If you haven't attended a Black Tie Secret Supper, you should try one in the future. You'll be in for a fun evening of socializing and great food. I spoke to quite a few people on Wednesday night that have attended multiple secret suppers and keep coming back because they love the food, the service and the atmosphere. I know I'm already looking forward to the next one! Check out their website and join their mailing list to be informed of future Secret Supper events. You'll also find more information on their catering services and menus (while it's their specialty, you'll find that they aren't just about the BBQ).

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, this particular secret supper was much less formal than usual-please check out my friend Patti's writeup of a previous Black Tie Secret Supper here at her blog Anatomy of a Dinner Party. It was a real swanky affair!

Black Tie Barbecue
(404) 840-9246
www.black-tie-barbecue.com
info@black-tie-barbecue.com

Quick Bites: The Flying Biscuit Cafe (Norcross)

2010-05-08T17:44:00.000-04:00

After an early workday last weekend, I decided to pay my first visit to The Flying Biscuit Cafe to sample their breakfast fare. The popular chain has several Atlanta area locations (I visited the one on Peachtree Parkway). This place stays packed on weekend mornings and last Saturday was no exception. Since I was dining solo, I was able to be seated immediately at the bar. One of the reasons I wanted to stop by is their wide selection of vegetarian menu items (I'm going meatless for the time being but still eating eggs and dairy). I opted for the Hollywood, an egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach and white cheddar cheese topped with a chunky tomato sauce.

I wish I could rave about it, but unfortunately I found the Hollywood to be a bit bland. Not that I always expect a great deal of excitement when eating an egg white omelette, but I've had (and made) better. However, I fell in love with their signature biscuits. These were among the best I've had anywhere: light, airy and delicious with their cranberry-apple butter. I also enjoyed their popular fried green tomato appetizer. I love the combination of the creamy goat cheese and tart green tomatoes. The sweet cashew-jalapeno relish adds a nice little kick-great stuff.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe
5270 Peachtree Parkway #120
Norcross, GA 30092
(770) 407-5885
www.theflyingbiscuit.com

Foodie Events: April 30-May 7

2010-04-29T23:53:00.002-04:00

The Urban Picnic returns to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market tomorrow April 30 between 11 AM and 2 PM. Presented by the Atlanta Street Food Coalition, the event brings together over a dozen aspiring street food vendors offering delicious treats for you to sample during the lunch hour. Artichoke Bliss, Good Food Truck, Hankook Taqueria, Souper Jenny and Black Tie Barbecue are just a few of the vendors who'll be on hand for The Urban Picnic. If you're looking for some great street grub and happen to be near the area, why not swing by on your lunch break? This is one of those instances when I really wish I worked intown! For more details and a list of the participating vendors, click here to visit The Urban Picnic's Facebook page.

Speaking of Black Tie Barbecue, they're back with another edition of their Secret Supper in celebration of Cinco De Mayo. Why go to some lame bar for tired Tex-Mex and tortilla chips when you can celebrate in style with a delicious multicourse meal complete with margaritas and cerveza! I've heard nothing but raves about Black Tie's Secret Supper events-everything is top notch and you are sure to be treated to a fantastic evening. The event will be held next Wednesday from 6-10PM: all of the other deets will be revealed a couple of days prior to the event. Tickets are available at $36 per person, but you'll want to purchase yours ASAP because their Secret Supper events usually sell out quickly. I purchased my ticket this evening; I'm really looking forward to finally being able to attend one of these! To purchase your tickets and for more info on Black Tie Barbecue, click here.

The folks from Food Network will be in town this weekend to hold a casting call for the upcoming second season of Worst Cooks In America. The casting call will be held this Saturday, May 1 from 10 AM-3 PM at the W Atlanta-Midtown. They are in search of candidates who are genuine disasters in the kitchen and are willing to go through a "culinary boot camp" to improve their cooking skills. If you know of someone who fits the bill and would be interested in participating, email the casting team at worstcooksatlanta@gmail.com. In the email, explain why you (or your nominee) is the most pitiful home cook in the country and should be selected for the new season. In your email, include the nominee's name, age, occupation, hometown, contact number and a recent photo of the potential candidate. For additional information, visit their website at www.worstcookscasting.com

Back in the saddle again...

2010-04-25T23:18:00.001-04:00

***blows the dust and cobwebs off blog***

It has been a minute since I last blogged (ok, more like a month or so), but I thought it was about time to get back into the swing of things again. I can't believe I managed to abstain from Twitter for a whole month!

Anyhoo...things have settled down for me so I now have more time to blog and to get back into doing what I love. There are so many new (to me) eating spots that I still haven't had the chance to check out, and I've been looking forward to getting back in the kitchen to try new recipes and dishes. What's new with me these days? Well, today was my first day of "going veggie"-more on that in my next blog. It's not a permanent change; I love meat too much to give it up completely. By the way, if any of you out there have some good vegetarian or vegan recipes that you wouldn't mind sharing, please drop me an email-I'd appreciate it!

Feels good to be back. :)

My apologies...

2010-03-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

My apologies for the lack of blog updates lately. Life has thrown me for a bit of a loop, so I have been taking time to sort things out. However, I will be back in the saddle shortly and should have some new posts up very soon. :)

Snow Day @ Maison Robert

2010-02-17T20:48:00.012-05:00

What is that phrase, the best laid plans often go astray? Well, something like that. It was my first "free" Saturday morning in a while, so I'd planned to check out a couple of new (to me) spots that I've been wanting to try. However, thanks to the Great Atlanta Snowstorm of 2010, those planned had to be scrapped. Just as I was planning to whip up a little somethin' at home, I get a tweet from Maison Robert Fine Chocolates:

Snow, schmo! We are open!

Say no more! I had been wanting to stop by ever since viewing Broderick (Savory Exposure) & Chloe's (Chow Down Atlanta) food porn-tastic photos. It was Valentine's Day weekend, why not splurge on some sweet treats?

As you would expect, the small shop space was packed with customers picking up their Valentine's Day goodies.

Talk about sensory overload! Everywhere you turned there were chocolates, pastries and loads of other tempting sweet treats. I found myself overwhelmed for a brief moment. What do I want?! So many goodies to choose from...how do I narrow it down?

For my "sweet treat" splurge, I finally settled on a black cherry frangipane, a lemon tartelette, and a 1/2 dozen macarons (3 pistachio and 3 grapefruit).

Maison Robert's macarons were recommended by Sean (Take Thou Food), and they did not disappoint! I'm partial to the pistachio variety, but the grapefruit flavored macarons were delicious as well.

I also enjoyed the Black Cherry Frangipane. I liked the fact that the almond custard wasn't too sweet (especially after the sugar rush you'll get from eating a macaron or two). I've always been a fan of black cherries, so this confection was right up my alley!

This adorable little lemon tartelette was as tasty as it looks. I wish I'd bought two, but I didn't want to be too greedy!

Since I hadn't eaten any breakfast, I decided to grab a sandwich for the road. I opted for roast beef & swiss on a croissant, dressed with lettuce, tomato and mustard.

Oh my. Don't you just love how sometimes the simplest things can be so good? A buttery, flaky croissant, crisp fresh veggies, roast beef with a bit of shredded swiss=love. Obviously, this isn't something I'd eat every day, but it's a great little indulgence.

I'm looking forward to making a return trip to Maison Robert. There are so many other treats I'd like to try, and I haven't even sampled the truffles yet!

Maison Robert Fine Chocolates

5256 Peachtree Rd, Suite 110

Atlanta, GA 30341

(770) 454-6442

(800) 782-3249

http://www.%20maisonrobertchocolates.com/

STIR IT 28: Food Bloggers Align For Haiti Relief On February 21

2010-02-11T06:11:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to help spread the word on a great charity event coming later this month!

