Food Victorian

One-Eared Stag for Brunch

2012-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my husband and I felt we needed to venture out for a proper Sunday brunch. Looking for something a little more interesting than the usual french toast institutions and we were super excited to see that One-Eared Stag, one of my favorite dinner spots, serves a delicious brunch. One-Eared Stag opened last year in Inman Park, John Kessler gave it a great review here. I really like the innate "southernness" of the place; maybe "new southern" would classify it correctly.

We started brunch with a kimchi bloody mary. At first, I wasn't sure if the bitterness of the cabbage worked in the sweetly, salty, tang of a bloody mary, but one more sip and I was sold. I like the new layer of flavor, combined with the spiciness that defines kimchi.

As a sort of appetizer, we ordered the black pepper biscuits with peach marmalade. I've never had a black pepper biscuit before, but I am going to make them this way every time from now on! They were so good, especially with the sweet tart flavor of the peaches on top.

For our main courses, we shared the hanger steak with chimichurri over potato hash with fried eggs, and fried chicken and waffles with sorghum syrup and marrow butter. It was honestly hard to choose which was the favorite. The fried chicken and waffle were cooked to perfection. The chicken's golden crust was crunchy and salty, the meat was almost buttery, which was a gorgeous compliment to the sweet sorghum syrup and bready waffle. The steak was equally delicious, set off by the parsley and garlic in the chimichurri, and the creaminess of the runny egg yolks.

The best thing about One-Eared Stag, aside from the great food, is that the menu changes on a regular basis, dependent upon local, seasonal produce. (You can expect to see that amazing fried chicken on the menu on Sundays and Mondays, regularly.) Nothing excites me more than a Georgia restaurant using food grown in Georgia!

Hoppin' John

2012-01-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hoppin' John is my favorite meal to have in the beginning of the new year. Since we were on vacation on New Year's day, I wasn't able to make the spicy, black-eyed pea goodness as usual. Back in town, I just couldn't stop craving it, so...I made a GIANT batch for just my husband and I! I had enough for lunches and still some to freeze for later. If you Google Hoppin' John, you will find loads of recipes. My recipe isn't ground-breaking, but is simple, fresh and can easily be cooked in a crock pot. It's a great Sunday night meal which will stretch into weekday lunches.

Hoppin' John

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

4 Strips of Bacon, Chopped into 1/2" Pieces
1 Ham Hock
3 Sticks of Celery, Diced
2 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
1 Orange Bell Pepper, Diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Jalepenos, Minced
2 28 Ounce Cans of Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
2 14 Ounce Cans of Chicken Stock
2 Cups of Soaked Black-Eyed Peas (or Canned Black-Eyed Peas)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon of Paprika
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne
4 Cups of Cooked Rice, For Serving

Cooking:

In a large saute pan, toss in your bacon pieces. Cook on Medium-High heat until they begin to render grease and are starting to brown just on the edges. Add in the garlic and jalepenos. Saute for 30 seconds, stirring, then add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until the onion goes translucent and the vegetables are just softened. In a large stock pot, or in a crock pot, place your ham hock. Add in the cooked vegetables and bacon, along with the tomatoes, stock, peas and spices. Simmer on low for 2 hours in the stock pot, or until the beans are cooked through. (For the crock pot, you could leave it on low for 6-8 hours.) Serve with the cooked rice and your favorite hot sauce. I like to stir in the rice and save the leftovers for lunch the next couple of days.

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Bruschetta

2012-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, our awesome neighbors invited us over to watch the equally awesome Mr. Ricky Gervais host the Golden Globes. In honor of this Golden celebration, I made a golden appetizer. I really like the small kick of the jalepeno, combined with the savory of the garlic, the sweet of the honey and squash, the creaminess of the Ricotta and the saltiness of the Parmesan. It's like a perfectly balanced cocktail, but in appetizer form!

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 Cup of 1/2" Cubes of Butternut Squash
4 Cloves of Garlic, 3 Cloves Minced and 1 Clove Reserved
1 Jalepeno, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Honey
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Baguette
Parmesan Shavings for Topping

Cooking:

Pour your olive oil into a saute pan on medium heat. When the oil starts to wave, add in the minced garlic and jalepenos. Saute for 30 seconds, then add in the butternut squash. Saute for approximately 10 minutes, until the squash is softened. Add in the honey and salt, stirring to coat evenly. Meanwhile, slice your baguette into 1/2" thick slices, place on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven to toast lightly. Once slightly brown, remove the pan from the oven and rub each piece of toast with the reserved garlic clove. Next, spread a layer of ricotta onto the baguette slices, then top with the warm squash, followed by a few shaves of Parmesan.

Favorite Soup Making Tools

2012-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

We definitely ramp up the soup production in the Cole household during wintertime. I make lots of chili and creamy soups, so I wanted to share some of my favorite kitchen items for soup making.

Le Creuset makes my all-time favorite cookware. (Let me add, no one pays me to say this!) I think the heat distribution is amazing and they come in beautiful colors. I have two pots, including a huge red dutch oven like this fabulous green one, that my mother received when she got married. They're over 30 years old and in amazing shape! The dutch oven is perfect for all sorts of things, but I use it most for soups and chili.

I have lots of knives, and I love my japanese knives from Global and Shun, but more often than not, this Wustoff Hollow Edge beauty is my workhorse. I use it for everything, really; dicing onions, mincing garlic, slicing tomatoes...it's great!

I really love creamy soups the most, so I almost always blend them with my stick blender. This is sort of a fancier version of the blender I have, (because they no longer make the kind I have.) I think that any stick blender is a huge help for a soup lover. Being able to leave the soup in the pot, without transferring it to a blender or a food processor is pretty nice, and the soup comes out incredibly smooth!

Navy and Gold Dinnerware Round-up

2012-01-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

I have a weakness for ceramics. Often I dream of setting a beautiful, fancy table with an assortment of plates and serving ware. I love the idea of mixing and matching plates, and bowls, especially as it seems more obtainable to have just one piece than the whole crazy-expensive set!

Here are a few of my current favorites which I think would make a lovely setting for your first dinner party of the New Year...

This plate is by one of my very favorite artists, Hella Jongerius. It's of her Nymphenburg Sketches Animal Bowl Series.

And this one...from the same collection, called the Game Plates.

From Jasper Conran for Wedgwood, 'Navy Fringe.' Jasper Conran makes so many lovely things!

From Gien France, 'Sultana.' I like the bit of folkiness to this one.

From Alessandro Zambelli, 'Gold Tub.' Because Brussels Sprouts would be so lovely in gold...

From Diane Von Furstenburg, 'Brushstroke.' I think flourless chocolate cake would look so delicious on this painterly plate.

Bubbly Gin and Grapefruit Cocktail

2011-12-29T02:39:00.000-08:00

Last year was the first time I tasted gin and grapefruit juice together. My eyes were opened! Gin and tonics never impressed my taste buds, so I had all but given up on the liquor. Enter tart and tangy grapefruit juice. The grapefruit bitterness cuts the herbal note of the gin, and you are instead left with a fruity, floral combination with a kick.
I like a strong cocktail and this is one of my favorites. It hits the right bit of sweet, tart, bitter, and sour which a perfect cocktail must achieve. Let me know if you agree!

Bubbly Gin and Grapefruit Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 Ounce Gin
1 Ounce Grapefruit Juice
1 Ounce Sparkling Wine
1/2 Ounce of Sweet Vermouth
Several Splashes of Bitters

Preparation:

In a cocktail mixer, with some ice, pour in all ingredients except the sparkling wine. Shake a few good times, then pour through your strainer into a cocktail glass. Top with the sparkling wine!

Chocolate Truffles Three Ways

2011-12-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Each year I endeavor to come up with a new home-made Christmas item. This year, I was a little slow off the mark, but Design Sponge shared a brilliant idea. These truffles from Johnny Battles of Sweeteeth were so inventive that I had to give them a try, (with a twist, of course!) Here, I have down-sized the recipe a bit and used another three combinations of flavors: Lavender and Star Anise; Pink Peppercorn and Orange; and Vanilla Curry. These are very easy to make and you could add any of your own flavors, as it is so easy to modify! Thank you so much to Mr. Johnny Battles and Design Sponge! I feel like I might actually be ready for Christmas now!

Lavender and Star Anise Chocolate Truffles

Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon of Star Anise
3 3 Inch Sprigs of Lavender
1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting

Cooking:

Chop your chocolate into small bits. The smaller you chop, the quicker it will melt and you will have less issues making the ganache smooth. Place the bits into a large glass or stainless bowl. In a saucepan on the stove, heat the cream, corn syrup, star anise and lavender on high heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes. Place back on eye and heat until it comes to a boil again. Pour through a fine mesh strainer over chocolate. With a whisk, beat the chocolate cream mixture until there are no lumps and it is smooth. You can re-heat it over a double boiler or for 10 second intervals in the microwave if it cools too much and there are still lumps. I didn't have this problem though, so hopefully you will not. Pour into a shallow glass or metal pan. Cover with plastic wrap, with the wrap pressed to the ganache mixture. Cool in the fridge for approximately 1-1/2 hours, or until it is set. It will be firm, but still gives a little when you press it. Take a pan and sift cocoa powder into it. Remove the cooled ganache from the fridge. With a small spoon, gather approximately 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture (this does not have to be accurate at all, they're fun when uneven) and roll in your hands to soften the edges, then drop into the cocoa. Coat them entirely in the cocoa and place in an air-tight container. These will keep in the fridge for up to 8 months!

Pink Peppercorn and Orange Chocolate Truffles

Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon of Pink Peppercorns, Crushed in a Mortar and Pestle
3 3 Inch Pieces of Orange Peel, without Pith
1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting

Cooking:

Repeat above, but substitute Pink Peppercorns and Orange Peel for Star Anise and Lavender.

Vanilla Curry Chocolate Truffles

Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Vanilla Bean

2 Teaspoons of Curry Powder

1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting

Cooking:

Slice the vanilla bean down the length and scrape the seeds from the inside. Put both the bean and seeds into the cream, along with 1 teaspoon of the curry powder. Repeat as above without the Star Anise and Lavender. For the dusting, add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder into the cocoa pan for a little extra punch!

Earl Grey Shortbreads

2011-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I love about food blogging is the welcoming community of other food bloggers. Last month, my friend, Kristina, who is a fabulous blogger and crafter, told me about the GIANT food blogger cookie swap happening this year. Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil collaborated on organizing one of the largest cookie swaps ever, with over 22,000 cookies being mailed out! I really wanted to be a part of something that big! It was such fun to develop a recipe, come up with some cute packaging and send out a dozen cookies to each of these fabulous bloggers: Bibberche, Snack Time Munchies, and Sorelle e Cibo. In return, I received some chocolate biscotti dipped in peppermint candy from Shannon The Cookie Monster, some sprinkled chocolate thumbprint cookies from Natalie of Oven Love, and I also received some great hazelnut cookies, but I'm not sure who they were sent by!
I am a huge fan of tea, which you may already know, so I am constantly coming up with things into which I might incorporate tea flavors. This recipe idea came to me from a Food and Wine Magazine recipe for Green Tea Sables. My recipe is a little more complicated, though, because with Earl Grey, you have to steep the tea into the butter to infuse the flavor. I feel it's definitely worth the extra effort! The Bergamot in the Earl Grey gives these buttery cookies just the slightest floral note, perfect for an afternoon snack.

Earl Grey Shortbreads

Yield: 36 Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Sticks of Butter, at Room Temperature
3-1/2 Tablespoons of Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea
2-1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1-1/4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Salt

Cooking:

In a saucepan, put in the 3 sticks of butter and melt on low, careful not to let it boil. When the butter has completely melted, add in the tea. Remove from the heat. Let the tea steep in the butter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Line a dish with plastic wrap and pour in the melted butter through a fine mesh sieve. Press the the tea leaves to squeeze out any remaining butter. Place the strained butter in the fridge and let cool until solid. (This can be made ahead.) Remove the butter from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. In a mixer, whip the room temperature butter until light and fluffy on high speed. Add in, slowly, the sugar. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Next, with the mixer on slow, add in the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the butter mixture is incorporated into the dry. Remove from the mixing bowl and bring together two disks. Wrap in plastic and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 325. Remove your dough and roll out the mixture on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch. The dough will be slightly crumbly, but as you roll it out, it should begin to stick together. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 inch by 2 inch strips. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a silicone baking mat with about 3/4 inch space around each cookie. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes. The cookies will be just very, very slightly golden at the corners. Let them cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Golden Holiday Table Setting

2011-12-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation, I have decided that I would like to incorporate the design of entertaining into FoodVictorian. This is the first of a new series called, Tablescaping! I love having parties and a lot of the fun of a party, for me, is the decorating. So, without further ado...

If you haven't seen This is Glamorous yet, it's a gorgeous blog, filled with lovely, lovely images and thoughts.

via Belgian Pearls via This is Glamorous

I love this golden, extravagant holiday table setting! Wouldn't this make the most lovely dinner party? Minty greens, blacks, linen, silver and golds...what a pretty color palette!

