Category Archives: food

Florence Quilt Show

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quilt-show-001Some of the best art comes from needle, thread and fabric. Prime quilt-show-004example? The annual Quilt Challenge from the Shoals Piecemakers Quilt Guild. It’s on display now at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in Florence, Alabama, and it’s a definite must-see. Every year, guild members challenge themselves to create quilts using a different theme. This  year’s is “My Quilting Inspiration.”  Each quilt must portray the theme and use at least one traditional quilt block. Guild members choose best of show, best use of theme and other awards, but visitors to the exhibit choose the winner of the People’s Choice Award by voting for their favorite quilt. And it’s a tough choice this year. The walls of the Kennedy-quilt-show-002Douglass gallery practically glow with these warm and intrically quilted pieces. Every year I’m amazed at the talent and skill of these quilters who create out of their imaginations and bits of cloth. How do they do that? I can barely figure out how to hem a pair of pants. And here’s the other thing. When you first meet some of these quilters, you might make the mistake of thinking they are your typical small-town, down-home, Southern moms and grandmas — and you would be wrong. These women are fierce and feisty artists who stitch their hopes and dreams and memories and stories into works the rest of us can only admire. We’re just lucky they’re willing to share with us. The exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays through Dec. 18. Admission is free. Call 256.760.6379 or visit http://www.kennedydouglasscenter.org/ for details. And while you’re in downtown Florence, don’t forget to wander around. Go visit the two lion mascots on the campus of the University of North Alabama. Grab some coffee, lunch and sweet treats at McGraw’s, Rivertown and Coffee-ol-ogy coffee shops. Dip bread in oil and herbs at Ricatoni’s or chips in salsa at Rosie’s. Have a Chicago-style hot dog or a thick and juicy steak. Shop for clothes, gifts, wine, furniture, jewelry and antiques. Meet artists and fashion designers. Check out Florence landmarks such as the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library and Pope’s Tavern Museum. Stroll down historic Wood Avenue and Walnut Street. And go see the quilts.

Urban Standard

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urban-standard-001On such a chilly pre-winter morning, I would love to be about 120 urban-standard-005miles south, sipping a perfect espresso machiatto in one of my favorite coffee shops — Urban Standard in Birmingham, Alabama. Tucked into an almost-abandoned but formerly-bustling downtown street, Urban Standard is serious about its coffee and wants you to be, too. These folks know what they’re doing, and it shows. The baristas are skilled in all phases of coffee making and take great care urban-standard-006and obvious pride in their work. This is not the place to order a triple super-gigantic fruity-tooty syrupy-sweet concoction. Do not even try. But do order some food. The lunch sandwiches and salads are worth going for even if you don’t like coffee (you don’t like coffee???), and the moist and rich cupcakes are ridiculously simple and simply wonderful. Urban Standard is another one of those spots that started out quietly but quickly became a gathering spot as friends told friends who told friends who told … With exposed brick walls and whimsical metal tables and chairs as well as its eclectic but warm mix of retro/antique/funky decor, Urban Standard doubles as a shopping destination, too — sort of like drinking the best espresso ever in the middle of a hip secondhand thrift store. It’s on Second Avenue North and open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Mondays-Wednesdays; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays. The under-construction Web site is http://www.urbanstandard.net/

How Old Are Your Spices?

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Are you like me when it comes to spices? Digging through the jumble of your spice drawer is an archaeological dig of your culinary life: Oh, there’s that bottle of tumeric you needed when a Middle Eastern recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon — and you haven’t used it since. There’s the dip mix you bought at a friend’s home-selling party and the remains of your prolific sesame-seed bread-baking period. (Who knew you could get tired of sesame seeds?) There’s the souvenir pink Hawaiian sea salt you never opened. And what the heck is ground coriander seed anyway? Perhaps you need to do some spice cleaning. Or, you may have your spices neatly labled and constantly updated. If so, would you please come do that for me? I’ll even bake you some bread with sesame seeds on top! In the meantime, if you have McCormick spices of unknown age but you vaguely remember wearing shoulder pads when you bought them, go to the McCormick Web site — http://www.mccormick.com/Spices101/HowOldSpices.aspx — and type in the code on the bottom of the jars. Just be prepared. Apparently I still have a bottle of McCormick Chili Powder I bought when I had only the one child — and my second child is 22. Ouch. I do not want to find out what 23-year-old chili powder tastes like. I see spice-drawer cleaning in my very near future.

