Tag Archives: food

Valentine’s Day

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Heart cookies for Valentine's DayIn an effort to demonstrate to my husband that I can be responsible Praeventia cookiesand frugal, I’ve stayed out of Target recently because I can’t go there without spending at least $50 — even when I had no intention of buying anything. (But it’s all cute stuff I’ll probably most likely need sometime maybe! And at a fantastic price!) But over at http://www.suburbanmatron.com/, Becky’s obsession hunt for the new Orla Kiely line got me curious, so I wandered into our local Target purely for research purposes and to help out a bloggy Orla Kiely friend. And she’s right: There’s disappointingly little of the Orla Kiely things available — a few storage boxes and closet organizers. That’s too bad, since her prints are so fresh and cheerful and springlike. I would have loved to have loaded up my cart with the Melamine dishes that look so wonderful online but are backordered several weeks. But it was not to be. (Insert here the sound of my husband sighing in relief.) So I was forced to wander around and buy look at other things. That’s how I found my new favorite snack: Praeventia cookies. Am I the only one who’s never heard of these?They’re made from whole oats and other good-for-you things — red wine, cocoa, green tea, orange zest — and come in handy pouches so you have to think before you devour the whole box. Plus, they’re satisfyingly tasty and crunchy. The best part? The shape! I’m telling you, those little hearts just make you smile to look at them. They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day, too. I found them in the cookie aisle at my Target and I’m going back for more. Just don’t tell my husband.

Valentine’s Day

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valentines-day-0161It was Valentine’s elegance when my friend Susan hosted valentines-day-018cooking club. She and her daughter-in-law are the most creative people I know. They excel in using simple everyday items in innovative ways. Like these table decorations. Mixed in with the shiny heart garlands are vintage costume jewelry and clear goblets filled with water and topped with upside-down silver Christmas-tree balls for some metallic reflection.They then tied everything together with valentines-day-020red and white linens. And see those white cards on the table? Those were our place cards. Susan had written “What I love about you …” descriptions for each of us. We had to read them all and guess which one went to which person. Fun, fun, fun! Valentine’s touches were valentines-day-025everywhere, like the red ribbon Susan tied around the cake stand to highlight the heart-topped petit fours. Now, I know that up North petit fours are what y’all call those little torte-like cakes, but here in the South (well, at least my part of it), petit fours are tiny two-bite-sized cupcakes with melt-in-your-mouth icing decorated with colors and themes of your choice. The best come from Victorian Tea Room in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. No occasion around here is complete unless there are Victorian Tea Room petit fours. Visit http://www.victoriantearoomcatering.com, tell them Cathy sent you and you valentines-day-030valentines-day-0191might talk them into shipping you some. Susan even gave us extras in the Valentine’s candy boxes she gave us that also has miniature fudgy brownies and heart-shaped mini pink chocolate-chip cookies. Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. She got the boxes at our local big-box arts and crafts store, but almost everything else was what she had on hand. We were all impressed and felt special and pampered. We also immediately assured our newest member most of our cooking-club meetings are not like this. In fact, when it’s at my house everyone’s just happy I remember to vacuum up the cat hair. But we’re glad we’ve got people like Susan to show us how it should be done.

Restaurants in Franklin, Tennessee

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sol-archwayAs Liz Lemon says, don’t you “want to go there?” This is Sol, a funky and fun sol-waitingrestaurant on Main Street off the square in Franklin, Tennessee. My husband and I wandered in on a recent late-night meander and instantly were captivated. Only the bar was open so we plopped ourselves down and enjoyed exploring the whimsical Mexican menu — and decor. Both are sort of  casual-cool with an eclectic twist. It’s Frida Kahlo meets Iron Chef and obviously a popular gathering spot for the young and hip. We felt right at home (!) and happily devoured some deliciously fresh nachos washed down with cold beer — one of our favorite meals — and vowed to come back when we could work our way through the dinner menu: salmon wrapped in a banana-leaf, fish tacos and a poblano-potato cake especially looked good. We remember this same space when it was an upscale Italian sort of restaurant and marveled at the transition. Downtown Franklin is a happening place, worthy of a visit just to walk and eat and shop. Check out Sol at http://www.solonmain.com/ (that’s where these photos came from — it was way too dark, in a good way, for pics the night we were there) and learn more about Franklin at http://www.visitwilliamson.com/

nashville-jan-2009-038On that same trip to Franklin, we also ate at Basil Asian Bistro, on nashville-jan-2009-034Carothers Parkway across I-65 from Cool Springs Galleria. If Sol is vibrantly energetic, then Basil is calmly zen. It’s white tablecloths and quiet conversation but with the same appreciation for fresh ingredients and authentically prepared food. The extensive menu offered sushi, pad thai, curry and other classics. Luckily, we were with our friends Ted and Elayne, who had picked Basil for our lunch and steered us to their favorite dishes — and they were right.  My husband and I especially loved the inventive sushi, the crisply cooked vegetables and the strong and fragrant hot tea. Good food and good company can’t be beat. We’ll be back. Go to http://www.basilasianbistro.com for details.

