Lesley Eats

I'm moving!

2011-05-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

It's not all pretty yet, but I'm moving to lesleyeats.com! I'm saying goodbye to the bunny and the lettuce, but I'll still be eating plenty of rabbit food. So please update your feeds, bookmarks, and whatever else and join me over there.

Vegan dining in Memphis

2011-05-18T17:08:00.002-05:00

The Memphis Commercial Appeal has a nice feature on vegan dining options in Memphis. Be sure to read not just the article, but the comments as well. Certainly, some comments--like those on just about every newspaper site--are, um, unhelpful but a number offer a couple of other options.

I grew up in Memphis, so I'm happy to see that not only are vegetarian options expanding (I had some difficulty when I moved back in 2000 as a new vegetarian) but that there are vegan options, too. I'm disappointed that Imagine Cafe has chosen primarily to make vegan versions of traditionally critter-centric foods, but I suppose that's either what they like to eat or they think it will be the best way to get non-vegans in the door. But my experience has been that non-veg*ns are best converted with foods that really taste great but are also (hey!) veg*n. Prime example: Pure Food & Wine in New York City. Y'know, except without the hefty price tag.

But I'm really glad to see Fuel Cafe getting some love. I've mentioned before that I'm a fan. So if you're in Memphis or are going for a visit, try to give some of these guys a try.

UPDATE: Many thanks to Morgan of Nashvillest for noting that I Love Memphis blog just posted "11 Ways To Eat Meat-Free in Memphis" yesterday. I missed that and it is a fantastic list. It's got a list of vegan and vegetarian (often shortened to "veg*n," if you've ever wondered what that means). Though I'd like to note a few vegetarian favorites of mine that didn't get mentioned:

1. Panda Garden--fantastic vegetable soup and you can get spring rolls vegetarian if you request them. It's nice that they're made to order. And they're baby-friendly.

2. Raffe's Deli--the Veggie Delight is my favorite; it's just a muffuletta without the meat and a few things added. Their falafel is wonderful, too.

3. The Majestic Grille--several veg*n-friendly items and adding more all the time. Their french fries are small, crisp and delicious. Be sure to get them. Also, this place is baby-friendly.

4. Memphis Pizza Cafe--one of the places I miss most.

5. Okay, there are just too many to list and so many new places! Coming soon, I hope: a review of Three Angels Diner. In short: Memphis is getting more veg-friendly, despite being the barbecue capital of the world. And despite what you read in the comments section of commercialappeal.com.

New Whole Foods Market in Franklin--Grand Opening May 18th

2011-05-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I took a tour of the new Whole Foods Market in Franklin, Tennessee with the Nashville Food Bloggers. The new store is a significant upgrade over the old one with more floor space expanded offerings, and most importantly for local lunchers, a much larger hot/cold bar and prepared foods area.

Along with the usual sections you'd expect in a new Whole Foods (cheese, sustainable seafood, bulk foods, grind-your-own nut butters), it's got something I've never seen before--bulk herbs, spices, and seasonings that you can buy in any amount. As in, if you only need a teaspoon of, say, kelp granules or juniper berries for a special recipe (and you don't want to buy a lot), you can! I haven't seen this at the Green Hills Whole Foods, but I'll look closer next time since it's more convenient to where I live. Because that is a really neat concept.

Bulk seasonings

Another feature is their Health Starts Here section that employs "Healthy Eating Specialists" to help customers make informed choices and will highlight dishes and meals made with the Health Starts Here principles, one of which is that each meal should have a majority of plant-based foods. I definitely support that.

And yet another great convenience for those who work or live in the Cool Springs area is that the store will be hosting the Franklin Farmers Market on Tuesdays throughout the summer from 3pm until 6:30pm. Additionally, WFM carries a number of items and food from local sources so if you have a product you'd like to sell, just contact the department manager who will direct you on the way to get your product in the store.

The old WFM in Cool Springs closes at the end of the day today and the new store at 1566 West McEwen Drive (on the southwest corner with Mallory Lane) opens at 7:30am Wednesday morning with free breakfast and a grand opening at 9am.

Generous Helpings May 19th

2011-05-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

Friends, if you missed Iron Fork last month (and if you did, I'm sure you're regretting it), don't despair! You have another chance to attend a great food event, benefitting a great cause.

Generous Helpings--a wonderful event benefitting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee--is coming up next week and you can still get tickets for just $40 each here. Or buy them for $50 each at the door the night of the event at the Nashville Farmers Market.

Once again, many of the city's restaurants will be serving tastings including one of my favorites from Iron Fork, Perl Catering, plus Holland House, Miel, Watermark, tayst, Amerigo, Park Cafe, Porta Via and many, many more.

It's going to be a great event. Don't miss it!

A tale of two failures

2011-05-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

A Tale of Kale

I'd read several posts about kale chips and how wonderful they are, so when I saw some nice-looking kale at the farmers market, I bought a bag.

I was a bit apprehensive; I don't like cooked greens much at all. I'll eat chard if someone more qualified than I am prepares it, but even slightly warm spinach makes me gag. But the raves!

So I washed it, tore it into bite-size chunks and towel-dried each individual piece (note: would have been easier to dry and then tear apart). I tossed it with a little olive oil and placed a baking sheet full of it in my 350° oven. I checked it at 12 minutes. Not crispy yet. And at 14 minutes. Nope. And then at 16 minutes. Crispy! So I pulled it out salted it lightly and waited a minute for it to cool. I was going to eat healthy cooked greens that taste good!

Ha ha, no. After all that, I discovered that these cooked dark greens still tasted like cooked dark greens even when they're crispy and salty. In other words, yuck. If you like kale or if you have a lot of it you just really need to use and eat, then by all means, go on ahead and make you some kale chips. But I don't. This batch of kale chips when right into the compost. Not even Mr. Eats--who is not terribly picky--didn't care for them.

A Tale of Bread
In preparation for a trip back home to Memphis, I started the dough for some no-knead bread to take to my mother (she loves it). I know the recipe by heart. I made it up and the following day, poured it out on my generously-floured towel to fold a couple of times. But it was a wet, soggy mess. Huh? Did I forget the third cup of flour? I kept adding more flour and kneading the dough in hopes of salvaging it. I got it to the consistency I was familiar with and set it aside to rise again. Two hours later, no. So I made a new batch. The following day, it looked great, but I poured it out and it was again a soggy mess.

Have I forgotten how to read? Count? Sure, we were in the midst of several days of nasty, relentless rain, but I'd never read any notes about this dough being picky about humidity. But it was if the water was multiplying in the mix instead of the air. I tried my best with it but again, it would not rise an appreciable amount on the second rise. I cooked it anyway and it came out like a giant, hard focaccia (which I have unintentionally made before). The yeast is not bad. I can only assume that this bread is just not meant to be made when the air is thick with water. Which--here in Nashville--means I may not be making this bread again until October.

And so today, as I look outside at yet another day of rain I wonder what to make in my kitchen. Something that is supposed to be wet, that's for sure. Soup.

Iron Fork Nashville

2011-04-26T15:23:00.001-05:00

Last week, I attended my third (of four) Iron Fork Nashville events! It's such a wonderful event--your ticket gets you a ton of food samples from the area's finest restaurants and caterers plus three drinks from the bar. However, the bartender was generous with the ~~Three~~Four Roses bourbon, so I actually only used just one of my drink tickets!

There were a lot of new faces this year; not just among the restaurants, but among the contestants as well. A new addition this year, Perl Catering actually served one of my favorite dishes--a caramelized onion bisque. And there were lots of other great vegetarian options: Finezza, Urban Flats, Wild Iris, Mambu, Provence, and Rumba as well as desserts from Hot & Cold (Mexican caramel paleta dipped in chocolate!) and Cupcake Collection (the city's best cupcakes). I left quite satisfied.

This year's mystery ingredient was green almonds, which a lot of us had mis-heard as green olives. Certainly, the competition was harder with the former rather than the latter. Chris Chamberlain--one of the judges--gives a great description of all the competitors' dishes on the Nashville Scene's BITES blog. I was too busy sampling and socializing to pay much attention to the competition! But I did get a few pictures:

The contestants right in the middle of the action

The wonderful ladies at Finezza serving vegetarian pasta salad and tiramisu--yum!

Me and my new best friend, Tiffany Derry from Top Chef/Top Chef Masters and blogger Beth of Eat.Drink.Smile and her friend, Leslie

The event is a lot of fun and proceeds benefit the Martha O'Bryan Center. Well worth the $40 per ticket. If you're sorry you missed this, then you should definitely think about going to one or both of two more great food events coming up: Generous Helpings on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at the Farmers Market (again--tickets are just $40 per person and will include more food than you can ever hope to eat from the city's best restaurants--buy tickets here) which benefits the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and then Taste of Music City on Saturday June 4, 2011 (buy tasting tickets for each booth for as little as $1 each in advance) which benefits (hey, whaddyaknow) the Martha O'Bryan Center.

Whew, that's a lot of great food. I'm glad to know that all of these events are vegetarian-friendly, too.

Chewy Lemon Cookies

2011-04-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

I love lemons and lemon flavor. Just about anything lemon--lemon pound cake, lemon squares, lemon cookies, lemonade. You name it--if it's lemon, I probably love it. So I was looking for a lemon cookie to make and this recipe popped up. I've made a few changes, most notably the name. Yes, they are zesty, but the thing I love most about these cookies is that they are chewy! And very sweet and tart and lemony all at once. Like a little drink of lemonade in a cookie. Or a drink of sunshine. I absolutely love this cookie and if you like sweet and dainty lemon cookies, you will too.

Chewy Lemon Cookies
adapted from Zesty Lemon Cookies by Lesli Neilson of the Salt Lake Tribune via Real Mom Kitchen
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• The zest of one fresh lemon (~1 teaspoon but more is good)
• The juice of one fresh lemon (~1/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter and sugar with your mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each. Add in lemon juice and zest and blend again. Add baking powder and flour and mix well. Set dough in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes or so.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until edges are firm with no color, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Yields about 3 dozen standard-size cookies, but I made about six dozen silver dollar size cookies.

Tips:
• Zest your lemon before you juice it.
• If you want perfectly round cookies, chill your dough well so that you can shape your dough into balls. Use a melon baller if you have one.
• You don't have to line your baking sheets, but the bottoms will be much prettier and they're a lot easier to remove!
• I have a lovely German teaspoon (for loose tea) that I used to dust the cookies, but you can use a sifter or a fine strainer. Be sure the cookies have cooled or the powdered sugar will melt.

Product Review: Tandoor Chef Vegetable Pad Thai

2011-04-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was contacted by a representative of Tandoor Chef to see if I'd like to try out some of their line of frozen appetizers, naans and entrees. Of course I would! I love Indian food so I was eager to give some a try. I was particularly interested in the frozen dosas, naans and paneer tikka masala.

Unfortunately, my local grocery carries exactly one vegetarian product from their vast line of offerings: vegetable pad thai. Which is not only not a dosa (what I really wanted), but not even Indian.

Nevertheless, I picked it up and brought it home for a try.

I really like Thai food, too though I rarely opt for the pad thai (it usually comes with egg) but this pad thai is egg-free and suitable for vegans. However, I'm familiar enough with the standard product to give a review. My thoughts? Well, it's not the best pad thai I've ever had, but it's pretty good for a frozen entree. The freezing process wasn't kind to the aesthetics of the vegetables, but the taste was just fine. And the peanut flavor was really good and not too spicy (though it has a little kick). Another thing to like about the pad thai is it's part of their new "Balanced Vegetarian" meals (reduced sodium, higher in protein and fiber, and have zero trans fats). That doesn't mean it's low-cal (nearly 500 calories and 19g of fat), but they're better fat and calories than in a typical frozen meal. And likely a LOT less in fat and calories than the pad thai at your local Thai restaurant.

So if you're looking for a lunch option that's a little bit different and you don't mind everyone around you knowing that you're having Thai food (it is quite aromatic! and heavy on the onions for my taste), give it a try. And if you happen to be lucky enough to live near a grocery that has the naans or the dosas, let me know if you've tried them and how they taste!

Morsels Cafe

2011-04-04T07:39:00.001-05:00

Tanisha Hall--known for Fleur de Lis Flavors, the wonderful snow cones at the Nashville Farmers' Market--has revamped the Morsels Cafe at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. It's now only the second certified kosher cafe in town (behind Grins on the Vanderbilt Campus). And it's not just kosher--it's vegetarian. Check out the story about Morsels Cafe in The Tennessean.

Hey, we're moving in the right direction. We just need some vegetarian cafes in more easily accessible places! (Shame-filled admission: I've never been to Grins.)

Congratulations and good luck to Tanisha in this new venture!

Mark your calendars--upcoming events in Nashville

2011-03-31T19:56:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of worthy causes with some fantastic fundraisers in Nashville, but it seems that the Martha O'Bryan Center is the benefactor of the some of the very best food-related events the city. Or, at least two of my favorites--Nashville Scene's Iron Fork Nashville and Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin'. And both are coming up soon, so mark you calendars.

I'm kind of an expert (ha!) about Iron Fork, having been in a couple of times. Last year was particularly fun since Mr. Eats's long-time friend Andy Hunter walked away with the top prize. Andy has since relocated to sunny Florida, so there's no defending champion this year. It's going to be a tough competition--all the chefs are fantastic and have made some of my favorite food. The competition takes place April 20, 2011 at the Country Music Hall of Fame from 6-10pm. Your $40 admission includes three drink tickets and samples of food from the area's finest restaurants. There were several good vegetarian options last year (and a LOT of really great sweets), so it's well worth the money. And it's a great time! Find out more information here.

And go ahead and clear the calendar for Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin' 2011. This year, the event takes place on June 12, 2011 from 3-5pm and will be on the grounds of First Presbyterian Church at 4815 Franklin Road. Last year, advance tickets were just $10 and were VERY MUCH worth it. Mr. Eats, Baby Eats and I had a fantastic time and I can't wait to go again.

A vegetarian in Gatlinburg

2011-03-30T18:39:00.001-05:00

Typically, when I visit a new place, I scour yelp.com, urbanspoon.com and tripadvisor.com to find the best places to eat. I'm looking for that great local place or that hidden gem. So when my husband's family decided to gather in Gatlinburg, I looked to see what my options would be.

Well, it seems the non-chain options in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area are pretty much steak houses and pancake houses. Lots of both. But the steak houses are generally not veg-friendly (unless you like iceberg lettuce salads, which I do not) and the pancake houses aren't open past lunch. So. For dinner one night I had a PayDay and the other night a Clif bar. Though both were enjoyable, they're not photo-worthy. So, instead, I will post a picture of one of the many "entertainment" venues popular in the area.

Yes, it's an upside-down building. No, I don't know why.

So, if you go, I recommend renting a cabin up in the mountains and bringing your food with you. And/or ordering pizza.

This photo--of yet another popular "entertainment" option--is quite representative of when I intend to return to Gatlinburg.

That's right--flying pigs.

A whirlwind of wonderful restaurant visits

2011-03-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

I'm way behind on posting all of our outings over the past month or so. Apparently, we've had a lot of reasons to celebrate. Valentine's Day, Mr. Eats's birthday, got a babysitter day...we've had some wonderful meals. There is truly some great vegetarian (fine) food to be had in Nashville.

First up is Miel. We live nearby but have never been. The kind hostess was able to squeeze us in for a last-minute reservation the Saturday before Valentine's Day. We were excited because Deb Paquette, formerly of Zola is helping out in the kitchen.

I started with a favorite from Zola, the bowl of mixed olives, followed by the seasonal vegetable plate. It was a lovely plate with red carrots, roasted parsnips, a mixed salad, some broccolini and a lentil concoction. It was a pretty hefty plate of food--good and filling. Except I discovered I'm not much a fan of parsnips.

And we just had to get dessert and I opted for the trio of pots de creme, which I assume were prepared by pastry chef Angela Reynolds (who has celebrity fans). Even the capuccino flavor--not really a favorite of mine--was delicious. It just feels good to eat a good pot de creme. And I like Miel--it's a surprisingly quiet-but-not-too-quiet space and is very comfortable.

We also finally made it to Watermark. And in keeping with the Zola theme, we remembered our server from Zola. It was nice because he was understanding and helpful with my "dietary restrictions." Not that he needed to do much--my eye immediately went to the vegetarian special, a saffron risotto. There were some wilted greens and some spaghetti squash and roasted beets accompanying the risotto, but it was just about all I was interested in. It was as good as it sounds. Yum.

A note about Watermark--if you're looking for a really nice fine-dining option, this is the place. It's a wonderful place and the service is really fantastic.

And we (again--finally) made it to Holland House in East Nashville. I'd heard a lot about it--good things about the cocktails as well as the food. Definitely splurge on one of the specialty cocktails (the Warsaw Mule is fantastic). And were able to squeeze in during happy hour, so we got a few of the small plates to start off. I really enjoyed the fries, but the edamame-ponzu dip was a little off in context--I think it would work better in the summer with a beer. For dinner, I had the risotto with foraged mushrooms (I really like risotto) and it was delicious. The lighting is not great for food photography, but it was lovely to look at, too.

Though the dessert menu at Holland House was not really our thing, so we drove down the street to Allium, which I know will always have a great dessert selection. For Mr. Eats's birthday, he enjoyed a wonderful pistachio and chocolate mousse (um), tarte? I can't remember. I'd had several cocktails by then. But it was wonderful and exactly what he wanted. Interestingly, while at Allium, we noticed two other tables (including a large table) that we'd seen earlier at Holland House. I think they were doing drinks at Holland House and dinner at Allium. Huh. Maybe those guys need to partner up!

Wonder bread

2011-03-04T12:20:00.000-06:00

There are a number of things from the kitchen of my childhood that I just cannot stand now that I'm an adult. Miracle Whip. Margarine. Wonder bread.

My mom loves Wonder bread. I tolerated it as a child but begged for wheat bread. It was a special treat when she'd by Roman Meal wheat bread. I loved the heels the most. I still do, though I've upgraded to whole grain and seeded breads. In fact, I blame Wonder bread for hating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I absolutely cannot tolerate the feeling of a sandwich bit stuck to the roof of my mouth. However, I refuse to try PB&J again (because I also don't like peanut butter with sweet tastes).

But now I have my own child. Early on, she showed a distaste for wheat breads. I'm certain it was the texture. So I tried Wonder bread. She loves it. And though Mr. Eats and I don't eat it, we love it, too. Why? No crumbs. And given how much food ends up on the floor, that counts for a lot. The tiny pieces of sandwich she eats with Wonder bread stays together even when thrown off the side of a highchair. I'm sure that the chemistry responsible for this amazing feat isn't something I'd love, but I do love a crumb-free floor.

Now, if only I could find prunes that were not sticky.

Tofu with penne

2011-02-23T09:49:00.000-06:00

Y'know, sometimes you just don't feel like making a big production at dinner. Sometimes, you just want to fry up some fresh tofu cubes in olive oil and diced onions until both are crispy and then throw in some marinated artichoke hearts, diced tomato (canned! but drained-ish), garlic and some Italian herbs and salt and pour the mixture over some penne and call it a meal.

I did also pan fry some frozen haircots vert over high-ish heat to serve as a side dish.

Baby Eats loves the fried tofu and artichoke hearts; notsomuch the green beans. We're still trying, though.

Hot and Cold

2011-02-15T11:00:00.000-06:00

There are a hundred reasons I'm happy that we've gotten a break from the frigid weather here in Nashville, but one of the top ones was to finally be able to visit Hot & Cold over in Hillsboro Village for the Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. The place and the ice cream were every bit of everything I've heard and more.

The Jeni's ice cream is amazing. The flavors are bizzare-wonderful. And they're expensive. However, for your $4, you can get a small cup that has a reasonable portion of up to two flavors (for only $1 more, you can get a third flavor). Not bad. The $10 pints seem a bit steep, but there's a lot of good stuff packed in there. We got a pint of the Bangkok Peanut (peanut butter, honey, toasted coconut, cayenne pepper) and one of Sweet Cream and Appalachian Elderberries (a mostly unflavored ice cream base with elderberries and black currants). A little Valentine's Day splurge. Also, pints are the only way to get many of the flavors.

While in the store, I had a small with Salty Caramel and Goat Cheese with Cognac Fig Sauce (both outstanding) and Mr. Eats had the Brambleberry Crisp and Cherry Lambic sorbet (again, outstanding). Very much worth every penny. We had cups, but were very tempted by the house-made waffle cones.You can also have a variety of chocolate sauces, peanut sauce, or espresso served with your ice cream.

I regret that we didn't get any of the sipping chocolate or any of the other very wonderful-sounding hot beverages (including cider). They also serve Las Paletas (and Chiquitas--mini versions of the paletas), which are handy if you don't feel like dropping too much money (and butterfat) on the little ones (ha!).

Hot & Cold is located at 1804 21st Avenue South in Hillsboro Village an iS open from 11am-9pm (I think) every day. I actually ran into the owner while there (he was getting the Roxbury Road in a waffle cone--a good endorsement for that, I'd say) and mentioned that the hours listed on the website didn't have weekend hours listed so I hope that's fixed soon. They ARE open on the weekends, though!

Barley Walnut Loaf

2011-02-07T11:54:00.000-06:00

Since my trip to Memphis, I've been inspired to create my own veggie meat loaf. Y'know, even though I don't like meat loaf. So I scoured the google for recipes and was disappointed. Too many recipes with stuff I don't like (bell peppers, celery) and just about all of them called for either eggs (no, thanks) or ground flaxseed (which I didn't have on hand) as a binder.

So, I just decided to figure out what I did want in it (brown rice, barley) and what I could use that would hold it together (ground walnuts, cheese). Unbelievably, it worked and it tasted good! Really good. Mr. Eats even had seconds!

So here's the recipe I used. If you're looking for something new for Meatless Mondays and would like a nice vegetarian comfort food, this is the loaf for you. I will continue to play around with it, too. I think some shredded carrots and chopped mushrooms would be good additions. And of course, if you like bell peppers and celery, you could add those, too.

This takes some time and a little planning, but it's easy to do in stages (which I have to schedule during nap times!).

Barley Walnut Loaf
prep time about 2-3 hours for the grains and loaf to cook plus cooling
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
2/3 cup pearled barley
2 cups water
1 packet onion soup mix
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Cabot Seriously Sharp)
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup bread crumbs (or quick oats)
olive oil (to grease the loaf pan)

Seasonings
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme*
1 hefty pinch of cumin*
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast*
(*these seasonings are optional; add what you like or have on hand)

Glaze
2 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
pinch of salt

Cook the brown rice with 1 cup of water according to directions (simmer on low heat for 50 minutes).