Creamy Liver Salad

2011-11-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

Since I talk so frequently of using whole chickens, and the goodies that come along with the chicken, I wanted to share a recipe for the liver. I am well aware that liver is an acquired taste, one that I was not a fan of until very recently. Even the name does nothing for it...liver is an awful word rolling off the tongue.
The Shed at Glenwood is responsible for opening my mind again to this little loved meat product. They make an incredible chicken liver and bacon bruschetta! My recipe is similar, but I decided to forgo the bacon and keep it simple. Having come to love it, I am hoping that I may convince you to taste it with fresh taste buds!

Creamy Liver Salad

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Liver

1 Green Onion, Thinly Sliced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons of Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper

1 Piece of Toast

Cooking:

Pour your oil into a frying pan on medium heat. Let the oil get hot, you will see the oil begin to shimmer in the pan. Salt and pepper your liver, then using tongs, place into the frying pan. The liver will cook very quickly, just a couple of minutes on each side. You will want a little color on it, but don't burn it. Remove the liver from the pan and chop into small bits. Place the green onions into the frying pan. Cook until just slightly softened. The color will go even brighter green. In a bowl, combine your liver, onions, and mayonnaise. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste, then spread on toast and enjoy!

Coke Can Chicken

2011-11-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

I love buying a whole chicken at the market, and I am a really big proponent of organic, cage-free chickens. Yes, they can be more expensive, but the flavor is so much better. Buying whole is a way to keep your meat costs down, as you pay extra for someone else to butcher the chicken. The great bonus about a whole chicken are the bones for stock, the liver and heart for frying up (perfect with eggs for breakfast!)
This is a really popular method of cooking chicken, but my husband and I just recently started making it. He has been making this dish lately, with a beer can, and I cannot get over how moist and delicious the chicken meat tastes. I wanted to do a version with soda to see if the flavor noticeably changed, but I came to the conclusion that it's not very important what is in the can, so long as it's steaming the chicken from the interior while the skin roasts.
Last week, I made a version roasting two of my favorite vegetables, fennel and cauliflower, in the pan, and coating the chicken with a peppery, anise flavored rub to compliment those two vegetables. It's one of my favorite yet.

Pepper Anise Rub

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Caraway Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper
1 Star Anise

Preparation:

In a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle, grind your spices together until mostly smooth.

Coke Can Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken

1 Can of Coke, Half Empty (Or beer, or any other 12 oz can of beverage you like!)

1 Head of Cauliflower, Chopped Roughly
2 Bulbs of Fennel, Sliced Thinly
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Salt
Pepper Anise Rub

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and coat the entire bird in the rub. Place the coke can upright in a roasting pan and place the bird carefully over it. The can should almost entirely fit within the bird and it will keep the bird upright. Place the vegetables around the bird in the pan and sprinkle on the salt and olive oil. Put the pan into the oven and roast for one and a half hours. Carefully remove the bird and carve!

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

2011-11-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not a particularly picky eater, but there are a few things that I won't eat, and sweet potatoes are one of them. However, my husband loves them, and since we are celebrating his 30th birthday next week, I felt I should make something just for him. Inspired by Tartelette's gorgeous pumpkin tarts, I made a sweet potato version. You can tell that I have a long way to go before I reach her level, but it was fun to try something a little more advanced. For the crust, I modified Grace Parisi's delicious recipe a bit, and for the filling, it's an adaptation of a sweet potato cheese cake recipe, topped with toasted meringue.

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

Makes approximately 12 Tartlets or 2 Whole Pies

Crust Ingredients:

1-1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Stick of Butter, Chopped into Tablespoon Sized Bits
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/4 Cup of Ice Water

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients with the exception of the ice water. Pulse until the butter is in small crumb pieces. Slowly drizzle the ice water into the mix while pulsing. Once the mixture is moistened, remove from the food processor onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This dough can be made ahead.

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and place into a ramekin or pie tin (you can also make these in regular sized pie tins.) Trim the excess dough. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove crust. Drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees, and remove the pie weights or beans, and bake until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Filling

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes, Cooked
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
2 Eggs
4 Ounces of Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients and whip on high speed until they are fully combined and light and fluffy. Pour into the crust. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the filling is fully set.

Meringue Topping

Ingredients:

4 Egg Whites
1/4 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
3 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar (If you don't have Agave Nectar, you can substitute 5 Tablespoons of confectioner's sugar)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to broil. In a mixer on high, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together until it is a soft foam. Begin adding your agave nectar (or sugar) and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. In a piping bag, or a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off, pipe small dots of meringue across the pie surface. Place the pies back into the oven for approximately 1 minute or until the tips of the meringue are just toasted.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

2011-11-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

With the holidays rapidly approaching, and numerous events to attend, I wanted to share one of my easy, go-to party recipes. It's dead simple and it's delicious on crackers, sandwiches, burgers, you name it! This is really my version of pimento cheese, but I like using roasted red peppers for a slightly different kick.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Cheddar, Grated (You can do this very easily with the food processor)

3/4 Pound of Cream Cheese

7 Ounces of Roasted Red Peppers, Drained

2 Tablespoons of Hot Sauce

2/3 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You can add more hot sauce if you like a little more heat. Scoop out of the processor and serve!

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

2011-10-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness for all things British, especially proper tea time. I think there is something lovely about breaking the day just before evening falls with a light snack and some caffeine. The caffeine part is probably not the best habit for a good night's rest, but I do love strong black tea!

Scones are a traditional offering for tea, the soft crumbly texture goes down very well with a strong cuppa. These scones use the same ingredient in a Starbucks Green Tea Latte, Green Matcha. Matcha is a finely ground high grade green tea, and you can find it at tea stores, or online. I got mine here and you can use it to make green tea lattes at home, as well as scones! A little goes a long way and the flavor is more intense than with the whole leaves.

In this recipe, the bitterness of the chocolate perfectly offsets the sweet, fragrant green tea and helps keep the scone a little more moist. I also think that chocolate makes everything better!

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

6 Tablespoons of Cold Butter, Chopped into Small 1/2 inch Cubes

1 Ounce of 70% Dark Chocolate, Chopped into Small Bits

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream, plus 2 Tablespoons

2 Teaspoons of Green Matcha

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and whisk together. Put in the cold butter cubes and with a pastry blender or a fork, mash the butter into the dried mixture until the mixture is crumbly with pieces no larger than a pea. Put the chocolate into the dry mix. Meanwhile in a saucepan, pour 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the matcha powder. Whisk the two together on medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat as soon as it starts to bubble. Whisk occasionally until the cream comes to room temperature. Whisk the egg into the cream. The cream must be room temperature or it will cook the egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir with a spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Take your hands and gather the dough into a ball against the bowl. When it is coming together in one piece, roll or flatten the mound out on a lightly floured surface. You can use your hands to flatten the dough. It needs to be about an inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into wedges. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a silicone sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining heavy cream. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They cook very quickly. You want the edges to be just lightly browned, but no more than that as they will get very dry. Remove and allow the scones to cool before serving.

Apple and Smoked Bacon Salmon Patties

2011-10-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Growing up part of a large southern family, you learn to cook for many, rather than few and the recipes shared are always budget-friendly. I can remember going to my grandparents house, helping to make drop biscuits and salmon patties for twenty people, while busily catching up on the weekly gossip. Sometimes when I'm feeling especially nostalgic, picking the bones from a can of salmon, squishing the mixture between my fingers and hearing the sounds of grease spattering soothes the longing for days past.

Apple and Smoked Bacon Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

1 Can of Salmon

4 Slices of Smoked Bacon

1 Small Apple, Diced

1/2 Red Onion, Diced

2 Tablespoons of Water

1/2 Cup of Whole Oats

1/4 Cup of Flour

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon of Salt and Black Pepper, Each

Cooking:

Carefully pick the bones from the salmon, and then wash the salmon in a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the fishiness. Fry the bacon in a large pan and reserve the grease for frying the patties. Remove the bacon and chop. Toss in your onions and apples into the bacon pan. Add the water to degrease the pan, be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bacon. Once the onions are translucent, pour them into a large mixing bowl with your salmon, bacon, oats, flour, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. In the same frying pan, pour a tablespoon of grease back into it, and bring it up to medium heat. Take a ball of mixture about 2 inches in diameter and flatten into a 3/4 inch disk. Place into your frying pan. You can add multiple patties, but there should be about an inch around each patty for even frying and maneuvering. You will probably need to do this in several batches, adding more grease as needed. Fry each patty until golden brown on each side. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Once all patties are fried, finish them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

The classic preparation for a salmon patty is in a drop biscuit with yellow mustard, but you can eat them in any way. In the picture above, I used a dijon mustard with capers and honey.

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-10-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

With the last rays of summer drifting away, I am slowly, slowly adapting to fall. Actually, I think I'm getting into fall, and then, with a new week, another cold front moves in and I want summer back all over again! So, clinging to the last warmth of the year, but acknowledging that summer is gone and we need something hearty, I'm sharing my Quinoa Stuffed Tomato recipe.

Quinoa, if you haven't already heard of it, is an amazing Peruvian grain. I use it like couscous, and it's so much better for you. It's a fantastic source of protein, and it takes flavor wonderfully!

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes

1/2 Onion, Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Cup of Quinoa (Black or White or Mixed, as Shown Above)

2 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 Tablespoon of Butter

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

4 Tablespoons of Crumbled Feta Cheese

Salt to Taste

Cooking:

Slice the tops off the tomatoes, just at the apex of the curve so that you have a nice bowl shape. Take the tops and dice the edible bits to reserve. Scoop out the innards of the tomatoes carefully with a spoon and place those with the diced tops. You may need a knife to cut away the spines from the outer walls of the tomato.

In a small dutch oven, pour in your olive oil and saute your onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add in the the reserved tomato guts, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir for another minute. Add in the quinoa, butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the stock is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add salt to your taste. Removed the quinoa from the stove.

On a baking sheet, place your 4 tomato bowls. Fill them with the quinoa mixture and top with a tablespoon of feta. Place into an oven at 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the feta is browned just slightly at the top.

Lavender Chai Tea

2011-09-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

With the advent of fall, I start thinking of amazing warm drinks. A fantastic blog, called Three Many Cooks, wrote a post in January this year called Spiced Chai Concentrate. It's one of the best tea recipes I've ever tasted, and you can make it at home! It's better than any chain-coffee-store chai that I've tried. It's also very adaptable! I don't particularly like the orange flavor in my tea, so the recipe I used below leaves that out. While I was in Chicago this summer, my friend, James, introduced me to another awesome version of chai, Lavender Chai. Inspired, I decided to take the Spiced Chai Concentrate recipe and add my own lavender twist. While chatting with one of my foodie friends, Paul, he suggested infusing the milk with lavender. Brilliant!

Spiced Chai Concentrate

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of Strong Black Tea (I prefer Darjeeling or Ceylon, but if you don't have loose leaf tea, use 5 Twinings English Breakfast teabags)

4 Cups of Water

2 Cinnamon Sticks

10 Cloves

5 Allspice Berries

2 Star Anise

1 Teaspoon of Fresh Ginger

A Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

Cooking:

In a stock pot, pour in all of your ingredients except the honey, vanilla and sugar. Bring this to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat and cover for 15-20minutes. In a pitcher, pour in your honey, sugar and vanilla. With a mesh strainer, pour in your steeped tea into the pitcher. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. I like to store my tea in a resealable bottle. This will keep for at least a week, but I bet it won't last that long!

Lavender Cream

Ingredients:

4 Pieces of 3" Long Fresh Lavender

3/4 Cup of Half and Half

Cooking:

In a saucepan, pour in your half and half. Bring it to just barely simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the lavender pieces. Let sit until cool, then strain and store.

Lavender Chai Tea

Preparation:

Pour in the Spiced Chai Tea Concentrate to the Lavender Cream in a 2 to 1 ratio. Warm in the microwave or the stovetop. Enjoy!

*I want to add a note to this recipe. I'm aware that lots of the spices above can be expensive, but I recommend going to the Dekalb Farmer's Market for your spice source if you're in the Atlanta area. The spices are very affordable there! Also, all of these spices are great to have on hand if you like Indian food! If you don't have the whole spices in your cabinet, don't panic. I have made this using the ground versions with great success, you just need to strain it through a bit of cloth*

Chicago Edition/Best Brunch in My Life!

2011-08-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago with my husband. He was working for most of the trip, so I took advantage of my time alone and checked out some new (to me) eats. My first stop on the mini-culinary tour was a small, off-the-tourist-path place, called Jam. Jam is located in Chicago's West Town, on N. Damen Avenue, which is a hub of design-oriented shops. (Check out Design Sponge's Chicago guide for shop recommendations here.)

My rule for new places, is that I must try the weirdest thing on the menu that still sounds yummy. At Jam, I had a hard time deciding, as they offer Malted Custard French Toast! However, I decided that was not the most unusual thing on the menu and I went for the Lemon Cured Whitefish Quiche. I am not kidding when I say this was the best brunch item I have ever tasted! The quiche was built in terrine like layers, with the creamy egg on the bottom, whitefish ceviche in the center, and another layer of egg on top. The brightness of the lemon combined with the creamy egg and buttery crust was amazing! Alongside the quiche was a fantastic panzanella salad of bagel chips, more whitefish, pickled pearl onions and fried capers. I wanted to ask for another order to go for my hotel room, and another to take back with me on the plane. It was that good! And it didn't hurt that the little garden I dined in was super charming!