Bottled Water

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dasani_strawberry2Am I the only person who cannot find Dasani flavored water in the non-lemon flavors anywhere lg_dasani_grape1anymore? All I can find anywhere — and I mean anywhere, any place, any time — are the plain and the lemon flavors. Not good. The grape, strawberry and raspberry Dasani flavors are favorites in my house. I know, I know. It’s all really local tap water. And plastic bottles are clogging up the earth. But my husband and I drink more water when we chug the Dasani — plain tap water tastes like blood to me ever since I had oral surgery and I only use the powdered flavor mixes as emergency backup because I’m not wild about them either — and we religiously recycle the bottles. So that makes us feel a little better.

But apparently I’m out of luck. My husband and I occasionally stumble across a rogue single bottle at a stop-and-rob but no local groceries have the six packs I buy four or five at a time. What’s the deal? Am I just constantly showing up behind other Dasani fans who beat me to it? Is there some sort of sinister Dasani shortage going on? Or am I imagining the whole thing? I abhor the taste of Nestle water, I’m suspicious that Propel has more than 25 calories a bottle and I don’t like water that tells me what to do: “Revive” “Energize.” “Focus.” Forget it. I like my water to remain quiet, thank you very much. That leaves me with Aquafina, which is only so-so.

Dasani, what’s up? Can you give us some strawberry love down here in Alabama? That would be very nice.

Valentine’s Day

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chocolate-rose-0011Making chocolate roses is a simple yet impressive Valentine’s Day chocolate-rose-0031project that I promise you can do. Because I did it, and believe me, that’s saying something. Chef and caterer Emily Kelley, of Florence, Alabama, demonstrated this recently for local American Association of University Women members. To make the dough, add 1/3 cup clear corn syrup to 10 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate. Stir until doughy. On wax paper, flatten into circle and let harden between wax-paper sheets. To make roses, peel away wax paper and cut circle into triangles. Use one triangle for one rose. Pull pieces of dough from triangle and roll into balls. Using your hands, flatten balls into thin circles. For center stem of rose, roll one circle jelly-roll style. For rose petals, fold and shape chocolate circles around stem. Make these whenever you want, store at room temperature and use them to decorate your fabulous Valentine’s dessert. Or they can be your fabulous Valentine’s dessert — they’re completely edible and taste sort of like Tootsie Rolls. White chocolate and peanut-butter flavored baking morsels would also work, although Emily was unsure about corn-syrup ratios with those ingredients.

Vegetables and Flowers

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vegetable-flowers-004This is a flower arrangement to decorate the table at a typical meeting, right? vegetable-flowers-006Nope. Look closer. It’s not made of flowers. It’s made of … vegetables! Yes, these are vegetables and not flowers. The “mums” and greenery are leeks, the “paintbrushes” are green onions, the “roses” are rutabagas and turnips and the splash of organge is from carrots. Emily Kelley, a chef and caterer and educator in Florence, Alabama, has been creating vegetable bouquets like this for years vegetable-flowers-0081and recently showed fellow American Association of University Women members how to do it. She made it look easy, and really it is simple — with patience and the right equipment. For instance, the roses are slices of rutabagas and turnips shaped and toothpicked together — the slices’ natural curves create the flower, but you need a commercial slicer to get the pieces thin and consistent enough. (Emily recommended making friends with someone who has one.) The mums and paintbrushes are the bottoms of leeks and green onions cut along their natural lines. The carrots were the hardest part — she sliced them horizontally and then cut the slices in a way that each one was still intact but had individual slices in it that curved out when she toothpicked the ends together. (I know that doesn’t make sense — sorry!) Emily does all the blossoms first, then puts them into ice water to stiffen. Then, when she puts the arrangement together, she threads a bamboo skewer through the blossoms (hiding the skewers in green-onion greenery) and arranges them with florist tools such as vases, tape and foam to perpetuate the flower illusion. We were all amazed and astounded, and one young woman declared she now wanted these instead of floral decorations for her wedding!