Cook the barley with 2 cups of water and the packet of onion soup mix for one hour (simmer on low heat).

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in the oven or toaster oven at 300F until lightly browned and just as you can smell them (just a few minutes). Place into a food processor and chop into a course meal.

Transfer the walnut meal to a large bowl and add the cheese, rice, barley, breadcrumbs/oats, and seasonings and mix well.

For the glaze, place all ingredients in a small bowl and heat slightly (so the honey will melt) and mix well.

Grease a loaf pan with olive oil and spoon the loaf mix into the pan, packing down well. Spread the glaze evenly on top and bake for 50 minutes at 350F.

Let the loaf cool for at least an hour before slicing, if possible (otherwise, it will fall apart slightly--so this is optional). Then reheat to serve.

Make it vegan!
To make this recipe vegan, simmer the barley in vegetable broth instead of onion soup mix and add in 1/2 cup of well-sauteed diced onions (many onion soup mixes are not vegan). And skip the cheese or use vegan cheese. Sweeten the glaze with agave nectar, raw sugar or another vegan sweetener.

Mix well. Mmm...appetizing, huh?

Press it down as much as possible

Add the glaze and bake!

I cut it too soon. Don't make this mistake.

A little fun in Memphis

2011-02-03T16:49:00.001-06:00

I'm from Memphis originally and I frequently go back to visit friends and family and, of course, many of my favorite restaurants that I've found no replacement for in Nashville. Things are coming along here, but I still have no good substitute for Memphis Pizza Cafe and Panda Garden.

Aside: There's a fairly large and vibrant Chinese community in Memphis, particularly compared to Nashville. So there are some great Chinese restaurants from take-out to upscale. Recently, awards were given in San Francisco for the best Chinese restaurants and my favorite, Panda Garden made it on the "best value" list, China Wok (near where I grew up) made it on the "best takeout" list and Royal Panda was listed among the best overall restaurants. Incidentally, Royal Panda is the subject of a blog dedicated to the food the chef/owner creates: The Wu Food Project.

Other old favorites include Gibson's Donuts (like them on Facebook to keep up with special offers and be sure to have the caramel donut) and the Beauty Shop (vegetarian- and kid-friendly, as you can see but be sure to call ahead and request a high chair in an out-of-the-way place if you can).

And I am an unabashed fan of Cafe Ole, no matter how many times it changes ownership. As long as it still has sangritas (recommended!) and black bean quesadillas, I'll keep going.

Baby Eats on the Blackberry and enjoying a lime at the Beauty Shop

And I have new favorites now, too. Thanks to Lindsey, I've become acquainted with Fuel, the latest restaurant to occupy the old gas station on Madison, just east of Zinnie's and just west of P&H. There are LOTS of great vegetarian options, including this veggie cheese & walnut loaf. It inspired this conversation:

"How much is it like meat loaf? Because I never liked meat loaf."
"What didn't you like about meat loaf?"
"Well, definitely the ground beef. I hate ground beef. The texture and grease."
"Well, this has no ground beef and no grease."
"And also the sauce. I think it had ketchup on it."
"We don't put ketchup on it. It does have a honey barbecue glaze, though."
"What about the texture? Is it a little looser? Because that would be good."
"Yes, it's definitely looser than ground beef because it's made with chopped, not ground walnuts and cheese and oats and some other things."
"Hmm, okay, I will try it then."

I liked it! It made for a hearty sandwich. And as promised by the server, the fries were fantastic, too.

Also at the suggestion of Lindsey and just about everyone else in Memphis, Mr. Eats and I visited The Cove. This is a good place to go to drink, but not so much to eat if you're a vegetarian. I ate, but it was nothing special. The drinks are very good, though (but just a tad on the pricey side). But the place has a good vibe, a very homey atmosphere. It's unpretentious, which is a rarity these days.

I won't be back to Memphis very soon, but when I go, I hope to visit a few of the other new restaurants I've heard about: Au Fond Farmtable and Three Angels Diner. Oh, and of course, a couple more of those top Chinese restaurants! And have this!

Really Easy and Good No-Knead Bread

2011-01-21T11:01:00.000-06:00

I'm about six or seven years behind on this trend, but I just recently received a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven for Christmas and the first thing I wanted to do was make this bread. I've always wanted to make really good bread at home but I have no room (and no interest, really) in a bread machine. So when I first heard about this method, I really wanted to try it.

There are a lot of ways to do this--some take less time--but after a few tries, I've decided I like this bread so much that this is my preferred method.

Easy No-Knead Bread
adapted from the recipe of Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery

Ingredients
1½ cups warm water
¼ teaspoon yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
additional flour for dusting

Special equipment
5 to 8 quart pot with lid (Le Creuset enamel cast iron dutch oven, Pyrex glass, or ceramic) that can withstand 500°F (if you have a Le Creuset or similar dutch oven, you will need to get a stainless steel replacement knob; the cool-touch knob will not work).

Dissolve yeast in the water in large bowl (preferably glass or metal). Add the remaining ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon (about a minute). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12-18 hours (overnight) at room temperature (at least 65°F). The dough will have bubbles on the top and be stringy when ready.

Generously flour your work surface and hands and pour the dough from the bowl and fold twice (add flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the surface or hands). Let the dough rest 15 minutes. Then shape the dough into ball by folding side to side and end to end and place on a cotton towel (not terry cloth or waffle weave) that is generously covered in flour with the seam side down. Dust with flour, cover with another towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size. It must rise to the desired level during this stage as it will not rise much further during cooking. If necessary, place in a toaster/convection/traditional oven that has been heated to "proof" the dough during this time.

When your dough is ready (or shortly beforehand), preheat oven to 500°F (remove dough if you're proofing it in your large oven) for 30 minutes with the dutch oven inside. Remove the pot from the oven and flip the dough from the towel into the pot with the seam side up. Cover and bake for 30 minutes and then 15 minutes (or longer) uncovered until the loaf is golden brown.

The result of all this time is a really nice, thick crust that is not too hard, but still toothy and satisfying. And the inside is light and airy. It really is fantastic. I've tried to use whole wheat flour and I have to say it's just not as good. Just plain ol' white flour is the way to go. It's quite a treat!

Nashville's Restaurant Week

2011-01-17T16:19:00.000-06:00

It's time again for Restaurant Week here in Nashville. Each participating restaurant has a special price and often a special menu for the occasion. The Nashville Originals website has links to all the specials and menus available this week. It's a great way to get some affordable introductions to the city's best locally-owned restaurants.

So far, I've made a reservation at Cha Chah with some friends and Mr. Eats and I may get out to Allium, Flyte, or Cafe Nonna later in the week (if reservations are still available!). Those are just a few of the restaurants that understand that vegetarians like good food, too. I just wish more restaurants were open Monday this week!

Restaurant Round-Up: Mad Donna's, Smiling Elephant, NY Pie

2011-01-07T18:14:00.000-06:00

I'm busy perfecting a bread recipe/technique so in the meantime I'm happy to share that I've finally gotten the chance to get out to eat in the last month.

Mad Donna's
I was fortunate enough to attend a special tasting event at Mad Donna's and it's a good thing because it's never really been on my radar. And that's too bad because there are a few reasons it should've been and is now:

1. Macaroni and cheese--several kinds to choose from!

2. Crispy sweet potato fries

3. A huge menu with lots of vegetarian options (as well as gluten-free options)

4. Brunch! (Wish I'd known this during the many times I've waited--and waited and waited--for a table down the street at Marche).

Mad Donna's is kid-friendly downstairs and has a pretty cool space upstairs. Check their website for their awesome daily specials and events. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd be a regular.

Menu sampling!

A group of us digging into some fried ice cream

Mad Donna's
1313 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN 37206
(615) 226-1617
Open every day except Monday; brunch on Saturday and Sunday

Smiling Elephant
I'd heard about Smiling Elephant for a while but I figured that it'd be just like all the other Thai restaurants in town. They're all good so what's the point in driving all the way over to 8th Avenue South? But one night, we had some time and we stopped in.

Let me sum it up this way: Smiling Elephant will change your life.

Wow, so good. And different! Not the standard pre-fried tofu splashed in some sauce (not that there's anything wrong with that). And not the standard dishes either. A smaller menu than some places but all dishes thoughtfully prepared. And fresh. I got the dinner "set" which included soup, entree and dessert (and a bonus ginger tea!). The soups are vegetarian and just about any entree can be made with tofu so you can imagine I was quite pleased. Mr. Eats actually ordered vegetarian food, too so that we could share! And everything was fantastic.

Smiling Elephant is a small space. Even at 8pm on a Monday, it's busy so plan your first visit for an off time so you can really enjoy it.

Vegetarian lemongrass soup

Tamarind tofu and ginger tofu--couldn't decide which I liked better!

Smiling Elephant
2213 8th Avenue South (across from Fiddlecakes and just south of Wedgewood and Zanie's)

Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 891-4488
Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday

NY Pie
It's no secret to friends and family that I love New York style pizza. I like Neapolitan, too but I really love good NY style slice that you can fold and eat. House of Pizza in the Arcade and Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood are my favorites locally but are nearly impossible for me to get to due to my West Nashville location.

So I was pretty excited to see the sign for NY Pie go up over in Nashville West. Though I was a bit skeptical. I've had some pretty mediocre pizza in Nashville and Porta Via has been my go-to pizza since it opened. It's great, but it's Neapolitan.

So on a chilly Tuesday night, my friend and I and Baby Eats stopped in around 6pm to try it out. First things first, the place is BUSY and small. They could easily fill up a space twice the size they have now. So when you want to try it, you may be best off getting takeout.

Now the important part. The pizza is great! Very reminiscent of my favorite pizza, John's of Bleecker Street. The only thing they lack is RC on tap (no, really--RC on tap at John's--YUM!). There are a lot of specialty pizzas on the menu, but I got the basic cheese and really enjoyed it. My friend got the margarita and let me have a slice and it was good as well--a slightly sweeter and thicker tomato sauce to make it different from the standard slice (along with the chopped basil and fresh mozzarella).

Speaking of slice, the menu indicates it's available by the slice, but I didn't see any pricing. I just got the 10 inch for $6.50 and though I shouldn't have, I ate the whole thing. The edge of the crust was a bit thicker and fluffier than a real NY slice, but it worked out well for me because I shared it with Baby Eats. Not all pizzas are like that--each pizza is hand-tossed (right in front of you!) and different from the last, so some pizzas may have a thicker edge. Small price to pay for a great hand-made pizza.

NY Pie is locally owned and operated and really care about the pizza they're making (asking each customer what they thought about the pizza once the crowd slowed enough for them to breathe). Sorry--no pictures; tight squeeze in the place and I didn't want to be too conspicuous. But trust me--it's a great-looking and authentic New York style "pie."

NY Pie
6800 Charlotte Pike, Suite 105 (Nashville West in the middle section, Charlotte side of the street)
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 915-1617

Pasta with potatoes

2010-12-17T08:30:00.000-06:00

Seems sinful, doesn't it? The utter anti-thesis of the no-white diet that I've observed about 75% of the time for the last decade. But sometimes you just have to indulge.

Most recipes for a pasta with potatoes involves a nice linguine, pesto, some sort of bean or pea and peeled red potatoes. But the inspiration for me was this tidy little package of Tasteful Selections Honey Gold potatoes I picked up at Publix last week. These potatoes have a beautiful yellow center and have a delicate texture. I'm not the biggest fan of pesto (and certainly not of the storebought pesto I keep on hand "just in case"), so I didn't want to overpower these potatoes with that flavor. I wanted to highlight it. I also had some conchiglie from Lazzaroli that I thought would be the perfect accompaniment (inspired by an entree I had at City House that was not as good as it could have been). So I decided to experiment, but keep it simple. And it worked!

Pasta with Roasted Potatoes in Truffle Oil
serves 2

1/2 pound of Tasteful Selections Honey Gold potatoes (or baby Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes)
1/2 pound shaped pasta (conchiglie or orecchiette or another small but sturdy shape)
~4 tbps truffle oil (to taste)
1 tsp minced garlic (fresh or pre-minced)
~a handful of finely grated parmigiano reggiano
sea salt, pepper and herbs de Provence (optional) to taste

Preheat your oven to 400F. Wash and cut the potatoes (skin on) into small, ~1/2 inch cubes. Transfer to a roasting dish and drizzle with ~1 tablespoon or so of truffle oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 40 minutes.

When there's about 20 minutes left for roasting, start to boil the pasta. The pasta for this dish should not be al dente but should instead be soft.

Once the potatoes have roasted, remove the pan from the oven and stir in the garlic (it will cook slightly when it meets the roasting dish). When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and add to the potatoes in the dish. Stir in the cheese and add more truffle oil, salt, pepper and a dash of herbs de Provence.

I think the truffle oil was the perfect complement to the potatoes and the soft pasta provided just enough of a difference in texture to make it interesting. If you have some on hand, roasted or sauteed oyster or shiitake mushrooms would also taste wonderful mixed in with this dish.

This is simple and easy to make, but packed with flavor (particularly when you use good potatoes and good cheese). If you're in Nashville, Tom over at Lazzaroli doesn't always have conchiglie on hand, but call ahead and he may put some back for you. It's really the perfect pasta for this meal.

Egg Nog Cookies

2010-12-12T16:19:00.001-06:00

I'm disappointed that this year, Trader Joe's is not carrying the orange cardamom cookies and the fleur de sel caramels. I'm cycling through the stages of grief, actually. However, they do have some delicious egg nog cookies. I don't love egg nog, but these cookies are fantastic.

So I decided to try to make them. Which is odd since I generally don't make anything that someone else can make better and cheaper than I can. Anyhoo, I searched all over the internet and one recipe kept popping up. It seems it is from the Mrs. Fields Cookie Book.

Fun fact: Debbi Fields is now Debbi Fields Rose and lives in Memphis, Tennessee (my hometown). She's married to Mike Rose, former chairman of the Holiday Inn corporation (also born in Memphis!).

The dough for this cookie actually tastes better than the cookie, so I made a couple of changes to make it a bit noggier after baking. And some additional spices to liven them up.

Eggnog Cookies
adapted from Mrs. Fields

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 heaping tablespoon of chai latte mix*
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Gosling's black seal rum**
2 egg yolks
additional nutmeg for sprinkling

*if you don't have chai latte mix, add another 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
**or bourbon, depending on what you like. Gosling's has a molasses-y flavor that really worked well for this.

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chai spices; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla, rum and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.

Scoop rounded teaspoons and form into balls and place onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Press down lightly and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.
Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

For icing, melt white chocolate chips in one corner of a plastic sandwich bag. Microwave until melted. Cut a tiny part of the corner off the bag and drizzle chocoate onto the cookies in a Christmas tree shape for a festive look.

The cookie is soft and chewy and tastes very much like egg nog. It does not, however taste like the delicious Trader Joe's egg nog cookie. It's a decent cookie and very easy to make (particularly if you don't bother to ice it) but not one that's going to knock your socks off unless you really, really like egg nog.

Cheese Straws

2010-12-08T09:06:00.000-06:00

Recently, I had a challenge. The lovely folks over at Love and Olive Oil hosted a holiday party potluck, so I needed to make a cold finger food dish that would impress. I decided to make some egg nog cookies. And they were just not great. Okay, but not great. So I decided I wanted to make something else, too just to prove I could make something really yummy.
So I made cheese straws! I found a recipe that not only looked easy, but the comments indicated it was easy. Score! Right? Riiiight?

Not so much. Technically, they are easy to make. The dough is so very, very easy to make. Rolling out perfect 1/8 inch thick dough and cutting perfect 1/3-ish inch wide, 5 inch long straws was easy, but tedious. And took quite a while. But the hard part was the clean-up. Getting that soft dough out of all the nooks and crannies of my food processor nearly drove me nuts. Of course, this was after meticulously cutting these sraws for what seemed like hours. Maybe you won't have this experience. Maybe you trust the top rack of your dishwasher more than I trust mine.

But it was worth it. The cheese straws were a hit (all gone!).

Cheese Straws
adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com

1/4 pound (half a block) coarsely grated extra-sharp Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese (yellow)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoons half and half or milk

Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Pulse cheese, flour, butter, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add half and half/milk and pulse just until dough forms a ball.
Pinch off 1/4 of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a rectangle (1/8 inch thick) that is at least five inches wide (depth). Cut dough with a lightly floured pizza wheel or lightly floured sharp knife into 1/3-inch-wide strips. Carefully transfer to an ungreased baking sheet, arranging strips 1/4 inch apart. (If strips tear, pinch back together.) Shape into straight straws. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Add scraps back to the dough ball.

Bake 15-18 minutes, starting on the top rack and switching to the bottom rack halfway through. Bake until lightly golden.

**Notes** You must use a good cheddar cheese. I like Cabot--tastes good and contains no animal rennet. Also, your butter must be straight from the refrigerator. The softer it is, the more that gets into your nooks and crannies instead of in your mouth. Some reviewers suggested adding dry mustard to the recipe, which I think would be a great addition. I thought I had some, but it was mustard seed I had. D'oh! But it wasn't necessary. Be sure to store these in a paper bag or tin; storing in an airtight container will cause the straws to lose their snap!

Top Chef Mixer at Cha Chah

2010-11-29T16:51:00.000-06:00

Mr. Eats and I are huge fans of Top Chef. So of course we were excited when one of our favorite local chefs, Arnold Myint appeared on the show last season. I followed him on Twitter for his colorful commentary each Wednesday night and still follow him to keep up with what's new at his restaurants.

That's how I found out that fellow cheftestant Kenny Gilbert would be visiting last week and would be hanging out at Cha Chah for dinner and drinks and we were welcome to come and meet them. Kenny was a favorite of the husband, so he was particularly excited. I was also happy to get a night out and finally try the falafel that Beth had been raving about.

It was a fun night with Beth, Tabitha, Vivek, Zarna and a few others just chatting and having a good time.

Kenny, me, and Arnold!

The fantastic quinoa falafel with feta, curried vegetable barigoule

and lotus chips

Thanks so much to Arnold for hosting!

A Venezuelan feast

2010-11-23T17:29:00.001-06:00

I love arepas. Whether at Bonnaroo or my favorite little place in NYC. But there's more to Venezuelan food and a lot of it is vegetarian-friendly. I got a crash course in making my own arepas and empanadas as well as a few other dishes from my friend who lived there many years during her childhood. My friend happens to be a wonderful cook, thankfully!

Since then, I've had a Venezuelan feast of my own. Twice! Arepas, empanadas, pigeon peas and rice and plantains. My preparation isn't as authentic or good, but I'm still pretty happy with what I've come up with.

If you're interested in preparing a Venezuelan dinner at home, the first thing you need to do is get Harina P.A.N. flour. Here in Nashville, it's available at the K&S International Markets as well as the Publix on Charlotte Pike (and perhaps at other locations). There are white and yellow versions and just like with cornmeal, the choice should be based on your preference. I like yellow, which is a bit sweeter. Next, learn how to make arepas. Oh, that's why you're reading? Well, there are some nice video tutorials, but here's the short version:

1. Pour some flour into a bowl (start with two cups), add a pinch of salt and then set aside two cups of water.
2. Add the water slowly, mixing briskly with your fingers to get out any lumps and until it feels like the consistency of Play-Doh--it should stick together well, but not to your hands. You may need to add more water as you make the arepas if they start to dry out, so keep it nearby.
3. Next, you pinch off some dough, roll it into a ball and then flatten it into a disk. Fry it on both sides in a well-seasoned skillet or with a tiny bit of oil until it's browned "like the spots of a leopard."
4. Once you have the number you want, put them on a baking sheet in the oven to cook for about 15-20 minutes on 250 degrees (time depends on thickness). When they're cooked through, they'll sound hollow when thumped.

Arepas fried and now baking in the oven

And you're done. THAT'S IT. It's that easy! What to do now? If they're thick enough, cut them in the middle to form a pocket to stuff with cheese (queso fresco) and avocado and cilantro or top them with your favorite things. For breakfast, top them with cheese or a fried egg. Or just eat them plain.

Baby Eats enjoys a mini arepa (plain)

For empanadas, flatten your disc a little thinner, put some cheese and cilantro on it, fold it together side-to-side and cut out a half-moon shape with a small bowl. Cook it until the cheese has melted. THAT'S IT. Really!

Next up, pigeon peas and rice. Both K&S and Publix sells canned peas. I used Mahatma yellow rice, cooked it according to directions, added the peas (drained) and shook in some Jamaican curry powder (a spice blend comprised mostly of turmeric and cumin--also available at both K&S and Publix) and a little salsa. THAT'S IT! (Sensing a theme? Yes, it's really easy to have a good Venezuelan meal with little effort and just a little more time).

And to top it all off, fried plantains. This is the easiest part because both K&S and Publix have frozen plantains ready to just heat in a skillet (THAT'S IT) and they're delicious. Seems like it would be easy to prepare them from a fresh plantain, but it's not. Trust me and Mr. Eats who ate a woody, hollow fried plantain that was terrible. Don't be fancy y'all; use the frozen plantains. Might even be cheaper than buying a fresh one.

If you don't cook the whole meal, do think about adding arepas to your repertoire. They're as impressive to your family/guests as they are easy to make. Really!

The arepas were still baking, so we started with the empanadas--one yellow, one white

Sage at Aria --City Center, Las Vegas

2010-11-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

While in Las Vegas, we celebrated our hosts' five-year wedding anniversary at Sage in the Aria hotel at City Center. We had lots of options, but Sage not only had several vegetarian dishes that were tempting, but the omnivores were pretty excited about the menu as well.

A cocktail with so many ingredients that I can't even remember them

Luckily, everyone else decided on the tasting menu, so I was able to have tasting sizes of both entrees as well as a starter and my choice of dessert.

I was excited to begin with the burrata as I haven't really done justice to the burrata I've had at home.

DI STEFANO FARMS BURRATA CHEESE

Next up was the risotto...unfortunately, the menu has changed and I don't have the official description, so I'll have to make do with my own. Um, it was delicious.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

For the third course, I had the gnocchi. Mr. Eats was quite happy that I ordered the "nyo-kee" and not the "guh-nochee." I love to irritate him by mispronouncing it but I ain't gonna embarrass myself in a nice restaurant just to do so. I am not quite that crazy. This gnocchi is also a bit different from what's listed on the current menu. No surprise, the menu changes frequently based on what's available and what's good.

BELLWETHER FARMS SHEEP’S MILK RICOTTA GNOCCHI

And then, of course--dessert!

CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND CARAMEL TART

We had a lovely time. It's a large enough space that you don't hear anyone from the neighboring tables, but it doesn't feel cavernous, either. And because it's Las Vegas, the dress code goes from khakis and logo shirts to cocktail attire. A quick look around indicated that at least half the tables were very obviously involved in business dinners. That is, an assortment of mismatched and slightly uncomfortable people who speak with their hands and keep pens in their pockets. I certainly miss visiting on an expense account, but I certainly appreciate being able to eat dinner with friends.

Butternut Squash Risotto

2010-11-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

Every year, we're faced with a challenge...what to do with all these winter squashes? Because, really you can have too much soup. So I decided to revisit my pumpkin risotto (that was way too pumpkin-y) and try it with a butternut squash instead.

This recipe requires a bit of planning ahead because of roasting the squash, though you can cheat and peel it, cube it and steam it in the microwave instead. I just prefer the roasted squash. This recipe is also perfect for smaller families. It yields 3 or so nice-sized servings (as a main dish) which means it's enough for two adults and two kids or two adults and a great leftover lunch for one of those two.

Butternut Squash Risotto
1 medium butternut squash
1 cup arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

First, roast the squash. Cut it in half lengthwise and place cut side down in about a 1/4" of water in a glass baking pan. Cook at 450 degrees for 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside and let cool. Once it cools, scoop out the squash and mash in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Then stir in the rice and cook until the onion starts to brown (about another 5 minutes).

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the butternut squash and 1/4 cup of broth. Stir constanly. Once the mixture has absorbed the broth, add another 1/4 cup of broth Repeat until you've used all the borth. The broth is absorbed rather quickly at first, but the last quarter cup is absorbed the slowest and the whole process takes about 25 minutes. Be sure to stir almost constantly so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Finally, remove from heat and stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this with some roasted broccoli or some crispy turnip greens. Both are in season! For a vegan alternative, use Earth Balance or olive oil instead of butter and flavor the risotto with two-three tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

Blog Spotlight

2010-11-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

A lot of people who read my little blog are not vegetarian, but many are trying to cut back on meat consumption for a variety of reasons. And just about everyone is looking for something new and good.

Frequently, I read blogs that have just a single item and the challenge I face each night is getting a good and balanced meal on the table. That's why I like What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway? Not only does it have great recipes, but it features complete meals.

And if you're a little daunted by the "vegan" term or maybe just a little intimidated by tofu, try this menu right here: Elvis Fried Tofu et al. Or just the tofu. If you think you don't like it, you probably haven't had it fried (like they have at select Whole Foods hot bars). Yummmmmm.

Boozecamp at Amerigo

2010-10-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Nashville friends, if you're not following Boozecamp on Twitter or Facebook, do yourself a favor and do that right now.

What is Boozecamp? Check out the website for all the background, but the important things to know are that it's a wine tasting at Amerigo that features fantastic wines and a special menu designed to pair well with the wines. The most recent Boozecamp featured "Big Italian Reds" (and one lovely white) for four courses. Yes, four courses. For $20 per person. You read that right--four tasting-size dishes and four glasses of wine for just $20. And they graciously make adjustments for special "dietary requirements." In other words, I got special plates made just for me!

In addition to the great food, there are great people. And even if they're not, it doesn't take much past two glasses of wine to put up with just about anyone, right? So check it out. And events often sell out, so make your reservation early.

First course: bruschetta topped with artichoke heart

Second course: parmesan sformatino with dandelion greens

Third course: house-made pici in a vegetable broth with fall squash and flash-fried turnip greens

Fourth course: pistachio torta with chocolate ganache topped with warm cherry compote

Apologies for the low-light photographs. Even the best light could not do justice to these wonderful tastes. Also, I have a new favorite wine: Masi Costasera Amarone. Though it's a bit pricey, so I may have to put it on my Christmas list!

The Grand Canyon

2010-10-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

It's not the easiest thing to do, but we decided to take a side trip to the Grand Canyon while out west in Las Vegas. It's less than 300 miles, but a solid five hours or more of driving due to construction and having to drive over Hoover Dam. But for a couple of native Tennesseans, it's a lovely drive through northern Arizona.

Careful planning put us in Kingman, Arizona around lunch time. Kingman is remarkable for being one of only two places in the country that is home to both an In-N-Out and a Cracker Barrel (the other is a suburb of Salt Lake City). According to Yelp, people from Los Angeles and Las Vegas just to have chicken and dumplings. We, of course, went to In-N-Out where Baby Eats enjoyed the fries.

Instead of staying in Grand Canyon Village or just outside the park in Tusayan, we decided to stay on Route 66 in Williams, Arizona. It's a cute and kitschy town that feels a lot more authentic than your average tourist trap. We stayed at The Lodge on Route 66 where we could easily walk to dinner and to the train station (on our next trip, we'll take the train to Grand Canyon Village at least once).

After watching the sunset in the Grand Canyon at Lipan Point, we came back to Williams for dinner. I thought I'd be nice and let Mr. Eats have a steak, so we went to Rod's Steak House. He ordered fish. I had a baked potato. So I can't tell you much about this restaurant except that I felt like I'd been taken back in time. It's one of the many places in town that has changed little in the last few decades to keep a very authentic feel. It was a nice place, though I'm sure all the European patrons inside were a bit put off by the screaming baby.

The real treat was our second day in the park when we made it over to Grand Canyon Village to have lunch in the El Tovar Dining Room. El Tovar is the original lodge built in 1905 and it is grand and beautiful. And the dining room offers spectacular views of the south rim right from your table. It's a wonderful space and the food and service were excellent. When I ordered fries for Baby Eats the server said, "I'll get those out for you right away, if you like." Why yes, actually, that would be nice. Big tip for you, sir.

We went on a weekday at the end of the busy season, so if you go, you might want to make reservations and be sure to time your drives through the park to get there on time. It's 26 miles one way out to the eastern edge but it's slow driving through there so budget at least three hours out and back, including time to take photos and get stuck behind slowpokes looking for wildlife along the drive. Oh, and parking...it ain't easy. We got lucky and got a place right next to El Tovar, but expect to park at one of the outer lots and walk for 10 minutes or so to get into the village.

The view from our table--overlooking the south rim of the canyon

Fettucine Pomodoro

After lunch, we took a walk along the rim where I encountered a tarantula for the first time in my life. Just hanging out on the trail. Not cool. But at least it wasn't a scorpion. And the views were worth it (and now I can say I've seen one in person -- in the wild!).

After taking a few cheesy family photos at the big sign at the entrance of the park, we headed back to Las Vegas in the late afternoon. More good planning meant that we drove into Kingman around dinner time for one more trip to In-N-Out!

Déjà vu Las Vegas

2010-10-21T11:02:00.001-05:00

So I wonder what kind of hits I’ll get from this title? No, we didn’t hit up any adult entertainment, but we did go to some of the same places and eat the same food we’ve had before. It’s just that good.

Gelato
I’ve had a lot of gelato, including Grom, which is said to be the most authentic in the U.S. But my favorite by far is the gelato at the Bellagio. I tried some other flavors, but I got dulce de leche (again). It is so decadent and delicious. So much so that it didn’t even bother me that afterward I had no room to have a treat from the Las Vegas version of Serendipity 3 in front of Caesar’s Palace. Mr. Eats went with an authentic flavor, the stracciatella.

Chinatown
There are dozens of great Asian restaurants to choose from just within Chintatown, but we went back to KungFu Plaza. And I had the tofu with black fungus again. Despite the fact that there is an entire page devoted to vegetarian dishes. Why? It was that good. It’s not the most authentic Chinese food, but I loved it. We also got a vegetarian tom yum soup that was large enough to serve a table of six. The lemongrass and chili brought tears to my eyes, but it was too delicious not to eat.

And the staff there is wonderful. And not just because they oohed and ahhed over Baby Eats, but also because another patron had detailed questions about gluten free options that they were happy to answer (and happy to accommodate).

Bagels and Donuts and Sweets, oh my!
Yeah, we went back to the Bagel Café. That’s a pretty tame name for such a wonderful place. It is the most authentically New York style I’ve seen outside New York. Challah French toast! Bialys! Knishes! Latkes! I carb loaded and then left with $30 of pastries (I so love black and white cookies) and bagels. Yum.

And of course we went back to the Mermaids casino late one night to indulge in a fried Twinkie and some fried oreos. With a spectacular Alice Cooper “tribute artist” performing just outside on Fremont Street, I’d say this was better than going to the fair.

Also, if you’re in Las Vegas and you have the chance, go to Ronald’s Donuts. It was recommended to us by a friend. These donuts are so good that I didn’t even have time to take a photo before a dozen were gone. My favorites were the lemon cream and…heck they were all good. A dozen will cost you less than $10. And they’re vegan. Yes, vegan donuts. I didn’t know that until I read it on yelp. And Mr. Eats didn’t know it, either. They’re wonderful. And the staff there is friendly and helpful. But bring your cash…they don’t accept checks or credit.

Italian cooking classes in Nashville: Cucina Paradiso

2010-10-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

I read over on Bites today that Paulette Licitra, editor-in-chief of Alimentum has started offering Italian cooking classes in her home for just $40 per class. AND many of them are vegetarian-friendly, including one dedicated to Italian vegetables.

That's right, vegetarian-friendly Italian cooking classes. Fantastic news! Details here at Bites or at Paulette's blog, Cucina Paradiso.

What's New

2010-10-08T14:02:00.000-05:00

Here in Nashville, we’ve got a lively bunch of local food bloggers, many of whom have FANTASTIC sites. That makes the best food blog category in the Nashville Scene’s 2010 Best of Nashville Reader’s Poll a tough one. So congratulations to Beth of Eat.Drink.Smile. for her big win!

What’s great about being part of this group (though my humble little site and awful pictures make me a bit self-conscious around these folks) is that I get a lot of news and invitations from local restaurants. Unfortunately, my job as new mom prevents me from being able to accept many offers. However, here’s some of the news that’s come my way that's worthy of sharing.

First, Porta Via has expanded their menu to include lunch specials and a full bar. They placed in the BON poll for best Italian food (house made pasta!), though I think they should have placed with their pizza as well. Of note is that Porta Via serves a gluten-free pasta option. And I’ve heard very good things about their gelato.

Porta Via
21 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN 37205
615-356-0001

And though the fruits of the sea are not on my personal menu, I have said for quite some time that Nashville lacked a good quality seafood restaurant. Certainly, our landlocked location has not helped, but now there’s Fish & Co. I expect that my husband will soon be interested in going since he loves seafood. There aren’t a lot of options for me, but I do see a couple of salads and sides that may work. I may call ahead and see what they can do for a vegetarian (though it might be nice to see a green plate on there--might help with their “business” business).

Fish & Co.
1922 Adelicia Street
Nashville, TN 37212
615-320-1119

And the fro-yo craze in Nashville continues with the arrival of Pinkberry. If I’m not mistaken, Pinkberry is responsible for reviving frozen yogurt and creating the current craze. I say “current,” because I clearly remember the frozen yogurt craze of the 80s. The location is strategically placed by Vanderbilt, so I may wait until break to drop in for a taste. However, you can try it for free next week! On Thursday, October 14, from 6 until 10pm, Pinkberry is giving away free samples.

Pinkberry
2306 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
615-598-1449

Funny

2010-10-08T12:59:00.000-05:00

This reminds me of a favorite line from Office Space..."I wouldn't say I've been missing it..."

http://catalogliving.net/post/1269653693/something-to-crow-about

How we spent Restaurant Week

2010-09-20T15:13:00.002-05:00

This year's Nashville Originals Restaurant Week was looking very promising from the vegetarian perspective. A number of restaurants actually included vegetarian options on their menus. However, with an infant and an omnivore to consider as well, we chose to go out just one time--to Allium.

I started planning way, way too late this year (call at least a week in advance!) but someone cancelled a 7:30pm reservation (made online) and, luckily, the staff at Allium is so wonderful that they actually found that cancelled reservation and called me back when they confirmed.

Also, we'd warned them in advance, so there was already a highchair waiting for us out on the patio. When you have an infant who likes to practice her vocal exercises, it's a relief to be somewhere noise isn't an issue. And fortunately for us, a storm had just passed through so we had the front patio all to ourselves!

We started out with cocktails (gimlet with St. Germain--yes, please!), housemade chips and then I--predictably--ordered the green plate (I'd been thinking about it ever since the first time I had it). We had a lovely dinner on a lovely night. Let's just hope that dining out contines to be this successful!

Baby Eats eyeing the housemade chips. Luckily, Mr. Eats has quick reflexes and saved our chips half a second after I took this photo.

Allium

501 Main Street

Nashville, TN 37206

615-242-3522

Can't Miss Meals in Boulder--Chautauqua Dining Hall and Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery

2010-09-12T11:21:00.003-05:00

On this return trip to Boulder--after five long years away--I wanted to eat at some different places. But there were definitely places I had to go to again. I already mentioned the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, but two other places also made it onto this trip's itinerary.

The Chauatauqua Dining Hall

It's not so much the food as it is the experience of dining here. The Chautauqua is one of my very favorite places (peruse the site and photos and it's easy to see why). But the food is wonderful, though I've only ever had breakfast.

The Chautauqua Dining Hall

The view from our table on the veranda

French toast with pecan butter (yum!)

We followed breakfast with a hike up into the Flatirons. Not my best decision though for some people, this "hike" is simply their daily dog-walking route. I stopped off on a rock while Mr. Eats ascended up the rocks and got passed by more than just a couple of little old ladies out for a walk. I tried not to be embarrassed, "Big breakfast, ha ha."

Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery

The other destination was Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery. During my first trip to Boulder, I went to Mountain Sun twice; it was that good. This time, we also went twice, but that's only because our first try was unsuccessful. This place is so popular that there was a crazy wait for a table at 9pm on a Sunday. A Sunday! But we went back on Monday (about 8:30pm) and only waited about 20 minutes. It was worth it.

Mr. Eats had a house-brewed root beer, but I opted for the Jah'Mon Ginger, which was a light lager with a heavy dose of ginger. Which was perfect. Also perfect? You can order beers in eight ounce sizes to experiment or just not get too loaded.

8 ounces of Jah-Mon Ginger Beer!

For dinner, I had the special "Case of the Mondays" wrap: Annapurna amber-baked tempeh, avocado, spinach, and roma tomatoes in a cilantro lime vinaigrette all wrapped up in a tortilla and served with a small salad. This tempeh was so good that it made me wonder why I can't prepare tempeh at home that tastes like this. Actually, I still don't know.

And of course, we had some cheese fries. You can't sit in a room devoted to jam band music drinking beer straight from the brewery without cheese fries, right? Okay, you can maybe, but I can't. I can only imagine what size I'd be if there were a Mountain Sun here in Nashville.

Chautauqua Dining Hall
900 Baseline Rd
Boulder, Colorado 80302
303-440-3776

Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery
1535 Pearl street

Boulder, CO 80302
303-546-0886

Fine(-r) Dining in Boulder

2010-09-07T16:46:00.001-05:00

“Do you have a dress code?”

“Well, we’d like our guests to dress nicely, but this is Boulder.”

That about sums up finer dining in Boulder. Even though high end dining has become increasingly popular, folks still expect to wander in wearing trail pants, jeans and comfy shoes. Lucky for us as vacationers!

Our first night in town, we tried out Mateo for dinner. We’d walked past earlier in the day and I was tempted by a couple of different items on the menu. It’s also omnivore-friendly. Like many of the restaurants (finer dining and casual, too), Mateo strives to use local produce and meats and the fresh, seasonal tastes were very apparent. One of the specials was this wonderful sweet corn bisque topped with what I believe they called a zucchini beignet. It was sweet and savory at once and a perfect complement to an amazing soup.

For an entrée, I had the gnocchi a la’ parisienne--ricotta dumplings, local mushrooms, sugar snap peas and sweet corn in a shallot-thyme broth. The broth was so good, that I sopped up a bit with bread because I hated to waste it. The astute server discreetly brought me a spoon to help me out. The fresh bread is wonderful, but I was thankful to have the spoon. I hope the chef took that as a compliment.

Dinner was so delicious and filling, that we only had room for cocktails for dessert. The Meyer Lemonade was perfectly light and a wonderful way to end the meal.

A visit to Boulder really isn’t complete without a meal at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House. It’s a treat just to be inside, but the food also makes it worthwhile. And, of course, the tea. I started dinner with a white peony tea that was very light and delicate. Very little caffeine and wonderfully aromatic.

That was followed by my entrée, oyster mushroom polenta, topped with sundried tomatoes and spinach and served with a basil cream sauce. Oyster mushrooms are one of my favorite mushrooms and this was the perfect dish for them.

I had a difficult time deciding on a dessert, but opted for the chocolate flourless cake topped with Persian spiced dark chocolate ice cream, candied rose petals and rose syrup. The candied rose petals were delicious! And a perfect companion for a fantastic, rich chocolate used in both the cake and the ice cream. A great finish for the dinner.

Our last night in town, we went to the Black Cat Bistro. Black Cat has an organic farm and a booth at the wonderful Boulder Farmers Market in addition to the bistro (which was featured in The Wall Street Journal).

We started out with a wonderful little amuse bouche of cucumber and chopped tart apples. I followed that with a wonderful chilled cucumber soup that had me wondering how I could create it at home. I’m certain I can’t. Nevertheless, I now have two cucumbers languishing in the refrigerator.

For dinner, I had an entrée portion of the house-made orecchiette with grilled rapini and porcini mushrooms in a sage butter sauce. The pasta was rich and pillowy and the sauce was fantastic.

I could’ve ended there happily, but I just had to have the Madeira chocolate terrine. It was served with a vanilla genoise cake, strawberries and a dollop of whipped crème fraiche.

The bistro is a small place, so reservations are recommended. And when I say small, it’s reminiscent of New York as you are probably going to be privy to your neighbors’ conversation. But it’s well worth it and lived up to the hype. Dinner was wonderful and a great way to end our trip in a memorable way.

Mateo
2019 19th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
303-443-7766

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
1770 13th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
303-442-4993

Black Cat
1964 13th Street
Boulder, Colorado
303-444-5500

Mark your calendars: Greek Fest and Cupcake-palooza

2010-09-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

Nashville friends, this month is just not the month to be on a diet. Next weekend, September 10th, 11th, and 12th, it's Greek Fest time again at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Franklin Road. Tickets are just $2 for lots of entertainment and access to the most amazing food. I don't see it on the menu, but I can't imagine they won't have my favorite, saganaki. And I'm seriously looking forward to more loukoumades. Oh, and tiropita. Oh, and dolmades. Can you tell I'm excited? Just like last year and the year before and the year before that.

Opa!

And at the end of the month, September 25th from 5:30 to 8pm there's a really cool fundraiser at Fido for the Books from Birth organization of Middle Tennessee, Cupcake-palooza! If you're not familiar with this group, they're associated with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and they send books to signed-up families with babies/kids under five for FREE. It's a wonderful organization and this event? Holy cow, ALL YOU CAN EAT CUPCAKES. Yuh huh. And not just any cupcakes, but cupcakes from the best cupcakeries in the area. My top two favorites--Cupcake Collection and Cuppycakes (winner, in my opinon, of The Great Cupcake Taste-Off)--are both participating. Sadly, I'm going to be out of town that weekend. But you should go. GO! Because not only does a paltry $10 per adult (just $3 for kids!) go to a fantastic charity, but it's ALL YOU CAN EAT CUPCAKES. !!!!

Quick and Easy Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry

2010-09-03T13:33:00.001-05:00

Until last night, I'd never prepared bok choy at home. I certainly don't know why; I love it. And this recipe is so fast and easy. And healthy! It's the perfect amount for two adults with a decent appetite (read: should serve four, but served two of us...)

Quick and Easy Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry

1 lb to 1 1/2 lbs fresh baby bok choy
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated ginger (it's easier to grate when the root is frozen!)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1 package Trader Joe's baked tofu (savory flavor), cubed
1 package lo mein noodles
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil plus more to taste
salt to taste
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

First, prepare the bok choy by cutting off the end (but not too much) and pulling apart the leaves. Wash and set aside.

Cook the lo mein noodles according to directions, drain and place into a medium bowl. Toss with sesame oil.

Next, put the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, sugar and soy sauce in a large frying pan (or wok) and heat on medium high until you can smell the essence of garlic and ginger and it begins to sizzle. Add the bok choy and toss to coat completely in the oil (salad tongs make this easier). Then add the water and cover to steam for about a minute. Turn off the heat and let some of the water burn off. Remove the bok choy to a plate and add the cubed tofu to the pan and cook on medium heat until heated through (add a little more oil if necessary).

Place stir fried bok choy and heated tofu over a plate of noodles and toss with more sesame oil and salt (if necessary). Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

You don't, of course, have to use pre-baked tofu, but it's a lot quicker when you don't have to remember to drain your tofu and marinate and cook it. Dinner was ready to eat in about 20 minutes (including all the washing). And the nice, flavorful ginger garlic sauce was a hit with Mr. Eats. Though he did add sriracha to it.

WaterCourse Foods Denver

2010-08-30T11:56:00.000-05:00

A stop in Denver was not originally on the itinerary for our vacation in Boulder, but a friend convinced us that we should not miss the opportunity to go to WaterCourse for breakfast before heading on to Boulder.

WaterCourse is a cute and casual "100% vegetarian comfort food" restaurant. My friend mentioned in particular the biscuits and gravy, tempeh chorizo and seitan strips. Mr. Eats however opted for the Pepe scramble: eggs scramble with roma tomatoes and smoked mozzarella and topped with green chile with a side of refried beans and sweet potato home fries (and his own biscuit, thankfully). I didn't try the scramble, but the home fries were perfect.

I did take our friend's advice and had a biscuit and gravy with seitan strips. It didn't seem like much for the price, but it turned out to be quite a substantial meal. The biscuit was large and had bits of veggies in it which gave it a very savory flavor, some good texture and a bit of oomph. And the gravy was just spicy enough to taste like what I remember of sawmill gravy made from sausage drippings. The side order of seitan strips were fried and very flavorful. And there was definitely enough to share. Why doesn't seitan I make at home this good?

And when I say this meal was substantial, I'm not exaggerating. We finished up around 10:30am and headed to Boulder. Our room wasn't ready, so we walked over to Pearl Street. And walked. And walked some more. Next thing we knew, it was 6pm and we still weren't hungry. I think that might explain why we saw a number of bikers loading up before a day out riding!