Next stop, Black Dog Gelato, also located on N. Damen, just a couple blocks down from Jam. It was a hot day and I needed something to cool off. I couldn't resist a sample of the bleu cheese-walnut-balsamic flavor, so creative and surprisingly tasty. In the end, I went for the cucumber-rose water alongside some cantaloupe gelato. The cucumber-rose water was light and refreshing, with that lovely, floral undertone. And the cantaloupe tasted as if they had frozen a whole cantaloupe and pureed it! Super fresh and fruity!

On my last day of the whirlwind trip, I wanted to stop by one of the local chef celebrity places. Grahamwich, is Graham Elliot's, whom you might recognize from Fox's Master Chef, sandwich shop. Again, I wanted to try something a little different. I'm a fan of a grilled cheese, but Chef Elliot's version sounded crazy! With Wisconsin Cheddar, Italian Proscuitto, Tomato Marmalade, Cheese Curds on a Pullman Loaf, it was a heart attack in a sandwich, but you will definitely die happy eating this grilled cheese. The tart tomato marmalade really came through and accented the salty proscuitto and creamy cheddar. The curds just added a bit more texture to the delicious, creamy ooziness.

I hope to share a Lavender Chai recipe from the yummy bakery that my friend took me to, and also, maybe he'll share the fantasticly creamy chocolate cupcake recipe he makes for them. It was incredible, and he told me that the secret is to strain the batter through a mesh sieve! Unbelievable!

I had a wonderful time in Chi-town and I can't wait to get back up there and try the hundreds of places I missed. It's an incredible city for food, and there's never enough time to try them all!

Bacon Corn Chowder

2011-08-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

With fresh summer corn almost disappearing for the season, I felt I should make some corn chowder. After tasting a version of this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma store, I wanted to give it a go. The sweet, creamy corn lends itself perfectly to pairing with salty, crunchy bacon!

Bacon Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1/2 Red Onion, Diced
6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
4 Strips of Bacon
3 Large Ears of Un-Shucked Corn
6 New Potatoes
64 Ounces of Chicken Stock
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
3 Sprigs of Thyme
2 Cups of Milk
Salt and Pepper

Cooking:

Fry your bacon until crispy on medium-heat. Reserve the bacon strips and pour 2 tablespoons of bacon grease into a large stock pot or dutch oven. Turn the pot to medium heat and add your onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent. Meanwhile, turn your oven to broil and place your ears of corn on the racks. Turn until the husks blacken a bit on all sides. This will steam the corn on the inside of the husk and add a smoky flavor. Remove the corn from the oven and discard the husks. Take a knife and cut the kernels from the cob. Add the potatoes, thyme, cayenne, stock, milk, cobs and kernels to your pot once the onions are translucent. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the cobs and sprigs of thyme from the pot. In a blender or food processor, puree all of the potatoes with half of the soup mix. Stir the blended mix back into the soup pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chop your reserved bacon into bits, pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle the bacon on top!

Fried Egg and Mushroom Toasts

2011-07-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

I think I may have said before, but Brunch is my most favorite meal! I just cannot think of a single thing wrong with a leisurely weekend morning that ends in a meal half-breakfast, half-lunch, especially when combined with a spicy Bloody Mary. Occasionally, I will make a tartine for a quick brunch. Tartines are open faced sandwiches, meaning they can be extra messy (in the best way) because you're not eating them with your hands. This is a recipe that I have basically adapted from Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home Series (my favorite cooking show.) You can watch their great mushroom hunt here. I love the idea of foraging in the woods for a good breakfast!

Fried Egg and Mushroom Tartine

Ingredients:

2 Pints of Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced

6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

6 Stems of Fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons of Butter

2 Tablespoons of Half and Half

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon of Hot Mustard

1 Teaspoon of White Wine Vinegar (or a Citrus Vinegar)

2 Slices of Buttered Toast

Salt and Pepper

Cooking:

Grab a frying pan, pour in your oil, and turn the stove heat to medium-high. You want to wait until the pan is nice and hot. Once hot, toss in your creminis, thyme and garlic. Stirring often, wait until the mushrooms have cooked down until nice and brown. They will be about half their original size. Add in your half and half and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Stir until the butter is melted, then pour into a bowl and set aside. Place your remaining butter in the mushroom pan and fry your eggs. Meanwhile, mix your yogurt, mustard, vinegar and a salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. To assemble, take your toasts and spread your yogurt sauce on, then top with your mushrooms, and finally your fried egg!

Puttanesca and Mice

2011-07-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been feeling the need for salty capers and olives with summer tomatoes. I've had Puttanesca twice this week, and I don't think it will stop there. It's by far one of my favorite quick pasta dishes to throw together. Since my best friend and I cooked some in Baltimore, it brings back wonderful memories, memories of red wine, setting up her fresh new apartment, and a delightful little mouse visitor! We were dining and feeling so proud of our accomplishments, when I looked over at the stove. A tiny mouse had crawled up from the gas eye and was checking out our leftovers. After I began sing-songing, "there's a mouse on the stove, there's a mouse on the stove...," my friend hopped up and shooed him away. Puttanesca will now, forever, remind me of her and that little guy!

Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients:

1/2 Vidalia Onion, Chopped

3 Anchovy Filets

4 Cloves of Garlic, 2 Very Thinly Sliced, 2 Minced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Capers

8 Black Kalamata Olives, Pits Removed and Chopped

1-1/2 Cups of Tomato Sauce

3 Tablespoons of Red Wine

1 Teaspoon of Sriracha Sauce, or Red Rooster Sauce

2 Cups of Fusili or Penne

2 Teaspoons of Salt

2 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan

Cooking:

Put a pot of water on to boil for your pasta. When the water comes to a boil, toss in your salt and cook the pasta according to the time on the package. I often use Trader Joe's organic pasta, which usually takes around 10-11 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your olive oil in a sauce pan on medium-high heat. Toss in your onions, and when they start sizzling, add your anchovy filets. Most people shy away from anchovies, and I'm one of them, except when you use them in a sauce like this. The anchovies will literally melt away and create a nice, dark flavor base for your sauce. Next add in your garlic, then your capers and olives. Once the onions are translucent, pour in your sauce. I like to use an organic spaghetti sauce here, usually a tomato basil version. Reduce the heat to low. Add your red wine and Sriracha sauce. Drain your pasta, but reserve a couple of tablespoons of the water. Add the pasta and reserved water to the sauce pan. Stir together and let the flavors meld for about 5-10 minutes. Serve into your bowls and top with some Parmesan. Enjoy mouse free!

Cheddar-Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-06-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, I have been perfecting my biscuit making. I was trained in proper Southern drop biscuit tradition, where you make a well in the flour, and dump in your fat and milk, swishing it all together with your fingers. While fun, the problem with this technique is that the ratio can lack precision and sometimes end in dry, crumbly biscuits; perfectly fine if you are making dressing, but not so delicious with Sunday supper. So, having found a buttermilk biscuit recipe that was delicious every time (that I didn't burn it,) I felt I needed to make it just a little more delicious with some cheddar and rosemary. I served these at a Low-Country Boil we had a couple of weeks ago, and the extra deliciousness seemed appreciated!

Cheddar-Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

2 Pinches of Sugar

2 Pinches of Salt

1/2 Cup of Grated Cheddar

1 Teaspoon of Rosemary, Finely Chopped

1 Stick of Butter, Chopped into Small Cubes

1 3/8 Cups of Buttermilk

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sift your dry ingredients together, then stir in your cheddar and rosemary until the flour evenly coats the ingredients. With a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers (I sometimes use all of the above,) mash your butter into your dry ingredients until the butter is crumbled into the flour in very small bits. It should look like fine gravel. Then add in your buttermilk. Fold with a rubber spatula until it just comes together, then turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or a knife into desired shapes. Place the biscuits on a Silpat or a greased cookie sheet and bake until the tops are golden brown or about 20 minutes. You can broil them at the end for a minute or 2 for extra color on the top, but this is where I always get into trouble and forget them. I have burned a batch almost every time I've made them! The broiler is my nemesis! So, don't make my mistakes and be sure to put a timer on!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes with Lime Curd Filling

2011-06-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

So, this is the culmination of my Strawberry-Rhubarb-Lime kick. As you might have read in my Lime Curd post, I made some of Martha Stewart's delicious Meyer Lemon Cupcakes for my cousin's wedding shower. I loved that surprise of the lemon curd on the inside, so for a summery and slightly different take, the rhubarb goes into the cake batter and icing, with the tart lime curd hidden in the center. It's perfect for a summer party!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes with Lime Curd Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs, Separated
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cake Flour (not self-rising)
1 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
1/2 Cup of Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
1 Cup of Lime Curd
Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream Icing (See Recipe Below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin, this recipe will make approximately 12 cupcakes. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Pour in your vanilla, then add egg yolks, one at a time until they are incorporated. Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl and slowly add these dry ingredients into your mixer while it's on low. Once the flour has just been incorporated, add in your Greek yogurt. Finally, add in the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Transfer this mixture to another large bowl and clean your mixing bowl, then dump in the egg whites. Mix your egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into your batter bowl, one-third of the egg whites at a time. Fill the muffin cups halfway and place in the oven to bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. (Approximately 20 minutes.) When the cupcakes have completely cooled, scoop out some of the center and spoon in a dollop of lime curd. Pipe your Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream on top. You can decorate with a strawberry or a bit of lime to hint at the hidden fruit.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cut into Small Pieces
1-3/4 Cups Confectioners' Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of salt
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/8 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup of Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Directions:

In your mixer, beat your butter until creamy and then slowly add the confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the milk, then the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote, and mix until smooth. Place into a piping back or resealable sandwich bag with the corner cut off and decorate away!

Delicious Delicious Lime Curd

2011-05-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Last year, for my cousin's wedding shower, I decided I needed to be ambitious and make Martha Stewart's Meyer Lemon Cupcakes from scratch. Making cupcakes for 50 people is exhausting, and I was so glad I cheated and bought lemon curd. Thinking on it more though, I felt I really should give the lemon curd a try, but maybe with limes, since I love limes even more! This is my Lime Curd recipe, based on Martha's Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. It's delicious in cupcakes, or on scones, or poundcake, or pancakes, or just straight from a spoon! I think I'm going to try some at the bottom of some panna cotta. I'm sure the creaminess would perfectly offset the tart limeyness.

Lime Curd

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Sugar

Zest of 2 Limes

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2.5 Ounces of Chilled Butter, Chopped into Small Cubes

Tools:

Instant Thermometer

Fine Mesh Strainer

Cooking:

In a mortar and pestle, grind your zest into your sugar. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can make do with a bowl and the back of a spoon. Prepare a bowl with ice water and set aside. Fill a saucepan or double boiler with water and bring to a simmer. Place a heat proof bowl on top and add your sugar, eggs and egg yolks. Whisk constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, add your juice and whisk until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat and add your butter one piece at a time. Once your butter is incorporated, put the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store the curd in a sealed container until ready for serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

2011-05-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

I LOVE rhubarb! Just a few years ago, rhubarb was introduced to me via an amazing pie with strawberries and huckleberries in Montana. A convert was born! Rhubarb is not a vegetable I grew up with and I am still amazed that something so celery-like can produce such a delicious, tart flavor.

I made this dish a few weeks ago to include in a cupcake recipe, but I've since been enjoying this sweet, summer compote on all kinds of goodies. It's wonderful over ice cream, biscuits, toast and even great on pound cake!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients:

6 Stalks of Rhubarb, Chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Pint of Strawberries, Roughly Chopped

1/2 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Cup of Water

Cooking:

In a saucepan, combine all your ingredients and bring to medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook the fruit down until the fibers are soft and it's a preserve-like consistency. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Cheese Chicken Roulades

2011-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by an appetizer that my mom has been making recently, marinated cream cheese. The marinade consists of roasted red peppers, onion and parsley, and it's wonderful on crackers. I started thinking it might be amazing stuffed into a chicken breast. I was right! This dish sounds fancy, but it's not that complicated and the cream cheese filling makes the chicken moist and delicious!

Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Cheese Chicken Roulades

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts
8 Ounces of Cream Cheese
1/2 Onion, Diced (Vidalia might be best for the sweetness)
7 Ounces of Roasted Red Pepper, Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon of Parsley, Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt and Pepper each
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Cooking:

Place your chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound with a heavy pan or meat pounder (flat side only) until the chicken is approximately 1/3" thick. You want to even out the meat for cooking. Next, in a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with the onions, roasted red peppers, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Once the cream cheese mixture comes together, spread an approximately 1/2" thick layer on each breast. Next, carefully roll one side of the chicken into the other, trying to keep majority of the cream cheese mixture inside. Secure the roll with either cooking twine, tooth pick or skewer. Season the outside of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet, pour in your olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Place your chicken breasts in the skillet, turning occasionally to brown it on all sides. You want to sear the exterior meat to add color and seal in the juices. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once your chicken is seared on all sides, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place a thermometer into the meat. Cook until 165 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and serve!

