The Blissful Glutton

Thanks! The crisp was super-easy. 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of oats, 2 cups of packed brown sugar, 2 sticks of butter, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 1 bag of frozen peaches, and 1 bag of frozen cherries. Just put the fruit in a casserole dish. Combine the crumble ingredients in a bowl and pack it over the fruit. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 375 or until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble is brown to your liking. Very simple and you can use for any fruit any time of year.

We made a bunch of food this weekend. Breakfast: Molletes with fried eggs, black beans, asadero cheese, french baguette, homemade arbol salsa, and chiles in vinegar. Nibblies: Bought some Lebanese Kefir cheese and freshly-made pita at Jerusalem Bakery (here in Atlanta). Mixed the cheese with good olive oil, chile flakes, and salt (suggested by the package) and made some quick pita chips. The package also called for dried mint, but I could not find any (or fresh for that matter). It was addictive--we could not stop eating once we started. Tonight's dinner: I had a friend over for dinner. BF made braised pork shanks with corona beans in a marzano sauce. The shanks were incredibly tender and had wonderful flavor. Paired with a Las Rochas 2001. I wanted to make something sweet, but no winter fruit was calling to me. I bought some frozen peaches and cherries at WF and made a crisp. I rarely make dessert, but they are always fruit-based. I really enjoyed this dessert and the boys said they did too.

umami--such a sexy word

All hail the rustic wooden spoon. There is a Jamaican woman here in Atlanta who hand-carves these spoons that look very similar to a tear drop. It is my favorite risotto spoon. Heck, I use it for everything. She recently closed her shop and I cannot find her any more (wanted to get some for holiday gifts for my chef friends). I will post a picture if I remember.

The bread looks amazing. I went to culinary school and I still cannot get my bread right. You definitely have the touch!

I think they are a must-have. I use them every day for something. Got mine at Williams Sonoma. Good selection and they have them on sale right now. I prefer the pull-apart shears for easier cleaning. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/srch/index....Go&words=shears

Thanks Nishla! Everyone is making some very good-looking stuff. Seems to be a fried chicken trend going on...may have to make some myself.

Sunday dinner: roasted baby rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts with pan-cooked kobe culotte. Creme fraiche, horseradish, and chive sauce. (the bf made this--I can only take credit for buying the products and making the sauce): Last night: Shrimp and grits with roasted mushrooms (all my doing):

Speaking of beef pies--I want to make these: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/dining/1...ing&oref=slogin

Thanks!

You guys are making some great-looking food. Perfectly-cooked roast beef, crisp fried chicken, and now, beef pot pies? I am swooning. I am munching on some empanadas I brought back from Miami, but those pot pies are calling my name. Could you post the recipe?

I am visiting my folks and they requested some lamb. I had been itching to do a whole bone-in leg. I covered the leg with softened butter and put some rosemary and garlic in some slits I had placed all over the leg. I roasted it on high for 30 minutes then added some sliced potatoes, onions, and fresh chicken stock to the pan before placing it back in the oven. It could have used half the stock so they would have gotten a bit more crisp. They were still delicious and full of lamby goodness. Bought some hydroponic arugula and made a nice little salad on the side.

What about Manchester Arms in College Park? It is a very short cab ride (1-2 exits at most) and they serve pretty solid English pub food. I would recommend the fish and chips or the shepherd's pie. They are a bit conservative with the salt in the batter for the fish and chips, but that can be remedied with the shaker. The owner tried to keep it true to their mother's recipe. Good beer selection too. Not a dump. I have some pictures of the food here: http://blissfulglutton.blogspot.com/2006/0...llege-park.html Just for a another opinion--my friend, Tom (who also has a website), did a write-up as well. Here is his review: http://www.atlantacuisine.com/pastpicks/manchesterarms.html

Looks great!