WaterCourse Foods
837 E. 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
303-832-7313
Mon - Thur 7am - 9pm, Fri 7am - 10pm, Sat 8am - 10pm, Sun 8am - 9pm

The good, the bad, and the ugly

2010-08-27T14:02:00.001-05:00

Actually, this post will just be about the bad and the ugly. More posts to come will tell of the "good" from our vacation to Boulder, Colorado. Unfortunately, the bad and the ugly came together at the tail end of our trip.

A 2:25pm departure out of the Denver airport yesterday meant an airport lunch. Rarely is an airport meal worth writing about, but this one is truly the worst experience I've ever had.

I almost got pizza. But I didn't want garlic breath, so we went to the Einstein Brothers bagel cafe for a little something different. First thing you notice is the pricing. Holy cow. They only show "combo" pricing which is a sandwich and a drink, most of which are nearing $10 or more.

But they were also promoting "sandwich thins" (on a thinner bagel), including "asparagus, mushroom and swiss." Okay. That sounds good. I didn't notice that it came with an egg white disc on it, too (it was on the breakfast menu). Eh, I can take that off, right? Well, I get the thing and first, it's soggy from being in an insulated wrapper. Then I notice some orange-red sauce on it. Was this mistakenly added? I don't know (it wasn't included in the description) and it was covered in it. And it was bad. The soggy bagel and terrible sauce rendered the sandwich completely inedible. Luckily, Mr. Eats's Tasty Turkey sandwich came without the tasty turkey. So I ate that and he went back for a replacement. To their credit, they let us keep the not-turkey sandwich and cheerfully gave him his original order. Despite the fact that there was a long line and a lot going on at this little bagel place.

So I didn't starve, but man oh man, that was the worst tasting thing I can remember having. Ever. I didn't take a picture, thinking it would be on their website. It's not. Nor should it be. Dearest Einstein Brothers, stick with the bagels, mmkay? You do that well. Leave the sandwich-making to others.

Nuvo Burrito

2010-08-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

I first heard about Nuvo Burrito on Twitter from a few friends who are fans. I have to admit, I wasn't very interested; burrito joints are springing up as often as cupcake joints so it's difficult to get excited. But I was in East Nashville on a Monday during lunch (when I discovered that Allium is closed on Mondays) and so my friend and I decided to give it a try.

The first thing I noticed is the lack of Subway-style prep line common at a lot of burrito places. Hrm. Next thing I notice was beer (and cocktails). Hrm. And then I saw the menu. Whoa. Nuvo Burrito is not like the other burrito places at all! Could this be why they call it nuvo?

After reviewing the menu, and reviewing the menu, and reviewing it even more (you can substitute tofu for any meat in the burritos and quesadillas, so I had a lot to choose from), I settled on The Berkeley with the corn relish on the side. My friend, however opted for the 90210 "ques-idea", which was a close runner-up to my pick (it's said to be good with tofu).

As you can see from the picture, this is a substantial burrito and the quesadilla portions are just as generous. I made it through half, but had to take the other half home, thinking it would be good for lunch the next day. But no kidding, I couldn't wait that long. A few hours after lunch, I had a little room in my tummy and I finished it off. It's amazingly tasty for what seems like a fairly healthy burrito. I really enjoyed the cilantro pesto and I used the cumin corn relish as a salsa for the complimentary chips.

It's got a nice, clean interior and during our visit, VH1 Classics was playing a nice assortment of videos from the 80s that kept Baby Eats very entertained. And the service is fast, friendly and helpful (particularly for first-timers surprised by the refreshingly different menu).

Nuvo Burrito is located at 1000 Main Street (Five Points in East Nashville), which is the building that Marche occupies up front; Nuvo Burrito is directly behind Marche.

Tayst

2010-07-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Grammy Eats, Mr. Eats and I got to have another lovely date night out. We decided to join another couple and go to the recently-remodeled Tayst.

My only other trip to Tayst was about three years ago when I had just a mediocre experience; not bad, but not great and not good enough for me to feel the need to go again. However, chef/owner Jeremy Barlow reached out to me several months ago and suggested I try again.

Right away, I noticed a remarkable improvement to the interior. I love red, but the previous red walls were a little suffocating. The updated interior looks a bit more inviting and much less severe. The space is still cozy, which means you may have some traffic by your table but it's not so confined that you feel you are dining with your neighbors.

Tayst is a green-certified restaurant, using local meats and produce as often as possible and operating with care for the environment in mind. It's because of this, that the restaurant gets a pass with me for the foie gras as I typically do not patronize restaurants that offer it. My hope is that it is produced ethically (which is possible). If this is a concern for you, a quick call or email is all it takes; they're very helpful.

The food! I decided to go with the $40 tasting menu option in hopes of getting something special (had I ordered vegetarian items separately, I could have gotten three courses for less than $40) and I was not disappointed. After a teaser of white bean hummus (I believe), I was presented with a "tayst" of the tomato salad--wonderfully ripe cherry tomatoes with goat cheese and basil topped with a fine balsamic vinegar.

Next up was my favorite part of the entire meal--a sheep's milk flan topped with locally-grown roasted artichoke hearts and blackberries. The flan was so rich and savory (and delicious) that I took tiny bites to make it last as long as possible. But even tiny bites filled my mouth with flavor. And the artichoke was roasted perfectly--each bite almost melted in my mouth. The blackberries provided a small sweet oasis. This is not on the menu, but if it's available when you go, I highly recommend it.

For my main "tayst," I had the menu's vegetarian entree of grilled yard beans (long beans) with purple rice, squash, zucchini, roasted beets, and a butter bean puree. I loved the combination of flavors--particularly the long beans and purple rice. Though beets aren't really my thing, so the earthiness of two was about all I could handle (Mr. Eats gladly helped out with the remaining beets).

I finished up with dessert--the Krispy Kreme donut bread pudding. I apologize for the lack of picture, though I assure you it's a lovely presentation. Included is a donut shape, the donut hole and a coffee milkshake. The donut/coffee pairing works well together (and makes sense) according to Mr. Eats, but I'm not a coffee drinker, so I skipped it. So my bread pudding was a tad dry. I would have liked to have a version of the Krispy Kreme glaze on there.

However, my sweet tooth was plenty satisfied with the two cherry limeade cocktails I had from their summer menu. Ohhhh, so good (better that Sonic--and fewer calories, I'm sure). The new summer menu offers fun cocktails as well as small plates that are available only in the bar area. With items priced between $2 and $5, it's a great way to get a small "tayst" of what the restaurant has to offer. I have to say I'm intrigued by the roasted peach and the caramelized cheese. Though apparently, I need to go soon as the bar menu changes frequently. Peaches are almost done for the season!

Tayst
615-383-1953
2100 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
5-10PM Tuesday-Thursday
5-11PM Friday & Saturday
Bar opens at 4PM

Villa Cherries Gelato

2010-07-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

As far back as I can remember, every Christmas and Valentine's Day, my mother would buy Brach's Villa Cherries as a gift for me. Villa Cherries were different from the other (inferior) chocolate covered cherries--they had a sugar cream coating around the cherry as well as a super sweet liquid center. Other brands only had liquid filling and the whole experience was overall disappointing in comparison. See, eating a Villa Cherry was a process. I'd bite off part of one end and suck out the liquid. Then I'd lick the chocolate bottom until the inside was exposed. Next I'd scoop out the cherry and slurp off the cream coating. Then I'd eat the cherry. And finally eat the chocolate shell. I had to savor every bit of it because I had to make that box of cherries last as long as possible. Once they were gone, that was it until the next holiday season.

But they were gone for good in 2003. This website not only tells the short and sad story of their end, but includes a large number of comments supporting my assertion that the Brach's Villa Cherry was the best chocolate covered cherry available. No other cherry cordial can compare.

As a tribute, I have created this gelato. The vanilla is really important in the recreation of the Villa Cherry taste. This is a VERY sweet gelato. And, of course, it's not a true gelato because it's made in an ice cream maker (real gelato has less air). It's also not quite as creamy because the crushed cherries contribute quite a bit of liquid. But it's still very good.

First things first: you have to create (unflavored) base. I really like this gelato base from Allrecipes.com. The only variations I have are that I used half and half (because that's what I had on hand, though heavy cream will yield a richer gelato) and that instead of straining the base, I hit it with the stick blender to ensure a smooth consistency. Once you have the base, you can add the ingredients and freeze!

Villa Cherries Gelato
Gelato base
2T vanilla extract
1 1/2c chopped maraschino cherries
2T grenadine
1/3 cup chopped chocolate chips (milk chocolate) or shaved chocolate

Once you have created the base, let it cool in the refrigerator for several hours (until cold). When you're ready to make the gelato, stir in the vanilla, cherries and grenadine. Pour the mix into your ice cream maker and follow the directions for making ice cream. Stir in the chocolate before it completely freezes (depending on your ice cream maker, add the chocolate halfway through mixing or after mixing and before you put it in the freezer for the final freeze).

First Taste: Bagelface Bakery

2010-07-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

I discovered the new Bagelface Bakery in East Nashville from reading this post over at the Nashville Scene's Bites blog. I was dubious; a bagel in Nashville as good as you get in New York City? Can it be? I've always heard that it's the water in New York that is the key ingredient in the bagels and pizza crust, but that concern was addressed in the comments on that post. A commenter I trust, mIKES assured me that the bagels were comparable.

The bakery has had limited hours while testing the recipe and process and officially opened this morning at 7am (with plans to stay open until 2pm). I wasn't taking any chances. Though I intended to be there much sooner, I got there around 9am, unshowered and wearing yesterday's clothes (which may or may not have had some remnants of baby food on them). Right behind me were Jim Ridley of the Scene as well as friend/commenter Laura. Always the way, isn't it? But it's a good thing I didn't take the time to get all done up; a post on the Bagelface Facebook page indicated they ran out of bagels shortly after my visit. Apologies to those of you who showed up after 10am and left empty-handed.

Anyhoo, out in the parking lot, the tasting began with the plain bagel. Crispy outside? Check. Chewy, soft inside? Check. And what's that? A hint of butter and sea salt? Oh, yes. This, my friends is an excellent bagel. Not quite the same as Times Square bagel, but excellent in its own right. Definitely the best bagel in Nashville. And it really doesn't even need butter and cream cheese. It's good enough to eat all by itself, the way God and New York City intended.

It's quite a haul from West Nashville to Riverside Village, but it's well worth it. Besides, hitting the open (and quiet) road on a Sunday morning, baby-free was kind of fun. Driving ~~as fast as I want~~ the speed limit...testing the Lesbaru's all wheel drive ~~at full speed~~ at the recommended speed on the exit ramps...radio ~~at full blast~~ at a responsible and mature volume level...not a bad trip. And you may have guessed that one of the bagels did not make it all the way back home with me.

Bagelface Bakery is located in Riverside Village. From Ellington Parkway, exit Trinity Lane east to Gallatin and dog leg left, then right onto McGavock. Once you reach Riverside, turn right and then left into the back/lower level parking lot. Bagelface is actually underneath Sip, Mitchell's and Castrillo's. The store will be open daily from 7am until 2pm and Kristen Skrube, the proprietor hopes to get everything on track so that she will not run out again. But for at least a few weeks, you might want to call ahead first if you plan to arrive later than 10am.

Taste Test: Pacific Sun Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2010-07-10T08:22:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, a tidy little package arrived at my door. A bottle of Pacific Sun Extra Virgin Olive Oil! It was the Tehama County Blend, an award-winning olive oil (most recently at the Los Angeles Inernational Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition) made in Northern California.

Typically, Mr. Eats and I prefer the smooth and mild flavor of Spanish olive oils, but I was certainly willing to give this a try. The Tehama County blend has a stronger olive taste; the acid really comes through but very pleasantly (not bitter at all). It's still quite smooth and has a peppery finish.

We tried it a number of ways and discovered that a good, stout bread is best for dipping; it didn't go so well with a sourdough, but that was not a surprise. Perfect with a crispy Tuscan loaf as well as some local "salt-rising bread" from the Mennonites. It was also a great oil for a caprese salad (which I will be eating a lot now that I can get excellent fresh mozzarella from Lazzaroli, local tomatoes, and basil from garden).

Pacific Sun isn't available in stores, but is available to buy online. Luckily, the prices are quite reasonable. And it may be worth it to go ahead and buy plenty (gifts!) to get the free shipping because I think we're hooked now!

Voo-doo Men-oo

2010-07-07T08:01:00.000-05:00

My friends and I gathered for some otherworldly shenanigans, and I challenged myself to come up with an appropriate menu. I decided on a voodoo theme, which (to me) means New Orleans. Okay, okay, kind of a stretch...really I was just looking for a reason to make some olive dressing for some meatless muffalettas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/megangoodchild/

New Orleans cuisine is not vegetarian friendly. They don’t even pretend. Only the French and Siberians consume less vegetation. I did, however, find a recipe for Creole tomato salad. Though it turns out that the Creole tomato is one that is indigenous to the region. As in, I can’t get it in Nashville. So I created a variation using local Bradley and Pineapple tomatoes--both of which are meaty (not juicy) tomatoes (essential for a good tomato salad).

Voodoo Tomato Salad
2 medium Bradley tomatoes
2 medium Pineapple tomatoes
¼ Vidalia onion, diced
Salt and pepper

Vinaigrette Dressing
2 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t hot Chinese mustard
½ t minced garlic

Combine tomatoes and onions in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and garlic in a sealable container. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Drizzle over the salad and serve at room temperature.

I served this salad with a variation of this couscous salad (changes: fried chickpeas, no red pepper, Italian parsley) and mini meatless muffalettas. I prepared the muffalettas on some hearty rolls and with my own olive dressing. There are hundreds of recipes for olive dressing and no two are alike. So I just dumped some pimiento stuffed green olives, some kalamata olives, a couple of cauliflower florets, shredded carrots, olive oil and some of the olive brine in the food processor and hit “pulse” a few times and that was it. I sliced some rolls, stuffed in some provolone and cheddar cheese, heated them until melted and then topped them with the olive dressing and viola, mini meatless muffalettas.

I was pretty proud of the tomato salad and the muffalettas, but the couscous salad got the most comments. And of course it's from Paula Deen. Damn you Paula Deen! Oh well. It really was good. But so was that tomato salad!

Just a Coke?

2010-06-30T14:49:00.001-05:00

I was on the road earlier this week and needed caffeine. I didn't want to get Baby Eats out of the car seat, so I needed a drive-thru. I passed several too-busy exits and found one a little less complicated where there were but two choices: McDonalds and Sonic. Sonic! I love Sonic! Mmmm...cherry limeade...but I needed caffeine. So when faced with the countless options, I just got a Coke.

I went to Sonic and just got a plain Coke. But, y'know, it does have good ice. So that makes it just a little more speical.

Regardless, I felt like one of those weirdos that goes to Baskin-Robbins or Ben & Jerry's and gets vanilla ice cream.

Related: You should read the blog of Molly Erdman (the Sonic wife) and her fantastic creation, Catalog Living. Many thanks to Chris Lowry of Germantown Cafe and Allium for sharing the link with me. Which reminds me, I need a ball of twine for my nightstand. And a plate of dried figs to go under my coffee table.

No more morels

2010-06-18T12:31:00.001-05:00

Morels--pronounced “mo-rells” but I like to call them “morals” just to aggravate Mr. Eats--are mushrooms. But not just any mushrooms. Mushrooms with a fan base that rival that of a second-string American Idol contestant. The morel has fan pages and message boards and brings people together…together in their forage for a fungus. No other mushroom inspires the fanaticism that the morel does (unless you count the truffle...but a truffle is a truffle, not a mushroom).

So I bought into the hype. Literally--because it's a solid two months past morel season in Tennessee (and I am not one to brave the tick-infested back ways of the Natchez Trace anyway), so I bought some. Typically, they go for about $50 per pound, but Whole Foods had some on sale for just $30 per pound (what a bargain!), so I got half a pound of somewhat fresh, genuine Oregon morels.

I did my research and discovered there is a lot of debate on the proper way to prepare morels. Soak? Don’t soak? Fry? Sauté? Many morel fans assert that soaking the ‘shrooms compromises the flavor. But unless you like critters with your dinner, you have to soak. Yeah, that’s right--that’s the dirty little secret of the mushroom. Many--and particularly the morel--are havens for bugs and worms. And even though the morels I purchased had (ostensibly) been sitting in the store for at least a few days, they contained plenty of larval worms. Larvae of what, I’m not sure. Flies, moths…who knows. All’s I know is nearly every morel had at least one worm--a tiny little white guy with a black spot of a head. Even after soaking, I discovered more.

After soaking and slicing and washing again and even picking through each pore, I battered and fried up about half my batch. Two problems: 1) I’m just not good at frying and 2) I found yet another worm. So Mr. Eats had that batch of fried morels.

So I soaked and picked through the morels again. And then I decided to sauté them in a little olive oil and sea salt. The purpose of this was to get as much of the real morel flavor as possible. Because that’s what it’s all about, right?

Well, I was not impressed. Maybe they were not as flavorful as they should be from all the sitting and the soaking. Maybe my already-queasy stomach could not appreciate them. Maybe I should have had more than three bites, but I just couldn’t go on wondering if there was yet another critter lying in wait inside the mushrooms. Blah blah…FDA and rat feces…I know. There’s all sorts of crap in my food that I don’t really want to eat. But I don’t know it; I don’t SEE it. And I saw these guys. Several of them alive and one of them fried. And it’s just not worth it (see this thread on Chowhound for a lively discussion of the morel and its unwanted stowaways).

For my money and effort, I will stick with the maitake (hen of the woods), the shiitake, and the oyster. I’m now officially crossing the morel off my to-do list.

Free Cheese!

2010-06-17T06:52:00.000-05:00

The winner of the free cheese is...

Commenter #1--Sally from Sallaboutme! Sally happens to be hosting her own helpful hints giveaway right now, so go sign up (but hurry--it ends tomorrow!). And that reminds me...I really need to update my blogroll!

Congratulations to Sally and thank you to everyone who entered. Parting thought: don't buy budget brie at your local warehouse store. If you learn anything from me, I want it to be that. No budget brie.

25th Purity Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin' -- A re-cap

2010-06-14T08:48:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Mr. Eats, Baby Eats and I braved the heat and humidity to try out the 25th Purity Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin' event. It's an ice cream tasting event, so it wasn't hard to convince Mr. Eats to go.

Wow. It was my first time at this event and there was more ice cream than I ever imagined. Even having mostly just two-bite portions, my body gave up long before my brain really wanted to. There was an entire tent of ladies with some spectacular-sounding ice creams (Shoo-Fly Pie!) that I didn't even get to try. I'm getting teary just thinking of it. But by that time, Baby Eats looked like she'd had enough. These kind ladies did give us a bottle of water for her. She doesn't drink water, but I thought it would cool her down. She proceeded to caress and lick the bottle. Parent of the year right here, people.

Before having to leave, we spotted local food friends Beth, Sallaboutme, Lindsay and Taylor, and Nicki P. Wood. I asked everyone about their favorites, but most couldn't name just one. The standouts for me were:

Triple Ginger--Penzeys ginger powder, candied ginger, and fresh ginger--fantastic
Wildflower Honey Cream--very delicate and refreshing
Chocolate Cherry Chunk--my first of the day
Dulce de Leche Crunch
Tequila Mexican Vanilla--Mr. Eats convinced me to try it noting that it tasted a bit like flan
Cheesecake--looked like mint chocolate chip, but was very cheesecakey and good
Snickerdoodle
Lemon Lime (Slush?)--far more tasty than its name implies
Ninth Plague of Egypt--a super dark chocolate memorable not just for its name and intense taste, but for the fact that I spilled some on my white shirt (which is now soaking in Borax) and it also ties with...
D's Nuts for best name!
Lemon Pie--one of at least 10 lemon-based flavors I saw (and I tried most of them; I love lemon)
Strawberry Swirl--neck and neck with lemon as a favorite fruit flavor
Twix!
Chocolate Almond Hazelnut--at least, I think there were two nuts in there. The hazelnut was more a flavor and I think there were slivers of almond. Loved it.
Toasted Peach
Ginger Pear
Chocolate Banana (on a "Stiiiiick")--okay it wasn't named that. Nor were any of the other three chocolate banana ice creams I had but they were all good.
Maple (something or other--I was in a sugar-induced delirium by that point)
Apple Pie
Grape!

Pomegranate Sorbet with chocolate covered pomegranate seeds--my last taste of the day, a much-needed, refreshing palate cleanser (with no cream)

And there were more. Many more. And many more that I didn't taste. I didn't taste any of the vast number of Oreo, Butterfinger, Snickers, or peanut butter ice creams. I don't do peanut butter and I didn't want to waste valuable real estate in my gut on Oreos. I'll eat Oreos and Oreo ice creams, but they're not my first choice. I skipped a lot of vanillas, pistachios, and coconuts too. Though it turns out that the winning flavor was Coconut Waltz. Oops!

Despite the large crowd of over-sugared and over-heated ice cream lovers, I only noted a couple of flavors that ran out. I have to say, what would be fantastic for next year is a map of the flavors. Or just their general vicinity. It would be a big help in prioritizing so you don't run out of steam before you find Shoo Fly Pie. One could argue that takes the fun out of it, but I'm just sayin'. I'd gladly volunteer to create this map next year. Ahem.

Taste Test and Giveaway -- Alouette

2010-06-10T07:23:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was contacted by the nice people who represent Alouette to ask if I’d like to review their products for the blog. Now that I can eat soft cheeses again (and I love brie), of course I said yes!

The first product I tried was the Crème de Brie. I was intrigued because, like many of you--and you know you’re one of them--I’ve never really been sure what to do with the rind on brie. Eat it? Don’t eat it? Generally, it’s a game-day call for me. Is the rind delicate and taste okay? If so, I’ll eat it. If not, I leave it on the plate like the privileged first-worlder I am. The Crème de Brie solves this quandary!

And the Crème de Brie is just as creamy as my favorite triple cream brie, St. Andre. The flavor is incredibly delicate. So delicate that you need to be careful what you pair it with. I’d suggest a slice of apple, a water cracker such as Carr’s, or a thin slice of a French baguette (fresh, not toasted).

For my second taste test, I tried the “award-winning” Baby Brie. Alouette suggests that you let the Baby Brie warm to room temperature before serving, but even so, it’s a significant bit toothier than the Crème de Brie. It’ll stand up to toasted breads but also to baking recipes. So with the remaining portion of the brie, I made a pizza. Though inspired by a recent visit to Amerigo (which includes mushrooms on their brie pizza), I opted to use this brie pizza recipe that included potatoes and apples. Yes, brie AND potatoes on a pizza--because I have given up on ever being my pre-pregnancy size again.