Home-made Pesto Butter

2011-05-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

I saw a post recently, on designsponge.com, about homemade butter, and it set me thinking. I haven't made butter since I was a child at camp, in those small jars which they told you to shake until your arm wants to fall off. After reading the post, it made me long for the amazingly fresh tasting butter, so I thought I would give it an adult try, but with a twist. I would normally make the pesto to go into the butter, but my basil is not quite big enough to harvest yet, so jarred pesto did the trick this time. This butter is great on baked potatoes, steak, toast, and all kinds of other things you want to make extra delicious!

Home-made Pesto Butter

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Cups of Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of Pesto
1/2 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

Preparation:

Let the heavy cream come to room temperature. The butter will not clump properly unless the cream comes to a temperature around 72 degrees. Pour the cream into an electric mixer and mix on medium until the butter separates from the liquid. This will take somewhere around 7 minutes. Pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer and allow the liquid to drain away from the solids. You can use the milk as you would buttermilk! Place the solids onto a cooking board and massage out the excess liquid by folding the butter in on itself several times with a rubber spatula. Move the butter to a mixing bowl and add your pesto and chili flakes. Mix until combined. Next you can place the butter into a dish, or you can put onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to serve. It will keep for a week or two in the fridge, but for a long while in the freezer!

Honey Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

2011-04-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

The other night our lovely neighbors had us over to their house for dinner. My husband and I scrambled around a bit coming up with something we could cook on the fly as a starter. I think our powers combined to make a fantastic dish! I've made it several times since and cannot get enough of the sweetness of the honey and the tartness of the tomato and goat cheese. It's definitely one for the rotation!

Honey Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1Tablespoon of Honey

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

3 Pinches of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Cups of Cherry Tomatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic

4 Tablespoons of Chevre (Creamy Goat Cheese)

2 Slices of Toast

Cooking:

Place your tomatoes on a cookie sheet with one of the cloves of garlic. Drizzle first the honey, then the olive oil over the tomatoes. Add the seasonings. Toss to coat the tomatoes evenly. Place the pan into the oven on broil. Watch the tomatoes carefully. You want a bit of char, but obviously, don't want them burned. Once they start to char a bit on the top and seem to be releasing the juices (this probably only will take a couple of minutes, depending on how hot your oven.) Give the tomatoes a stir, trying to get the non-charred side to the top and place back in the oven to finish cooking both sides. Take the tomatoes out and set aside. I don't own a toaster, so I toast my bread in the oven. After the bread is toasted, rub the top of the toast with the remaining garlic clove. This just gives the essence of garlic, without overwhelming the dish. Next spread each toast with 2 tablespoons of Chevre, then top with your tomatoes and drizzle some juice on top. Serve and enjoy!

Zesty Marinated Olives

2011-04-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Olives are one of my favorite foods and this has become one of my go to dishes for a quick and easy get-together. I love how fast it is to make, but also love that it looks a little fancy (at fancy, read: tongue in cheek.)

Zesty Marinated Olives

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Mixed Olives

4 Pieces of Lemon Zest

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

1 Clove of Garlic, Very Thinly Sliced (Think Goodfellas)

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and let sit at room temperature for 30 min to 1 hour before serving. So easy!

Summery Grilled White Fish Packets

2011-04-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love breaking this recipe out at the start of summer when the fresh heirloom tomatoes start coming off the vine. The citrusy lemon with the tangy tomatoes and flaky fish are so aromatic! It's always a crowd pleaser and it's so simple to put together! Though still a little early yet for summer heat, with sunny spring weather rolling in, it's delightful!

Tomato, Lemon and White Fish Packets for the Grill (or Oven)

Ingredients:

2 Fillets of Tilapia (or other white fish of choice! I have made this with Mahi-Mahi with equally delicious results)
1/2 Lemon, Sliced into Wedges
1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes, Split
8 Leaves of Basil
2 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled
2 Green Onions, Chopped
Salt and Pepper

Tools:
Aluminum Foil (or Parchment Paper in the Oven)

Cooking:
Lay out a 12" square piece of aluminum foil. Place your Tilapia right below the centerline of the foil. Salt and Pepper your fillet. Lay the basil leaves on top, and add one or two wedges of lemon. Add in half of the tomatoes and green onions, and one of the cloves of garlic. Fold the foil over the fish and vegetables, and begin at the left or right side, fold over the edges continuously until you make your way to the other side and the packet is completely sealed. Ideally, you want a bit of air in your packet, to allow the steam to cook the fish. Repeat with other fillet. Place the packet on a hot grill, or an oven at 350 degrees, for approximately 10 minutes. Open the packet and serve!

Crane Creek Vineyards

2011-03-20T08:14:00.001-07:00

I first visited Crane Creek Vineyards last fall, and was completely charmed by the unpretentious, scenic vineyard. Since last fall, I have been back three times! I cannot get enough of the relaxing atmosphere and the light, refreshing vinos.
Crane Creek Vineyards is located in Young Harris, Georgia, which is a short 2 hour drive from Altanta, or if you're staying in the mountains for the weekend, just 45 min from Blue Ridge. Seated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the vineyard's lovely grounds make the trip worth the car ride.
Being a wine novice, I get excited to soak up some wine knowledge, and at Crane Creek, the staff are great teachers. The full tasting, which can include up to 15 varietals, is only $3 a person! A super good value for an informative lesson on native Georgia grapes and the wines they can produce. Crane Creek grows 8 different grapes, including two native American varieties, Catawba and Norton.
On to the wines! My new favorite is the Seyval Blanc, with its light, crisp, green flavor reminding me of my trip to Barcelona. The Hellbender red varietal, which is made with the Norton grape, has won multiple awards. Sweet Sally, named after a beloved vineyard dog, is a wonderful white dessert wine made from the native Catawba grape. Last September, when it was about 90 degrees out, we bought a bottle of Sweet Sally and sat around the vineyard enjoying the view and the last of the summer heat.
The vineyard is laid back, and family friendly. You can order a glass of wine and the soup of the day, or a block of cheese, and sit out on Adirondack chairs facing the vines whiling the day away. It's a wonderful place to take friends, especially if they are from out of town, and at Crane Creek you have the opportunity to buy truly local wines that are also delicious!

Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Onions

2011-02-20T10:18:00.001-08:00

I usually buy a whole chicken when we want chicken. I buy organic meat as much as possible and it's often much cheaper to buy whole and butcher it yourself, which I must admit, I highly enjoy for some strange reason. Also, you get the added benefits of having the carcass for stock, the chicken livers for a nice appetizer and the bits off the boiled carcass (after making stock) for chicken salad! It's the gift that keeps on giving. This recipe is my favorite go-to recipe for the chicken breasts and legs. It's an adapted version of a recipe which I saw Mario Batali make on his road-trip through Spain. So easy and really tasty! I especially love it over buttery couscous.

Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Onions

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Onion, Halved then thinly sliced
2 large Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced
2 Dried Chiles
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Paprika
Salt and Pepper, for Seasoning Chicken
2 Chicken Legs and Thighs
2 Chicken Wings
1 Cup of White Wine (Do not use a wine that you wouldn't drink, because it will not be tasty in your food either)
1 Cup of Chicken Broth

Cooking:

In a large Dutch Oven, pour in your olive oil, and toss in your onions, chilis and garlic. Saute until these are translucent and starting to brown slightly. Meanwhile, season your chicken pieces on both sides with the cumin, paprika and salt and pepper. Once the onions have a slight bit of color on them, add in your chicken pieces, making sure that the chicken is touching the bottom of the pan. Your trying to brown them a bit, so you can sort of slide the onions aside. When the chicken is golden brown on both sides, add in your roasted red peppers. Next pour in your liquids. Turn the heat down to med-low and cover. Cook for 40 minutes and you will have unbelievably moist tasty chicken with a sauce that is fantastic over any starch you care to use as a side!

Dark Chocolate Torte with Chambord Cream

2011-02-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

I have recently noticed more and more people with gluten allergies. This is a really delicious dessert which is gluten free, but will also appeal to gluten lovers. It's very dark and rich, which makes the light and fluffy Chambord cream a perfect compliment. It's also very easy to make!

Dark Chocolate Torte

Ingredients:

16 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chopped or Chips
1 Cup of Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons of Chambord
9 Eggs, Separated
1 Cup of Sugar

Tools:

9" Spring Form Pan
1 Round of Parchment Paper, Cut to fit the inner bottom of the pan

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a double boiler, or if you don't have one, I use a pyrex bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water, pour in your chocolate bits, butter and Chambord. Melt slowly while stirring. Turn off heat once completely melted and allow to cool. Rub butter across the interior of a spring form pan very uniformly.Place your parchment paper inside the pan and smooth across the bottom. In a mixer, whip your egg whites into soft peaks. Remove from mixing bowl and set aside. Add to the mixing bowl your egg yolks and sugar, mix until a creamy, soft lemon color. Add 1/3 of your yolk mixture into your chocolate and combine. Repeat with remaining thirds until the mixture is incorporated. Remove 1/3 of this mixture and reserve for icing. To the remaining yolk/chocolate mixture, fold in 1/3 of your egg whites very gently. Once it is just incorporated, add another 1/3, and repeat until all the egg whites have been incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for approximately 45 min, until the sides start to pull away just slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Unlatch spring form sides, and gently lift away. Place a cake plate upside down on the cake top and pick up the whole assembly and flip gently. Remove spring form bottom and parchment paper. Ice the top of the cake with the reserved batter from earlier.

Chambord Cream

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Chambord

Cooking:

In a mixer, whip all of the ingredients on high speed until cream forms peaks. Cut your cake and serve with a huge dollop of Chambord Cream on top!

When You Don't Have the Energy to Cook

2011-02-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I work a full-time job during the day, and sometimes that means I get home around 8pm or later. On those days, it's really nice if you have something in the fridge that can be quickly warmed up. My go-to dish recently has been this Spicy Carrot and Tomato soup. It's dead simple and you can make a huge batch to store for the week. In the winter, I use canned tomatoes, but in the summer you could use fresh.

Spicy Carrot and Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Dried Chilis, Crushed
1 Bunch of Carrots, Chopped into 1/2"-3/4" pieces
1 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
4 Cups of Broth, Your Choice
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream (You can substitute milk for a lighter version.)
Salt and Pepper and Your Favorite Hot Sauce to Taste (I use a Habenero version because I like it hot!)

Cooking:
In a large Dutch oven, toss in your olive oil, onions, chilis and garlic. Sweat the onions on medium heat until they are translucent, then add the carrots and Herbes de Provence. Cook the carrots until they have a glossy, bright orange color, just a few more minutes. Add in the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are fork tender, meaning you can easily slide a fork into one, usually about 30-40min. Remove the soup from the stove top. Let cool slightly. Use a stick blender or your regular blender and puree until smooth. Add the cream and seasonings. You can serve right away, or put it in the freezer or fridge.

Local Chocolate for Valentine's? Hit up Cacao

2011-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

While I fully comprehend that Valentine's Day was created to sell cards and things covered in hearts, alongside frightfully overpriced red roses, sometimes it's really wonderful to receive a little gift from someone you love, right as the winter doldrums start taking their toll. Since this item is on my Valentine's wish list, I wanted to share the goodness.
Cacao Laboratoire opened in 2009 as the storefront of Chef Kristen Hard's chocolate company K Chocolat. Chef Hard had sold her artisan truffles wholesale for 5 years before opening the delightful Inman Park boutique, sharing those truffles with the general public. The chef spent years researching chocolate, mainly from the Caribbean, and is now hailed as the first southern bean-to-bar producer.
So, as I'm sure you've realized at this point, this is not a quantity-over-quality-Whitmans-box-o'-chocolates type of place. Each piece of chocolate is carefully conceived and handcrafted. They are precious, but the outstanding flavors are worth it. They are special treats to be savoured with a cup of tea, or a mug of coffee, or after a delicious meal.
Favorites so far have been the: Lemon Curd, not the first chocolate-citrus combination that comes to mind, but is wonderfully bright tasting; the Fig Preserve and Balsamic, the fig comes through first with a delicate sweetness, and then you get the faint tang of the balsamic; and also, the Blueberry Beet, which is very subtle, sweet with the slight spice of the beet coming through at the end.
If you're thinking chocolate, I recommend giving Cacao a look. It's really wonderful to have something locally produced and that is so lovingly created.