Bloggers Bren Herrera (Flanboyant Eats), Courtney Nzeribe (Coco Cooks) and Chrystal Baker (The Duo Dishes) have joined forces to organize STIR IT 28: Food Bloggers Align For Haiti Relief. The multi-city culinary event will be held on Sunday, February 21 in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. All proceeds from STIR IT 28 will go to Yéle Haiti and Share Our Strength . This event is part of a month-long initiative to raise funds for the nation as it recovers from the devastating earthquake which struck last month. The ladies are looking for food bloggers, home cooks, chefs and restaurants (28 per city) who are willing to donate 2-3 dishes that will feed 15-20 people each. It's not too late for you to contribute your culinary creations to the cause! If you like to contribute dishes or volunteer at the Atlanta event, click here to contact Bren. Here are the folks who are already on board for STIR IT 28 Atlanta:

Chef Scott Serpas of Serpas True Food
Chef Dwayne Hairston of Custom Creations
Personal Chef Jayda Atkinson-Cabbell of Divva Dishes
Mr Orph's Kitchen (food blog)
The Bread Experience
Lovely & Delicious Brands
SPACE Atlanta
Kheesekakes By Kelli
Maru Sushi
Chef April Higdon of Bistro In A Box
EtChane Williams-Towers (culinary student)
Valerie Templier (a home cook from Haiti)
Montaluce Winery & Estates
Baker/Blogger Christina Aparnte from Mele Cotte
Cecille Ericta (food blogger @ A Dose Of Frosting)
STIR IT 28 Atlanta event hostess Bren Herrera from Flanboyant Eats

**Just added: A special raffle hour. Raffle items include a delicious personal chef dinner catered by Bren, C.B. Herrera jewelry, 3-piece custom candles, and special packages of "Stir It Up" gourmet coffee beans (courtesy of Marley Coffee).

Advance tickets to the Atlanta STIR IT 28 event are now on sale at a cost of $30 per person (a very limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $40). There'll be a variety of scrumptious dishes to enjoy, complimentary wine courtesy of Montaluce Winery, two (cash) bars, and entertainment provided by DJ Rev Lee. There will also be a special performance by a popular Atlanta-based artist (it's a surprise)! The STIR IT 28 event promises to be a great evening of food and fun for a worthy cause. To purchase your ticket(s), please click here to visit Bren's site and click on the STIR IT 28 logo on the right side of the page. When you purchase, be sure to indicate that you are attending the Atlanta event. If you would like to make a monetary donation towards STIR IT 28, please follow the same link. Again, all funds raised will go directly to Share Our Strength and Yéle Haiti.

Even if you are unable to attend the event on the 21st, there are still other ways you can help. Please visit Bren's STIR IT 28 Page for all the details.

STIR IT 28 on Facebook

SPACE Atlanta
1310 White Street
Atlanta, GA 30310
(404) 756-9494
website

Game Day (Or Any Day) Munchies: Zesty Ancho Chile Glazed Wings

2010-02-07T15:44:00.012-05:00

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and by now you probably have all of your game day munchies prepared and ready to go. I thought I'd share a recipe that you might want to stick in you back pocket for future game day celebrations (March Madness is just around the corner) or just for general everyday snacking. I came up with this a while back, just messing around and trying to come up with an alternative to generic run-of-the-mill buffalo wings. These wings are coated liberally with lemon pepper and ancho chile powder (I love this stuff), baked until skin is golden brown and crisp, then brushed with a sweet, spicy glaze. I think these wings have a bit of a kick to them, but feel free to add a thai chile to the glaze if you require a little more heat.

Zesty Ancho Chile Glazed Wings

2 lbs wing pieces

Ancho chile powder

Lemon pepper seasoning

For the glaze:

1/2 cup Dale's reduced sodium steak seasoning (if not available, you can use 1/2 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce)

1 tsp chili oil

1 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp light brown sugar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

the juice of one lime

Place chicken wing pieces in a large bowl and coat liberally with lemon pepper and ancho chile powder. Seasoned wings can be refridgerated overnight or used same day (set aside for at least two hours in the fridge before baking).

This is a small batch, just for illustrative purposes

Preheat oven to 475°F.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat just until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, transfer glaze to a bowl and set aside.

This is about the right consistency...

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (you can skip this step if you'd like, but I like to do this for easy cleanup) and spray with a non-stick cooking spray (to prevent the wing pieces from sticking). Place wing pieces onto baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of vegetable oil (or your favorite neutral-flavored cooking oil) onto each wing piece. Bake in a 475°F oven for about 45 minutes (or until the skin is golden and crispy). About five minutes before removing wings from oven, brush them with the prepared glaze and return to the oven.

After removing from oven, turn wing pieces over and brush with additional glaze so that both sides are coated. Let stand for about a minute or two before serving.

Scenes From A Wine Conclave @ Montaluce Winery & Estates

2010-02-05T21:56:00.009-05:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to join other local food & wine bloggers at a wine "conclave" hosted by Montaluce Winery & Estates in Dahlonega. Now, full disclosure: when it comes to wine, I am a complete and utter dummy. Part of the reason I wanted to take part is to learn a little bit more about wine and rub elbows with folks who are much more knowledgeable about the subject.

Montaluce owners Brent & Rob Beecham put together a great day for us. Unfortunately I arrived a bit late and missed the winery tour, but I arrived just in time for lunch. A complimentary five course tasting menu (complete with wine pairings) was provided for us by Steven Hartman, executive chef of Montaluce's Le Vigne Restaurant. While we dined, vineyard manager Oliver Asberger shared additional information on the wine pairings.

Everything was delicious, but my personal faves were the (locally sourced) smoked steelhead trout with meyer lemon, shaved fennel, boiled peanuts, and a sweet tea froth (paired with 2008 Montaluce risata) and a buttemilk cup custard dessert creation (paired with a 2008 Montaluce viognier).

We were also treated to a kitchen demo, where Chef Hartman showed us how he prepared our first course, a chicken liver mousse with house made pickled vegetables and lavosh. Following the demo, even more wine tasting!

In spite of the inclement weather, the "conclave" was a wonderful afternoon of socializing, fantastic food/wine, discussion and a bit of education for a wine novice like me. It was so great to finally meet some of the other food/wine bloggers and "tweeps" that I've been following for a while. Many thanks to Rob, Brent, Oliver, Steven and everyone at Montaluce for their hospitality. I'm looking forward to making a another day trip back to the winery & restaurant. If you've never made the trip up to Montaluce, it's definitely worth making the easy drive up GA 400!

Montaluce Winery & Estates

501 Hightower Church Road

Dahlonega, GA 30533

website

Quick Bites: New Orleans Seafood

2010-02-02T18:03:00.002-05:00

I recently paid a visit to New Orleans Seafood, a fairly new seafood and po' boy sandwich shop in Duluth. This shop piqued my interest early on (it caught my eye during my frequent trips up and down Pleasant Hill Road), but it was through Chow Down Atlanta's post that I found out that the place had finally opened up. Always down for a po' boy (I lurve them so), I popped in to give them a try. A Louisiana native (who I chatted with while waiting for my order) put in a good word for their grub so that's always a good sign.

The po' boys are reasonably priced (if I remember correctly, the most expensive sandwich will run you about six bucks) and include one side item. I decided to go with an oyster po' boy and a side of hush puppies. I loved the little hush puppies (which I gobbled up rather quickly). They were nice and light, not the heavy greasy balls of dough you sometimes get at other places. Loaded with a generous serving of fried oysters and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mustard (no mayo per my request), my po' boy was pretty decent as well. Sure, it might not be as good as what you'll find back in Louisiana, but it was still tasty. The menu also includes other New Orleans treats like boudin balls and andouille sausage. Fresh seafood (including frog legs, crabs and of course crawfish) is available for purchase along with assorted Louisiana spices, bottled sauces and seafood breading mixes. They even sell packages of Camellia dried red kidney beans (for those traditional Monday "red beans & rice" dinners).

