Tag Archives: food

Organizing the Kitchen

Posted on by
Reply

spices-2-0023new-spice2I cleaned out my spice drawer this week! I’m so proud of myself!!! Isn’t the newly organized and easily accessible drawer a a work of art now? I mean, I know it’s not alphabetized or arranged in descending order of expiration dates, but you have to admit it’s about 40 times better. Remember what it looked like before? Yuck — the sorry result of unbridled optimism that this might be the night I actually will make Nigella Lawson’s Honeyed Almond and Orange Cake with Figs … if only Survivor and Ugly Betty weren’t on. I have my priorities, after all, right? But after writing about it in my TimesDaily column today, I realized how pathetic it is to hold on to chili powder from 1983 and that it all had to go: http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20081120/ARTICLES/811200346

Florence Quilt Show

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
4

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?

Posted on by
7

spices-2-002

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Ketchup

Posted on by
4

huntsville-102908-010huntsville-102908-007One of my new favorite restaurants is Ketchup, in Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville, Alabama. Ketchup’s cheerful red-and-white decor is an updated take on the classic American diner, and so is the menu, which features a fun selection of casual starters and burgers. The star, of course, is the French fry appetizer: Three flavors of fries andhuntsville-102908-011 five of catsup, with nice mixtures of sweet and savory. Genius! I’ll take two, please. Ketchup is part of the Dolce Group of restaurants based in Los Angeles that boasts celebrities such as huntsville-102908-012Ashton Kutcher as investors. And it’s certainly different than any other north Alabama restaurant — in a good way. It’s chic and stylish enough for a date night or business lunch and casual and low key enough for family or friends to gather. Grandson Nolan Thomas Behel, 7 months old, loves it! Ketchup is a huge space, and while the staff does recommend making reservations, I’ve never seen the restaurant full. My daughter has taken a large group there and says service is just as attentive as when it’s just two or three at a table.

Check out Bridge Street at http://www.bridgestreethuntsville.com and Ketchup at http://www.dolcegroup.com/

Election Night Food

Posted on by
2

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

Posted on by
5

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.

Fall Parties

Posted on by
2

I have a friend in Florence, Alabama, who is the most creative and stylish hostess ever. I don’t want to embarrass her here, so I’ll just call her … hmm, let’s see … for no reason whatsoever, I’ll call her Cheryl. Every time I go to a gathering at Cheryl’s house, I feel special because of her generous hospitality, beautifully set tables and scrumptious food. In fact, folks are still talking about a cheese party she gave a couple years ago — I only wish Gourmet magazine had been there. Recently she hosted our four-woman book club, and even though she had worked out of town all day, everything was perfect. Her house was glowing with autumn decoration in browns, golds and oranges; the table settings were so elegant; and you could smell the comforting scents of vegetable soup and pumpkin bread as soon as you walked in the door. Since the main decor at my house is cat hair, coffee cups and stacks of newspapers, I’m glad I have friends such as Cheryl to remind me how to live graciously.