Another Awesome Neighborhood Joint: H. Harper Station

2011-01-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

The Fox Confessor

Reynoldstown is a small neighborhood just south of Little 5 Points, and it now also happens to be my neighborhood. I spent my entire childhood in the suburbs of Atlanta, a short 20 minute drive from the city, but never knew that Atlanta had these amazing unique communities all over the city.
Reynoldstown began as a community of freed slaves after the Civil War, who worked for the railroad. The neighborhood is named after Madison and Sarah Reynolds, one of the first families to settle in the area. The community has deep, southern roots and the residents are proud to be a part of such a rich, historical district.
Reynoldstown suffered alongside the decline of the railroads in the 1950s, but currently it is undergoing a revival. Old homes, like mine, are being repaired and loved, and best yet, great businesses are moving in. There's Wonderroot, a local arts co-operative, and there's hope of Eye-Drum coming, as well. It is also the home of the Trees Atlanta amazingly eco-friendly headquarters.
About a month ago, H. Harper Station opened on Memorial Drive. H. Harper Station is the newest venture from Lush Life Group: Chef Duane Nutter, Reginald Washington and Mixologist Jerry Slater. The old train depot has been respectfully re-fitted with moody lighting, heavy oak and deep comfy booths. The menu is full of local southern comfort food, and there are over 40 signature cocktails.
Some of my favorites on the cocktail menu are: the Amulet, which is Hendrick's Gin, Apricot Brandy, Dolin Dry, Grapefruit and Pernod Absinthe; the Fox Confessor, which is Karlsson's Gold, Muscadine Shrub, Black Pepper Syrup and Peychaud's Bitters; and the Calexico, which is Don Diego Reposado, Pineapple, Jalepeno Syrup, and Aztec Chocolate Bitters. Every drink I have tasted has complex flavor; combining sweet, bitter, sour and fragrant notes together in a clever way.
On the food menu, I'm always a fan of cheese, and I love that their cheese board is from Georgia. We have wonderful local producers of cheese and it's great to see someone showcasing the delicious dairy products. I also enjoyed the country ham plate on the starter menu. My favorite entree has been the pork belly with crawfish over creamy grits. It's not so much bacon that you feel ill after eating it, and the crawfish are wonderfully saucy over the starchy grits. My family loves the burger, which comes with a huge helping of crisp tater tots.
If Reynoldstown is undergoing a revival, H. Harper Station is just the sort of congregationalist that I am hoping we will draw.

Pacci's Caesar of a Different Color

2011-01-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about food blogging in Atlanta is the amazing Atlanta Food Bloggers Alliance. There is something really lovely about the camaraderie that exists between people who have true passion about food. Yesterday, I was able to join the AFBA at Pacci.
Pacci is run by Executive Chef Kiera Moritz. She has a simple, straight-forward approach to classic Italian cuisine, stating that there are rarely more than 5 ingredients on a plate which leaves her kitchen. While simple, the dishes we tasted were fresh, and flavorful. We started with a Grilled Caesar Salad (pictured above,) followed by Strozzapreti (gnocchi,) and finished with Brown Butter Pear Crespelle (the Italian version of Crepes.) It was a pleasure to watch chef and her team work in harmony to prepare each dish.
Pacci was very generous and shared with us their recipes for the dishes we tasted. I have posted the Grilled Caesar here, because it was my favorite. I really love the char taste from the grill with the amazingly fresh Caesar dressing.

Pacci's Grilled Caesar Salad

Dressing:

Ingredients:

1 Coddled Egg (An egg that has been placed in boiling water for exactly 1 minute)
1 Clove Garlic, Chopped Finely
8 Anchovy Fillets, Chopped
1-1/2 Tablespoons of Worchestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Fresh Black Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

In a bowl, mash the garlic with a fork or pestle. Add in the anchovy, Worchestershire, mustard, lemon and egg. Stir until completely incorporated. With a whisk, whip the mix while adding in a slow, steady stream the olive oil. The dressing should have a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

To Prepare Salad:

Slice Romaine heads into halves, and place on grill or broil on high until the edges have a light char. Drizzle dressing across, add shaved Parmesan and croutons and you are ready to dig in!

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

2010-12-29T16:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was able to make it over to Empire State South. It was a fantastic experience; truly one of the best meals I've had in a long time. While there, I tried some of their boiled peanut hummus. It was great! Like Mediterranean peanut butter. After thinking about the boiled peanut hummus, I realized that maybe Black-Eyed Peas would be another yummy, southern-take on hummus. I spread some on a toasted slice of bread with some watermelon radishes and carrots from our co-op for a delicious and healthy southern lunch!

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Hydrated Black-Eyed Peas
1 Cup of Hydrated Chickpeas
5 Cloves of Garlic
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Tahini Paste
2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cooking:

If you'd like to use dried peas, place them in a bowl, submerge until there is an inch of water on top of the peas, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and soak overnight. To begin cooking, place the strained peas in a pot with water covering them by an inch or two. Add the cloves of garlic, no need to peel. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Strain out the liquid, but reserve 3 tablespoons. Place the peas into your food processor, add the other ingredients, including the reserved cooking liquid, and puree to your desired texture. Salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!

A Cocktail to Ring in the New Year

2010-12-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

My husband and I went crafty for our holiday gifts this year, making soap and infusing brandy. The brandy was really great, and feeling inspired by a drink at Cakes and Ale, I decided to come up with a custom cocktail to celebrate the New Year.

Quince-Pear Holiday Brandy (makes one pint)

Ingredients:

1/2 Anjou Pear, Sliced into 4 Pieces
1/2 Quince, Sliced into 2-3 Pieces
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1/4 Vanilla Bean
3 Allspice Berries

Preparation:

Place all of the ingredients into a pint sized canning jar, then cover with brandy, leaving approximately 1/2" of space at the top of the jar, place lid on jar and let cure for 6 weeks. It's actually delicious at 4, but 6 is ideal, if you can wait.

The Brandy Resolution

Ingredients:

1/2 Ounce Blood Orange Bitters
1 Ounce Infused Brandy
1 Ounce Orange Juice
1 Egg White
Cinnamon to Garnish

Preparation:

Place all of the wet ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously to foam up the egg white and pour into a martini glass. Add cinnamon to your liking. Drink up!

Happy New Year!

A Chocolatey Twist on my Grandmom's Poundcake

2010-12-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

We have passed this simple pound cake recipe down three generations, if not more, and I thought about humbly trying to improve upon the classic. I loved it! The cream cheese addition makes the cake wonderfully moist. Even after a week, it was still delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Cups of All Purpose Flour, Plus a Bit More for Flouring the Bundt Pan
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1 Pinch of Salt
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Stick of Butter, Room Temperature
2 Eggs
1 Package of Cream Cheese
1 Cup of Milk
1/2 Package of Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (Or chop your favorite dark chocolate bar into chips and add instead)
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Paste

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together all the dry ingredients (sugar is always considered a wet ingredient.) In your electric mixer, put in the stick of butter and the sugar and cream together on medium speed. Add the eggs, then cream cheese, then milk. Blend until smooth. Slowly add in the sifted dry material, a little at a time, to the wet mix, until it's all incorporated. Add your chocolate chips and vanilla paste, blend until just incorporated. You do not want to over mix. Meanwhile, take your bundt pan and smear the entire inside surface with butter, then put in a bit of flour and shake around the pan until all inner surfaces are coated in flour. Pour your batter into the bundt pan, and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the sides start to pull away from the pan and a knife comes out of the cake without any batter attached (you will see some melted chocolate on the knife, which is fine, but you don't want any wet batter on the knife.) Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, run a knife around the sides and the center of the pan, then place a cake plate on top of the pan, and flip the cake out. It should release easily if the pan was evenly floured. Serve hot! To store the cake leftovers, I recommend covering and placing into the refrigerator. A cold slice can sometimes make a delicious breakfast treat!

Local North Ga Smoked Trout Spread

2010-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

On our last visit to the farmer's market, my husband picked up some North Georgia Smoked Trout, of which he cannot seem to get enough. Feeling inspired to do something a little different, I experimented and came up with this spread. I was so tickled with the results. It's creamy, tangy and delicious, but best of all, super easy!
It's great on onion flatbread, or crackers, or even little toast points. I had some the next day on toast with a fresh tomato sliced on top, it was so good!

Ingredients:

1 Fillet of North Georgia Smoked Trout
1 Package of Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon of Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of Buttermilk
2 Chopped Green Onions
1/2 Teaspoon of Lemon Zest
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

Remove the skin from your fillet and toss into the food processor with all the other ingredients except Salt and Pepper. Puree until a smooth, spread consistency, then add salt and pepper to your liking.

Burgers Straight from the Farm

2010-11-29T16:58:00.001-08:00

So, with freshly clogged arteries from all the Thanksgiving excesses, I'm thinking what everyone is craving is a hunk of beef! My husband and I went to Farmburger again a few nights ago, and it was just as fantastic the second time around.
Farmburger opened a little less than a year ago in downtown Decatur, and have been cranking out quality burgers ever since. People who know me, know that I don't eat burgers, but over the last couple of years, I have come to make exceptions for the really excellent variety. Farmburger fits that bill.
They only serve 100% grassfed beef at Farmburger, and source as many local and sustainable sides and toppings as possible. Also on offer, a quinoa burger and a chicken burger, two great options for the non-beef lovers. Each week, the menu offers six blackboard burgers of Chef Terry Koval's creation, which are delicious combinations like: house cured-bacon, a sunny side up egg, pepper jack, and salsa verde.
The other burger option is to create your own from a large variety of sustainable and local options. Here's the burger I created this time: 100% grassfed burger, pickled jalepenos, smoked paprika mayo, crispy red onions and Sweet Grass Asher Blue Cheese. The tangy saltiness of the blue cheese with the spicy jalapenos and crunchy onions combined beautifully with the buttery beef. My favorite side has been the fried okra, but the fresh french fries are also pretty tasty.
Farmburger is a model for which other burger joints should aspire: good food, locally and sustainably sourced.

Amazing Cupcakes!

2010-11-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I had the wonderful opportunity of joining my fellow members of the Atlanta Food Blogger's Alliance at the lovely Chocolate Pink. Chocolate Pink began 5 years ago as the brainchild of Pastry Chef Christian Balbierer and Michael Goodrich. They were driven to create a dessert shop of quality, hand-made, from scratch pastry available to the general public. They have definitely succeeded.
The AFBA was invited to participate in the first ever Chocolate Pink Cupcake Tasting Contest. Everyone present was able to taste 8 amazingly inventive cupcake flavors: Chocolate Fudge, Sweet Potato with Brown Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Nutella, Dulce de Leche, Pumpkin Maple with Bacon, Strawberry Pop-Tart, and Cookies 'n Cream. Incredibly enough, they offer even more cupcake flavors on their everyday menu!
Of the eight flavors, I thought Strawberry Pop-Tart was outstandingly original, and it tasted just like a Pop-Tart's sophisticated city cousin. The icing was light and airy, but creamy and buttery, as well, because Chocolate Pink uses a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (which I have to learn to make!) The strawberry jam swirled beneath the icing evoked just the right amount of tartness, and the cookie on top added a great crunch. Another favorite was the Chocolate Peanut Butter, which tasted just like a certain peanut butter filled cup. There was a layer of creamy peanut butter buttercream, with a layer of chocolate ganache below and a roasted peanut on top. The textures were fantastic together, and this cupcake won the vote for Best Overall Cupcake. My other two favorites, while the flavors may seem odd, were Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Maple, which I loved more than the Chocolate Peanut Butter!
Another cool thing about Chocolate Pink Cupcakes are the variety of icing and cake base combinations. There are 7-8 different types of cake bases used. These are not your grocer's boxed cupcake mix!
So...enough waxing on about all those cupcake flavors. I have good things to share! I am posting a coupon below for one free cupcake, no purchase required, with an additional 25% off anything else you might like to purchase in the store AND the recipe for the amazing Chocolate Pink Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake! They were so generous to share this with us and I hope that you will enjoy this in your own home!

Winter Means Soup

2010-11-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

When cold weather starts coming in, I want warm soup in my belly. Having heard similar sentiments from others, time to time as well, I wanted to share a new recipe I've been making this year. The butternut squash is local, and organic, which I think imparts a special something to the soup. It's always an exciting challenge to see what I can do with the items that come in from our weekly co-op, but sometimes I don't have the energy to do a huge involved meal and I think this simple soup is a great fix for a down-trodden soul at the end of a long work day.

Creamy Butternut Squash Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 Medium Butternut Squash, Halved and Seeded
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (Plus a couple more for roasting the squash)
1/2 Onion, Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
2 Teaspoons of Herbes de Provence
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne
6 Cups of Chicken Stock (Or stock of your choice)
1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
Salt to Taste
1/2 Cups of Heavy Cream

Cooking:
To roast the squash, (you can do this several days in advance if you like,) halve and seed, then drizzle a bit of olive oil across the flesh and massage the oil on the cut face. Place the 4 parts onto a baking sheet, cover with foil and roast in the oven on 350 degrees for approximately an hour, or until a fork slides very easily into the flesh. Remove and let cool. (I wrapped mine in foil and kept it in the fridge for a couple of days until I was ready for the soup.) In a dutch oven, toss your onions, garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, Herbes de Provence, Paprika, and Cayenne. Continue to cook on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. You just want the paste flavors to come together and build a base. Meanwhile, scrape the flesh from your squash with a spoon and add it to the pot. Stir the squash into the paste to combine and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the stock and vinegar. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Puree the soup with a stick blender, or in a regular blender. Finally, stir in your cream.