Back from Vancouver and my main learning from this trip is that the inexpensive places are the places to go. The overpriced and raved top tier places are just not worth it when the city offeres such fabulous ehtnic options. Stick with ethnic and your mouth will thank you. 1. Go Fish: Lovely little fish and chips place by the water that is sustainable and organic. Had some halibut and chips that they served with a spicy Asian slaw. Just fabulous. Massive pieces of fish and impossibly crispy batter. 2. Zakkushi: Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Notable dishes being grilled rice balls, grilled chicken livers and hearts, chicken meatballs topped with ground daikon and ponzu. All just lovely. Clean flavor and cheap. 3. Sun Sui Wah: Dim sum with quality that rivals Hong Kong. Amazing variety, piping hot and a definite must try if you are in the area. Kitchen does not open until 11 so dim sum only until then. We had a whole roasted squab which was lovely. 4. Tojos: I had heard so much positive feedback about this place was very excited to try it. Many local chefs warned me that the quality had gone down but I just decided to go any way. The BF got some sashimi and I did they $80 omakase. My first dish arrived and it was a beautiful tuna with ponzu. It was so fresh and delicious. The next dish arrived and it was some squash blossoms stuffed with scallops and fried. A total letdown. The meal just got progressively worse. The chef was making things in an assembly line and it was like eating at some mediocre Japanese mall restaurant. It was just so bad and not worth the money. I should have had the sashimi like the BF but his was also $90 for 16 pieces of fish. A total rip considering Miko and Toshi (2 other places in town) were way better. Seems like Tojo is just coasting on a reputation he built a long time ago. Save you money and hit Miko or Toshi. Trust me. 5. West restaurant: Widely considered to be Vancouvers's best restaurant. Lumiere and West are in a competition. I had a lovely scallop appetizer which was divine. Scallops in a lobster and lime broth topped with a crab ravioli. Very tasty. I had a chanterelle and arugula risotto for my main and it was soooo good. The service was also impeccable. A definite must try. 6. Feenie's: The lower-priced alternative to Lumiere who always gets voted best brunch. We went over for some brunch on Sunday and it was divine. I had a croque madame that was to-die-for. BF had a burger (seems everyone gets them there) and he said it was good aside from the fact that they will only serve it medium and he is a rare kind of guy. Great meal and cute neighborhood. 7. Vij's: Vancouverites just love this place and the wait shows it. We went for dinner at 5:45 because they do not take reservations and it is just impossible after 6. I like the all-woman kitchen and the atmosphere is nice. We ordered the wild boar, rapini with cashews and panir, lamb popsicles and chicken with jalapenos and cilantro. They pass little nibbles around which were quite good. I loved the cassava fries. The boar was great. It was topped with cantaloupe which was a welcome surprise. The rapini was bitter and lacking salt. Not a great dish. The lamb was good but not the best curry I have had. It was served on top of undercooked potatoes which just ruined the dish for me. The chicken was disgusting and over-spiced. A total waste and neither of us touched it after one bite. The naan was also a let down. It was dry and lacking salt. They also failed to brush it with ghee which ruined it in my opinion. It had also failed to bubble sufficiently making it tough and our basket just sat there uneaten...an true oddity considering we normally devour it. All in all a decent meal but I wish we had listened to my chef friend and hit rangoli next door (Vij's less-expensive and more traditional restaurant). I just like the simple Indian food I grew up eating and most of the time these fusion restaurants disappoint. Vij's was no exception. We got out for $150 total. 8. Kirin Mandarin: Hit this place for dinner. We ordered a peking duck and stir fried crab. The place was packed and I can see why. The food was awesome and very fresh. Perfect even. A must-try for Chinese dinner if you are in Vancouver. 9. Rodney's in Yaletown. Great oyster house. Fresh, fresh, fresh. Nice selection of house made sauces as well. The steamers are also divine. A bit pricey but worth it. Nice staff too. 10. The hot dogs and wraps on the street are also a steal and just delicious. Grab one if you are in a hurry and in need of a good bite.

I guess I don't mind the hour drive for a good meal or eating outdoors during the summer. I am planning on going for my 30th birthday in August. Should be memorable.

I coaxed my Dad into going on our first night in Vegas and I am so glad I did. The décor is minimal yet homey. We were seated in booth that was almost like a separate room from the rest of the dining area. The menu is very simple. It is broken down into veggies, meats, preparation styles, etc. Truly Italian but in Tom’s unique way. We ordered the beet salad and an assortment of oysters. We then decided to share the roasted gras-fed NY strip which is also basted with butter and thyme while roasting. We then had the braised veal breast which I swear had been braised in milk. Both were divine! We had French fries and the sautéed morels. The French fries were fresh and just the perfect crispness and thickness. The morels were fresh but drenched in a salty sauce that was not very good. The took them back and replaced them with a sauce-less version that we just loved. We were too stuffed for dessert but the choices kept with the theme of the dinner menu. Simple choices like seasonal fruit and lovely desserts. Such a great meal . This guy totally gets it. Photos of my food here: http://blissfulgluttontraveleats.blogspot....s-vegas_06.html

