Hot Dish Review

Making a fried egg this morning it occurred to me that I am a racist….when it comes to eggs.

Brown eggs are “good”. I buy Eggland’s Best Cage Free Organic eggs, high in Omega 3 fatty acids as well as a multitude of vitamins. They come in white too, but somehow, brown is better.

I also buy “regular” eggs, the inexpensive white variety at Publix or Kroger for under a dollar for a dozen. When I make egg white omelettes I use these cheap eggs, tossing out their “inferior” yolks.

For my fried eggs, over easy, I use one white and one whole Omega egg. Sprinkled liberally with salt and served with bacon, wheat toast, and berries, they are very tasty and healthy!

Update! Trader Joe’s employee suggested putting frozen berries in the Lambrusco….keeps it cold and reminds me of a light, sparkling sangria!

My neighbor LG turned me onto this light, sparkling red wine from Trader Joe’s last year. Honestly, my wine snobbery would have precluded me from buying something so inexpensive if LG had not poured me a glass to try.

I have purchased it ever since! At only $5.49 a bottle (what what?), it is a fantastic bargain. Lambrusco goes great with the Tarte d’Alsace that I often buy at Trader Joe’s as well. It is light, as in low alcohol content, so one can easily drink the whole bottle without ill effect (disclaimer: OK, I can, perhaps you cannot).

The full name is Reggiano Lambrusco Rosso Dolce. Described as a “slightly soft red wine, fruity and fresh” on the back label, it goes on to say that “the bouquet is delicate and intense, with notes of fresh strawberries, cherries, and raspberries”.

Lambrusco should be served well chilled, like all sparkling wines. Go ahead, give it a try!

There was a time when hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack were synonymous with baseball, because that’s all they served at most stadiums. These days pizza, pasta, burgers, just about anything, is available at ballparks nationwide.

LC took a bunch of us to the game last night. It was a sweltering 90 degrees as we arrived and immediately took the elevator up to the 755 Club. All the chicks had to hit the restrooms, of course.

Miller Lite, my traditional game beer, was refreshing as we made our way around the air-conditioned, fancy-pants club level. With the variety of food available everyone wanted something different. Little TC got a slice of cheese pizza, LC ordered a Philly chicken cheesesteak and fries. The rest of us went with the traditional dog.

Regular hotdogs are called super, while footlongs are called jumbo. I was tempted to get a bratwurst but went with the jumbo dog with onions. I can eat chopped raw onions on a dog, but these were sauteed Vidalias….awesome! Good ol’ yellow mustard topped it off.

Initially LC wasn’t happy about our seats which were supposed to be behind the Braves dugout, but with the a storm threatening, we were happy to have a roof over our heads.

Me, TC, and LC shared Cracker Jack and cotton candy for dessert. The kids got ice cream too and we couldn’t resist snagging a few spoonfuls of TC’s birthday cake flavored scoop. Yum!

The Braves kicked ass, beating the Tigers 3 to 1 with two exciting solo homers….still first place in the National League East! The rain never came. Fireworks lit the sky over Turner Field as we all walked to the car. Spectacular.

Looks like LC is luckier than he thinks.

FROM JULIA at THE REYNOLDS GROUP (plus, I drive by it every day!)

Sustainable Seafood Joint Comes to the Virginia Highland Neighborhood

Second Location of Goin’ Coastal to Open in Popular Midtown Atlanta Neighborhood this July

ATLANTA (June 24, 2010)–Goin’ Coastal executive chef and co-owner Zach Kell and co-owner Seth Hendricks will introduce the second location of Goin’ Coastal “a sustainable seafood joint” in Atlanta’s Virginia Highland neighborhood this July. Showcasing a menu that embraces seasonal and sustainable seafood along with locally sourced ingredients, Goin’ Coastal will offer Atlantans Southern fish fare in a comfortable, neighborhood setting.

“At Goin’ Coastal we believe first and foremost in keeping the menu honest and simple to honor our commitment to sustainability,” Kell said. “Overall, our goal is to create a laidback atmosphere for us to connect to the community and for guests to understand the sustainability cause through enjoying delicious, fresh food. We are confident that the menu will become part of a larger conversation and thrive in Virginia Highland, one of Atlanta’s most beloved neighborhoods.”