Super Delicious Pan-Latino Sandwich Shop

2010-10-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

I have decided that the very long name, Super Pan-Latino Sandwich Shop, is just not long enough. Maybe it should read: Super Heavenly Pan-Latino Sandwich Shop, or Super Amazing Pan-Latino Sandwich Shop. I just can't make up my mind, but I have decided that the food at Hector Santiago's tiny sandwich place is off-the-charts good!
The first time I visited, I went straight for the specials. I had a smoked trout tostada, with trout caviar, dill creme fraiche and habernos. It was salty, tangy, spicy, and even a little sweet from the caviar; a wonderfully balanced sandwich. In addition to the tostada, I added a the salad special which consisted of avocado, jicama, coconut shavings, jalepenos and watermelon. These ingredients seem mildly shocking to the tongue, heat and sweetness combining with the creamy avocado, but they were mixed by a master. I have also had the pork buns, and I really enjoyed the sweet heat of the pork belly marinade on an unbelievably soft, fluffy bun.
I have only been twice so far, but I dream of it each week. The flavors are really inventive and extremely fresh and for under $10 you can have a stand-out Top-Chef lunch in Atlanta! They are open Tues-Fri 11:30-2:30. I suggest going earlier or later, as it can get crowded very quickly. Run, don't walk!

Summer Can't Be Over!

2010-09-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

The end of summer is always very tough for me to acknowledge. I LOVE fall, but with fall comes the threat of winter. So, before the leaves turn and before I turn my garden, I wanted to share an awesome dough recipe for a galette, or rustic tart, in which I used the last of my summer produce. I saw this recipe on Julia Childs but decided to modify it ever so slightly, I used buttermilk instead of water. You could put anything into this tart. I chose a little tomato sauce, ground beef, onions and peppers mixed with ricotta, then topped with fresh tomato slices and a thick slice of fresh mozzarella. Basically, it was an open topped calzone, but with a cornmeal crunchy crust.

Galette Dough

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of Sour Cream
1/3 Cup of Buttermilk
1 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons of Cornmeal
1 Teaspoon of Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
7 Tablespoons of Butter, Cut into Small Pieces

Cooking:

Mix the sour cream and buttermilk together in a bowl and set aside. Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the butter small bits at a time, and crush into the dry mix with a fork, aiming for pieces of butter that range in size from bread crumbs to small peas. Slowly mix in the wet sour cream mixture into the dry, gently bringing it all together. The dough should be just moist enough to come together, if not, add a small amount of water at a time to reach that point, being careful not to over moisten. Gently knead the dough together into a ball, then divide in half and wrap in plastic, place in fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.

After this, you can roll out the dough to 1/4 thickness and add sugar and berries or pears or apples for a dessert galette. Or add any number of savory fillings, like leeks and mushrooms and goat cheese, or zucchini and parmesan. The possibilities are endless with this awesome, versatile recipe.

The Joys of Having Awesome Neighbors

2010-09-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

The other night, our wonderful neighbors came over to join us for a one of our patented "what do you have in your fridge?" dinners. I LOVE these dinners! They're creative and usually very local, but best of all, they're casual and cheap. There's not a lot of pressure and it's lovely to enjoy home-cooked food with fun people. This last dinner, we were swimming in our local, organic butternut squash, and since we also had some leftover risotto (arborio) rice and bacon, I decided to make some Butternut Squash Risotto. It's a lot of stirring, but so worth it.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients: 1 Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cubed
3 Strips of Bacon, Chopped
6 Garlic Cloves, Minced 1 Onion, Diced
2 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups of Risotto or Arborio Rice
6 Cups of Stock (Your Choice, but I like Chicken)
1-1/2 Cups of Pecorino Romano Cheese, Finely Grated (You could substitute Parmesan)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cooking:
Throw your squash into a pot of salted boiling water. Cook until fork tender, meaning when a fork slides easily into the squash, approximately 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a big pot, toss in your bacon, garlic and onion and saute until the onion is translucent. After the squash is done, strain and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle the honey and olive oil over the squash, then sprinkle with the paprika and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat and throw it in the oven at 400 degrees until the squash starts to brown slightly on the edges. Into the pot, add your rice. Stir until the rice is glossy and almost translucent. Smash your squash into a mash, then add to the rice. Add 1/2 cup of stock. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat with stock and stirring until the rice is cooked through. This is usually about 30 minutes. You may need less or more stock, it's all about how al dente you like your rice. Finally, once the rice is cooked to your liking, add the grated cheese, of which you could reserve a little for topping. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve and top with the remaining cheese.

Slim Pickings Yield Delicious Results

2010-07-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, our pantry and fridge stock had grown a little low, but I did have some amazing local carrots, and some yummy yellow currant tomatoes from my own garden. Earlier that day at lunch, my friend had some fantastic looking black bean soup, so I decided to try to make a local organic version. I was pleasantly surprised at the tasty the results!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 Onion, Diced (I used Vidalia for extra sweetness.)
2 Carrots, Diced
2 Cans of Black Beans
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup of Currant Tomatoes (Or chopped regular tomatoes if you don't have the currant variety)
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin
1-1/2 Cup of Water
1 Chili Pepper, Minced (Optional)
Sour Cream for Topping
Cilantro for Garnish

Cooking:
In a Dutch Oven, pour in the olive oil and toss in the garlic, cumin, carrots, chili pepper and onion. Saute until the onion is translucent. Add the black beans, water and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a bit of chopped cilantro.

Vacation Road Snack

2010-07-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Since I'm on vacation today, and we're heading up to the mountains, I decided to make a little road trip snack. A lot of people seem amazed when I tell them that I bake pancakes or muffins from scratch, but the truth of the matter is, it's really simple. There aren't that many more steps than buying the bag of mix (with who knows what added in) and pouring in your milk. This recipe took me approximately 15 minutes to stir up the batter and then 20 to bake. And the results were absolutely worth the extra 10 minutes I put into the batter!

Blueberry Almond Muffins
Makes 12 Large Muffins

Ingredients:

Dry:
2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup of Wheat Bran (Optional)
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Grated Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds
1-1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries

Wet:
1-1/4 Cups of Milk
1 Large Egg
2/3 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla (or if you have it, Vanilla Paste, which has the lovely vanilla seeds)
6 Tablespoons of Melted Butter

Cooking:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all of your wet ingredients together (sugar is always considered a wet ingredient in baking.) Then add the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and mix just until the batter comes together. Don't over mix, it should look lumpy and thick. Grease your muffin pan, and spoon your batter evenly across the 12 muffins. Sprinkle a bit of light brown sugar and cinnamon across the tops if you like, then bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife poked into the muffin comes out clean.

Cajun Meets Fresh

2010-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my grandfather would take trips down to Louisiana for a few days, and he would come back with several cooler loads of crawfish, gator and other seafood. We would all gather at his house with the smells of semi-authentic Cajun food filling the air. Granddad never worked off a recipe, but everything was always delicious. When I cook my Gumbo now, it takes me back to those halcyon days, and life does not seem better than when I take a great big, spicy bite!

Gumbo (Simple)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Flour
2 Bay Leaves
4 Carrots, Diced
3 Stalks of Celery, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
5 Green Onions, Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Thai Hot Peppers
1 lb. of Andouille or Chorizo
1 lb. Crawfish
3 Tomatoes, Diced
1 lb. Okra, Chopped
1 Can of Chicken Stock
1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon Cumin
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Separately prepare some risotto or arborio rice.

Cooking:
In a big Dutch Oven, on medium heat, toss in your flour, bay leaves, some cracked black pepper, and butter. Stir often until the butter is the color of cafe au lait. Add in your carrots, celery, onion, green onions, Thai Hot Peppers and garlic. Take the links of sausage and pinch out 1" balls of meat into the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are translucent, continue stirring often. Next toss in your okra and tomatoes, with the tomato juices and seeds. Cook for approximately 3 more minutes. Add in the chicken broth, crawfish, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, or until the crawfish are pink and cooked through. Add salt to taste.
Grab a bowl, spoon in some rice and pour some Gumbo on top!

My Garden Delights

2010-06-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

So, I feel I have been a bit remiss in my storytelling on this blog. One of the things most important to me about food, besides taste, of course, is sustainability. All of my friends hear me constantly harp on organic and local food, but I'm not sure that I have conveyed that passion here. Let me correct that mistake.

I love food, but it's so important to me that I eat organic and if possible, locally grown food. I belong to a great local, organic co-op (see previous post on Vegetable Husband) and in the past couple of years, one of my favorite past times has been toiling away in the garden for the freshest, most local food I can get. I'm out there almost every morning with my faithful guard dog, who has also gotten very fond of our gardening routine, checking each plant, trying to decide what I should do next, scouring for a fresh vegetable that might be ripe for plucking.

This year, my most successful so far, I started my seeds, most from Seed Savers Exchange, from scratch in the office under a fluorescent light. I found myself tending to those seeds more carefully than some people would a baby. They had to have a heater, and a certain amount of light each day. I almost cried when I had to thin them out.

Then, once the last frost was over, I tenderly began planting them into the gorgeous raised beds that my husband built right in our tiny front yard. We learned last year that while our backyard has the most space, it also has the least sun. I started listening to WHYY's You Bet Your Garden radio show, I read Organic Gardening from cover to cover, and I even started listening to the BBC's Gardener's Question Time podcast (which, admittedly, is a bit silly considering the growing conditions are so very different, but I just love those British accents!) I cannot get enough information about the very best way to grow perfect, organic produce.

And this week, all that hard work and knowledge has started to pay off! I harvested some green Ponderosa tomatoes to fry up for my family this past father's day, and today, I harvested my very first ever okra, along with some lovely, tiny Gold Rush tomatoes. The okra is so handsome, it's an heirloom variety, called Red Burgundy. I cannot wait to fry some up!

It really is so very exciting to step out of your front yard and pluck something ready to eat, and more importantly, you learn to appreciate the enormous amount of work and resources that go into every single bite you consume. Food is one of our most important investments, we eat it every single day, it keeps us healthy and strong, and without our health, we have nothing!

The Shed at Glenwood

2010-06-01T19:06:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite restaurants in town is The Shed at Glenwood. I'm always quick to share the restaurant with my friends if they're looking for a fantastic local joint. Chef Lance Gummere uses local produce and meats as much as possible, and often, there are meats that you won't find in other Atlantan restaurants. He is a self-professed lover of fried chicken hearts!
My favorite night, and many others' favorite, is Wednesday night Slider Night. Chef Gummere offers an ever-changing seasonal menu of $3 sliders. On a recent visit, I tried a barbecued goat meat slider. I know a lot of people would be squeamish at the idea of eating goat, but you really cannot go wrong with a good barbecue. The meat was tender and delicious, with a flavor very similar to lean beef. I also recommend the fried green tomato, the white truffle chicken salad, and the chicken liver sliders. I love it when chefs take parts of an animal, which are thrown out by most people, and turn them into something delectable.
If you are a true locavore, I recommend Thursday night's Harvest Night. The Shed selects a variety of farm fresh, local vegetables from which you can choose 4 for $10. It's an excellent value and I've had amazing things like buttery sunchokes and heirloom tomatoes. I think it's one of the best vegetarian meals you can get in the city.
Last, but certainly not least, please save room for the Homemade Ding Dong, (the name of which I'm sure the waiters bemoan endlessly.) The cream center is cold and rich, surrounded by moist chocolate cake, and covered in thick ganache. It's one of my all-time favorite desserts!

Toronto Edition

2010-05-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Pork Ramen Bowl

Toronto has been on my food radar for a very long time due to the fantastic television show, "Made to Order," chronicling the Rubino brothers' adventures in haute Asian fusion cuisine. Imagine my delight when I was able to travel there for work, and finally sample some great food! Unfortunately, Rain, the Rubino brothers' restaurant in "Made to Order" has since closed, but Guy and Michael have opened a new venture called, Ame.
My boss and I cabbed it over to Ame, to have some stellar Japanese food. We started the meal with shitake mushroom tempura, elegantly staked on nails. If you were able to get past the sadistic presentation, the tempura was fantastic: crispy and light and flavorful, all the things that should be tempura. My boss ordered the teriyaki cornish hen, which was nicely cooked, and a fresher take on the sickly sweet teriyaki options normally found, but I loved my pork ramen bowl. The pork was buttery, the noodles were firm, and the broth was deliciously salty. Until I can go to Japan, I really felt that this was the closest I am going to get to great ramen.

Bar Chef Martini Three Ways

After Ame, I left my boss at the hotel, grabbed my Agatha Christie, and headed for BarChef. Recently written up in Food and Wine as one of the best new innovative bars in the world, I could not pass up the opportunity.
When you walk into the dark bar, the first thing you notice is the chemist-like array of bitters and liqueurs lined across the bar and back wall. Frankie Solarik is known for his molecular creations, so I had the Bar Chef Martini Three Ways to start. I will explain it as my barchef, Aaron, explained it to me. The center drink is the classic martini with vodka and olives to act as your base, then proceed to the black olive ice in the spoon to the left, and then back to the center, then proceed to the glass on the left, which is the olive air martini, then back to the center, then on to the spoon on the right, which is your liquidized olive yolk, then back to the center, then on to the glass on the right, which is the rosemary infused vodka martini. This seems a bit pretentious and avant garde all at the same time, and it really is, but I just love it when food and science meet. The olive ice was interesting, but the olive foam was the very lightest essence of olive air, and the olive yolk was an intense burst of oliveness in your mouth! I really loved the finish with the simple, fresh rosemary infused vodka.
Okay, so after that bit of fun, I had to try a simple cocktail as well, and I decided on the Strawberries and Lavender, which is strawberry infused gin, strawberry and elderberry bitter, lavender infused grand marnier, fresh lime, and lavender sugar rim. The cocktail was fantastic! Everything that a cocktail should be: fruity, floral, bitter, sour, sweet, was all there; you could almost taste the flavors individually, and yet they were melded together as well. While I loved the molecular experience, the Strawberries and Lavender displayed the creative process behind cocktail creation.
I can't wait to go back to Toronto!