New Orleans Seafood

2442 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite 8

Duluth, GA 30096

(678) 474-0064

Making Macarons With Tartelette!

2010-01-27T18:53:00.061-05:00

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

2010-01-22T23:03:00.009-05:00

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

2010-01-20T22:43:00.009-05:00

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!

2010-01-14T19:59:00.013-05:00

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

2010-01-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

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.

My first impression of this cozy little breakfast/lunch spot was quite positive. The place has a very friendly, laid back vibe. As for the food, I have no complaints there. I decided to try The Red Hen's crustless artichoke and cheddar quiche and a ½ order of "citrus scented" French Toast.

In spite of what appears to be a small portion size, the artichoke/cheddar quiche was quite tasty and satisfying. The challah French toast with cinammon butter and maple syrup was delicious as well. Overall, I was pleased with my first visit to The Red Hen-it's a nice option for breakfast/lunch on the northside. I'll likely make a return visit to sample some of their other offerings.

The Red Hen Cafe

5310 Windward Parkway

Alpharetta, GA 30004

(678) 297-0200

www.theredhencafe.com

Foodie Events: Sugar Coma is coming January 16th!

2010-01-05T19:43:00.004-05:00

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!

Saturday Night Moules Frites

2009-12-29T20:22:00.008-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, I (finally) made my first visit to Assi Plaza in Duluth to pick up a few items. Taking advantage of the seafood bargains, I picked up (among other things) two pounds of head-on shrimp and a two pound bag of mussels. I knew exactly what I would prepare with part of my seafood bounty: moules frites, the quintessential Belgian bistro dish. Simple, delicious and perfect for a laid-back Saturday evening at home.

First, here's a recipe for moules marinière (sailor-style mussels). I found several variations of this recipe-this is the one I settled on.

Moules à la Marinière (serves 2)

(adapted from this recipe by Antony Worrall Thompson)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

2 pounds mussels, cleaned (discard any opened mussels)

2 shallots, finely chopped

½ cup fresh chopped parsley

1 stick unsalted butter

1 heaping tbsp crème frâiche (can be found at Whole Foods)

In a large pot, melt one stick of butter. When butter is melted and foaming, add the chopped shallots, garlic and wine. Cook over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Increase heat to medium high and bring the shallots/garlic/wine mixture to a boil. Add mussels to the pot and cover. Briefly shake the pot to settle the mussels into the broth. Cook until the mussels open up (about 2-3 minutes).

With a slotted spoon, remove mussels from the pot and into a large bowl and set aside. Reduce heat to simmer and add chopped parsley. Stir in a heaping tablespoon of crème frâiche and remove from heat. Arrange mussels in serving bowls. Spoon the broth over bowl of mussels and garnish with a bit of chopped parsley.

Next up, the frites. I used two large Russet potatoes. Make sure your cut potatoes are nice and dry before frying.

Blanche the potatoes in medium-hot oil. It should take less than a minute-you don't want the potatoes to brown (that will happen with the second "fry"). Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Set aside for a few minutes.

After the first fry, your frites should look like the ones on the left, not the ones on the right (they're a little too brown).

When you're ready for the second "fry", reheat oil to about 375°F. Place the blanched potatoes in the hot oil and fry until golden brown.

Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt not long after you remove frites from the hot oil.

Timing/Gameplan (for preparation of Moules Frites):

1. Cut potatoes for frites and pat dry, make sure mussels are cleaned , chop parsley/shallots, mince garlic.

2. Blanche potatoes in medium-hot oil (about 325°F), set aside on paper towels to drain

3. Start preparing the moules marinière. Just as you are about to add the mussels to the pot, reheat the oil for the second "fry" of the frites.

4. Remove cooked mussels from pot. When oil is hot, fry the potatoes a second time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season.

5. Finish the broth with parsley and crème frâiche. Arrange mussels in serving bowls, spoon broth over the mussels. Serve frites along side. Add a nice glass of wine and a crusty baguette (the one thing I forgot!)

Keeping My Mother's Christmas Tradition Alive

2009-12-24T00:51:00.003-05:00

I love baking. Pies, breads, tarts, cakes-you name it, I'll bake it. Well, everything except cookies. I know this will probably sound silly, but I have never had the patience to bake cookies. I won't even bother with that pre-packaged cookie dough that you just break into squares and plop onto a cookie sheet. My mother, on the other hand, was the chief cookie baker in our family. Every Christmas, she'd make dozens of cookies for family and friends. One particular cookie was a huge hit with our family and was requested every holiday season. My mother affectionately called them Pecan Dusties: buttery pecan shortbread rolled in confectioners' sugar.

It has been three years since I've tasted my mom's beloved pecan dusties, two years since I lost her one week after Thanksgiving in 2007. This holiday season, I decided that I would carry on my mom's tradition and prepare batches of her pecan dusties to share with the family. I'm so glad that I asked her how to make these before she passed, and I am happy to share the recipe here. Warning: these cookies are very addictive (seriously). Be prepared to make a few batches because these cookies will be gobbled up in no time.

Pecan Dusties
(shortbread recipe adapted from joyofbaking.com)

Yields about 2 dozen cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
½ cup pecan pieces
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

Confectioners sugar (for "dusting" the cookies)

In a separate bowl, sift flour and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl (using an electric or hand mixer), cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat for about two minutes until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually stir in flour until incorporated. Stir in pecan pieces. Flatten shortbread dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 400° . Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll shortbread dough to ¼ inch thickness. Using a knife, cut dough into little rectangles (about an inch wide).

You could cut these a little smaller if you'd like

Place the cookies onto the cookie sheet and place in the refridgerator for about 15 minutes. Bake shortbread cookies for about 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. You don't want the shortbread to get too brown so keep a close watch on them.

Allow cookies to cool on rack for about 5-10 minutes. While cookies are still a little warm, gently roll them in confectioners' sugar. Now, we're going to give these cookies a "double dip". Set the cookies aside for about 3 minutes, then roll the cookies for a second time in the confectioners sugar. If need be, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!

Holiday Recipe: Eggnog Cheesecake

2009-12-23T22:23:00.003-05:00

Here's a very quick and simple holiday dessert, courtesy of my good Twitter friend Kelly P. She was kind enough to share this recipe for eggnog cheesecake. Even if you don't particularly care for eggnog, I think you'll enjoy this recipe-it's delicious! Thank you Kelly!

Kelly's Eggnog Cheesecake

1 prepared shortbread pie crust*

12 ounces or 1 ½ (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 ½ tsp flour

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp eggnog

1 egg

1 tbsp rum extract (if you don't care for rum flavoring, you can use pure vanilla extract as a substitute)

A pinch of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425°F

In a large bowl (using an electric or hand mixer) combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and eggnog. Add egg, rum extract and nutmeg and beat until mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into prepared shortbread pie crust and bake in a 425° oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250° and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. Kelly advises that this cheesecake tastes best after 24 hours or overnight refrigeration.

*To prepare this cheesecake in a 9-inch springform pan, use the following recipe for shortbread crust and double the cheesecake filling recipe above.

Shortbread Crust

1¼ cups shortbread crumbs (about 6 oz of shortbread cookies, crushed)

2 tbsp granulated sugar

3 tbsp melted unsalted butter

In large bowl, combine shortbread crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool before filling.

Quick Bites: Las Arepas de Julia

2009-12-20T09:16:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist taking a couple of bites of Arepa De Choclo before taking the photo

Maybe it's because I've been feeling a little homesick for South Florida lately, but I've been craving arepas (a South American griddled corn cake popular in Venezuela and Colombia). I tried my first arepas at the Opa-Locka-Hialeah flea market years ago and loved them. When searching for a place to satisfy my craving, the first place that popped up in the search engine was Las Arepas de Julia in Lilburn. I recently stopped by to sample their specialty.