My pizza didn’t look quite as lovely as the pizza on the 30-Minute Dinner Party site for a couple of reasons:

1) I used my Microplane box grater’s slicer for the potatoes and apples which yielded a thicker slice than I would have gotten from my food processor (along with the anxiety of adding a thumb tip to the mix) and

2) I underestimated the coverage I needed.

Regardless, this was one heckuva pizza. The Baby Brie melts nicely and its rich flavor stood up well to 450 degree heat and a lot of rosemary and salt.

But don’t just take my word for it. Try it yourself! Or any of the Alouette products. Leave a comment for an entry (one per person, please) to win two certificates for a free Alouette product redeemable at your local grocery. I will mail the coupons to the lucky winner, so the contest is open to anyone with a U.S. address. Enter your comment before 7pm CDT next Wednesday, June 16 and I will announce the winner on Thursday. Good luck!

ps--and sorry for the earworm to those of you who took French classes. I've been singing it in my head for weeks now.

The perfect sandwich

2010-06-08T13:45:00.001-05:00

Silke's baguette

Fresh mozzarella (and fresh basil) from Lazzarolli's

The season's earliest tomatoes from the farmers' market

A little olive oil and sea salt

Yum.

Strawberry Bread

2010-06-02T14:28:00.001-05:00

I’m not one to waste fresh Tennessee strawberries on something that requires them to be consumed any way but raw and mostly naked, but I got a couple of quarts that were good but not great. So I thought, “Why not try something baked?” with these berries. I wasn’t feeling ambitious enough for a cake (mmm…strawberry cake…) so I remembered getting an email with a recipe for strawberry bread in it. Couldn’t find the email, so I just poked around the internet a bit and (once again) came up with my own from the best of other recipes. Because I had a lot of strawberries to use and I really wanted a strong strawberry flavor.

Strawberry Bread
Yields 2 9 x 5 inch loaves

2 cups fresh strawberries sliced
2 cups pureed strawberries
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in large bowl and blend well with a fork. Place strawberries in a medium size bowl and blend in oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the strawberry mixture to the flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Divide batter equally into pans and bake for one hour or until done (insert a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it‘s done). Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Well? This bread is MOIST. Probably too moist. And not quite strawberry-y enough for me. I suppose I should have made strawberry cake to achieve that level of strawberryness. But the bread is good. I’m thinking though that instead of pureed strawberries, a strawberry jam might be better. About 8 ounces instead of 16 (and increase the oil if the batter’s not loose enough). However, strawberry season is just about over here, so I suppose I’ll have to wait until next year to try it out. I'm also thinking some lemon in here somewhere would brighten it and add a nice tang. Hrm.

Scones!

2010-05-28T08:23:00.001-05:00

It was a challenge for me to figure out what to bake for the Sweet Relief bake sale. 1) I'm not much of a baker and 2) I wanted to do something vegan. And finding something that was portable, packageable and non-perishable that was not a cookie or cupcake was difficult. Also, I didn't want to deal with an egg replacer.

So I finally settled on scones. Next challenge? Vegan "butter." I was surprised to see that nearly every margarine available contains whey (a dairy product). What's the point? Seemed my only option was Earth Balance and while it's fine, measuring 3/4 of a cup is kind of a pain since it's not in sticks. Luckily, I remembered Crisco makes sticks and they're over in the baking aisle. Whaddya know...vegan. So, along with my organic sugar (organic sugar is not processed with bone char like most refined white sugar), and soy milk, I was ready to bake! Well, almost. I needed to settle on a recipe. I ended up looking at about 15 different recipes and took the best from all. Because that's what I do (or don't); I don't follow recipes. Anyhoo...

Cranberry Orange Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus about 1/2 tsbp)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon orange zest (~the amount from a standard size orange; more is better)
1/2 cup slightly reconstituted dried cranberries
3/4 cup vegan butter (I used Crisco sticks), cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (the juice of a standard size orange is about 1/4 cup; if you have more, just reduce the amount of milk so that the total liquid is one cup)
3/4 cup vegan milk (I used Silk Vanilla Light soy milk)
Dash of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Cover the cranberries in water to soak while you prepare the dough.

Sift your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add the "butter" and mix together between your fingertips or cut with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal (or you can dump everything in your food processor, hit pulse a couple of times and you're done). Drain the water from the cranberries and mix in the orange zest and cranberries with a fork. Combine the orange juice, "milk, " and vanilla and slowly pour it into the mixture, tossing with a fork until moist clumps form.

Form a ball in the bowl and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it briefly to mix the dough well (add more flour if it's too sticky). Form the dough into a ball and pat down into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Use a large a knife to cut into 8 equal wedges. Place the scones as far apart as possible on the lined baking sheet (for crispy sides). Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops of the scones are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Let the scones sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For lemon poppyseed scones, substitute "lemon" for "orange" above (you may need extra lemon juice or lemon extract, which I think would be a wonderful idea but I really LOVE lemon flavor) and replace cranberries with 1 tablespoon of poppyseeds.

So how are they? Well, they're a tad dry and not sweet enough...which means they're perfect (I was reminded of why I'm not a huge fan of scones; they're never sweet--you know, because they're really just flavored biscuits). The taste is really good and Mr. Eats liked them a lot. The Crisco helps get a nice crunch on the crust, I think. All in all, I think they're a huge success. So much so that I just pulled a muscle patting myself on the back.

Two and a half dozen of these little guys will be for sale (for a small price!) tomorrow between 1:30 and 4 at 1100 Forrest Avenue (The Green Wagon) in Nashville. Come on out and buy some and support the Second Harvest Food Bank!

Sweet Relief

2010-05-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

The Great Flood is still a topic of conversation for most people. It's become its own measure of time When did we see them last? Well, it was before the flood. And any time you see someone you haven't seen since well, before the flood, you ask how they fared.

Most people I know are fortunate and sustained little or no damage, but there are still a lot of people who need help and will need help for a long time. So more fun fundraisers!

Lindsay over at Love and Olive Oil sent out a tweet about interest in a bake sale. A bunch of us signed on right away. She worked hard putting it together--got us this sweet poster and even a place to hold the sale! So won't you come out and buy some sweets this Saturday to help out the Second Harvest Food Bank? Some of Nashville's best amateur bakers will be there! I've decided my entry will be vegan, too. Scones! Check out the Sweet Relief post at Love and Olive Oil for more details.

Eat Out for Nashville: The Acorn

2010-05-18T17:10:00.000-05:00

Based on all the accounts I've heard, Eat Out for Nashville was a great success with restaurants experiencing a boom in business on what would otherwise be a rather quiet night for dining. There was a really great list of participating restaurants, but we chose The Acorn. I've never had a bad experience there (and even hosted a really great private party there last year) and, well, we know the chef, so it was kind of a no-brainer. Also, despite being on the fine-dining side of casual restaurants in town, it's fairly baby-friendly. We had dinner upstairs on the patio. It was busy enough to have a pleasant din of noise enough to drown out any fussiness from the baby without being so loud as to prevent decent conversation. Perfect.

Dinner started out with one of their new cocktails. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name but it was the one with St. Germain and lemon. SO refreshing. Incidentally, dinner ended with a second one of these cocktails, too. Anyhoo.

The food portion started with a lovely amuse bouche--chopped strawberries with balsamic vinegar, celery leaves and croutons and topped with a bleu cheese (I think--sorry, the cocktail had kicked in by this point). I generally don't like celery, but this really worked. And it's strawberry season in Tennessee; we have the best strawberries on the planet. Dinner started in earnest with the arugula and butternut squash salad. The spiced walnuts and brown butter hollandaise were such a nice compliment to the arugula. I so love brown butter but rarely have it at home any more because Mr. Eats should really stick to his Smart Balance. And brown Smart Balance?...just doesn't work.

For a main course, I chose to have a double portion of acorn squash ravioli. Turns out, this dish typically is served with a pecan pesto and herbed apple cider that has a base of chicken stock. Luckily, chef Andy (er, Andrew) Hunter caught that for me and prepared an alternate sauce with the apple cider. It was delicious. The ravioli had a nice, delicate flavor and the sauce also had a light touch so even though I had a double order, I had no trouble polishing off the whole plate. I was eagerly anticipating dessert (I heard there was a wonderful strawberry dish served with something pretzel-y), but Baby Eats decided it was time to go...good thing I had that second cocktail. Ha!

Roasted Carrots

2010-05-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

Short version: everything tastes better roasted. I wish I'd known this 35 years sooner.

Longer version:
Last week, one of the local farms had some baby carrots that they'd kept over the winter. They weren't so baby any more, but I bought them anyway. They were cheap and lovely to look at. And I thought I'd see if I liked them roasted. Growing up, I was forced to eat carrots whole and raw. Those were the days before baby carrots and I absolutely hated that bitter center of an "adult" carrot. Just one of a number of ways my mom made me think I hated vegetables. Anyhoo...

I got them home and stuck them in a Ziploc bag so they wouldn't dry out. What I did not know is that I should have cut the greenery off first. Apparently, the greens steal water from the carrots and dry them out. Luckily, I didn't have them around that long.

Then, I set about finding a way to prepare them. On the first page of results, I saw a link for The Pioneer Woman. She'd visited Nashville recently and a bunch of local foodie friends were excited, so I checked out the recipe. It was simple, promised to be delicious, and included thyme. Full of win! I have thyme in the herb garden and rarely have use for it, so this was exciting!

So here's the recipe for roasted carrots. And here's the Cliff's version:

1. Remove any greenery
2. Cut the carrots in half length-wise
3. Coat in extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and fresh thyme leaves (and pepper, if you like)
4. Arrange in a single layer in your roasting pan
5. Cook for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees (they should be wrinkly in appearance and you should be able to spear them easily with a fork)
6. Eat these freaking delicious carrots

The Pioneer Woman's post (actually, Pastor Ryan) is more eloquent, but above is all you need to know. And that you will love these carrots even if you think you hate carrots.

Eat Out for Nashville Monday, May 17

2010-05-14T14:23:00.002-05:00

Yikes! In my last post, I neglected to mention that through the end of the month, Allium is donating 10% of proceeds from lunch to the Friends of Shelby Bottoms and 10% of dinner sales to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee's Flood Relief Fund.

Another way for people in the area to enjoy a meal out AND help out relief organizations is Eat Out for Nashville this coming Monday (as mentioned previously). More restaurants are signing up every day and Beth over at Eat. Drink. Smile. is keeping a great hyperlinked list that's she's updating every time another restaurant joins in the cause. The list now includes restaurants Hendersonville and Franklin and everything from family-friendly to fine dining to after-dinner treats. For us, it's a difficult decision to decide between Top Chef contestant Arnold Myint's restaurant Cha Chah and The Acorn, kitchen home to Iron Fork winner Andy Hunter. But since we don't have a babysitter, we'll probably opt for The Acorn and hope for baby-friendly seating!

Doing our part for flood relief

2010-05-09T08:21:00.001-05:00

We're going to be dealing with the aftermath of this flood for a long, long time. So there really can't be too many fundraisers or too many ways to help. Two of the most important ways to help everyone right now is to donate cash and to conserve water.

Over at Allium, they're doing their part by "importing" drinking water (from what I overheard), doing away with table linens, and using disposable plates and cups. I generally don't love generating so much waste, but it may be quite some time before we have all of our water facilities running. We went for dinner last night and discovered that the food was just as delicious on paper plates! And the new green plate is fantastic--two generous and hearty feta-leek-potato cakes, sauteed Swiss chard and a wonderful suprise--a roasted baby artichoke. I also had their housemade chips for an appetizer. Delicious.

Additionally, local flood bloggers [oops! I meant "food bloggers"!] and writers (the professional ones) are getting together a group of restaurants to participate in Eat Out for Nashville on May 17. Restaurants will donate 50% of proceeds to the Emergency Response Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. You can keep up with the list of restaurants easily by following Eat Out for Nashville on Twitter or "liking" the Eat Out for Nashville Fan Page on Facebook. What a great excuse to go out on a Monday!

Tasti-D-Lite -- Free yogurt for moms on Mother's Day

2010-05-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, a little good news lands in my inbox. And I could use some good news right now as Nashville is currently a federal disaster area due to flooding last weekend. You just don't think about floods in a place like Nashville, but there is water everywhere around here. I live within a few miles of two rivers and a large creek (which runs through my neighborhood). I'm on a hill, so I only lost a driveway to waters rushing down, but many people here have lost everything. If you care to do so, please donate to the Red Cross or to the Community Foundation to help these folks. Many don't have flood insurance and those who do are finding out it doesn't cover anything inside their homes.

But on to the good news! This Sunday--Mother's Day--Tasti-D-Lite is giving away a free cup or cone to all moms!

Mom’s Eat Free at Tasti D-Lite

On Mother’s Day (May 9th), frozen dessert concept Tasti D-Lite is encouraging mothers to come in and celebrate the holiday with a free, small cup or cone. Moms can choose from over 100 flavors as they indulge in Tasti’s signature soft -serve, dairy-based frozen dessert, which is also lower in calories, fat, carbohydrates and sugar.

Tasti-D-Lite in Nashville is located at 2418 West End Avenue at Elliston Place by Centennial Park. Visit their website for the flavors of the day!

Three things to like about Hardee’s…

2010-04-20T13:53:00.001-05:00

…even if you’re a vegetarian.

1. They give away Slankets. Not a cheap ol’ Snuggie. A genuine Slanket. They have good taste in blankets with sleeves. And now I have one. Well, Mr. Eats has one so now I don’t have to share my pink Slanket with him any more. He has his own. And he loves it.

2. They don’t have items on the menu specifically for vegetarians, but at least they have the decency to acknowledge we exist. Though their website doesn’t really tell us anything we didn’t already know (as in, “order a burger, no meat”). Their most recent product introduction was actually born of trying to make the ultimate grilled cheese. Had they asked, I would have told them the ultimate grilled cheese is just cheese and tomato--no burger or bacon. But I suppose they realized that their customer base just wasn’t much interested in a sandwich that didn’t have one or two dead critter bits on it.

3. Curly fries. Should I ever have the misfortune of choosing a last meal, I can assure you that curly fries will be on the menu along with truffled macaroni and cheese and a good egg pasta and a lump of fried goat cheese and a few slices of home-grown heirloom tomatoes and…well, the list is long. Point is, I love curly fries. And Hardee's has excellent curly fries.

Thanks for the Slanket Hardee's! (And thanks to Nicki from Bites for delivering the Slanket!)

And the winner of the Iron Fork tickets is...

2010-04-19T08:19:00.001-05:00

Commenter #8: KMAYS! Congratulations!

For those of you who didn't win, you can still purchase tickets online, at the Whole Foods and Le Creuset locations in Green Hills, or buy them at the door. Proceeds benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and Manna Food Security Partners.

Note: I deleted Beth's comment since she is on an adventure in China so that it would not affect the outcome of the contest.

Iron Fork Nashville

2010-04-12T07:16:00.003-05:00

It’s time again for Nashville’s best culinary competition--the third annual Iron Fork returns to the Country Music Hall of Fame April 21st. Last year’s winner, Jeremy Barlow of Tayst will again compete for the Gold Fork against Andy Hunter of the Acorn Restaurant, Hal M. Holden-Bache from Eastland Café, Jason McConnell from 55 South, Sol, and Red Pony Restaurants, and Chris Cunningham of Sunset Grill.

The way it works for us common folk is that in addition to watching the competition--each chef will have just one hour to prepare a dish featuring a secret ingredient revealed just before they start cooking--spectators can sample food and have a few beverages. A word of warning--get there early if you’re planning to make a meal of it. Which is possible if you’re diligent (as I did for the inaugural Iron Fork competition in 2008; note the handful of containers from PM). Not sure what the vegetarian options will be this time, though. Might be a good idea to pack a snack just in case.

The doors opem at 6pm with the competition beginning around 7pm. You can get discounted tickets until April 14 for $30 each. Afterward, tickets are $40 . Purchase tickets online, at the Whole Foods and Le Creuset locations in Green Hills, or buy them at the door. This year, ticket proceeds benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and Manna Food Security Partners.

Or enter to win a free pair of tickets here! Just leave a comment on this post by midnight, Saturday, April 17 and I will randomly choose a winner and post results Monday morning (one entry per person!). Please be sure to include an email address in your profile or comment (or email me separately) so I can reach you. If I don’t get a response from the winner by 8am Tuesday morning, I’ll draw again. Please note that you need to be available to pick up the tickets from me before 6pm on the 21st.

Good luck!

Pancho's

2010-04-06T07:31:00.003-05:00

During our recent trip to Memphis, I stopped by the old Midtown ~~Seessel’s~~ Schnuck’s and picked up some Pancho’s cheese dip and Tropicale dressing. Pancho’s is one of the many things I miss about Memphis and one of the things that bonds those of us who grew up there. There’s nothing even vaguely authentic Mexican about Pancho’s but it is unique among Tex-Mex with flavors specific to the palates of Memphians in the 1950s ('ya gettin' the picture here?). And I love it.

First, the cheese dip. It’s made with American cheese and Ro-Tel tomatoes. It’s served cold. When I first served a chip to Mr. Eats with this cold dip, he replied, “Hmm. Good. But it’ll be better when it’s warmed up.” Heresy!

And then there’s the Pancho’s Tropicale dressing. It’s served on their salads, including the chicken fajita salad that was a favorite of mine until I became a vegetarian ten years ago (I still order it sans chicken). My mom and I were having a discussion about it one time and she said that it was really easy to make (though she hates it). She just walked into the kitchen, threw a few things together and there it was. I was really impressed.

But the recipe I have--clipped about 15 years ago--is from a favorite column in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Recipe Finder. It’s a fun column that’s been around for as long as I can remember; most of the clipped recipes I have are from this column when I first started really cooking for myself in the mid-1990s. The recipes are usually either those that people are trying to recreate from childhood memories or from local restaurants (past and present).

Pancho's Tropicale Dressing
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup vinegar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed oregano leaves

Process everything except oregano in a blender (or use a stick blender) until sugar is dissolved. Stir in oregano Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Tips: use just ¼ cup of sugar if you’re concerned about sweetness. And improve the color by using light olive oil and/or a touch of prepared mustard.

I recreated the chicken fajita salad by using Quorn Chick’n Tenders lightly sautéed and sprinkled with fajita seasoning and tortilla bowls from Azteca.

Mr. Eats was a lot more impressed with the salad and dressing. Though the cold cheese dip is growing on him (so to speak…I hope--ha!).

*Note: new camera! I hope to take photos as good and delectable as those on Love and Olive Oil and Eat.Drink.Smile.!

Cori's Dog House

2010-03-19T09:08:00.002-05:00

As much as I'd like to tell you I'm still struggling with baby weight, I'm not. I'm struggling with baby blues weight. February was not kind to me, but I'm starting to eat healthier and more regularly. Steel cut oatmeal every day! Salad every day! No snacks!

But sometimes, I still indulge. And this week, there was a special occasion. My friend, Christy was out from Las Vegas for a visit. After picking her up from the airport, we headed to Mount Juliet to meet our other friend and have some dinner. Three women and three babies in the suburbs. It wasn't something I thought I'd blog about. But it just so happens I was catching up on this thread at Bites and decided, what the heck, I'll see what I can find out about Cori's Dog House.

Luckily, the Urban Spoon Listing for Cori's Dog House includes the menu. Holy um, dog! That's quite a menu. Veggie dogs! Fried pickles! Pimiento cheese! I convinced my friends that we just had to go there.

After contemplating the Georgia and the Jersey Italian, I settled on the Pittsburgh--fries, slaw, tomatoes and provolone cheese. Obviously, even though it was served with a Smart Dog, this was not health food. The cole slaw was creamy, the fries were crispy (with skins, just like I like them) and the whole production is served on a thick buttered roll. Delicious. I also got an order of fried pickles, which had an unexpected kick that (mercifully) slowed me down a bit on the munching.

Hot dog joints are starting to get as popular as cupcake shops here but Cori's is the only one I've been to. Though most other hot dog places offer veggie dogs, too, Cori's seems to have the largest, most creative menu and best prices. It's tucked into the popular strip mall and chain restaurant heaven known as Providence Marketplace, but best I can tell, it's popular (it's back past the freestanding restaurants such as Olive Garden). There was a good crowd on a Tuesday night and they were even having to turn people away after the 8pm closing time (Daylight Saving Time is rough on restaurants and restaurant-goers). The staff is friendly and patient (three babies!) and the food is prepared quickly. We had a great time and though I usually don't travel more than twenty miles for a meal, I've promised Mr. Eats that we can go back. Mmm...fried pickles.

Cori's Dog House on Urban Spoon.

Carrabba's Green Hills

2010-02-27T11:28:00.005-06:00

Okay, so it's started. Two months into this baby-having thing and I am already lusting after a vehicle with a sliding door and a large rear seat area. And growing tired of takeout, I'm turning my eyes toward more kid-friendly establishments. As in, minivans and restaurants large and loud enough that a crying baby won't be an embarrassment.

Carrabba's had a few things going against it right out of the gate. First and foremost, I have never been a huge fan. I've gone to Carrabba's in Memphis and Hendersonville and thought that the experience was okay but not great (or even good). I've typically gotten the manicotti and at each location it's always been served so hot that I couldn't eat it until everyone else was nearly finished. Second, I don't usually eat Italian food out because I can make it at home fairly easily. Third, I prefer to support local restaurants with menus created by chefs rather than focus groups and with a knowledgeable staff that provides excellent service.

But we had a gift card, so we decided to try out the Carrabba's in Green Hills. Fortunately, I knew enough to call ahead to get on the waiting list. This place is always busy and it was also a Friday night. When we arrived, we were seated in about five minutes.

So it started out good and just got better. Peroni. A salad with field greens, not iceberg lettuce. And a brick-oven pizza with perfect thin crust and just a hint of char. And my special request to sub Roma tomatoes (which were red, not pink) was noted and accommodated without hesitation. This I like. And dessert, a Limoncello Bread Pudding from the specials menu. It's a portion big enough for two; a yummy, rich brioche with a good lemon flavor and just a hint of the alcohol.