Be Scene

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huntsville-halloween-and-scene-005Yikes! I was wrong that this weekend is fall’s last stand, because winter has taken over already. It’s cold and windy here in northwest Alabama and the perfect Sunday for staying inside, wondering why LSU had to stage a comeback to beat Troy (Troy!) and contemplating the news that our president-elect believes in college-football playoffs. Or, you could start stressing about the upcoming holidays and desperately try to remember the place where you put the Christmas CDs this past January so it’d be easy to find them this year.  (The box of outdoor decorations? Wrapped up in the Christmas stockings? And speaking of the stockings, I wonder where…. ) Or, you could bundle up and go to the huntsville-halloween-and-scene-0031Scene Lounge at Monaco Pictures at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville. This bar/restaurant adjacent to the movie theater is the spot to go if you believe that nothing new ever happens around here — the warm and sophisticated space is unlike anywhere else. With its plush banquette seating and sleek pedestal tables, Scene evokes the feeling of old-school glamour back when going to the movies was an event. This is where James Bond would stop in for a drink before saving the world. Conversely, it’s also where my daughter and I can take a baby and a stroller in and enjoy some of the best sushi this side of the Pacific. Go figure. The fun part is that you can order anything to go and then take into the theater. Or, claim a table on the patio where you’ve got a front-row view of Bridge Street shoppers. Everything I’ve had here is good, and I especially like the hummus, which comes with roasted vegetables and pita chips. The Scene rightfully has become a Huntsville gathering spot and offers wine tastings and theme parties coordinated with movie premieres along with other special events. Check out the Web site at http://www.sceneatmonaco.com/home.asp

Huntsville Coffee

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kaffee5For fresh-roasted coffee beans and an incredible selection late-september-pics-2008-0361of loose teas from around the world, go to Kaffeeklatsch on the courthouse square in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. This is one of those places that just makes you happy as soon as you walk in: jars of coffee beans and tea leaves line the shelves and a helpful and friendly staff will answer any of your questions. The country-of-origin list reads like a coffee who’s-who — Brazil, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Yemen, Columbia, Panama and of course the U.S.’s contribution of Hawaii. And tea made from loose leaves tastes so much fresher and more natural than even the best pre-packaged tea bags. Check out the Web site at http://www.kaffeeklatsch.com/. You can order online if you can’t make it to the store.

Red Rain

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red-rain-001One of my family’s favorite stores in Birmingham, Alabama, actually is red-rain-004in Homewood. Red Rain is a sort of environmentally-aware general store with an emphasis on local and Alabama products. You can buy handmade soaps and candles in recycled containers, local honey, fresh produce, gently used books and glass ware, lotions and creams, handmade jewelry, stationery, Alabama Dirt shirts, yoga items and Alabama Chanin appliqued dish towels made from recycled T-shirts. Red Rain is a vibrant gathering place, too. Shopkeeper Sarah Gurganus believes in being an active member of the community and in environmental education and supporting local red-rain-003craftspeople and artisans as well as environmental causes. Red Rain is a go-to place for gifts in my family. Just walkingred-rain-0022 in makes me smile — and it smells so good! Plus, it’s so inspiring to see what creative folks can do. Red Rain also has Burt’s Bees and Dr. Bronners products and some  wonderfully whimsical pottery pieces. Check out the Web site at www.redrainstore.com.