This small Colombian restaurant offers several varieties of arepas including a version with shrimp and guacamole. Easily my favorite among the arepas I tried was the Arepa de Choclo, a sweet yellow corn cake with queso blanco. The char from the griddle gives this arepa an almost nutty, sweet flavor that is delicious. I also tried the Arepa Blanca (a white corn flour arepa smothered in melted queso blanco) and an Arepa Blanca topped with a humongous breaded pork cutlet. I couldn't finish the latter (huge portion), but the Arepa Blanca was quite good. In addition to arepas, the menu also includes Sopa de Mondongo (a tripe soup) and Bandeja Paisa. I was unable to try their Tres Leches cake for dessert (they were sold out) so I settled for Brevas con Arequipe y Queso: four plump figs in a sweet syrup served with arequipe (a Colombian version of Dulce de Leche) and farmer's cheese. The slightly salty flavor of the cheese mingled with the sweet figs and arequipe are a nice combo. I would definitely make a return visit.

Brevas con Arequipe y Queso

Las Arepas de Julia

4044 Lawrenceville Hwy NW (next door to Subway)

Lilburn, GA 30047

(770) 559-4094

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Time To Make The Sufganiyot...

2009-12-09T01:16:00.005-05:00

The holiday season is upon us! With Hanukkah beginning this Friday evening, here's a post devoted to sufganiyot, a traditional holiday treat. These filled doughnuts are a staple of Israeli Hanukkah celebrations. Since this was my first attempt at making sufganiyot, I did a bit of research in order to find a recipe I could work with. After some trial and error, I finally settled on a recipe and method that produced some pretty good results. It is based on a recipe I found on bhg.com (which I tweaked just a bit).

Sufganiyot
(yields about 24 mini doughnuts)

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 pkgs of active dry yeast

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp melted butter (for a non-dairy version, use margarine or cooking oil)

1 cup milk (use water for non-dairy version)

2 egg yolks

A pinch of salt

____

Cooking oil for deep-frying

1/4 cup fruit preserves (strawberry is a popular choice, but you could also fill your doughnuts with a cream filling, chocolate, apricot preserves, apple-cinnamon filling...whatever suits your fancy)

Sift 1 1/4 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Stir the yeast into the flour/cinnamon mixture and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the milk (water for non-dairy version), melted butter (margarine or oil for non-dairy), sugar and salt. Heat mixture until warm, then add to the flour/cinnamon/yeast mixture.

Next, add the two egg yolks and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for three minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough flour until the dough becomes soft and smooth.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover bowl with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise for one hour (until double in size). Punch dough down, then turn out on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, cover and allow dough to rest for ten minutes.

Roll dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. I used a small jar to cut the dough into 1-inch rounds.

In my first attempt at making sufganiyot, I tried the "fill before frying" method. You'd place a 1/2 tsp of preserves onto one round, then place another round of dough on top and then seal the edges. This method was a pain in the neck for me. The doggone edges would not stay sealed! To save yourself from a potential headache, fry the doughnuts first, then fill them. Place the dough rounds on a cookie sheet, cover, and allow them to rise a little bit more (about 20-30 minutes).

Deep fry the rounds (about two or three at a time) for about a minute or so on each side. The temperature of your oil should be about 365°F.

Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Allow them to cool just a bit before filling. Use a pastry bag fitted with filling tip to fill the little doughnuts with the preserves (or the filling of your choice). Finally, roll the doughnuts in granulated or powdered sugar before serving.

These little doughnuts are best served warm. Enjoy!

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BB's Best Burgers

2009-12-06T19:10:00.005-05:00

Having passed this place several times while out and about, I finally popped in to BB's Best Burgers in Duluth this weekend to give the place a try. BB's menu reminds me of The Counter burger chain, but with slightly lower prices. You choose your burger (available selections include 100% Black Angus, Bison, Turkey and a veggie Black Bean option), bun (you can also opt for no bun or a bed of lettuce instead), cheese, and a selection of unlimited or premium toppings. BB's also has a Fifty/Fifty (fries/sweet potato fries) option as well.

I decided to grab a "to go" order of an Angus burger on a sesame bun with bacon, grilled onions, tomato, cheddar and ranch (along with an order of fries). I also tried a Bison burger with horseradish, American cheese, red onion, tomato and ranch. BB's patties are smaller than what you'll find at The Counter (you can order a single or double burger-I think I might go with a double next time).

The Angus burger wasn't bad at all. Burger was cooked medium (just as I like them), well seasoned and juicy. One quibble about the tomato (limp and mushy), but the bacon was nice and crisp. Definitely not the best burger I've ever had, but it was still OK. The fresh cut seasoned fries were delicious (and they don't skimp on the portion). Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with the Bison burger: very bland and not worth the price.

First impression: BB's isn't a bad little spot for a burger in the Duluth/Johns Creek area. I'll probably stop in again for another Angus burger (a double next time) and more of those tasty fries (I think I'll go fifty/fifty on a future visit). The menu also includes wings, hot dogs, salads, and shakes. Free wi-fi is also available on the premises.

BB's Best Burgers

10475 Medlock Bridge Road

Duluth, GA 30097

(770) 813-3274

(770) 814-2317 (fax)

website

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PRIMAL coming this Saturday to SweetWater Brewery

2009-11-19T14:17:00.002-05:00

A great event is coming to SweetWater Brewery this Saturday, November 21. PRIMAL describes itself as "a celebration of the culinary arts' appreciation for wood fired cooking methods, butchers, and whole animal utilization". Attendees will be able to watch as butchers demonstrate how to break down a cow, pig, goat and lamb. The meats will then be prepared over wood fires by local chefs. Attendees will also be able to enjoy sample a selection of wines and brews. While the meats cook, Grindhouse Killers Burgers will be on hand to prepare sustainable sliders from the freshly butchered brisket and top round cuts. Farm 255 will also hold a sausage-making demo and provide samples for attendees to enjoy.

Tickets for the event are still available at a cost of $55 for general admission and $100 for the VIP experience. VIP tickets include the opportunity to sample wood-fired oysters, Allen Benton's Bacon, fire-toasted breads, whole wheels of artisan cheeses (grilled over hardwood), and a selection of reserve wines and beers. PRIMAL promises to be educational as well as delicious! The event will be held from 6-9PM this Saturday evening (VIP experience begins at 5:30 PM). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.artofthebutcher.com or call (404)849-3569

SweetWater Brewery
195 Ottley Drive
Atlanta, GA 30324

Foodie TV: Bravo's Chef Academy Premieres Monday @ 11 PM

2009-11-15T20:53:00.002-05:00

Award-winning chef Jean-Christophe Novelli comes to Bravo in the new nine-part series Chef Academy. The series will follow Novelli (a very popular celebrity chef in the UK) as he attempts to launch a U.S. branch of his cooking school in Southern California. In this preview from bravotv.com, prospects must impress Chef Novelli and his executive chef Steve Kitchen in order to earn one of nine spots in an eight week long test program for his culinary academy.

The French-born chef's Novelli Academy Cookery School was voted one of the Top 25 Cookery Schools in the World. Will he be able to duplicate this success across the pond? Chef Academy premieres this Monday night at 11 ET/PT on Bravo.

Quick Bites: Essex Bagels & Deli

2009-11-15T17:16:00.006-05:00

I stopped by Essex a couple of weeks ago (thanks to Chow Down Atlanta's heads up) . These bagels are massive, fresh, chewy and delicious. I fell in love with the Everything & Cinnamon-Raisin varieties (easily my favorites of the half-dozen I picked up that day). Pick up one of their flavored cream cheeses to go along with your bagels (I'm partial to Horseradish Bacon). A full breakfast menu (which includes hot breakfast sandwiches and three egg omelettes) is served all day. Essex is located at Johns Creek Walk, near the interection of Medlock Bridge & Bell Rd.