Vegetables

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brussels-sproutsMy friend Sherry is on a mission to bring Brussels sprouts to the world — or at least to our little corner of Alabama. They are her favorite vegetable and she feels they’re underrated and unappreciated. She’s right. Brussels sprouts probably rank low on most folks’ lists of favorite vegetables. But that’s because, Sherry insists, we haven’t had them done right. I have to admit that when she fixes them, Brussels sprouts are tasty and delicious — sort of crunchy and nutty with a nice fresh flavor. Who knew? I have noticed the mini cabbages showing up as sides on restaurant menus lately, so maybe Sherry’s started a trend. A longtime cook, she’s also the director of the Shoals Commercial Culinary Center in Florence, Alabama, http://www.shoalsec.com/facilities/SCC_index.html, that’s part of the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center that nurtures small businesses. Her cooking classes at the culinary center are fun and informative and filling, because those in the audience get to eat the results! Here’s Sherry’s Brussels sprouts recipe:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cook four strips thick-cut bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels then roughly chop. In same pan with bacon fat, melt two tablespoons butter over high heat. Add one pound Brussels sprouts, halved, and a half large onion, chopped. Cook and stir occasionally until sprouts are golden brown, eight to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss bacon back into pan. Serve immediately.

Valentine’s Day Gifts

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christmas-with-the-gingers-016Sarah — my friend who’s a super cook, former caterer and an Episcopal priest — christmas-with-the-gingers-017gave bottles of cranberry homemade liqueur for Christmas presents this past holiay season. So lovely! I thought they’d make great Valentine Day’s gifts, too — the red is such a gorgeous deep color.  The recipe is from Cooking Light and needs to be started three weeks ahead of time, so this is the perfect weekend to gather supplies and get started. Since cherries and raspberries are the traditional red fruits associated with Valentine’s, I wonder if you could use those instead of cranberries. If anybody tries that, please pass the results along! Sarah put the liqueur in these very cool bottles and added the cocktail recipe — delicious! 

Ingredients

  • 2  cups  sugar
  • 1  cup  water
  • 1  12-ounce package fresh cranberries
  • 3  cups  vodka

Preparation

 Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Place cranberries in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until finely chopped. Combine sugar mixture and cranberries in a large bowl; stir in vodka. Pour vodka mixture into clean jars; secure with lids. Let stand 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every other day. Strain cranberry mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Carefully pour liqueur into clean bottles. Note: Liqueur can be stored refrigerated or at room temperature for up to a year.

Restaurants

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tin-angelIf you’re headed to Nashville, Tennessee, put Tin Angel on your nashville-jan-2009-008places-to-eat list. Heck, it’s worth making a trip there on its own. From the tin ceiling and weathered brick walls to the menu featuring fresh and innovative dishes to the feeling of neighborhood and convivial warmth (important on freezing winter nights when it’s literally, you know, freezing), Tin Angel is one of my new favorite places. We visited the West End restaurant on the strength of a review my husband had read in the Nashville Scene (http://www.tinangel.net/images_miscellany/scenereview.pdf) and ordered according to the reviewer’s recommendations. All I can say is, “Yes, please.”  I had the spinach salad with poached egg, and it was the best spinach salad I’ve ever had — not your usual bacon-sugar-vinegar combination but instead some sort of savory yummy deliciousness topped with a velvety poached egg. Only my mother’s warning voice in my head kept me from licking the plate.  My husband had the Catfish Pomme de Terre with a horseradish crust and mustard sauce on braised shredded cabbage and I had grilled scallops, one of the evening’s specials, both accompanied by our go-to restaurant seafood wine — a bottle of Conundrum. Our dishes were full of balanced and layered satisfying flavors and the portions were perfect. A wonderful evening and a memorable meal! We ate late enough — in fact we closed the place down — that we had no lines or parking glitches, but Tin Angel is so popular that at peak times you probably will. Worth it, though. Here’s the Web site: http://www.tinangel.net

Tennessee Travels

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nashville-jan-2009-001nashville-jan-2009-002My wonderful yet workaholic husband actually took a few days off recently and we headed to Nashville, Tennessee, for time with family, friends and a peacefully quiet hotel room. We like Embassy Suites — the two rooms to spread out in, the consistent quality of service and nashville-jan-2009-032cleanliness and of course the free drinks and snacks in the afternoon. (What? nashville-jan-2009-0063We’re easily impressed!) We loved this bar-food gizmo set up in the lobby for the daily happy hour. It had all sorts of crackers, pretzels, nuts, candy and mixes for do-it-yourself creating — the perfect accompaniment for beer and lazy discussions about where to go and who to see and what to eat later that night. Good times! It doesn’t take much to amuse us when it’s just the two of us on vacation. If we have access to real coffee (me), Diet Dr Pepper (him), reliable Internet and plenty of newspapers, we’re content. Throw in good restaurants and time to do whatever we want whenever we want to and we’ve gone beyond content and straight into happpy. And by the way, one thing we did while on vacation was catch “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” If you haven’t seen it yet, go immediately. It’s a moving and powerful story you’ll think about long after you leave the theater. I was disappointed it didn’t garner more awards at the Golden Globes, but I’m hopeful it will clean up at the Oscars — it’s that good.