Random Thoughts

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honeycrisp-apples-001Random thoughts and things-to-do on this gorgeous fall Saturday morning:

1) Go to Jack-O-Lantern Farms market on the TVA reservation in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and buy some more fresh and delicious Honeycrisp Apples (the two less shiny-red apples in the photo). Honeycrisp apples are exactly as described — like taking a crisp and juicy bite of honey. They’re only available right now, so eat up. Check out the market at http://www.jackolanternfarm.com/. It’s open today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

2) Watch the Alabama/LSU game on TV today. It makes me remember the night my husband and I accidentally stayed in the same hotel with the Tiger Pimp Nation. It was scary — literally. The Tiger Pimp Nation is made up of … well, intensely enthusiastic LSU fans who adopt these sort of characters, complete with clothes, jewelry, cars and women. The setup is so elaborate that they only travel to one away game a season. John and I encountered them in Memphis this past year after the Ole Miss/LSU game in Oxford. So, imagine rabid LSU fans combined with Beale Street. It was quite an experience. Not easily forgotten, although we have tried. Desperately. Check out the Pimp Nation at www.tigerpimpnation.com. And believe me, what you see there is real.

Fall Decorating

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betty-sims-fall-decor-002Fall is my favorite season for decorating — I love bringing the outdoors betty-sims-fall-decor-0082in with cheerful pumpkins and vibrantly colored leaves. And when I say “I love bringing …,” what I actually mean is I love seeing what other people do since my fall decorating consists of occasionally throwing away empty Halloween-candy wrappers. I’m not lazy — well, not much, anyway — just creatively challenged. That makes me appreciate others’ decorating talents all the more, such as what I saw in this Decatur, Alabama, home. Betty Sims is a former restaurant owner and wonderful cook who teaches cooking classes in her home in Decatur. Friends and I went recently for a brunch class, and I loved all the fall vignettes Sims created with betty-sims-fall-decor-004simple elements from nature and her own collections. Of betty-sims-fall-decor-0051course, if I went out to my backyard and cut off a bunch of leaves and stuck them in a pumpkin, it would look pretty much as if I went out in the backyard and cut off a bunch of leaves and stuck them in a pumpkin. I’m just glad that there are other people around who know how to do it right — and invite the rest of us over for brunch. Here’s the Web site for Sims’ cooking school, Southern Scrumptious:  http://scrumptiousinc.com/

Election Night Food

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election-night-food-003My husband and I are enjoying election night with some fun party food inspired by a story on NPR. Here’s the menu: Deep-dish Chicago pizza with pineapple for Obama, New England crab cakes for Biden, tortilla chips with salsa and jalapeno cheese dip for McCain and wild salmon salad for Palin. To demonstrate party partisanship, I added blue cheese and red wine. Dessert is all-American apple pie, although the NPR story suggested Baked Alaska, of course. We’re settled in for the night, munching away with both laptops going plus CNN on two TVs and NPR on the kitchen radio. Almost everybody I talked to today said their polling places were the most crowded they’d ever seen and more new voters than ever had turned out. I had a half-hour wait at 8 a.m. where I vote, but at 6:15 p.m. my husband walked in and out in five minutes. I didn’t mind waiting though — it was like a neighborhood gathering where I saw folks I hadn’t seen for months and caught up on some good gossip. What a great day when you can combine patriotism, food, family and friends.

Tupelo Party

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tupelo-party-002When my husband and I went to a party some friends of his tupelo-party-0033hosted in Tupelo, Mississippi, this past weekend, I was blown away by this gorgeous space. It’s the Dance Studio in downtown Tupelo and it is really a dance studio as well as perfect party room. The gleaming wood floors and exposed brick walls were the background for soft fall colors of golds, browns and oranges. There was dancing, wine, good company and good food: Vegetable soup, fried chicken, a mashed potato tupelo-party-006bar — and cake. (Hmm … cake.) Every time we’re somewhere that has a mashed potato bar, my husband and I remember our wedding in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, four years ago. Our caterer recently had returned from a caterers’ gathering in California and was enthusiastic about the latest trend: Mashed potatoes in champagne glasses with a variety of toppings you add yourself. John and I looked at each other and agreed that while it sounded like a fun idea and we would certainly like to go to that party, the folks at our wedding might think it was a little weird. What did we know? Now a mashed-potato bar is everybody’s favorite party food. Check out The Dance Studio at http://www.thedancestudiotupelo.com/. And go vote today! You do not want to miss out.