Essex Bagels & Deli

11030 Medlock Bridge Rd, Suite 160

Johns Creek, GA 30097

(770) 476-8214

(770) 476-8241 (fax)

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Quick Bites: Umaido

2009-10-31T10:03:00.017-04:00

I finally had a chance to try Umaido this week. It was suggested to me a while back by Jimmy (of Eat It, Atlanta blog fame) when I inquired about local ramen spots on Twitter. I opted for the regular "Pork Based" ramen (they also have Miso & Spicy versions). The ramen does not disappoint: fresh thin noodles and delicious broth topped with green onion, juicy slices of roast pork, bean sprouts, a soft-boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed and black sesame oil. You have the option of adding extra noodles or roast pork, but I found my bowl of ramen to be quite substantial and filling as is. After some initial hesitation, I decided to go with the hostess' suggestion of adding fresh garlic to the broth (provided at your table along with a garlic press). I'm so glad that I did because it added just that little extra "oomph"-so delicious!

I wish I could rave about the Yaki Gyoza that I had as a starter. Unfortunately I found them to be a little greasy and quite bland. I will skip the gyoza on a future visit and try the Chasyu (Roast Pork) Rice Bowl instead. I will rave about the service, which was extremely friendly and attentive. Best of all, I left full and satisfied for a little over $13-not bad at all! I'm looking forward to making a return visit to Umaido very soon. Thanks for the suggestion Jimmy!

Umaido
2790 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd
Suwanee, GA 30024
(678)318-8568
(located near the Cafe Mozart bakery and Super H Mart)
www.umaido.co.kr

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Finger Lickin' Good? Korean Style Fried Chicken in Johns Creek

2009-10-26T08:27:00.006-04:00

I am late to jump on the Korean Fried Chicken bandwagon, but I'm there! I am planning to give a couple of recipes a try in my home kitchen in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I recently visited a couple of spots to sample their versions. Both are located in the same Super H Mart-anchored shopping center in Johns Creek. My first stop: Love Letter Pizza & Chicken.

This was strictly a visit to sample the chicken. While I was intrigued by their "Asian Style Creation" pizzas (particularly the Sweet Potato variety), I decided to save it for another time. I picked up a batch of their regular fried whole chicken and the Sweet & Mild wings. The regular fried chicken was quite good, not greasy and had a delicate, crispy crust. I only wish that it had a little bit more "oomph" in terms of flavor. Between the two varieties I sampled, I kept going back for the Sweet & Mild wings. The sauce has the slightest hint of spice to give it a bit of a kick. There is nothing bland or boring about these wings. As an aside, I could probably munch on pickled daikon all day if possible-I just love the stuff. I'm not the biggest fan of mayonnaise so I skipped the coleslaw.

About a week ago I stopped by Johns Creek Hot Wings, located inside the Super H Mart food court. As luck would have it, they were having a 'weekend special': a whole chicken for $9.99. I zeroed in on the Garlic Tasty version and went with that. It took a little longer than usual to receive my order so the nice guy behind the counter threw in an extra batch of their Sweet & Spicy variety at no charge.

The Garlic Tasty: wow! Some of the best fried chicken (of any kind) that I've ever had. From the first bite, you get this delightful burst of garlic flavor with a hint of sweetness. It is absolutely delicious.

Their Sweet & Spicy version packs quite a punch. It's delicious though, and not so oppressively spicy that you can't appreciate the flavor of the chicken.

Having sampled both places, I'd say that the Garlic Tasty fried chicken is easily my favorite of all the varieties I tried. While I enjoy spicy foods on occasion, I would probably opt for Love Letter's Sweet & Mild version over Johns Creek's Sweet & Spicy. You really can't go wrong by giving both places a try-stop by and see which varieties tickle your fancy.

Love Letter Pizza & Chicken
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd. #350
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 813-8875

Johns Creek Hot Wings
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770)476-1205

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Foodie TV: Top Chef Las Vegas Preview-Restaurant Wars!

2009-10-21T18:46:00.003-04:00

Ah, Restaurant Wars. A staple of every season of Top Chef, and I'm sure we can count on Las Vegas to bring the drama! In this preview from bravotv.com, we have conflict between Mike V. and Robin (shocking, I know).

I'm still not over Tre Wilcox getting clipped in season three's Restaurant Wars-here's hoping my fave Kevin Gillespie won't be this season's casualty. Top Chef Las Vegas airs tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on Bravo. Oh, and don't forget to check out AJC "food dude" John Kessler's Top Chef episode recaps on his Food and More blog-always a good read!

Quick Bites: Antico Pizza Napoletana

2009-10-15T18:06:00.031-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the great Blissful Glutton posed the following question on Twitter: "Is this the best pizza in Atlanta to date?" Well, it's certainly the best pizza I've had so far in this city (this crummy pic of the Margherita D.O.P. doesn't do it justice). Yes folks, this is the real deal. Of course the pizza is the main attraction, but I recommend giving the Calzoni Napoletana a try.

I fell in love with the Giogiotto calzoni stuffed with creamy ricotta, mozzarella di bufala, salsiccia and broccoli rabe. For those not keen on broccoli rabe, there are two other calzoni options available on the Antico menu (the four cheese Fromaggio and the spicy Vesuvio). While it's true that the pizzas do not travel well, I've found that they bounce back rather nicely upon reheating (although obviously not quite the same as eating it fresh from Antico's oven). The freshly baked sfogliatelle from the pasticceria are a delicious treat. This place, the food, and the friendly staff are worthy of the many glowing reviews it has received since opening. I can't wait to make a return visit!

Antico Pizza Napoletana
1093 Hemphill Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 724-2333
www.anticopizza.it

Foodie Events: Taste of Atlanta plus a fundraiser @ Woodfire Grill this weekend!

2009-10-10T11:41:00.007-04:00

The 8th annual Taste of Atlanta outdoor food festival returns this weekend at a new location: Tech Square! It's a great opportunity to sample goodies from over eighty Atlanta area restaurants. The event will also feature live music, the interactive Kids Avenue cooking stage (sponsored by Amica Insurance), and the Farm to Festival area which features cooking demos from local chefas and a farmers' market full of locally grown produce and food products. Top Chef finalists Richard Blais (FLIP Burger Boutique) and Carla Hall will also be making appearances on the main cooking stage this weekend. The two-day Taste of Atlanta event begins today and runs through Sunday, October 11. It's too late to purchase advance and VIP tickets, but general admission tickets are available for $30 at the event. Event parking is available through several lots around Tech Square, but attendees are encouraged to take MARTA to the event (exiting at either the North Avenue or Midtown rail stations). For more information (and to view directions and a map of the festival area), please visit the official site at http://tasteofatlanta.net/

Woodfire Grill will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Love Is Love Farm this Sunday, October 11 at 6 PM. The farm suffered severe damage during the recent floods we experienced in the Metro Atlanta area and needs assistance to rebuild. The event begins with a cocktail reception followed by a seated dinner at 6:30 PM. The dinner will feature a menu of four courses (with wine pairings) created by co-owner/executive chef Kevin Gillespie and co-owner Nicholas Quinones. The cost is $100 per person. "We are strong supporters of Love is Love Farm's mission to provide local, organic products and we get a large portion of our produce from their farm, so it is our goal to raise $10,000 to help get them up and running again. During the event, guests will also have the opportunity to donate additional funds directly to Love is Love Farm to help with the reconstruction process." What a great opportunity to sample Chef Kevin's cuisine and support a worthy cause-I so wish that I could attend! Please call 404-347-9566 to reserve a spot at the fundraiser (reservations are required for this event).