Now, about the service. Despite it being BUSY, the service (from the door to table and back) was amazing. Our server was helpful, knowledgeable (a definite advantage of many upscale chains) and attentive, and the other members of the staff were helpful and accommodating as well (such as when I stopped another server to request a look at the bacinos she was carrying). And, though I thought my pizza was perfect, we got a visit from the owner with another pizza; apparently, he or someone on the staff didn't think it quite met their standards. So instead of delaying our order, they brought the first one and then another. When I told him the first one was great and asked if I could take the second with me, he happily boxed it up for me. All of this is the kind of service one expects at an upscale chef's restaurant, not a busy chain restaurant near a mall. But the owner and the staff at Carrabba's in Green Hills apparently strive to make it seem as much like the original Carrabba's and less like a chain--and they do a great job.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T15:56:00.004-06:00

Thanks to a very special Grammy Eats, Mr. Eats and I got to go out to dinner--just the two of us--to celebrate Valentine's Day. Normally, I'd make a special dinner for us, but the addition of Baby Eats and Grammy Eats at the table would make the occasion less than romantic...

So where to go for our big night out? I procrastinated because I couldn't decide where to go and the days were ticking down and yada yada we were lucky enough to get 6:30pm reservations at Germantown Cafe, one of Nashville's best restaurants for a romantic dinner.

Germantown Cafe isn't fancy pants; it's a really nice but casual restaurant with good food. In other words, it's a step up food-wise from J. Alexander's but you don't have to worry about whether or not you're wearing the right kind of jeans. But maybe you oughtta change out of the sweatshirt covered in spit-up (oh, that's just me? nevermind).

We started out dinner with a couple of starters...escargot for the husband (pass) and baked brie for me. Mr. Eats remarked that you don't see either item on menus much any more and that even though he was happy to see both, the menu seemed kind of dated. I reminded him that the popularity of Julie and Julia had propelled Mastering the Art of French Cooking back to the bestseller list recently so French-inspired cuisine and these old standbys are actually rather trendy. Or maybe they just like this stuff.

For dinner, I had the pasta dish. There's a green plate that features a portobella mushroom cap, but because they're a popular staple here at home (sooo easy to roast), I skipped it. The pasta had a mushroom cream sauce. I wasn't super intrigued, but was very pleased. The pasta was cooked well and the portion was large enough to feed the husband the next night (bonus!).

Entrees are served with a salad and bread. Normally, I wouldn't mention either, but this bread...wow. It's akin to a beignet and in fact, is served sweet for brunch. I could make a meal of these little rolls. They were dangerously good and didn't even need butter. This, my friends is remarkable. Because to me, everything needs butter. As a kid, I only ate bread so I could have butter. I ate butter sandwiches. So for me to say something is good enough to have without butter, you know it's one awesome piece of dough.

Mr. Eats had a sea critter for dinner that was served on a bed of sweet potato risotto with sauteed asparagus. Luckily, the plate was arranged so that I could taste the risotto that was not soiled by critter juice. Delicious. I'm going to have to try it at home because the flavor was more delicate and pleasant than pumpkin risotto.

But the highlight? Dessert. I had a sort of apple cobbler thing that was good but could not compare to the red velvet cheesecake. I was a little worried about this cheesecake at first. That's a lot of dye, right? I'm not so sure, because neither of us looked as though we'd been freebasing red Kool-Aid. I thought it might affect the taste, but no. This cheesecake was fantastic. Cake-y without being dry (who hasn't had a disappointignly dry red velvet cake? So sad). The texture was wonderful. And it was topped with a delicate cream cheese frosting. I know, I know, but it worked. Incidentally, it was not chocolate-flavored, thankfully. And the portion size was (again) very generous so that I didn't have to worry about getting stabbed each time I reached across the table for a bite. Because that could seriously ruin the mood of a Valentine's dinner, don't you think?

Snow Cream

2010-01-31T09:31:00.002-06:00

There are things that are common in other parts of this country that aren't so much in the south and when we southerners encounter them, it's with bemusement. Really thick yankee accents. Lacrosse. Men wearing Speedos. Snow.

We like snow, though. We celebrate its unusual arrival by buying lots of milk, bread, and eggs; by shutting down schools and daycares. By finding random objects and testing them as sleds...flattened cardboard boxes, errant political signs, pool floats and innertubes, plastic bags. And by testing our ability to drive on ice (spoiler alert: we really suck at it).

But some of us celebrate by staying inside and drinking hot chocolate (and apparently--based on the run at the grocery--having french toast). And by making snow cream! When I was a kid, this was one of my mom's favorite things to do. Though I have to admit that I was hardly enthusiastic back then. Any time my mom made something on her own, I felt cheated out of a storebought version (birthday cakes in particular). I was kind of a rotten kid at times. Now that I've matured, I can appreciate such things and yesterday, I took the opportunity to make snow cream for the first time!

To make snow cream, you need a big ol' bowl of reasonably clean snow, some dairy or dairy-like product, sugar, and vanilla. Fortunately, when I sent Mr. Eats out in the first part of the snowfall to get formula for Baby Eats, I reminded him that he needed half and half. If not for that large container of half and half, we might have been forced to use something I shall not mention. Anyhoo.

Snow Cream
One large bowl of snow (not packed; scrape away any layer of ice on top to get to the powdery stuff)
1/2 to 1 cup milk, cream, soy milk, or whatever milk- or cream-like product you have
1/2 to 1 cup sugar (to taste)
vanilla

Mix the milk, sugar and vanilla (about three drops per half gallon of snow) in a small bowl and then stir the mix into the snow. If you need more sugar or vanilla, pull a small amount of snow cream out of the bowl and melt it slightly to mix it in (do not put vanilla into the snow cream or you will get frozen spots of nothing but vanilla; it won't mix). And then you have snow cream!

More than one way to cook a cabbage

2010-01-25T14:37:00.003-06:00

They say that breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day. Or, rather, that you're supposed to eat an additional 500 calories per day if you're breastfeeding. It depends on who's saying it and their motivation. The Lactation Mafia will say anything to encourage new mothers to breastfeed.

I'm not entirely sure that's true. I think the more likely case is that if you're breastfeeding, you simply don't have time to eat, so it's easy to lose weight. Particularly with a newborn. "Baby Eats" is an appropriate moniker as this kid wants to eat just about every two hours and it'll take 30 minutes for each feeding. Factor in diaper changes and other care and that leaves about 30 minutes of free time between feedings. Not really enough time to prepare and eat a meal. I have rarely had a warm dinner in the last four weeks. The upside is that she is growing like a weed and is now the size of a normal newborn. She's happy and healthy.

Another thing "they" say is that cabbage is good for engorged or sore breasts--an inevitability of breastfeeding. Not eating cabbage; putting cabbage on your boobs. Essentially, you get a good, clean leaf of cabbage, stick it in your bra and when it's cooked, you should be relieved of engorgement and/or pain. "They" never say what you're supposed to do with that now-cooked leaf of cabbage. I tossed mine out.

The cabbage didn't really help me, so I was left with a head of cabbage. I am not one to waste food (even cabbage), so I made a nice side dish with the un-boob-cooked head.

Fried Cabbage
(makes 2 servings)
1 half a head of cabbage, washed and cut into thin wedges
2-3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 clove (or equivalent) of minced or chopped garlic
1/2 a small onion, cut into thin strips (optional)
dash of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Liquid Smoke
apple cider vinegar

Over medium high heat, saute the garlic and onion in a large pan until browned (don't burn the garlic; also, it will pop so be careful). Add the cabbage, sugar, salt, pepper, and a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke and fry until the cabbage is done. I like mine rather al dente, so that would be about 5-7 minutes at most. After it's cooked, add a splash or two of the vinegar.

I served this as a side to potato soup that Grammy Eats made while she was visiting over the weekend. I'd share her recipe with you, but I refuse to make potato soup. I will tell you that it does NOT contain bacon or any baked potato accoutrements that a certain "Irish"-themed restaurant based in Nashville puts in their very inauthentic potato soup. Potatoes, milk, butter, flour, salt--that's it. I think. There's some trick to the soup part with the flour. Mom's cornbread and potato soup are two things that I'll just let her continue to cook for me. Some things should remain sacred, y'know.

Welcome Baby Eats!

2010-01-11T10:02:00.004-06:00

I'd intended to post a lot more over the Christmas holiday, but we got a bit of an unexpected gift--Baby Eats decided to arrive early!

I actually went into labor on Christmas Eve and was in labor full swing on Christmas day...and didn't realize it. I thought it was false labor. It really never occurred to me that she'd arrive 6.5 weeks early.

So I checked into the hospital around noon on Christmas day and grabbed a snack on the way in case they wouldn't let me eat.

And they didn't let me eat. For another 31 hours (yes, I counted; I was STARVING despite the IV--it is no good subsitute for food). Not until they were certain that we'd slowed labor down and that she'd stay in for a while longer.

My first meal? A heaping helping of mac and cheese, sweet potatoes...and broccoli (since I have to set a good example now). I have never been happier to have food. I have never gone that long without eating.

Okay, confession: I didn't really go that long without eating. The Husband sneaked in a little here and there for me (because I BEGGED) but when I say a little, I do mean a little. A few slices of fake bacon. A roll. Some fruit snacks.

Anyway, I was still confined to the hospital, so we settled in for a while. The food in the maternity ward is much better than other parts of the hospital, from what I understand. This is a good thing. I was actually pretty pleased with it. Though after a few days, I tired of mac n cheese and grilled cheese (I was still battling horrid acid reflux, so I was limited in my choices).

Though we thought she could hang in there until she was at least 34 weeks gestational age, Baby Eats decided to make her grand arrival on December 27th around 10pm. Perhaps she was sick of cheese?

After spending a little over a week in NICU, she got to come home, where we're all adjusting just fine. I am tired and tired of cold food (inevitably, she wants to eat just as I'm about to eat) but we're all doing well and happy she's healthy. We just need to get her fattened up. She's 19.5 inches long but still under 5 pounds. But considering how much she eats, I'm predicting she won't be that tiny for long!

Fresh pasta is pregnant woman's best friend...

2009-12-21T17:10:00.005-06:00

...particularly when it's someone else making it for you!

Anyhoo, I've been keeping up with Nicole's progress since she's just a few weeks ahead of me. Baby Warren decided to hang in there for the full term, but finally arrived last week. What a precious baby! Congratulations!

I'm now at 33 weeks and at 32 weeks, I got hit with the double whammy of edema and major acid reflux. I've been cruising along for so long with only hip pain and vanity issues. But now I have to dramatically change what I eat--cut back on salt and cut out citrus, tomatoes, chocolate, and more. But those are the most important. The tomato is the staple of my diet.

I discovered my new issues after visiting my favorite Indian restaurant, Woodlands last week for what will probably be the last time for several months. Onions and tomatoes--not the best friends of a third trimester pregnant woman. Dinner was delicious, though. And by Thursday evening? I'd taken off my shoes and noted my socks looked funny. But then I took off my socks to reveal ankles that looked as if they had tumors. They'd swollen around the opening of my shoe. Fantastic.

So on Thursday, I was trying to figure out what was going to get me through the next 6-8 weeks. And it occurred to me: pasta. But not just any ol' pasta. I was finally going to get some Lazzaroli's pasta. Others have raved about it, so I was finally going to make my way to Germantown and get some for myself.

Lazzaroli's is a little market that's actually not far from the Farmer's Market. And for so long, I thought it was hard to get to! Not so. But you don't let size fool you. Tom's got a lot of stuff in there. It was great to chat with him, but I kept getting distracted by all of the great items he sells aside from the pasta. June Taylor jams, the full line of Olive and Sinclair chocolate bars, Silke's breads, and a large collection of fine oils and other kitchen essentials.

Though I picked up some marmalade and chocolate, I was there for the pasta. I got a pound of fresh fettucine and a pound of frozen shiitake mushroom and fontina ravioli (there are two cases--one fresh, one frozen). I also picked up some of Lazzaroli's roasted pepper cream sauce as it sounded like something my poor little body could handle.

So I got home with my bag of goodies and cooked up a batch of fettucine. I wasn't ready yet to take any chances, so I just poured on some good olive oil and a touch of truffle oil and shaved parmigiano (and, okay, a pinch of fleur de sel) and sat down for dinner. Delicious. There is nothing like a really good, fresh egg pasta. Mother and baby both enjoyed dinner immensely (as we were both able to sleep).

So, Friday, I took some leftover noodles with the roasted pepper sauce on them for lunch. It's not the best way to enjoy fresh pasta, but they held up remarkably well to the abuse. And that sauce has a great flavor. And didn't hurt my stomach.

Anyway, I have a feeling that Tom's going to be seeing a lot more of me, particularly until I can get around to making my own pasta again. And I've spread the word to some of my Yankee Italian co-workers, too. They're very happy to know that they can have pasta here after all!

The Wild Cow--now almost, kinda open

2009-12-09T16:28:00.003-06:00

I just saw on Twitter that though they're still working on the final paperwork and other little things to get going, The Wild Cow will be open starting tonight to sell gluten-free cookies and muffins!

Their Grand Opening is Saturday night, December 12. Ten dollars gets you into the party for all you can eat samples from the menu and a nice libation; 75% of the money will go to the East Nashville Community Action Network. Sadly, I'll miss the festivities (baby shower in Memphis!), but I'm sure there will be a great turnout. I know a lot of people have eagerly anticipated their opening.

Anyhoo, they're at 1896 Eastland Avenue right across from Rosepepper. I hope to visit soon.

Note: Technically, the wild cow does not exist due to hundreds of years of domestication for food and labor. Bison are technically bovines and do somewhat exist in the wild, but for the most part, "the wild cow" is a now-extinct creature.

Top Chef

2009-12-06T18:09:00.018-06:00

The other night, we were watching the first part of the finale of Top Chef with Pregnant Padma on...in trying to figure out if that poor woman had to host the show in her first trimester, I discovered that she's due either one month or two--depending on the report--after I'm due. I'm gonna say two. Though as I was gloating about how much bigger she was, I got to the news that she has endometriosis. Ooh, yikes. I definitely felt like a jerk then. Karma got me, though. My rear is now too large to fit in my pajamas. Unlike Padma, I'm not gaining weight all over; just in my mid-section. So I still have a thin face and stick arms and legs except for my thighs, hips and belly. I must look like something out of a cartoon. Nine (or less!) weeks to go!

Anyhoo, in order to celebrate the last few weeks of freedom, the Husband and I decided to take a short trip down to Atlanta to eat at a few Top Chef restaurants. Our number one goal was to visit Kevin Gillespie's Woodfire Grill. Sadly, we didn't plan this, oh, three months ago when we could have maybe gotten a Saturday night reservation. Our friends, however did get to go Friday night (at 10:30!) and had the tasting menu and reported back that it was just as good as one would expect. The husband is still disappointed we couldn't go. Interesting story, our server for dinner at Craft (see below) got a spot for 7pm Friday night when he called the restaurant on Thursday. So if you want to go and are flexible, keep trying and even call; I assume that a cancelled reservation came open.

Though we didn't get into Kevin's restaurant, we did go to Richard Blais's Flip Burger Boutique for lunch on Saturday. The most "Richard" thing about the restaurant is that the milkshakes are frozen with liquid nitrogen. The menu is impressive, though (for a burger joint). Hand cut french fries (delicious), homemade fried bread and butter pickles (a nice twist on a standard and incredibly tasty), a very savory and yummy mushroom patty burger and of course...milkshakes. The husband had the Krispy Kreme milkshake (very sweet and very good) and I had the pumpkin pie milkshake (so rich that even with help from the rest of the table, it didn't get finished).

Flip Interior

Krispy Kreme milkshake with the gases still burning off

Mushroom burger (ground mushrooms in a patty under a thin layer of swiss cheese; not a mushroom cap, thankfully)

A couple of things to note about Flip: it's popular at lunchtime. We got lucky and arrived just before noon and got a parking spot in the actual lot and got a table right away. But within 15 minutes, there was a line for a table despite the fact that a few warm-natured folks were dining outside (there is a nice patio). And if you think you'll be clever and send someone in ahead, Flip is one of those places that does not seat you until your entire group has arrived. The host was very pleasant about this; some aren't. Regardless, it would have been worth the wait. Those pickles! Two vegetarian burgers to choose from!

To continue our theme for dinner, we ate at Tom Colicchio's Craft Atlanta. My friend and I had been to Craft Bar in New York for brunch a couple of years ago, but this was our first experience for dinner.

My friends are all omnivores, but I knew that a restaurant like this would have something I could eat; something really good. But I'll get to the food in a moment. First things first is the space...it's in the busiest part of Buckhead, right around the corner from the malls and is connected to a hotel. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but once you step inside, you're greeted with the fire for the grill. The decor is heavy and dim (like a steakhouse) but modern. We were led upstairs, seated and greeted by about three different people. Frankly, I was confused as to who our server was for the first 15 minutes.

Our server was friendly and helpful, but mistaken in his assertion that side dishes and appetizers were "individually portioned." By the time we'd received all our food, our table was very crowded. So take note: any salad you get will easily feed four people as a first course and appetizers, two-three people. And most side dishes are enough for two people. And the entrees are huge, too. I think the Husband and my friend could have shared their braised shortrib...and maybe it wouldn't have gone cold by the time they finished (there was that much food!).

Regardless of those very slightly negative points, this dinner was amazingly good. I informed the server of a few preferences (the entree I'd seen on the website was not available) and I got one of the best pasta dishes ever...a fresh linguine (as in, they got the order and rolled out some pasta for me) in a mild butternut squash sauce topped with assorted roasted mushrooms (including my favorites--oyster and hen of the woods). I can still taste how good that pasta was. Spectacular. The omnivores agreed.

Along with the pasta, I had a nice arugula and pine nut salad and side dishes of yukon gold creamed potatoes, roasted sunchokes and a few bites of my friends' gnocchi. That was the first time the Husband and I had ever had sunchokes (the tuber of a certain type of sunflower and also known as Jerusalem artichoke) and I'm sad that we waited so long. They're delicious. I hope I can prepare them at home just as well. Also, the gnocchi...the Husband noted a difference in the taste and texture of the gnocchi and I sheepishly responded that it was because he'd never had fresh gnocchi. As in, I think those little guys were part of a whole potato less than a couple of hours before we ate them. Wow. Sadly, I was too full for dessert (and was not tempted by the scuppernong sorbet), but our friends got the dessert accompanied by the quince sorbet...one taste made me wish I had room for it. Delicate and delicious.

The grill

Wild Arugula Salad

Just half of the side dishes...

Probably the best pasta dish I've ever had in my life...

We wrapped up our trip with a fairly uninteresting brunch at a local hippie place (which is probably better for lunch proper--though to be fair, I think we all had food hangovers) and a trip to IKEA. My first trip to IKEA! The main draw was the baby stuff...three hours and $300 later, we emerged exhausted and with a four hour drive ahead of us. But the trip was totally worth it.

And now we have to go back sometime after the kidlet has arrived so the Husband can go to the Woodfire Grill. Not quite sure when that will be...wonder if they have high chairs...

Suzy Wong's House of Yum

2009-11-28T09:48:00.008-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Husband and I finally tried out Arnold Myint's latest restaurant, Suzy Wong's House of Yum. I've decided this man can do no wrong. I love his food. My only complaint is that the steamed bun is only available with barbeque pork with no vegetarian option. But I shall live. I'm currently in posession of an uncorrected proof of Momofuku that includes a recipe for bao, but guess what? The last line of that recipe: TK. [For those not in the biz, that means "to come." D'oh!].

Anyhoo, I have little energy for words and since pictures are worth a thousand, I'll just let them tell the story...some of it.

Vegetable Summer Rolls

Curried Tofu and Potato Pockets
My favorite of the bunch.

Vegetable Gyoza Pot Stickers

Steamed BBQ Pork Bao Bun
Sadly, no vegetarian version. To some, a vegetarian bao is sacrilege, but I think something good could be stuffed in there. I did pinch off a little of the bun. Tasty.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Wontons with caramel sauce
Unbelievably delicious.

Inside, the restaurant is a bit New York-y. Tables are close together and it's pretty "hip"--it has to be; it's in that strip of clubs on Church Street where, um, style matters. Let's just say that. There's also a place outside that I hope you will find me this summer--a great little courtyard and even an area with couches for lounging. Even though it was a bit chilly when we went, a few people were enjoying the outdoor space because it's so nice. Can't wait to try it out! Though I suppose by then there will be no pumpkin cheesecake wontons. *sigh*

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T09:27:00.004-06:00

Quel surprise, still no post about New York. Perhaps I should just do a photo essay. Each one is worth a thousand words, right?

I had a very orange Thanksgiving. Nary a mac nor a cheese to be found. I suppose I know what I will make next year. But this year, I took this cous cous salad with butternut squash from Erin to dinner. Except, of course, I changed it up (as I did the first time I made it, but I made even more changes this time). I left out the coriander and cut back on the savory spices and subbed in toasted walnuts and added honey (therefore, it was no longer vegan).

And it was...not great. It was okay. Previously, I used crispy fried chickpeas and Israeli cous cous and it was a lot better. And I didn't skimp on the cumin (though it caused some distress in the upper portion of my torso where all my organs are squished in from the enlarged uterus and alien life form in residence). So, try this recipe out, but the only change should be crisping the chickpeas. And maybe using Israeli cous cous.

Anyhoo, "dinner" was rounded out with sweet potato casserole, asparagus casserole (very yummy), and pumpkin pecan pie. I'm surprised I'm not orange. I am, however, pretty round. Ten weeks (or less, please) to go!

Cravings

2009-11-03T11:59:00.004-06:00

Two months later and I still haven't posted about my trip to NYC. I've even been again (just last week). In my defense, there's a lot to write. Some other time.

In the meantime, here's my little project from last week. It was based on this amazing post from Love & Olive Oil, but I lazed out and used box mix (Orange Supreme) and canned frosting (not a good idea at all). Oh, if only.... Though in a couple of years, I can blame my decorating failures on the kid. I've been warned that doesn't last long, though; once they get about four or so, they can rat you out.
***
I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and have an obvious orb in my torso. I've gone from just looking fat to looking obviously pregnant. So I get a lot of questions from people who know I'm vegetarian. The most common? "Have you craved meat?" The answer? No.

My husband was really hoping I'd crave meat. I told him that even if I did, I wouldn't eat it. Some people do and that's fine for them, but not me. I am disappointed that I've had to take a prenatal vitamin that's in a gelatin capsule. But the vegan alternatives for vitamins and DHA in particular were making me sick. It really only takes one time of having DHA come up through your nose to turn you off it completely. I find it interesting that I can get algae-based DHA in a gelatin capsule. I suppose it's for people who may have fish allergies. Anyhoo.

So what have I craved?

During the first trimester, I had the very common craving for lemons. I've read that it may be due to an increased need for vitamin C and also because it helps with nausea. However, past week 11 or so, I could take or leave anything lemon flavored. And I have quite a stash now. Lemon-lime soda, frozen lemonade, lemon candy, lemon cookies...