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

My deep love of Mexican food has been mentioned before, but I have been inspired this week by Cinco de Mayo to make some really great tostadas. Here's the recipe:

Chorizo and Potato Tostadas with Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 Links of Chorizo
3 Small Potatoes
1/2 Red Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
4 Pitas
1 Avocado
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 Cup of Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
1 Cup of Cilantro
1 Jalapeno
1/2 Cucumber
Salt and Pepper

Cooking:

Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them in salted boiling water. Remove the potatoes after 5 minutes and strain. Heat the oil on medium-high heat, and saute the chorizo until it's cooked through. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside. Finely dice the garlic cloves, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Add 1/2 the onion, all of the garlic and 1/2 of the jalapeno to the pan in which the chorizo was cooked. Saute on medium heat. While sauteing, dice the chorizo and potatoes then add to the onions, garlic and peppers. Cook until the onions are tender.
To prepare the guacamole, remove the skin and pit from the avocado and chop into cubes. In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado with 1/2 of the lime juice, 1/2 of the cilantro, the rest of the onion and jalapeno, with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
For a cooling element, mix the rest of the lime juice, and cilantro with the sour cream and a pinch of salt.
Warm your pita bread in the oven, then top with the chorizo-potato mixture, a spoonful of guacamole, and a dollop of the sour cream. Enjoy!

Leeks: One of the Most Under-Utilized Vegetables!

2010-04-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

I love Leeks! They are a fantastic, versatile vegetable that can be used in tons of dishes, and yet, there are a lot of people who aren't even sure what a leek looks like. They have an amazing mild onion flavor that cannot be matched. So, I paired them up with another couple of favorites, mushrooms and goat cheese on a yummy pizza. Here's the Recipe:

Leek, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

Toppings:
3 Leeks
1 Carton of Cremini Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons of Soft Goat Cheese
3 Tablespoons of Grated Mozzarella
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tablespoon of Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sauce:
6 Garlic Cloves
6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
6 Tablespoons of White Wine

Frozen Pizza Dough

Cooking:

For the sauce, blend the garlic, olive oil, and white wine together in a blender or food processor. Roll out your thawed pizza dough on a lightly floured board, and when I can, I like to grill my dough first. Brush it with the sauce and toss on the grill to get lovely char marks on each side. But this time, I put the dough (without the sauce) on a pizza stone in the oven, and cooked it until the edges were lightly golden. I think 425 degrees works pretty well.
In a skillet, saute your leeks and mushrooms and garlic together in the butter until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Brush your cooked pizza bread with a little more sauce (the sauce should be a very thin coating, just enough to make it shiny) then spread the leeks and mushrooms on top. Crumble your soft goat cheese across the pizza, then spread your mozzarella on top. Bake again at 425 degrees until the cheese is melty and delicious, remove and slice as desired!

Ruby Grapefruit Meltaways

2010-04-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

These cookies are so citrusy and delicious. They literally melt in your mouth; I think it has something to do with all the delicious butter! Give them a shot and let me know what you think.

Ruby Grapefruit Meltaways

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
1 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
Finely Grated Zest of 1 Grapefruit
2 Tablespoons Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cups Plus 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Cooking:

Divide dough into two balls, and roll each into a log about 1 inch thick. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour, but you can freeze the dough as well if it's for a future event. Cream butter and 1/3 cup of the confectioners' sugar until fluffy in an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the grapefruit zest, juice and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch and salt, then slowly add to butter mixture on low speed until just combined.To cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the logs and cut into 1/4" thick cookies. Place on a cookie sheet (I like a silpat) about 1" apart and back for 8-10 minutes until edges are just turning slightly golden. Let the cookies cool down a bit, then add a few at a time to a large plastic baggie with the remaining confectioners' sugar and shake to coat. The recipe should make about 4 dozen. Enjoy!

Unusual, But Delicious Quesadillas

2010-04-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite neighborhood joints is Pure Taqueria. The Inman Park location isn't the original, but it's pretty new, and the food is fantastic. In my eyes, it's hard to beat your local cheap Mexican restaurant. It is the quintessential comfort food; hot and spicy, flavorful and delicious. And while Pure is a little pricier than the local cheap place, the fresh ingredients and original dishes make it easier to rationalize the extra costs.
The margaritas at Pure are great, I like the house margarita as much as the specialty mixes. On the appetizer menu, the fish ceviche is fantastic. The citrus is almost effervescent, and combined with celery for a zesty, crunchy combination. My favorite entree is the chicken quesadilla. At a lot of restaurants, the quesadillas can be a major let-down, they are soggy and unappetizing, but at Pure, it's more like an empanada, with crispy fried dough, then it's piled high with salsa verde and sour cream. It's completely worth every calorie.
If you are in Inman Park next weekend, for the annual Inman Park festival, and feel like some delicious Mexican food, stop by Pure. Just ignore the super loud clubby music they play at night, the food should make up for the auditory discomfort, or better yet, stop for lunch, before they crank it up!

Uncommonly Good Cocktails

2010-04-04T17:11:00.001-07:00

Inspired by John Kessler's article, (link posted below; a great read) about specialty spirits, inspired me to go check out Leon's Full Service. I'm always interested in inventive cocktails. The new wave of rare liquors and liqueurs that have been making their way into casual pubs and bars are so exciting. Artisanal drinks are now available to the common man; gone are the days of Pucker soaked Appletinis, much to my delight!
Leon's, a hip garage-like-space in downtown Decatur, has a long, long list of local farms from which they source their menu, but I was interested in the drinks. I had a 'closing argument,' which consists of beefeater gin, fresh lemon, lillet blanc, luxardo maraschino, housemade grapefruit marmalade. It was bittersweet and effervescent and fantastic!
Some great mixologists have educated me recently on the excellent combination of grapefruit juice and gin. I highly recommend it, especially to those, who like me, don't particularly enjoy gin in other drinks. The bitter acid of the grapefruit perfectly cuts through the floral notes of the gin. They make a really fine pair.
So, if you haven't been out for drinks in a while, I highly recommend trying something new and inventive. My 'closing argument' was worth every penny, almost a meal in itself, and an experience to be repeated!

John Kessler's article: Specialty Spirits Run Dry in Atlanta

Chili Powder = Delicious

2010-03-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

We love chili in our house. We make a giant pot of it at least twice a month. It's so easy after a long day at work to throw everything in one pot and let it simmer away. I worked up this vegetarian version when my brother was visiting. It has 4 different beans and some great vegetables, all simmered away with lots of chili powder. Hope you like it!

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
3 Stalks of Celery, Diced
3 Carrots, Grated
3 Bell Peppers, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Chopped
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Can of White Beans, Strained
1 Can of Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Strained
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Can of Kidney Beans
1 Large Can (or 2 regular cans) of Crushed Tomatoes
4 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
1/2 Tablespoon of Salt
1/2 Tablespoon of Onion Powder
1/2 Tablespoon of Paprika
Cayenne Pepper to Your Level of Spicy
Optional Ingredient: 1/4 Cup of Amaranth Seed

Cooking:
Saute the vegetables and garlic in the olive oil until soft on medium-high heat. Once softened, dump in the spices. Stir until spices coat vegetables. Add all the canned ingredients. I add the Amaranth at this point for extra grain and protein. I also like the texture it adds. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Simmer on low for 40 minutes and serve. I love mine topped with some cheese or sour cream!

Southern Comforts

2010-03-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

I've been sick this week, with the worst cold. I'm not a good sick patient, so it's pretty excellent that I am rarely taken ill. However, when a bug does strike me, it always makes me nostalgic.
In 4th grade, I had the worst teacher (I didn't know at age 9 that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.) I would constantly call my grandmother to come and pick me up from school because, "I wasn't feeling well." Nothing could make my troubles go away faster than my grandmother's recipe for an upset stomach: a good book, rest, saltine crackers and a Red Rock Ginger Ale.
Red Rock Ginger Ale has been bottled in Atlanta since 1885. The slogan is "just the right bite," and they're not kidding! I love the way the first sip takes your breath away and makes you almost cough! It's good stuff. Babe Ruth even endorsed the soda in 1939. The cola is also delicious, both sodas are sweetened with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, and the flavor is so much richer than mass marketed sodas.
Red Rock Ginger Ale is one southern comfort that I hope lasts for a very long time!

God Save the Queen!

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE English food, and English chefs, and England. That British accent gets me every time, and I should add, that this love extends to all the British Isles, so I should really say that I love Great Britain. One of my favorite, very famous British chefs, Gordon Ramsay, featured Shephard's Pie on one of his shows, and I wanted to share my take on his version. This recipe is not complicated, and only requires 2 pans. You can modify the recipe to include a lot of different vegetables, or less of the different vegetables. (For example, when I cooked the recipe tonight, I added Swiss Chard, but it's not a standard.) I've gotten very good reviews, so I hope you try this simple recipe and let me know your thoughts.

Delicious Shephard's Pie

Filling Ingredients:
1 lb of Your Favorite Ground Meat (Beef is usually my choice, but I've also made it with turkey and chicken, all of them great.)
3 Carrots, very finely chopped
3 Stalks of Celery, very finely chopped
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, very finely chopped
2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon of Fresh or Dried Thyme (I prefer the fresh when I have it, but dried works just fine)
2 Tablespoons of Flour
1 Cup of Red Wine (Substitute stock if you don't have any red wine, it will also taste delicious)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Delicious Cheesy Creamy Potatoes (see recipe below)
1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar

Cooking:
Saute the ground beef on medium-high heat until it is cooked through. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and thyme. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste and flour. Continue cooking until there is a lovely brown coating on the bottom of the pan. Add your red wine (or stock) and deglaze the pan (which means scrape up all that lovely brown coating.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and spread evenly in the pan. Add the Delicious Cheesy Creamy Potatoes, and spread around until the filling is covered. Spread the cheese over the top of the potatoes and place in a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts. To acheive that bubbly brown crust, turn the oven to Broil on High, and monitor very carefully. It can burn in 2 minutes, so keep a constant eye on it. Remove and scoop into bowls!

Delicious Cheesy Creamy Potatoes

Ingredients:
10-15 Yellow or Red New Potatoes
1 Cup of Half and Half
1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar
2 Tablespoons of Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cooking:
Boil the new potatoes (I like the skins left on) in salted water until very tender, usually about 12 minutes. Strain and add the potatoes to a mixer bowl. Begin mixing with an electric blender, and add in the half and half and butter. Once the potatoes are creamy, add the cheese and salt and pepper.

Interior Design meets Vikiing Cooking School

2010-02-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

Team Chicken! Jackie, Lanah and I pose for a shot.

Chef Leo helps us plate our beautiful dish.

The winning entree: Chicken Breast with Lemon Sauce!

Last night I had the opportunity to go to an ASID function at the Viking Cooking School. I had been once before for my bachelorette party, and we had such a blast that I was super excited about a chance to go again. I was a bit anxious about going alone, but turns out, I shouldn't have worried at all. Food always brings people together.
We had such a good time cooking the Cafe Italiano menu: Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini, Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms, Chicken Breasts with Lemon Sauce and Little Chocolate Cakes with Amaretto Cream. There were about 40 designers in attendance, so we split off into 2 groups, and further divided into dish groups. I was on Team Chicken for Group 1. The chefs watching over us gave us some great fried chicken tips, like: pat the flour off the chicken, "like it's a baby," and if you're cooking a large batch, give the breasts in the pan plenty of space and finish all of those before adding more, so that the pan does not cool down in between batches. For the sauce, Chef Leo, who works at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, showed us a neat trick. To thicken a runny sauce, try adding a cold roux to the simmering sauce: a dollop of room temperature butter and flour mixed well together. All of the dishes were fantastic, but I had a personal interest in the chicken. However, much to my dismay, at the end of cooking, I suddenly remembered that I would not be able to actually eat the chicken that I had cooked, since I gave up commercial meat. I wanted to share it with everyone else though, because I am definitely going to re-create this at home with some organic, free-range breasts. Please let me know how yours turn out!

Chicken Breasts with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
3 Whole Lemons
8 (6-oounce) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
All-Purpose Flour, For Dredging
4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Finely Minced Garlic
1 Cup Chicken Stock, Simmering
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsely, Plus Additional Sprigs for Garnish

Cooking:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place ovenproof platter in the oven. Cut off the ends of one lemon and slice into 1/8 inch wheels. Juice the other 2 lemons until you have 1/4 cup of juice. Set aside. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow pan, then, working one piece at a time, dredge both sides of each chicken breast lightly; shake off the excess (this is the pat like a baby part.) Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Place the chicken breasts in the pan, presentation side down, leaving at least 1-inch space around the cutlets. Saute until lightly golden brown, then turn and cook on the other side. (You may need to cook the chicken in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding.) Remove the chicken from the pan and place on the warmed platter. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven while you make the sauce. Pour off any excess oil. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the rosemary and garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the stock and lemon juice, stirring to release any browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan (deglaze.) Allow the liquids to reduce to about 1 cup. Remove the pan from the heat, then swirl in the butter and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts; garnish with lemon wheels, parsley sprigs and serve immediately.