Woodfire Grill
1782 Cheshire Bridge Rd
Atlanta, GA 30324
website

Love Is Love Farm website

Foodie TV: Avec Eric Coming To WPBA 30 Beginning October 17 @ 1 PM

2009-10-05T17:31:00.006-04:00

You've seen him on Top Chef. Some of you have been fortunate enough to dine at his 3 Michelin star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City. Now Chef Eric Ripert has a new show airing on PBS stations nationwide simply titled Avec Eric. Says Chef Ripert, "The show will take you with me to the source of some of my culinary inspiration and then back with me to my restaurant and my home kitchen to see how that inspiration turns into a recipe." Here's a sample (from http://aveceric.com):

I'm a big fan of Chef Ripert's so I've been looking forward to this new show. Avec Eric will air on Atlanta's PBA30 beginning Saturday October 17 at 1 PM. Full episodes are also available for viewing at the show's website.

Satisfying My Umami Craving...

2009-10-03T15:09:00.006-04:00

After a long, stressful week of working and moving into a new apartment, I decided to give myself a bit of a treat last weekend. I had been craving a big, thick Porterhouse (my favorite) but ended up settling on a nicely marbled NY strip instead. Nothing fancy with the prep: a little extra virgin olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper. I believe in keeping it simple. Got the new cast iron skillet blazing hot and cooked the strip for about two minutes on both sides to create a nice char. Topped the strip with a pat of butter and finished it off under the broiler for about three to four minutes for medium-rare.

The result was pretty good, even with an electric stovetop (delicious too). Apologies for the crappy pic!

Umami craving satisfied!

The Counter

2009-09-29T00:29:00.011-04:00

If there's one thing you'll learn about me from reading this blog, it's that I am a sushi and cheeseburger fanatic. I am always looking for new sushi or burger joints I can frequent. I first heard about The Counter last week while listening to one of the local sports talk stations (they have some sort of promotional tie-in going on right now). Since it's not far from my residence, I decided to swing by this weekend to check it out.

I'd contemplated just grabbing an order to go, but decided to dine in so that I could watch a bit of the Falcons/Pats game. The Counter is a chain with roots in SoCal, and the decor reflects that with palm trees, beach scene photos and skateboards lining the walls. I'd read a few complaints on Urbanspoon regarding the service (or lack thereof). I must have come on a good day, because I found the service to be acceptable.

The server presents you with a menu sheet and pen so that you can mark off your selections. As I try to do whenever I visit a restaurant for the first time, I had my gameplan in place before I arrived. A "custom built" 1/3 lb beef burger, cooked medium, with grilled onions, tomatoes, Tillamook cheddar, sharp provolone, honey-cured bacon and avocado. For my "sauce", I chose Creamy Buttermilk Ranch. I chose the "Fifty-Fifty"' side order of fries and onion strings. You can also go fries/sweet fries or sweet fries/onion strings for a little bit extra.

The fries and crispy onion strings were nicely seasoned and tasty. They are presented with both creamy buttermilk ranch and barbecue dipping sauces. I found the fries/barbecue sauce combo to be surprisingly good (it's not what I'd normally choose to dip my fries in). The onion strings had a nice light coating and weren't greasy-just the way I like them. The portion is quite substantial-more than enough for two people to share but too much for this hopeless foodie to be able to finish in one sitting. Not long after, my custom built burger arrived-sans the honey cured bacon I requested. A minor mistake that was easily (and quickly) corrected.

I had intended to attack this like one normally attacks a burger, but this thing was massive. In order to avoid making a mess all over myself, I had no choice but to knife and fork it. On a future trip, I'll probably opt for a Burger In A Bowl (burger served on a bed of either a lettuce blend or mixed baby greens). My burger was perfectly cooked, juicy, and well seasoned. I would probably pass on the grilled onions next time, but the honey cured bacon was fantastic. I'd planned to order an Apple Pie shake to go, but I was so full that I decided to pass. I'd consumed more than enough calories on this trip.

On the whole, I was pleased with the food as well as the service. The prices are a little steep though-a couple could easily spend $30 plus for a meal (even with splitting an order of Fifty-Fifty fries/onion strings, something I would suggest that you do). I think you'd get a better value (and a burger that's just as good, if not better) at The Vortex, for example. That said, it's still not a bad option for a tasty burger on the Northside in my opinion. I will definitely be back to experiment with another "custom built" burger combination, and next time I will have that Apple Pie shake to go.

The Counter

850 Mansell Road

Roswell, GA 30076

(678) 461-9661

(678) 461-9662 Fax

http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Arigato Sushi & More To Go

2009-09-27T10:49:00.006-04:00

The past week has been a bit of a "homecoming" for me. After a temporary stay in the Brookhaven area, I moved back to Duluth (which has been my home for over eight years) this week. It's my first weekend at my new place, and I couldn't wait to make a return visit to one of my favorite neighborhood sushi spots, Arigato Sushi & More To Go. I have yet to have a negative experience with this place. The sushi & sashimi is always fresh and very tasty. Arigato also has a wide variety of specialty rolls, some with cutesy names like Dances With Salmon (spicy crab, fresh salmon, avocado and tobiko with spicy mayo on top) or Rock & Roll (tempura shrimp, cucumber, avocado, crab stick with masago & spicy mayo on top). On this visit, I'm going for the rolls. I decide to pass on my usual Spider Roll (so far I haven't found a better Spider Roll than what I've had here) and go with the Lion Roll and their signature Duluth Roll.

The Lion Roll (tempura shrimp/cream cheese inside, topped with eel, avocado and eel sauce) is so good!

This is one of my faves from Arigato, the Duluth Roll. How can you go wrong with a deep fried roll of smoked salmon, cream cheese and crab-dipped in their spicy mayo sauce? Oh my. I believe this is the first roll I ever ordered from Arigato and I've been a fan ever since. The portion is quite substantial (12 pieces) but oh so delicious!

If I have one negative, it's that they don't serve my beloved uni. Other than that, Arigato is my place to go for quick, delicious "take out" sushi. Great food, friendly service, and you will always be greeted with a smile.

Arigato Sushi & More To Go

3294 Peachtree Industrial Blvd #1004

Duluth, GA 30096

(located in the French Quarter shops along with J. Christopher's)

(678)957-3007

A Visit To Super H Mart (I'm just gonna run in here for one thing and I'll be right out...)

2009-09-26T19:05:00.014-04:00

So yesterday I paid a visit to the Duluth Super H Mart with the sole intention of picking up a pound of tilapia fillets for my dear grandmother. I usually end up with a few extra items in my cart that aren't on my shopping list. Would this visit be any different?

These Asian pears look nice. I picked up a couple on a previous visit to the Johns Creek location and they were so crisp and sweet! These would be fantastic in a salad. I'll pick up some next time, but for now I'm moving on...

Oh, the food court! Well, a quick stroll to the sushi section wouldn't hurt...

All right, all right, I caved. I just had to pick up some sashimi. It was callin' me, it really was. OK, really moving on this time...

Short ribs! I've been wanting to try inuyaki.com and EatBufordHighway's kalbi taco recipes (they look so good, seriously, check out both blogs if you haven't done so already). Maybe I should pick up a couple of packages? Maybe next time! Pick up a pound of tilapia, and then we're outta here.

Hold up, are those madeleines that I see over there? Um...

Yes, I had another moment of weakness. What can I say? I love madeleines, and when I'm at Super H Mart I always grab something from the bakery. Munching on one as I type this. Yummy!

OK, so I buckled and ended up with a couple of extra treats. I should know by now that it is pretty much impossible for me to just run into Super H Mart for one specific item without picking up a few goodies along the way!