My Dad and I decided to go to Vegas for a couple of nights and he charged me with the task of deciding which restaurants we were eating at. One of my choices was Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in the MGM Grand. However, we walked by after our meal at Craftsteak to check out the menu and nothing jumped out to us. My father suggested Guy Savoy’s new restaurant and so we canceled JR and got a reservation at Guy Savoy for the next night. I had eaten at Guy Savoy's restaurant Paris and it remains one of my favorites in the world. When we walked in, Guy’s son greeted us. He is running the Las Vegas location with his father’s guidance of course. He is doing quite a good job. The restaurant is completely contemporary and chic. No old-world French decor to be found here. Nothing wrong with that just a nice change of pace since my last meal of this kind was at Ducasse. The service was impeccable from the beginning. They brought a stool for my purse, which I just, adored. The champagne cart was brought over and I chose Billecart-Salmon Rose. One of my favorite champagnes. We were presented with a toasted foie gras sandwich on a metal skewer, which was delightful. After much coaxing, my father agreed to the Menu Prestige...their 10 course tasting menu. My father was presented the wine list, which was literally an encyclopedia-sized book with its own table. They have a 12,000-bottle cave so I guess it makes sense. That book was intimidating…I even saw my Dad (who has a 16,000 bottle cellar and knows a lot about wine) look a bit bewildered. The bread sommelier…yes bread sommelier followed with the first of our bread pairings. Hilarious. I know you are curious how the meal was so I will go through each course and give you my opinion. We unfortunately did not take any pictures because I did not want to disturb the subdued elegance that the restaurant tries so hard to maintain. I hope my descriptions are sufficient. Course one: Oysters in Ice gelee. Simple oyster served on a gelee. The real delight was a surprise slice of crisp black truffle under the dish holding the oyster. I love how his sense of humor comes out in his food. Course two: Peas all round. Quite a delicious approach to a simple yet perfect ingredient. He started with a layer of pureed peas mixed with a gelatin to help set the base. He then topped with twice-shelled peas and micro-pea shoots. Then topped it with a poached egg. Delicious. I am definitely going to be making this in my kitchen. Course three (pictured on the bottom link): Crispy sea bass with delicate spices. This was great. They had taken the scales and fried them to a crisp before topping the fish with them. The fish was buttery and served over some leeks with buttery foam. Seems simple but it was prepared so perfectly it stood out as a favorite. Course four: Roasted foie gras and red cabbage nage, savoy cabbage, horseradish and mustards. These are two flavors I would have never thought of together but oh my…. the earthiness of the cabbage was perfect with the foie gras. One of my top 3 dishes of the night. Course five: Spinach and mushroom gratin. Another simple but amazing dish. This is one of the first dishes to make me moan in quite some time. My Dad loved it as well. It was a simple cascade of mushrooms in buttery and nutty mushroom foam with spinach. I do not what made it so good. I just loved every bite. Course six (pictured on the bottom link): artichoke and black truffle soup, toasted mushroom brioche with black truffle butter. This was a miss. The soup tasted like nothing. The slices of black truffle and pecorino were nice. However, the soup needed the cream they had chose to admit and much more salt. The brioche was so good though. Heaven. Course seven (pictured on the bottom link): crispy sweetbreads, petit potatoes and black truffle sandwiches. He hit it out of the park with this one. Perfect sweetbreads accompanied by sandwiches of crisp slices of small potatoes and slices of black truffle. There was also an amazing turnip mixture in the center to offset the richness of the sweetbreads. Course eight: selection of cheeses The selection was just overwhelming. I had some delicious goats and blues. I do not remember what they were though. Course nine: avocado and pineapple--creamy avocado mousse, pineapple sorbet on top of diced pineapple. Oh my god. Avocado Mousse with pineapple? Pinch me. Sweet, tart and tangy. I have to replicate that at home. Course ten: chocolate fondant, crunchy praline and chicory cream. Nice dessert. Nothing awe-inspiring but well prepared and tasty. Course eleven: The candy cart Macarons, rose rice pudding, sugar spirals on sticks…I could barely eat another bite but I found a way to taste these delicacies. We then retired out onto their open-air patio for after-dinner drinks and for my father, the cigar menu. My father kept repeating how civilized the whole experience was and I agreed. We finished our remaining bits of drink and headed out the door with a box of chocolates in hand. Smiles on our faces…of course. For photos: http://www.guysavoy.com/en/intro.htm

It is 40 minutes outside of Atlanta but Serenbe Farms has a lovely farm and sustainable restaurant that is supposed to have some darn good food. I am sure the scenery is beautiful as well. http://www.serenbe.com/home.html

They also pass out those guides, which have been around for a while, at the Morningside market. Great source for local CSAs and establishments that support local farmers.

Carmen Cappello from M!X on Sandy Springs Radio He already started. http://www.radiosandysprings.com/Tastebuds/Carmen.html

I have not tried or not tried enough of: Korean Cambodian Vietnamese regional African regional Indian regional Mexican regional Latin American and I am sure there are so many other cuisines out there that I have never tasted I know there are many of these ethnic restaurants in the 5 boroughs of Manhattan, I just have to find them. Us Manhattanites tend to think that going to another borough is like going to Anartica. ← Sara, Looks like you have your work cut out for you. I am sure you can find loads of suggestions from the New Yorkers on this board. The people here really know their stuff. Thanks for your answers. The Blissful Glutton

Sara, Thanks for answering my question. Glad to see you enjoyed Atlanta. Anne's restaurants are amazing and I am proud that a woman (and alumni of my culinary school) is producing such quality fare in my lovely city. I also adore that she has her own farm. What a dream. I saw on your blog that one of your resolutions was eat at more ethnic restaurants. Is there any cuisine you have not tried? Thanks. The Blissful Glutton

Hi Sara. Thanks for taking the time out to speak with us. I was just wondering what kind of restaurants you frequent when you are not cooking or traveling?

Can anyone tell me why the original Nobu recipe calls for a 2-3 day marinade? I made this the other night and marinated for 6 hours. It still tasted amazing.