A Special Treat!

2010-02-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Friday, my friend, Nevi, received these lovely Godiva cupcakes in the mail from her mom. She was so generous to share her Valentine's Day gift with us, and I must say, there's not much more that says, "Happy Valentine's Day!" to me than pink icing and chocolate cake!
They were almost too pretty to eat; almost, but not quite. We greedily shoved large luscious bites into our mouths. The buttercream was rich and creamy, as you would expect, but the chocolate cake was really moist and dense, almost brownie-like. They were so good!
So, even though I'm a fan of the little guy and your local bakery (of which, we have some really good ones in Atlanta now,) if you are ever in a pinch for something which will delight your loved one, and you can't get to the local bakery, have some of these sent over!
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

The Best Sandwiches I've Had in Atlanta

2010-02-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Wendy's Market Meal with Gumbo and a Turkey
Cobb Salad which she swears by!

Last year when my office was located in the Old Higland Bakery Building in Inman Park, I discovered Parish Food and Goods. Chef Nick Melvin brings his New Orleans heritage to Atlanta in a fresh and invigorating way. There is a strong emphasis on local ingredients which makes the restaurant an excellent fusion of Atlanta and New Orlean's cuisine.
The restaurant is excellent, and I have enjoyed several meals there. Brunch is really fantastic and the Bloody Marys are spicy; prepared to be rolled out! However, my favorite part of the restaurant is the Market downstairs.
The Market at Parish has the best sandwiches I have ever had in Atlanta, and I might even go so far as to say, ever. Every single sandwich is outstanding. Some of my favorites are: the Fried Green Tomato BLT, the Corned Beef Reuben, and the Danish Roast Beef. The spicy remoulade on the Fried Green BLT perfectly compliments the crisp bacon and tangy green tomato, all sandwiched between grilled buttery bread. The Corned Beef Reuben introduced me to the scrumptious treat of warm briney meat and sour cabbage. The Danish Roast Beef is a lovely combination of thinly sliced roast, topped with thin crisp onion rings and jalepenos, finished with a blue cheese sauce. Three amazing sandwichs!

My Market Meal with Creamy Tomato soup, the Fried Green
Tomato BLT, with a yummy chocolate cookie, and homemade
crunchy pickles!

The best deal is to get the Market Meal. This is a sandwich off the market menu, a delicious chocolate chip cookie, and a cup of the daily soup. The creamy tomato is not to be missed! If you feel like Gumbo, Parish's recipe is a dark, rich, brothy version, with fresh rice, that is so good!
I am almost sad to share this with you all because I think that there will not be room for me if it gets any more popular, but a restaurant this good is not to be kept secret! Let me know what you think!

Brunch is My Favorite Meal

2010-02-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

A few weekends back, when Georgia experienced a very rare ice storm, my husband and I decided to venture out to The Flying Biscuit in Candler Park. This is one of my favorite brunch places, and what's even better, they serve it all the time!
The Flying Biscuit has light and fluffy biscuits, with an amazing fruit butter, a scrumptious fried egg sandwich (the best I've had so far,) Sake Bloody Mary's, a surprisingly great combination, and one of my favorite dishes, Egg-Ceptional Eggs. This is a dish of black bean cakes, topped with a fried egg, and salsa and sour cream.
I was so inspired by the delicious dish, that I decided to make my own version, substituting black beans with chickpeas, and sour cream with greek yogurt. The results were great, and I hope you give it a shot!

Fried Chickpea Cakes

Ingredients:
1 Small Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Can of Chickpeas
1/4 Cup of Flour
1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
2 Eggs
Hot Sauce to Taste
Frying Oil (Canola, Olive Oil, etc... Your Choice)
Greek Yogurt and Salsa for Topping

Cooking:
In a skillet, saute your onion, garlic, cumin and paprika in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Pour the onion/garlic mix into a blender with 1/2 can of the chickpeas, 1 egg, as much hot sauce as you'd like to add, the salt and pepper and pulse blend until the chickpeas are creamy, but not liquified.
Pour the blended mix into a bowl and add the flour and bread crumbs and the other half of the chickpeas. Mix together into a consistency to make patties, if it's still too messy, add some more bread crumbs; basically it needs to look like sticky cookie dough.
Warm your favorite frying oil in a skillet, and fry the chickpea cakes until golden brown. Set to the side, while you fry your egg to your favorite hardness. To serve, place a chickpea cake on the plate, top with the fried egg, and a good dollop of greek yogurt and salsa on the side. Enjoy!

What's Not to Like About Gastropubs?

2010-01-29T17:30:00.000-08:00

Since moving back to Atlanta from New York City, I have been on a quest to find food that is both affordable and amazing. Two years in, and I have not been let down; Atlanta's restaurant scene has improved exponentially since I left. The Porter Beer Bar is one of my favorite haunts. Run by former Seeger chefs, Nick Rutherford and Molly Gunn, the Porter is an amazing jewel shining in the rough. The beer list (though I don't drink beer, I can appreciate the artisanal efforts which go into the making) is hundreds long, and my favorite, they offer several ciders, especially Samuel Smith's Organic Cider, which is dry and appley.
The best thing about Porter is the amazing food at amazing prices. I love their black bean burger, piled high with feta, homemade pickled onions, and a delicious red pepper mustard. The arugula salad is a great combination of spicy, sweet and tangy, due to additions of sweet golden beets and creamy goat cheese.
But my favorite things about the Porter are the seasonal menu specials. A few times back, I had a chicken liver mousse terrine. The liver mousse was thick and creamy, and the bitterness offset by drizzled honey, to be spread on perfectly toasted crostini. Fantastic! I don't even really like liver that much, but this was a success. I really admire chefs who are returning to a holistic food approach: the whole animal is put to use, the ingredients are seasonal, condiments and sides are freshly made, etc, and chefs Nick and Molly go to extra lengths to offer that kind of food on their menu.

My New Found Love of Reubens

2010-01-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

After a long week at work, there is nothing I find more delightful than taking the time in the kitchen to try out one of the many Food & Wine recipes I have ripped from their magazines. This past weekend, I decided to make my version of their Foccacia Reubens.
Reubens are new to me, as corned beef was not a very common sandwich meat in the South where I grew up, but recently, one of my favorite restaurants, Parish, opened my eyes to the spicy, flavorful joys of a well-made Reuben.

Here's my take on this delicious sandwich:

Foccacia Reubens

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Thinly Sliced Green Cabbage
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Loaf Foccacia
Sliced Smoked Gouda Cheese
1/2 lb. Corned Beef
2 Tablespoons UnSalted Butter
Tori's Remoulade (see recipe below)

Cooking:
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes. Heat a panini press or griddle. Slice Foccacia to desired sandwich size, spread the remoulade on both sides, layer one side with a layer of Gouda, followed by a layer of Corned Beef, followed by a mound of the cabbage, and topped once more with a layer of Gouda. Put the lid on the sandwich, and smear some softened butter on top and bottom. Place the sandwich in your hot pan and cook until the cheese is soft and gooey (about 6 minutes.) Enjoy!

Tori's Remoulade

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Mayonaise
1/4 cup of Horseradish Mustard
1 Teaspoon Your favorite hot sauce (Mine happens to be from my favorite BBQ restaurant, Wallace's)
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Zest and Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Cooking:
Whisk all ingredients together briskly! Should keep in your fridge for a week!

Iron Chef in My House Every Week

2010-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Today was our day for our weekly delivery of local, organic produce by Vegetable Husband. My husband and I have been looking for an organic local co-op to join for a long while, but the problem we had with most co-ops is that you have to pick up your food at a certain place and time each week. This is just not an option for our schedules. We work late, or have plans and almost always are running around like maniacs on the weekends trying to squeeze everything we couldn't do in the week into two short days.
Then, one magical day, last October, a colleague told my husband that she had found a local, organic co-op which delivers directly to your door! We joined almost immediately, and have found that we are not spending any more on produce than we were previously. Even though we joined in the winter months, we have been enamored with the variety of vegetables that have come our way. This week we have: sweet potatoes, sunchokes, carrots, roma tomatoes, collards, green peppers, kale, and thyme. And though the roma tomatoes and green peppers came from Florida, due to the hard frost we had this past week, everything else is from Georgia! It's an incredible feeling knowing that a large portion of your food is going directly to someone in your backyard.
So, this is sounding a bit like an ad for Vegetable Husband, but what I really want it to be is an ad for local farmers. Every week we are presented with this amazing basket of surprises from our home state, and it is a new and exciting challenge to figure out what to make for dinner. I never knew that broccoli greens were edible and delicious! They taste just like broccoli heads, but look similar to collards. I removed the stems and made one of the best broccoli casseroles I've ever had.
I'm very excited this week to have sunchokes; they are an amazing vegetable that you rarely see in your supermarket. They taste like an artichoke mixed with a potato. Slice them and saute them in butter and you will have an amazing treat. However, in fairness, I do get the occaisonal thing that I am not excited about, i.e. collards. Luckily, I can leave them all to my husband!

Burgers and Blais

2010-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

When my brother was in town this holiday, we decided to stop by Flip Burger. I have been a fan of Richard Blais, creator of Flip Burger, since my uncle regaled me of his Tang concoctions, once tried at Blais' first Atlanta restaurant, the aptly named: Blais. My uncle also took me to One Midtown Kitchen for a Blais tasting menu, and mostly, I only remember that the experience was wonderful. I mean, who could go wrong with lamb lollipops?
It was a true joy to watch Blais' rise to the top on Top Chef; my husband and I were just devastated by his loss at the end, but couldn't wait to have him back in Atlanta. When we went to Home Restaurant, Blais' first restaurant venture post-Top Chef, we were both disappointed. The portions were huge and clunky, but also the food lacked the innovative Blais hallmarks, so we were just thrilled when he departed from Home and Flip was announced.
I should add a disclaimer here: I don't like hamburgers. In principal, I find it odd to grind something, only to smash it back together. 9 times out of 10, the results are flavorless and fatty. However, there are always exceptions to my rules. Star Provisions' fois gras burgers, for example, are completely amazing.
For our first Flip Burger experience, my aunt, Jeni, and her boyfriend, Justin, took my husband and I there for my husband's birthday. We couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more. Jeni and I both had a 5 Alive cocktail; a delicious, fruity gin mixture, which was a good pairing for my lamburger and fried okra. I finished the meal with the Krispy Kreme and Spicy Chocolate Mole milkshakes (split 2 ways.) The burger was fantastic. A moist, rich burger countered by tart yogurt sauce. The highlight of the meal for me was the Krispy Kreme milkshake. Imagine a delicious Krispy Kreme with a delectable thick, cream finish. Heaven.
I just couldn't wait to share the experience with my brother, who has grown up in fine foodie tradition, and appreciates all manner of food! I posted pictures of what we ordered below.

My brother, who is a pescatarian, had the crab burger and the homemade bread and butter fried pickles. The pickles were so scrummy (scrumptious and yummy!) Golden and crispy, sour and sweet all together!

I went for something non-traditional this visit, the tuna tartare burger with a sous-vide egg on top! The creaminess of the egg and avocado were a wonderful accompaniment to the briny tuna. It was a bit messy in burger form, but fun, nevertheless.

Our dessert treats: the pistachio-white truffle milkshake and the nutella and burnt marshmallow milkshake. My husband is a huge nutella fan and enjoyed this shake immensely. The pistachio was also amazing; it was definitely more pistachio than white truffle, if you're wondering, but the flavors were great together.

2010-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

This is a version of the soup which I made, but instead of finishing with parmesan, I topped it with some fried proscuitto and a creamy truffle foam. It was one of my favorite renditions.

Creamy Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

2010-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

This first post is for my brother, Jake, and my friend Johnathan. They have both requested the recipe for the soup I cooked for our Christmas dinner this year.

Ingredients:
1 Acorn Squash
6 Small Sweet Potatoes
2 Small Carrots (these are optional, but they add an extra sweetness)
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Onion
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Cup of Half and Half
1 Cup of Milk
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 Quart of Water or Broth of Your Choice

Cooking:
Chop the onion and garlic cloves into small bits, saute in the olive oil. When onions are translucent, add the peeled squash and sweet potatoes (and carrots, if used,) which have been chopped into one inch cubes, into the pot. Pour in the broth or water. (I like to use organic free-range chicken broth if I have it; it adds a nice flavor note.) Bring the pot to a boil, reduce, and simmer until the vegetables are so soft that a fork slides neatly into them. Take off the stove, and use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the cream and milk and butter (the butter adds a particular smoothness and richness to the soup,) and puree again. Check the seasoning once more before serving. Finish with a bit of the grated parmesan.

Serves about 6.

This is a great recipe that can be translated to many vegetables. My creamy tomato and carrot soup is another option which employs the same methodology. I hope you have fun experimenting. Please let me know how your recipes turn out!