Super H Mart

Locations in Duluth, Johns Creek, Riverdale and Suwanee

http://www.hmart.com

My Great-Aunt's Cream Cheese Pound Cake (well, sort of)

2009-09-18T19:29:00.005-04:00

In my family, my great-aunt Margaret is the queen of cakes. Whenever we travel to Florida to visit, we are always begging her to bake us a cake (or two). I don't know how she does it, but she just has a knack for baking the most delicious cakes you'll ever eat.

Here's the cream cheese pound cake recipe that my grandmother managed to grab from Aunt Margaret on a recent visit. It's not her personal creation, but it's a recipe that she swears by and has used for years. I present it here, just as it was submitted by a Mrs. Ralph A. Patrick many years ago. It's a little different from my own cream cheese pound cake recipe (this one calls for margarine, I normally use butter), but it's very good. I was munching on some today-I only wish I'd had strawberries to go with it!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 sticks margarine
1 8 ounce pkg cream cheese
3 cups sugar
dash salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour

Cream margarine, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add dash of salt and vanilla and beat well. Add eggs-one at a time-and beat well after each addition. Stir in the sifted cake flour. Spoon mixture into a ten-inch tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1 1/2 hours. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack.

Foodie TV: Anthony Bourdain visits Sardinia on No Reservations tonight @ 10

2009-09-14T20:11:00.001-04:00

Must see TV for the hopeless foodie: another new episode of No Reservations airs tonight at 10 ET/PT on Travel Channel. This week Anthony Bourdain visits Sardinia-here's a preview (from TravelChannelTV):

Congratulations to Anthony and the No Reservations crew for their well deserved Emmy award win!

Quick Bites

2009-09-13T15:39:00.005-04:00

Here are a few spots to grab a quick bite in and around Atlanta:

Al Pastor burrito from Taqueria El Rey Del Taco

Taqueria El Rey Del Taco (Chamblee/Doraville)

5288 Buford Hwy NE

(770)986-0032

Tacos are OK (have had better elsewhere), but the Al Pastor burrito was delish! Good food, reasonable prices, and open 24 hours.

Elwood's Pizza (Brookhaven)

3883 Peachtree Rd NE

(404)816-9730

While I think Fellini's is better, this place still serves up a pretty decent NY style slice (in my opinion). Try a regular slice with The Works.

Spondivits (East Point/ATL Airport)

1219 Virginia Ave

(404) 767-1569

I love this place. The seafood is always fresh (I'm a big fan of the peel-n-eat shrimp), and they serve up one of the better bowls of New England Clam Chowder I've had. Perfect spot for a quick bite before heading out of town. They also have a location north of the city in Cumming.

Like My Biscuits?

2009-09-12T22:47:00.004-04:00

Here's the recipe for the infamous biscuits that you see in my profile picture. Well, they're really not all that infamous (or famous, for that matter). Anyway, here it goes:

4 cups self rising flour
6 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (you could also use regular whole milk with this recipe)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Sift flour, salt and 5 tsp sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until they resemble course crumbs. Dissolve 2 tsp of yeast into warmed evaporated milk along with 1 tsp of the sugar and set aside. In another bowl, beat eggs into 2/3 cup of buttermilk (or whole milk). Stir both the yeast/evaporated milk and the egg/buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Knead dough on a floured surface (do not overwork the dough, just knead until dough comes together nicely and is not too sticky to roll out). Roll dough (with floured rolling pin) to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. This recipe should make 10-12 good sized biscuits. Place biscuits onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with towel and leave biscuits in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Brush biscuit tops liberally with melted butter and bake for about 10-12 minutes (or until golden brown). I brush them with a little more melted butter right after I take them out of the oven.

Foodie TV: Man v. Food visits Hawaii & Top Chef Las Vegas tonight @10 ET/PT

2009-09-09T20:26:00.004-04:00

I don't know why the tv scheduling gods must put two of my favorite shows in the same Wednesday night time slot. Thankfully Bravo re-airs Top Chef Las Vegas immediately following the first 10 o'clock airing, allowing me to watch Man v Food (and the awesome Adam Richman) on Travel Channel first!

This week finds our boy in Hawaii taking on a stack of ginormous, manhole-sized blueberry pancakes. This is going to be a tough one-he's really going to have to fight "the itis" when those pancakes settle in his stomach like a ton of bricks. Go Adam! (hopeless foodie tries to throw up the MVF hand sign thing Adam does...fails miserably)

Meanwhile, Top Chef Las Vegas continues tonight as the cheftestants try their best to impress Joël Robichon, Daniel Boulud, Top Chef Masters finalist Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel and Jean Joho. I'll be rooting for my ATL boys (Kevin, Eli and Hector)! Who will pack their knives and go? Probably not a Voltaggio brother. Yeah, I know I went out on a limb with that one.

From Bravo TV-Last week's eliminated cheftestant Preeti shares her thoughts on life in the house:

Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ

2009-09-09T18:27:00.015-04:00

The first time I tried Hawaiian BBQ was at a little spot in a Los Angeles strip mall a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it quite a bit, so when I recently learned that there was a Hawaiian-style BBQ restaurant here in the ATL (and not far from home at that), I was excited about giving it a try.

Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ is nestled in its little spot on Briarcliff Road, not far from the Emory University campus. The decor and vibe is about what you'd expect in a Hawaiian BBQ joint: bright colors, surfboards on the wall, videos of hula dancers or surf scenes playing on one of the TVs. As I walked up to the entrance I was greeted with "Bruddah Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole's signature rendition of Over The Rainbow.

Now I already had a gameplan regarding what to order, but when faced with the huge menu board I spaced out for a minute. After recovering, I decided to take advantage of the $6.99 "Lunch Special" combo: a choice of two of the main items, one scoop each of steamed rice and macaroni salad plus a small green salad. In my opinion, this is a really good deal. I decided to go with the bbq beef, chicken katsu (a chicken cutlet breaded in panko and deep-fried), a small green side salad and the stuffed shrimp appetizer. I passed on the steamed rice and macaroni salad.

Oh, how I loved the stuffed shrimp-so much so that I ended up ordering a second helping to go (yeah, I'm a greedy butt, I know). The shrimp are stuffed with pepper-jack cheese, deep-fried until golden and served with a side of cocktail sauce.

I had no complaints with my chicken katsu & bbq beef combo. In fact, it was one of the better lunches I've had in quite a while. I've read a few complaints about Waikikie's portion sizes online, but I thought this was more than enough for me (even if I hadn't ordered an appetizer). The green salad was fresh, crisp and delicious with the sesame ginger dressing. The katsu was decent, and the beef was tender and flavorful.

I ordered a pineapple shave ice for the road. I'm not the biggest snow cone fan in the world (and this is basically a snow cone in a large plastic cup), but this wasn't bad at all. I will definitely make a return visit to Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ in the not too distant future. A couple of my Twitter foodie friends have told me that I must try Spam Musubi, so I think I will do that next time. Oh yeah, and more of those stuffed shrimp! I recommend taking advantage of their $6.99 lunch special.

Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ

2160 Briarcliff Road NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

(404)638-1115

(404)638-1116

http://www.waikikie.com/

Closed on Mondays

Foodie TV: Chopped Champions begins tonight at 10 PM

2009-09-08T20:00:00.005-04:00

I'm so looking forward to this! Chopped (one of my foodie tv faves and one of the very few shows I watch on Food Network these days) begins a limited four-part Champions series tonight at 10 PM ET/PT. Previous winners return to see who will keep their undefeated record intact and become the ultimate Chopped Champ. What ridiculous combo of ingredients will find their way into the baskets this week? In this clip, the chefs must work their magic with blackberries, kiwi, wonton wrappers and gummy bears in the dessert challenge.

Change of (BBQ) Plans...