During my second trimester, it was french fries. See the previous post on Red Robin and their bottomless fries. A co-worker fed my addiction with more servings of Arby's curly fries than I care to admit as well. My theory on this craving is my body's need to bulk up. I gained just six pounds in the first four months, but gained another six pounds in the fifth month. The fry craving was supplemented with mashed potatoes during my bout with the flu. Both helped me pack on the weight. Which I really didn't want. For a brief time in there (about a week), I wanted my fries dipped in pickle juice, too. But hey, I love those dill flavored chips anyway, so it's not like that's some odd stretch.

Now that I'm entering my third trimester, all I crave is Xanax. No, really. Of course, I won't take any (don't even have any), but I just want to relax. I've had an eye twitch for weeks that's likely a result of fatigue and stress. Just one good night's sleep.... I also had a craving for a cigarette recently. This is even more odd than any food craving since I've never been a smoker and I actually hate cigarettes and their taste and smell. I was that kid who bowed to peer pressure and tried one and then immediately exclaimed, "that tastes like crap!" My tastebuds were always more important to me than looking cool (as evidenced by my chubby phase in late elementary/junior high school).

But as far as food goes, I don't have an interest in much. Nor do I have the energy to cook much. So we've been using the excuse of the pending baby to go out to eat a lot.
***
While at a party this weekend, I talked to Chef Andy Hunter of The Acorn. He's working on his fall/winter menu and I'm eager to see what he does with some of the winter squashes. I love them, but rarely cook them because they can be kind of a pain in the ass. I love having chopped acorn squash in a dish, but I'm not a huge fan of skinning and chopping it myself. Andy also showed us some of the pumpkins he carved for Halloween. Holy cow. He said it takes him about an hour to do most (everything from celebrity faces to Muppets of all sorts), but it took him about three hours to carve The Brady Bunch. The detail...wow.

At the same party, I introduced myself to John Cochran, who's opening The Wild Cow soon. There's been a lot of buzz about this place among local vegetarians and we're really hoping it takes off. He said they've had to delay opening, not least because of all the paperwork required to get a restaurant open, but are aiming for December 1 with a grand opening that will benefit a local animal charity. I can't remember which one right now, but I'm going to keep my eye on these guys. We chatted a little about food and he said they're still trying to decide on the purchase of a deep fryer. I hope they make that plunge because "chicken-fried" tofu nuggets would convert a lot of otherwise tofu-averse people over to the soy side. I think their location is good, too; they're at 1896 Eastland, right across from a popular restaurant, Rosepepper, which is often very crowded. It's in a part of East Nashville that's a tad bit more residential and less restaurant-y than parts west of there. I bet they could do a heckuva a takeaway business. I'm hoping that not being quite so far into the neighborhood (as The Veggie Cafe was) will help it, too.

Restaurant Round-Up: Birthday Week

2009-10-16T12:58:00.010-05:00

I still need to write some wonderful things about New York, don't I? I will probably visit New York yet again before I get around to finishing up that project. Anyhoo.

My birthday (and the birthdays of many of my friends) is at the end of September, so the husband and I spent a whole lotta time dining out between September 26th and October 3rd. We went to a couple of old favorites and tried some new places, too.

First up, we went to ChaChah. We'd intended to go to PM instead, but it was crowded and ChaChah offered up the opportunity for immediate seating on the patio. Win.

I love the food at ChaChah. Arnold Myint, the chef is very creative and seems to combine some of my favorite things with new flavors to create wonderful dishes. The delicious tagine was gone from the menu, but replaced by a "menestra" of seasonal vegetables flavored with a hint of Meyer lemon preserve. Though, because the chef strives to keep the menu "fresh," the menestra is now gone, too--replaced by another vegetarian dish that I'm sure I'd love. Though I could survive on pinchos and salad and dips (which I don't see on the menu right now--Arnold, you rascal). And dessert...that night, we had a coconut milk-based flan flavored with cardamom. Spectacular. In addition to the food, ChaChah (and PM) have fantastic cocktails. I can't wait to go back postpartum when I can actually enjoy one with liquor.

Incidentally, the tagine wasn't the only thing I noticed missing from the menu since our only previous visit back in March for Husband's birthday...gone also were the high prices on the large plates. Replaced by very, very reasonable prices. How refreshing.

Next up was brunch at Allium. We'd never been before and hadn't thought much about it (we don't make it to East Nashville often) but that's where a friend was having a birthday brunch. There are several vegetarian options, but I'm not a fan of eggs so I had Raspberry brioche French toast. What I really wanted were popovers (!), but the popover o' the day had bacon in it.

The food was very good (Husband thoroughly enjoyed his Shrimp Benedict or something like that), the place is really remarkable for two other things: the view and the service. The view (see photo) speaks for itself. When it's patio time again, be sure to visit. The service...wow. When one friend couldn't decide between two side dishes, the server offered to bring a half serving of each. I've never heard a server offer that. I was impressed (and so was my friend). And when I asked about the popovers, I gave a back up choice of the French toast, but neglected to mention that I'd want hash browns on the side instead of bacon. No worries, he picked up on that on his own and even said that if he'd gotten that wrong, he'd bring out another side. I think I fell in love right then.

Our next stop, mid-week, was for my actual birthday. I chose Zola because it'd been quite some time since I'd eaten there and because I'd heard of a special vegetarian menu. The chef, Deb Paquette, has always had a vegetarian option and been able to accommodate special requests (I have never forgotten that phyllo burrito stuffed with roasted vegetables and Israeli couscous), so I was very curious about the menu.

The verdict? Eh. No phyllo burrito, sadly. I did have a very tasty empanadilla, but the other options were a bit disappointing to me, but that's because (at the time), they were heavy on eggplant. I don't care for eggplant. I won't bother to tell you why, but I don't. No fault of the chef's, of course. Ya can't please everyone and she's not a psychic. What vegetarian doesn't like eggplant? Anyhoo. I'd actually filled up on a really delicious brie bruschetta with these wonderful little candied hazelnuts.

But the thing that Husband and I discussed the most was the service (seeing a theme?). The service there is really great...the servers know the menu inside and out and make great recommendations. But something on this night just wasn't right. We just didn't see this guy very much. We waited for a long time to order, to get drinks, to get bread, to get our food. We were there for over two hours and we didn't even have dessert. Halfway through, we figured out the reason, though--the table next to us. Every time the server came by, he had to spend at least ten minutes with these people. I think he just eventually started avoiding them--and us, since we were so close. We were just unlucky. It was annoying, but I can't blame him too much. Whoever wrote this must've been in the dining room that night. On the upside, we weren't tempted with dessert and that's a good thing because there was an Italian wedding cake from The Fresh Market waiting for me at home. My favorite.

We finished up the week with a Saturday night dinner at City House. Many of my friends and online foodie friends have raved about City House, so a big group of us met up for dinner.

What I hadn't thought about before was that all the fans of City House are omnivores. The real draws at this restaurant are cured meats and the specials. We, however dined from the menu and I chose from the few vegetarian options.

I started out sharing a "margherita" pizza with the husband. I use quotes because there was no sign of the (what I feel is) the required fresh basil. The pizza did have a good flavor and though I love thin crust, this crust didn't hold up well to the watery sauce. It tasted great, but was a thin, soggy mess. A little thicker crust and a lot less runny sauce (plus a few leaves of basil) and this pizza would be perfect.

Next, I had "Conchiglie, Shittake, Potatoes, Garlic, Oregano, Grana Padano." An adult's version of shells and cheese, right? It's hard to go wrong with a pasta dish, but this one just didn't come together right. I've heard that City House gets their pasta fresh from a local pasta maker, but the shells didn't seem fresh. And I thought it was maybe the heavy hand with the cheese, but others have said that the pasta dishes there were too salty. It was too something. This could have easily been a good, simple and light dish that's satisfying, but it was just not great. Just okay (but too salty). Roasted mushrooms over a really good egg fettucine with olive oil and a bit of cheese would be great. I think this thing got overthought. Try saying that three times fast.

While the food was okay, the service was not. There was a steady decline in the quality of service we received over the week and this guy really punctuated that. First, he took drink orders for just half the table and then disappeared (we had a party of seven). Then, he seemed annoyed at having to explain many of the words on the menu (if a sugo is a sauce, just say so, mmkay?). But the worst was that he didn't really seem to understand the food very well and wasn't able to explain the menu at all. When my friend asked if the butter beans could be substituted on the catfish plate, he started with a very blunt "no." It was startling, actually. And he never did explain that the reason was that it was not a side dish, but part of a sauce that was made for the fish. There was not a big ol' pile of butter beans on her plate, which is what one tends to imagine when ordering catfish.

There were highlights, though. The drink menu there is great--the menfolk really enjoyed their artisan beers and manly cocktails (my husband's new favorite drink is a Dark and Stormy). But my favorite part of the night was dessert. I'm told Rebekah Turshen does the desserts and I'd met her at a Slow Food Nashville event and had some of her linzer cookies--yum). The husband had a chocolate terrina (so chocolatey, so smooooooth) and I had one scoop each of salted caramel gelato (not quiiiiiite salted caramelly enough, but very good) and chocolate orange gelato (superb). An apple dessert was topped with a mascarpone gelato that was also amazingly delicious.

So I don't know that we'll ever go back to City House, but I will say that it's got a fun atmosphere and a great bar area. Just limit your group size and come ready to dine on some swine.

Shew. I'm still kind of de-toxing from all that restaurant food. Though we only have about four more months of freedom until we're tethered with a newborn, so I expect we'll be dining out a lot this winter!

Ginger Peach Ice Cream

2009-10-02T09:37:00.002-05:00

Really, I should be writing about all the great food I ate in New York. Not just because I want to re-live it or brag but mostly because I don't want to forget. And as we all know, once something's on the internet, it's there forever.

But before summer ends (oops!), I wanted to share this recipe. Because it's mine, all mine! As in, I tried to search for a good ginger peach ice cream and came up with nothing. So here ya go.

Ginger Peach Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart or about 8 servings

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 large or 3 medium eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated ginger root
4 or 5 fresh or frozen peaches (skinless), pureed
Peach preserves (optional)

Beat milk and eggs together in a large saucepan. Add sugar, ginger and
vanilla extract, and cook over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened and registering 170F on a thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, just cook it long enough so that it thickens like a custard but does not boil.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in cream and pureed peaches. Mix with a stick blender (this is what I do--I don't pour it through a sieve and have never had an issue with my custards). Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours and then pour the mix into your ice cream maker according to the directions. Afterward, the ice cream will still be soft, so stir in some peach preserves for a ribbon of peach and store in the freezer.

I really like ginger, so I added more. Eh, I don't really recommend this. The colder the ice cream got, the more gingery it tasted. And some other add-ins might have been nice. Maybe some cookies or something to resemble a pie crust? Mmm...

So why ginger peach? Well, back during peach season, my eyes were bigger than my body's ability to eat peaches in a timely manner. Peaches are wily little fruits. One day, they're too firm, the next day--poof!--mushy and moldy. The fact that I keep my house at 80 degrees (even hotter on the kitchen side of the house) doesn't help. Anyhoo. Once any peach started looking questionable, I just tossed it in the freezer. Even after two months, they were fine even without being wrapped up. I let them thaw, skinned them and they were ready to go. Also? I love peaches, but I'm not a huge fan of peach flavor. But one day, I just thought, hey, ginger would be a great compliment to peaches in ice cream! And I was right. I really like this recipe a lot.

No skins and no garlic? What?

2009-09-30T17:25:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry to spoil the drama of such a well-written post, but no skins and no garlic? I just don't know. I have long known that leaving my skins on was bad form, but no garlic? At times, I've forgotten to add it and have felt something lacking. So, I just don't know. But cook eat FRET speaketh the truth...

It's really time for me to get out my pasta rollers again. I spend my weekends cleaning my house instead of engaging in more satisfying domestic activities. I must remedy that.

A preview of NYC and Asian noodles

2009-09-12T02:53:00.002-05:00

Husband and I spent the week before Labor Day in New York City. There is so much to see and eat (oops! I mean "do") there, that I actually created a spreadsheet in order to get as much of it done as possible. So when I get the energy, I'll tell you all about the wonderful food we had. I think I will divide the posts into these categories:
1. Sweet stuff & bagels
2. Pizza
3. Fine dining
4. All the rest

But in the meantime, I'm recovering from the flu and from taking Tamiflu. The Tamiflu was worse--dry mouth does not even begin to describe this feeling. I feel like I swallowed a hive of Africanized bees. Also, awful headaches, hallucinations/nightmares and awful stomach pains. Really, the flu was much more pleasant.

I don't think I picked it up in NYC; it's much more widespread here in the south and my symptoms didn't show up until about 36 hours after getting off the plane. I think it happened somewhere en route. Anyway, so after a week of indulgence, we come back here and eat takeout for nearly another week.

But I finally found the energy to make it to work on Friday. I'm still tired and can barely speak, but I needed to catch up. I did leave a few minutes early to beat traffic. No dice. Five mile back-up on the way home (I am hating the "stimulus package" and the ensuing construction that now f's up my commute), so I made a detour and drove past a local market, The Produce Place in hopes of being inspired to actually make something for dinner.

Oh, worth mentioning here is that a couple of weeks ago, I watched an episode of "Hoarders" and completely cleaned out the refrigerator and pantry, so not only do I know everything I have, it ain't much.

I did recall finding Lo Mein noodles I'd forgotten about (still good!) and some teriyaki flavored baked tofu (good, too!).* So I wandered the aisles with those in mind and picked up some fresh shiitake mushrooms and some carrots and headed home.

Then, I just started cooking. Husband got home and I put him to work on the carrots. Sliced up and sauteed the mushrooms in sesame oil. Boiled and cooled the noodles. Then had him grate some ginger from the freezer (still good!) and cut up the tofu. Then, in the saute pan, I poured in more sesame oil (after removing the mushrooms), a little garlic, about a tablespoon of grated ginger, some sugar, a little sriracha, soy sauce and rice vinegar. When the sugar and ginger were dissolved, Husband dumped in the noodles, mushrooms and tofu into the pan. After everything was nice and warm, it all went into a bowl with the shredded carrots and some gomasio (still good! and because I have yet to make it to the international grocery for more sesame seeds).

And it was good. But I can't really tell you how to replicate it exactly, but it's not hard. The most important thing to remember is to heat the oil/sugar/ginger/garlic/soy sauce/vinegar mixture on LOW heat so that the ginger and garlic infuse the mixture and do not burn. Very, very important.

I was really proud of myself for throwing this together. And proud of the husband for helping out so much.

*If you've seen the show "Hoarders," you'll understand all these "it's still good!" references.

You want fries with that?

2009-08-22T07:17:00.004-05:00

I have a bit of a reputation for hating chain restaurants. It's not so much chain restaurants as overprice mediocrity that bothers me. There are chain restaurants I love--Cracker Barrel, Sonic, Baja Fresh... and those that I hate--O'Charley's, Applebees, J. Alexander's, Chili's... Okay, the list is too long for me to write here, but what most of the restaurants I don't like have in common is that there's this level of falseness that's presented as genuine. Oh, nevermind--that's too technical and can apply to Cracker Barrel. My problem is that the food is often overpriced and under-good. Why go to O'Charley's for potato soup when it's nothing like what potato soup should be? And do people really pay multiple dollars for 1/4 of a head of lettuce with dressing? Also, they all seem to be essentially the same restaurant. And then there's this place that's popped up around this area called Cheddar's. Cheddar's? It's like the Mike Judge really wanted to bring Chotchkie's to life but didn't want to be that cheeky about it.

And then there's Red Robin. I'd read on Nashville Scene's Bites blog that it was beloved by several. Something about milkshakes, maybe. Why go to Red Robin when just down the street there is a locally-owned, long-standing treasure called Bobbie's Dairy Dip? Excellent food and excellent frozen treats.

And then the other day, a coworker mentioned he'd gone to Red Robin for lunch. "Eh," I muttered and sort of shuffled away. As I was doing so, I heard the words "bottomless basket of fries." I turned on my heels. "What did you say? Bottomless basket of fries?"

"Yes, steak fries, too! All you can eat! And they have veggie burgers, you know."
"No, I did NOT know. EITHER of those things." Y'see, I've been on a bit of a fry kick lately, even going so far as to pay a co-worker to go to Arby's for me. Bottomless basket of steak fries is good, but a bottomless basket of curly fries would be deadly to me, I'm certain (coming close is the standard side order of fries at Beyond the Edge--oh, how I love them).

So I spent the afternoon thinking about unlimited fries and when I got home, I asked the husband what he was going to cook me for dinner (ha!). He said, "What do you want?" and I said, "Well, I was thinking about Red Robin."

Naturally, he thought it was a joke. When I told him it was not, he practically gave himself whiplash getting out of the recliner to get his shoes on. He did not want to give me the opportunity to change my mind.

So we went. Observations:
1. The vast majority of the patrons at Red Robin had small children with them. I guess because it's a kid-friendly place that actually serves alcohol. We were one of only three parties in the whole place without a minor. I don't usually go to such places. Actually, I can't think of such a place.
2. The service is amazing. No trouble getting that second basket of fries.
3. Second basket of fries was the priority, so I did not have a milkshake and ate only three or four bites of my Gardenburger. I took it home and ate it later. Though fries don't re-heat well, so the last remaining fry that I simply could not fit in my stomach stayed in the basket.
4. Dang, steak fries, unlike their skinny counterparts are like those expanding sponges inside your stomach. I was miserable after what seemed like just two reasonable sized portions of fries.
5. The husband, seizing the opportunity to eat red meat whenever possible, got something called a Banzi burger. All I could see was cheese. Though could I really say anything as I was scarfing down hand over fist of empty calories? No. My Gardenburger on wheat with shredded lettuce and tomato was very nice (and healthy), however. Bocas are an option, too (but I prefer Gardenburgers--I just like the taste more).

So yeah, I did it. I was lured in by the call of the fat and I participated in what I can only deem a spud bacchanalia. But I probably won't go back soon. There is a Sonic nearby, after all.

Chocolate ice cream done the wrong way

2009-08-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

So, after making heart attack-inducing salted caramel ice cream, I decided to change things up a bit and make some chocolate ice cream using what I'd learned to make it less rich.

Problem? What I'd learned was not the right thing to learn.

I started out with this chocolate ice cream recipe from Gourmet. Kinda. Because I don't have a vanilla bean (just my vanilla extract from Mexico) and I was too lazy to find the right chocolate. I bought a bar of baking chocolate and added sugar.

BIG mistake #1: using a bar of unsweetened baking chocolate and just adding sugar.

Then, of course, I used up the last cup of heavy (read: butter-makin') cream, 2 cups of whole milk and 3/4 of a cup of water. And one egg.

BIG mistake #2: using just one egg. The egg doesn't make it rich; the egg keeps the ice cream from turning into a boulder in your freezer. Noted.

Blah-biddy-blah, I whipped it up essentially using the instructions from the salted caramel ice cream, added some semi-sweet chocolate chips and ended up with a dark chocolate goo that tasted and felt like a really thick, chocolatey pudding. A quick check on the innertubes confirmed that, minus the cornstarch I had, indeed made a pudding. Regardless, it tasted pretty good, so I set up the ice cream maker and started to pour the mess in. But then I stopped it briefly because of the mess it made and, well I think you know what happened next...I couldn't continue churning.

BIG mistake #3: turning off the ice cream maker's churn for even half a second. This is the SECOND time I have done this. I hope there is never a third.

By this time, I was tired and feeling pretty defeated. So I let the mess thaw and just poured it back into a bowl. And then set it in the freezer.

BIG mistake #4: just freezing that ice cream mix that was really a pudding means the yield was just a big frozen pudding. And with just one medium egg, it was hard as a rock.

Not only that, but it ceased to taste good. I don't know if by that time, I hated the shit so much that I just imagined it tasted bad or that something had actually happened to it. But even the husband didn't care for it. So I thawed out the boulder of "ice cream" and poured (scooped) it down the drain (24 hours later).

But I shall not be defeated. I have more milk and more heavy (whipping) cream at home and will, at some point find some decent chocolate.

Or I will just make vanilla ice cream and add those peaches I put in the freezer a month ago.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

2009-07-30T17:51:00.001-05:00

It all started last year when Husband and I went to Seattle. My friend, Christy introduced us to the wonder of salted caramel ice cream from Molly Moon's.

Wow.

Then, last week, I was reading Bites and noticed a comment from another reader who'd made salted caramel ice cream at home. At home! But then I looked at the recipe and was a bit daunted.

However, Saturday morning, during our usual early-morning trip to the farmers' market, we discovered a farmer there selling milk and cream. From his very own farm (Rebekah Grace Farm)! So I got a big bottle of heavy cream and I was on my way.

I've never made caramel before and it was actually the scariest part for me. I was terrified both of undercooking and burning it. Somehow, though, I came out perfect. Again, the recipe from Gourmet magazine is here but I made a few adjustments:

1. I added another half cup of milk and about a palmful of sugar
2. I used fleur de sel
3. I did not pour the mix through a sieve--I put it in a bowl and mixed it with my stick blender until smooth and creamy. Worked like a charm.

But when I make it again, I will make the following changes:
1. Cut it down to just one egg [ETA: don't do this]
2. Use 2 cups of whole milk and just 1 and 1/4 cups of heavy cream [the recipe can stay the same, just use the cream that's NOT mean to use to churn butter, and you'll be fine! ha!]

...because holy shiz, that stuff is RICH. Too rich. I mean, you can hear the sound of your arteries clogging. It is one of the most delicious things I have ever made in my whole life, but I can take just one bite. The husband, of course can eat a regular serving. Stomach of steel, I guess. The stuff is so rich that even the cat can't handle it. He loves the heck out of it, but it wreaked havoc on his little tummy (and our carpet). No more ice cream for Eddie.

Next up? Chocolate.

The fruits of my labor

2009-07-20T17:40:00.000-05:00

I could tell you about some wonderful things I've cooked lately. Maybe share some sorbet or frozen yogurt recipes, but I'd rather complain about my garden again.

This tiny little guy--about the size of a mini Roma--is the only thing I've grown to fruition. The only thing that has avoided being devoured by critters. It's a "Sugary" variety of tomato. It looks and tastes a bit like a Bradley. It was good. I wish I had about fifty more.

And this? This is one of the pumpkin patches growing in the discarded mulch behind my office building. It gets no proper attention and has no protection from critters, yet it thrives. The pumpkins are already jack-o-lantern size. I also discovered today that the watermelon vine now has tiny baby watermelons on it. The are so very cute.

