A few weeks ago I took a (very) brief weekend
trip down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. One of my planned stops was a side trip to New
Orleans (my first visit in well over seven years). I had originally
planned a trip down to N.O. back in January but I decided to postpone
it. At the time I was going 'meatless' for the month of January
(something I do at the beginning of every new year). There was no
way I was going to New Orleans under any dietary restrictions! My plan was to eat whatever I wanted without a care
about sugar, carbs, fat, or calories before buckling
down and staying focused on my diet.
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...
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.
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").
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