2009-09-08T19:07:00.003-04:00

I had planned to visit a few BBQ spots this week leading up to the 1st Annual Atlanta BBQ Festival this weekend. However, it looks like that's not going to happen. I will be hitting one more spot (which will be featured on this blog tomorrow), however I did want to give a free plug to the other restaurants that I'd planned to visit (and hope to visit in the not too distant future). Each of these restaurants offer a 10% discount to Atlanta Bar-B-Q club members. An annual membership is only $25! For more information or to purchase a membership, please visit the Atlanta Bar-B-Q Club's website at http://www.atlbbqclub.com The 1st annual Atlanta BBQ Festival will be held this Saturday, September 12th from 10-6 PM in the Green Lot at Turner Field. For more details, please visit their site at http://www.atlantabbqfestival.com.

Fox Brothers BBQ
1238 DeKalb Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404)577-4030
http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/
Named one of the Top 10 Best BBQ restaurants in the nation by MSN.com & Gayot.com

Sam's BBQ1
4944 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068
(770)977-3005
http://www.lostmountainbbq.com/
Zagat rated #1 BBQ (Their Lost Mountain BBQ team has won several awards on the BBQ competition circuit)

Hambone's Southern Style BBQ
811 Virginia Avenue
Hapeville, GA 30354
(404)767-0888
http://www.hambones-bbq.com/
Click here for a coupon to receive 10% off your purchase

Pig N Chik (Alpharetta, Chamblee, Sandy Springs)

2009-09-07T20:19:00.015-04:00

I've made quite a few trips to the Pig N Chik location in Alpharetta and needless to say I'm a big fan of the place. I've raved about their brisket on Twitter before. Each time I've visited, it has been consistently tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. This Saturday I made another trip to the Alpharetta location and once again I was not disappointed. I don't know what they're doing over there, but they need to keep it going!

Personally, I enjoy eating the brisket as is with no sauce, but sometimes I like to dip it in a little of their mustard based barbecue sauce. It's a combination that I love. On this latest visit, I gave their pulled pork a try for the first time (at this particular location). The pork was juicy, tender and with just the right amount of smoky flavor.

While I've found the BBQ at Pig N Chik's Alpharetta location to be consistently tasty, I found the food at it's Chamblee location to be consistently "meh". Each time I've visited, I've found the brisket and the pork to be dry and bland. Today I made my first trip to their Sandy Springs location on Roswell Road, curious to see how their BBQ would stack up versus the other locations.

There's nothing pretentious about this place. Small but cozy, with local sports team paraphernalia adorning the walls and seemingly every inch of the space. The service is prompt and friendly (which I've found to be the case at all of their locations). I decided to order my old standbys-the usual beef brisket & pulled pork to go.

The brisket, while not as juicy as Pig N Chik Alpharetta's, was still quite good. It was nicely seasoned, with a great BBQ bark and smoky flavor.

The pork was flavorful and juicy. I tried it for the first time with their tangy, vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce. It's a great combination that I wish I had tried on earlier visits. Their sweet BBQ sauce is also tasty, but it's the Hot Carolina and Mustard sauces that I'll be requesting on future visits.

On this trip I decided to splurge with a little dessert. The pie offerings for the day were chocolate cream and pecan-I opted for the chocolate cream. I've got no complaints here-delicious chocolate filling and a nice, flaky crust. I only wish they'd had banana cream (since that's my favorite), but maybe next time.

On the whole, I think I will continue to be a regular customer to Pig N Chik's Alpharetta location. I find that their food is consistently a notch above their other locations, although Sandy Springs ain't too shabby at all.

Alpharetta

3050-A Windward Plaza Dr

(770) 346-7705

Chamblee

5071 Peachtree Ind. Blvd

(770)451-1112

Sandy Springs

4920 Roswell Rd NE

(404) 255-6368

Five Days of Barbecue

2009-09-07T00:50:00.002-04:00

In honor of the first annual Atlanta BBQ Festival, I will be visiting five local barbecue spots to sample the goods (and of course, blogging about it). Truth: it's really just an excuse to eat more barbecue. All of the restaurants I'll be visiting offer 10% discounts to Atlanta Bar-B-Q Club members. Speaking of which, check out the Atlanta Bar-B-Q Club's website at http://www.atlbbqclub.com/ for more details on how to join. An annual membership is only $25.

The festival promises lots of good barbecue, good music and family fun. No BBQ festival would be complete without a cook-off, and the winner of the Professional competition will get to sell their delicious barbecue at an Atlanta Braves game next season plus $1500. There will also be an amateur cook-off with a top prize of $750 up for grabs.

The Atlanta BBQ Festival will be held this Saturday, September 12th between 10 AM-6 PM in the Green Lot at Turner Field. Admission to the festival area is free! For more information, visit the official site at http://www.atlantabbqfestival.com

One delicious tweet...

2009-09-06T22:13:00.003-04:00

When I saw it, I had to try it...

Bacon Ice Cream (with candied bacon garnish). Want the recipe? Visit My Last Bite.com for easy step-by-step instructions (plus her dish of ice cream is much prettier than mine). You won't even need to bust out the ice cream maker for this one! While you're at it, follow @mylastbite for more delicious tweets.

Celebrating Bacon!

2009-09-05T17:56:00.002-04:00

A couple of recipes to celebrate International Bacon Day. Here's one I found while searching for hors d'oeuvre recipes for a New Year's Eve party I threw with friends. These Bacon Cheese Puffs were a big hit with our guests and ridiculously easy to make-you'll find the recipe here.

Note: I would toast the pumpernickel slices a little bit before topping with the bacon/cheese mixture. I also used Dijon mustard with this recipe.

Here's one of my "go to" brunch recipes. This is pretty rich, but I find that using the heavy cream works best for me. You can substitute half & half for the heavy cream but I wouldn't use milk.

Bacon & Sweet Onion Quiche

1 pie crust for 9 inch pie or quiche pan
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Havarti cheese, shredded
6 slices of thick-sliced bacon, diced
1/3 cup of Vidalia (or other sweet variety) onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt

Unfold pie crust and press into a 9 inch pie or quiche pan. Blind bake the crust and set aside.

In a skillet, cook the diced bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, drain on a paper towel and set aside. Reserve some of the bacon drippings in the skillet to use for sauteeing the onion. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings until soft/translucent. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Stir in cream & salt. Line the bottom of the prebaked pie shell with the sauteed onion/shredded cheeses/bacon, then pour the custard mixture over this. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of quiche comes out clean. Serve warm and enjoy!

The Sticky Pig Candy Project

2009-09-04T23:36:00.006-04:00

With this Saturday being International Bacon Day, I thought it would be fitting to devote my very first blog post to this wonderful pork product. Not long ago, the fantastic food blogger my last bite (who I follow on Twitter) posted a link to a recipe for "Sticky Pig Candy Stripes" found here. As a lover of bacon and the "sweet & salty" combo, I knew I had to give this a try. Last Sunday, I carved out a little time to do just that!

I used 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar along with 1/4 tsp each of cayenne pepper and ground ginger to make the spiced sugar mixture. You really don't need to add any more than 1/4 tsp of each spice. This amount gives it just enough of a "kick".

The oven is preheated to 400°F, and I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper per recipe instructions. I decided to go with thick sliced bacon this time. I carefully applied about a teaspoon of the spiced sugar mixture onto each bacon slice, trying to avoid spilling excess sugar onto the parchment paper.

Into the oven for about 20 minutes (or until sugar has melted and bacon is crisp). I ended transferring the bacon to another clean sheet of parchment paper (to get rid of any excess grease) before returning it to the oven to finish cooking.

There you have it! The finished product was sticky, salty, sweet and delicious. The cayenne and ginger add just the right amount of bite to offset the sweetness. I might give this a go with regular sliced bacon next time-I think it will make for a crispier finished product. I'll just have to be extra careful watching it so that it doesn't burn.

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