Meanwhile, back in my garden, the only gourd that ever progressed is a cucumber. Most of its fruit ended in a stage that looks like a small yellow caterpillar. Very sad. Though last I checked, there was one that had survived into the fetal stage. We'll see how long before something eats it.

Also, the husband reports some sort of gourd growin in our compost pile. Make that "compost" pile. It's really just a pile of food scraps at the back of my property that I've done nothing with to make it into compost. And by mistake, it contains cat poop, so nothing growing there is fit for human consumption. Story of my life. Anyhoo, I don't know what it is because, well, I have a husband now so I don't have to go back there. I like that quite a lot.

Why he's a vegetarian

2009-07-13T13:17:00.002-05:00

Excellent post. Just excellent.
http://www.herbivoracious.com/2009/07/why-im-a-vegetarian-dammit.html

In a way, I respect people who hunt and fish, who know what goes into the production of their food. Because so many people don't want to think about it. They just want their meat nicely cut and cleaned and in a handy container. Though I am disturbed that people can take the life of an animal for fun, for sport. I simply just don't believe it's right or necessary.

A food memory

2009-07-02T17:19:00.000-05:00

Out of nowhere the other day, I thought about Carnation Breakfast Squares. And for several days now, I have been craving them.

For those who don't know, they were a food of the 70s. Nutritionally, they were maybe a step up from Little Debbie Snack Cakes, perhaps because of marketing magic and a little boost of vitamins. Regardless, they were always stocked at my grandmother's house and I can still sense the taste of a vanilla Breakfast Square on the tongue of my memory. They were small and came two to a pack. I recall being allowed to eat just one for breakfast (though I ate two during visits when my mom dropped me off in Paris for a week or two--gotta love grandmothers). I didn't like the chocolate; just the vanilla. And they were actually a bit dry, but there was a coating of vanilla frosting and a thin smear of vanilla creme in between two layers of cake. I don't recall them actually tasting like vanilla. Or looking much like vanilla, either--the color of the squares was sort of gray.

Breakfast Squares moved along to the big pantry in the sky well before my grandmother did (so long ago that an image can't even be found by the Google). I remember the first time there weren't any Breakfast Squares at my grandmother's house. I was confused and disappointed. I think neither my mother nor my grandmother understood my attachment to those squares. They were genuine comfort food; they tasted like happiness.

I would love to have one now, though I suspect even if they were still around, they would not be as good as I remember. I think they'd only taste that good if I were eating them in my grandmother's kitchen. And thirty years ago.

I will never be able to survive based on my ability to grow food

2009-06-25T17:56:00.000-05:00

Another year and another summer of disappointment out in the yard. At one time, I had quite an impressive yard. Neighbors would stop and comment. I could spend hours admiring my own handiwork. And then I had to leave my lovely yard in Memphis and move to a hill in Nashville. Where almost nothing grows and what little does is hastily devoured by the myriad creatures that inhabit my neighborhood. The raspberries? Stripped bare just before they were ready to harvest. The lavender? Dead (and I have no idea why). The tomatoes' growth has been stunted for weeks as have all but one of the gourds. One lone cucumber is moving right along while the squash and zucchini are not dead but just sit there and do nothing after weeks of fruitless blooms.

Meanwhile, remember the gourd behind the office building? The one planted in mulch that is mixed with sewage to give it a horrid smell and a coal-black color? It's a pumpkin! And the pumpkins are thriving. Actually, that patch of mulch has exploded in growth in the last six weeks. I've also discovered a hosta, petunias, marigolds, acorn squash, cucumber, possibly wantermelon, and some romaine lettuce. All of it thriving. Beautiful. Tantalizing. And toxic.

Have a look:

It's grown quite a bit!

And this guy's already about six inches in diameter. The others are a bit smaller. Even the blossoms are huge--about five or six inches long.

I'm already on my second set of Wave petunias because I missed ONE day of watering and they scorched on my front porch. Meanwhile? These things fluorish in black mulch next to asphalt.

Life is not fair. Thank goodness for McNeil's Produce Stand and Delvin Farms at the farmer's market.

A tale of two enchilada dinners

2009-06-01T13:16:00.008-05:00

When I started this blog, it was really just a way to answer the inevitable question, "what do you eat???" I can just tell people to look it up. I'm amazed that so many people think that being a vegetarian has to be so limiting.

I'm not a great cook, I'm not a great writer, and I'm certainly not a great reviewer, but I do like to share my experiences here. A lot of times, I have fairly negative experiences--inside and outside the house. Sometimes I tell you about them, sometimes I don't.

All that to lead up to tell you that I went to a new place here in Nashville that's not far from my home, The Local Taco. I had high hopes--vegetarian selections! Locally-sourced ingredients! A patio! But I left pretty disappointed. As did the husband and my friends. We went across the street to another restaurant to supplement our dinners.

Tangent: When I first moved to Nashville ten years ago, a friend of mine who'd gone to Vanderbilt said, "You gotta go to SATCO!" (San Antonio Taco Company), so I did. It was terrible--long line to get food, everything was a la carte, so it added up quickly and then it was difficult to get a table. And the food...was just not very good. So I emailed my friend and said, "What the hell were you thinking? SATCO was shit! The food was terrible!" He wrote back, "Oh, you ATE there? No one eats there. You just get beers and sit out on the patio." Oh. Duly noted.

Exhibit A: two enchiladas at The Local Taco

So that's how I feel about The Local Taco. Go there, wait in line to order your beers and have another member of your group vulture around the patio for a table. Maybe get some guacamole, because it's pretty good and comes with a generous portion of chips. But if you're planning to go for dinner? Be prepared to be hungry or broke from it. Two vegetarian enchiladas (tiny and unfulfilling, but reasonably tasty) and one vegetarian taco (major difference? less cheese) plus the husband's meaty 3 tacos, an order of guac and a pitcher of "margaritas" (if there was tequila in that small pitcher, I didn't know it--it tasted like it was nothing but mix) was $44. $44!

Exhibit B: three enchiladas plus at Los Rosales

In contrast, three enchiladas verdes served with rice and steamed vegetables plus complimentary chips, salsa, pico and refried beans, plus the husband's chicken something or other with bacon, two bowls of complimentary cactus soup (I thought I didn't like nopales--no, I just don't like overcooked cactus; I like well-prepared cactus) AND two big ol' glasses of sangria at Los Rosales was just $39. And we were both satisfied and stuffed. And I love the enchiladas verdes. The spinach is not overcooked, so it doesn't make me gag. And the avocado sauce is divine. And I really can't say enough good about that cactus soup. I liked it so much that I'm considering veering from my favorite in order to try one of the cactus salads next time.

Bonus: cactus soup (yum!) at Los Rosales

Oh, cruel world, why can't Los Rosales be in The Local Taco's location? I could ride my bike there and sip sangria on the patio. Though in all fairness, The Local Taco is new. Mayhaps they just have some bugs to work out. But I'd love for them to know that Soysage and various gourds aren't the only ingredients one can use to make vegetarian enchiladas. Vegetarian food does not have to be limiting. Sweet potatoes and black beans make excellent and hearty enchilada fillers, for example. It'd also be nice if they were a little bigger for the price. It hardly seems fair to pay the same price for a vegetarian version of a taco or enchilada that's significantly smaller and less filling than a non-veg version.

In the meantime, I've learned my lesson and won't soon cheat on Los Rosales again.

this 'n' that & omg pasta

2009-05-22T10:55:00.003-05:00

Because my mind is going numb from some office work, I decided to pop over here and look at referrals. And lo, I discovered another local food blog, omg Pasta. Funny because I have gained a renewed interest in pasta since getting the pasta roller attachments for the mixer. And because last night, Claudia of cook eat FRET was telling me about a recent article she read comparing major brands of dried pasta. Don't mean to spoil it for you, but the winner was Trader Joe's. Like, over those fancy-pants brands. But the were comparing spaghetti, and frankly, I can't remember the last time I had plain ol' spaghetti. I usually opt for whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke flour spaghetti because I want my pasta to fight with me as I eat it (it gives me the primal satisfaction that omnivores must derive from eating critters). Anyhoo.

So this weekend, I'm going to try some more pasta. The last attempt (with all whole wheat flour) has yielded a dough that I will reserve for lasagna noodles. I am now armed with King Arthur all-purpose flour and plan to get wild with it. We're talking flavored linguines and some mezzalunas filled with whatever I can find that's interesting.

While I was going through my referrals, I noticed one from the Whole Foods blog. Turns out, they're having a contest for Bonnaroo tickets among those who comment with their favorite festival foods. And Chris Houchens, marketing expert, marketing blogger and all-around nice guy gave me a shout-out for my review of festival food last year. I said I wasn't going to go back to Bonnaroo this year unless the dead Beatles were resurrected and re-formed to perform only Paul McCartney and Wings songs, but the second best thing, The Beastie Boys will be there and so will I. From the looks of the Whole Foods blog, there will be even more vegetarian/healthy eating options, so that makes me happy. Will I still have five or more arepas? You betcha. Despite the fact that the boss gave me special cornmeal needed to make arepas. It sits, well-preserved and unopen at the back of the fridge. Because apparently, preparation requires special instructions. Perhaps I need to search the YouTube for that.

And an update on the gourd outside the office--it's getting a bit rounder and a few of the ladies around here say that mulch in question was relocated from a spot where they believe a pumpkin was discarded after Halloween last year. Hrm. I hope that means we'll have a harvest of jack-o-lanterns instead of toxic zucchinis!

Volunteers

2009-05-18T14:16:00.004-05:00

I've got a post about asparagus that's been simmering in the brain for a few weeks, but it will have to wait a bit. Because this is just too funny. Or tragic. I haven't decided yet.

Okay, so after a year of rest, I have decided to plant a garden again. I put out four tomatoes, zucchinis, squash and cucumbers. As with every other year I've planted, I expect to yield nothing thanks to critters and drought or whatever nature will throw at me. But I will try. And spend shit-tons of money doing so. Anyway.

So a couple of weeks ago, I'm walking the perimeter of the office building, trying to soak in a rare moment of dry weather (this is the rainiest May I have ever experienced, I believe). The caretakers of the building had put out some of that fine, dark mulch a while ago at the very back of the warehouse parking lot...why, I'm not sure. I think to stop some erosion. So I'm walking next to it and see some rather attractive volunteer plants growing from it. Attractive and familiar. Um, I think to myself, I think those are gourds of some sort!

So I'm out again today and I'm looking at these plants again. They're gorgeous. Huge leaves, growing like crazy. And big, beautiful yellow blossoms on some of them. On others? The beginnings of what looks like a zucchini on the business end of that spent bloom. Holy cow! All over Tennessee--on farms and in home gardens, plants are rotting from all the rain and suffering from the lack of sun, but here at the back of our warehouse in a neglected strip of land by a pretty nasty creek is a small collection (about seven plants) of gorgeous vegetables--flowering and fruiting early!

I don't get it. Out on another side, there are beautiful wild roses growing. In my yard, my tea rose has been decimated by aphids. There are also tons of wild blackberries blooming right now. And I harvested some delicious wild plums from the other side of the creek last summer (and plan to again). What's going on out here? Why can't I grow anything after pouring blood, sweat, and tears into my yard, but these things grow with reckless abandon? It's not fair. By the way, I am not hyperbolizing on the blood, sweat and tears. I have lost a lot of each in my yard over the years.

Anyway, so here's my question--do I harvest these things? Is office park mulch and the runoff from a warehouse parking lot any more toxic than what gets sprayed on your average supermarket vegetable? I wonder.

The one with all the beverages

2009-05-14T13:24:00.007-05:00

I've been meaning to report here for a while now that the wonderful people at, um Pom Wonderful sent me a heaping case of pomegranate juice to enjoy. I'd had some before and liked it a lot, so I jumped at the chance to get some free. They also threw in some information on the juice's antioxidant properties as I requested because the SO-now-husband has blood that collects things in it that are bad for his heart.

As I mentioned, I'd had it before, but only bought it when it was on sale. It's crazy yummy, but a bit expensive in comparison to other juice. But now that I need to be more cognizant of what goes into Husband's body, I need to re-think that a bit. He needs the antioxidants. And ya know what? It's cheaper and easier to get than red wine. And doesn't have any of those pesky liver damage side effects. It's all about context, y'all. [FTR, you can't buy wine in the grocery here in Tennessee. Yeah, I know.]

Next on my list of beverages that are worth the extra money are Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback. I'd heard how good they were and trekked all over hell's half acre until I found them yesterday. Okay, that meant Kroger (where they were sold out) and then Super Target. But still, it was after work and I was tired and pissed that I had to go to a second store. But they're only available for a "limited time," which means I bit on the marketing bait and felt I needed to get them before they were gone. Verdict: worth it. Totally worth it. I started my day with the Pepsi today and the sun shone and coworkers were nicer and traffic was not as congested and I saw a unicorn farting rainbows by the side of the road as I drove to work. As for the Mountain Dew, well I've only had a couple of sips because if I'd consumed a can in it's entirety, I would not have slept last night (when Hubs had his) and I may even be divorced by now. I really can't believe I used to start every day of my college career with a Mountain Dew and a Pop Tart and remain focused. I can't take all that sugar (*cough*HFCS*cough*) and caffeine now. But let me tell you, that drink was good. Better than I remember from college. Probably because of the real sugar. Anyhoo.

And to continue my theme of tasty, sugary drinks, let me tell you about shower punch. I hosted a baby shower for a bunch of yankees (anyone not from the south) recently and none of them had ever had shower punch. You can google that, but you'll find a bunch of slightly more unnecessarily complicated recipes than the one I'm going to share with you. Don't bother with the fancy stuff. You don't need to add fruit or wine or Jell-O (!?!) or whatever. Here goes (pay attention!):

Good Old-Fashioned Southern Shower Punch
for baby showers, wedding showers, and wedding receptions held in Fellowship Hall

1 half gallon sherbet (I like lime the best, but any work except maybe rainbow)
1 two-liter bottle of ginger ale (not refrigerated)

Dislodge the block of sherbet from its container and drop into a punch bowl. Pour the bottle of ginger ale over the sherbet. Stir. Serve when cold.

See? Simple. Delicious. Though it used to be a lot simpler back in the old days when a block of sherbet came in a box that could be peeled apart. Now you gotta get your spatula out, which kind of sucks. Anyhoo, I had nine guests at the shower...plenty of leftover hummus and crackers and sandwiches, but barely a sip of that punch. Even though I served it in those tiny cups that come with punch bowls. They liked it. It's just not a celebratory event in the south without this stuff.

Just Married

2009-05-05T05:23:00.003-05:00

I've been on a short hiatus here, but for good reason--I got married! It's kind of a big deal, particularly since neither one of us had ever planned on getting married and waited a really, really long time to do so.

There are a few things I've always said I'd reward myself with if I ever got married. A honeymoon in Greece (on hold; we went to Cancun back in February). A Dyson (because men love these things and I hate vacuuming). And a KitchenAid stand mixer.

I got some really good advice from a friend who said I should just go all out and get as big a mixer as possible. So I did. The day after our wedding, I orderd the Pro Line KL26M8XOB. Six quarts. Bowl lift design. Twenty-five pounds of all metal gears and parts. God willing, I expect to have this mixer until I am a very old lady insistent on taking it with me to my nursing home room.

I bought it from the KitchenAid online store, which was conveniently offering free shipping and an offer for a free ice cream maker attachment. It was the ice cream maker that sealed the deal for the Significant Omnivore-now Husband. Though some of the recipes I've seen look a bit scary. Perhaps it will also make sorbet.

Vegan for Earth Day

2009-04-22T11:53:00.003-05:00

I don't proselytize too much, but on this day, Earth Day, it's a good idea to think about how your diet affects our environment. Among environmentalists, some debates can get pretty heated between those who eat meat and consume animal products and those who don't. "You're not a real environmentalist if you're not a vegetarian" is a typical assertion and though I feel that any reduction in meat and animal product consumption is a good step, I do agree with that statement. It would take many years of riding your bike to work to make up for the environmental damage caused by the meat a typical American consumes in just a month. The damage comes from all the water they consume (including the water used to irrigate the crops of the food they eat), energy used to grow their food, emissions and waste from the farms, energy used from transportation and storage...the list is long. And really, it's kind of silly to feed tons (literally) of food to grow less food. The grains fed to farm animals could feed many more people.

So think about cutting back on your consumption of meat and animal products along with using CFLs and re-usable shopping bags. It's really not that hard. I'm not completely vegan myself, but in honor of Earth Day, I am eating vegan all day. Banana for breakfast, almonds for a snack, a salad of baby romaine with roasted walnut oil and fleur de sel for lunch, grapes for an afternoon snack, and Sesame Ginger Tofu Noodle Salad for dinner. With locally-made FarmSoy tofu! Which, I hope will make me feel less guilty about eating fruit from South America and lettuce from California.

Christmas Lima Beans Three Ways

2009-04-16T14:07:00.005-05:00

Though I'm still working through a pile o' beans from the last time I ordered from Rancho Gordo, I ordered more earlier this week. I mean, who can resist an "Indian Yellow Woman Bean"? And I ordered more of a bean I cooked up over the weekend: the Christmas Lima Bean. Because it was that good.

I'm not sure why it's called a Christmas Lima because it doesn't seem to be all that festive-looking. Mayhaps it's because people associate chestnuts with Christmas and this bean is said to have a chestnut flavor. I choose my words carefully because I don't know what a chestnut tastes like. I'm sure I've had one--maybe even one that's been roasted on an open fire, but the taste memory didn't stick with me.

Anyhoo, these beans? They taste good. Mostly. Once in a while, a bean will taste a bit too "earthy" for my preference, but overall, they're yummy. Also, they're HUGE. I didn't realize that when I dumped the whole bag in a bowl to soak and within an hour they'd doubled in size. Oops. That's why the title of this post is "Christmas Lima Beans Three Ways"--three ways in five days for me but just three ways in three days for the SO.

Day #1: The beans spent all day in the crockpot with nothing but water and salt. By dinner time, they were ready for our first meal. I prepared some of the Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend in some vegetable broth, spooned a generous portion of beans on top and served it with some sauteed asparagus. The taste of the beans stands up pretty well on its own, so this was a good meal.

Day #2: I decided to get a little more adventurous. I wasn't ready to puree them into a hummus just yet, though. So I got out some goat cheese, fluffed it up with some hot water, added some herbs de Provence and toasted some small baguette wedges served with some bruschetta topping. The beans worked really well with the Italian-inspired flavors. With some of the toast, we spread the goat cheese and topped it with beans and with others, it was just the bruschetta topping with the beans. Delicious.

Day #3: For reasons no cares about, I'd still not gone to the grocery, so I had to make do with whatever I could find around the house. And, actually, this one was my favorite. I pan fried some polenta, set pieces of it on a bed of arugula, piled on some chunky tomato sauce (with a little more oil and balsamic vinegar so it could serve as a salad dressing) and then topped it all with some sauteed beans. And, okay, a little bit of parmigiano on top and a couple of pinches of fleur de sel. Very tasty!

After three dinners, I STILL had beans. So I had some beans with the leftover harvest grain mix for lunch one day this week and well, I just don't know exactly what I will do with that one last serving of beans in the fridge. They will be eaten somehow, some way, though. They're too good to compost. But next time? I'll just soak and cook a third of the package.

Vegetarians merely tolerate food?

2009-04-06T16:23:00.003-05:00

Last night, I tried to make a nice thai ginger stir-fry. Unfortunately, I thought I could do this from memory. All I wanted was the sauce! But, the heat was too high and I ended up with little, sticky ginger balls in my oil. Lesson learned: low heat, not medium heat. The stirfry was still pretty good. Saved by some pre-packaged Thai dumplings from Trader Joe's. Which, I might add, I cooked perfectly...according to the instructions. Anyhoo, no photos of the debacle. Instead, I give you "Do a pig a favour! Ban vegetarianism now!" for you to laugh.

Vegetarians never love food. They merely tolerate it.

Ha! I think we all know that is not true!

Books and books and more books

2009-04-03T16:34:00.003-05:00

During the course of my work day, I come across the titles of a lot of books from the past, present and the future. Frankly, most of them don't particularly interest me (curse of working on the internet all day: my attention span is narrow and my desire to read after I leave work is low). But today, I came across news of a book, An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage and was intrigued.

One of my frequents quips about being a vegetarian is that it's no longer the Ice Age, so I don't have to eat what's dumber or slower than me...so I'm curious to read about the history behind so much of what we eat. And I'm curious about how vegetarianism is addressed. Unfortunately, the book won't be released until next month! So my insider advantage is non-existent on this one. SOL. However, I'm thinking about another of the author's books, A History of the World in 6 Glasses. Hmm.

And it just so happens I got an email today about a book, Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen--The New Green Basics Way. Unfortunately (I've had a day of misfortune today), the email included a greeting and a few .jpgs and nothing else. I should probably reply to the sender. With hopes of being sent a review copy. That would be nice. Though they may be preaching to the choir.

Mmm...fresh artichoke

2009-03-30T07:43:00.003-05:00

I read this post over at the Nashville Scene's Bites blog with quite a bit of interest. Back when the SO and I visited Seattle, we ordered an artichoke appetizer for dinner one night. It was my first ever whole artichoke and I didn't have the faintest idea of what to do with it. I know I ate as much of the leaves as I could, but I don't recall ever making it to the heart. What a tragedy.

So when I saw some fresh artichokes at Trader Joe's (like another reader did), I picked them up and brought them home. After a little research, I settled on this method of cooking and popped two of them in for a simmered bath in water, lemon juice, sea salt and a touch of olive oil. They stayed in for about 40 minutes--to the point where a leaf came off easily with tongs.

The link describes how to eat the artichoke as well as how to cook one, which is extremely helpful. Though my bottom teeth look like a busted piano due to an aversion to wearing my retainers as a teenager, so I had to tear each leaf in half to get all the "meat" off it.

The flavor of lemon and salt (and olive oil) was really good on its own, but I made a couple of dips to accompany the artichoke. The first was a little mayonnaise (note to self: get some Vegenaise) mixed with a bit of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt. The second--which I really, really liked--was a bit of mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice and pesto. I've got some concentrated pesto in a tube and it was perfect for this dip.

The raves for the fresh artichoke are certainly deserved. Delicious! Though next time, I'll just prepare one artichoke for the two of us. One per person is a bit much; not in that too much of a good thing way, but in that up at 3am with intestinal distress way. Though I think I may have consumed a little too much of the woody bits, which would have exaggerated this effect. So if you see some fresh artichokes for sale, don't be intimidated. They're extremely easy to prepare and a lot of fun to eat.