The Cuisine
Created by Kell, Goin’ Coastal’s menu features an array of Southern-inspired dishes with a focus on fresh fish and seafood. The dishes are designed to showcase freshly caught, seasonally available seafood prepared simply to enhance the natural flavors and textures of the ingredients. Menu highlights include she crab soup; shrimp and grits with seared American shrimp and flash-fried Gulf Rock shrimp served over creamy grits with andouille gravy; fresh seared New Bedford sea scallops with garlic and tarragon Parmesan butter; and Ashley Farms free-range fried chicken with creamy bacon thyme gravy.

A carefully crafted wine list is designed to compliment the from-the-sea fare along with a thoughtful selection of local craft beers.

The Credo
Passionately devoted to the sustainability cause, Goin’ Coastal features only the highest quality seafood, fished or farmed, from sources in the United States and Canada that can exist over the long term without compromising species’ survival and the health of the ecosystem. Co-owner and executive chef Kell’s ongoing commitment to the sustainable seafood movement has provided him with the knowledge to carefully select only the most discerning vendors and freshest products. With more than 75 percent of the world’s fisheries either fully fished or underfished, Goin’ Coastal believes the choices they make will make a positive contribution to the seafood marketplace for all consumers.

The Décor
Located in Atlanta’s Virginia Highland neighborhood, Goin’ Coastal’s décor creates an historic aura that acts as a backdrop for the restaurant’s neighborhood style of service. The warm dining room will seat 65 guests and will feature distressed brickwork, weathered timber accents and walls decorated with unique vintage black-and-white photos of fishermen. Flanked by oversized chalkboards that highlight the fresh catches of the day, the focal point of the dining room is a large mural that features a vintage fishing boat and a description of Goin’ Coastal’s mission as a “sustainable seafood joint.”

The Team
As executive chef and co-owner of Goin’ Coastal, Kell draws upon his 15 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries to provide a unique, sustainable dining experience by combining a comfortable environment with the freshest culinary dishes. He learned his sense of old school hospitality from his mother, who cooked three innovative meals a day from scratch for his family. A graduate of Johnson and Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, Kell attributes his successes to the motivation of his father and the support of his wife, Bre, and he is dedicated to a food philosophy that supports a sustainable menu and the ultimate seafood dining experience.

1021 Virginia Avenue 404-941-9117

After a day at the pool I had a hankerin’ for some refreshing ice cold watermelon!

I remember family cookouts when Grandpa would bring out an enormously long watermelon, much larger than the melons these days, and split it in half on the picnic table. My Dad or one of my 7 uncles (yes, 7!) would cut wedges and we’d all sit around spitting out seeds, watermelon juice running down our arms.

Nowadays I just buy one of those mini melons, I think they call them “personal watermelons”. However, I needed instant gratification after a day in the heat so I didn’t have time to chill a whole melon. Instead, I took a look at the pre-cut, pre-packaged selection at Publix.

There were several wedges that looked juicy and ripe. They were all labeled “seedless” but I noticed the seeds clearly visible beneath the plastic wrap. True, the seeds are smaller and one could swallow them without injury, but these melons are in no way seedless…..hense the Knuckle Sandwich.

B commented that the wedges must have been packaged by Helen Keller! OMG….LOL!

I ate the watermelon while watching golf. It was the sweetest I have had in ages, seeds or no seeds.

Standing dangerously close to the ice cream freezers at Publix, I overheard a family trying to decide on what frozen treats to buy. “Oooohhh, orange and cream, let’s get those!” said the Dad, excitedly. It was Father’s Day so I’m thinking he should get whatever the hell he wants but the kid didn’t want ‘em. But I did!

He was talking about Edy’s Fruit Bars, a modern version of the good old-fashioned creamsicles we all know and love (although I vaguely recall someone telling me they do not like them recently….weird).

Described as “all natural fruit ice and frozen dairy dessert bars” they are made with yummy ingredients like propylene glycol monostearate, tapioca maltodextrim, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose. That’s natural? Other ingredients include water, whey, sugar, cream, skim milk, orange juice concentrate, corn syrup, citric acid, and orange pulp. There is no redeeming nutritional benefits of this product although the box claims that they are high in vitamin C and low fat (no shit).

At only 80 calories I can justify eating some poison. The flavor is exactly like the creamsicles from Mayfield’s that I grew up eating. Citrus and cream does seem like an odd combination, but somehow creamy vanilla and tangy orange just works and I love it!

On my way home from work I happened to drive by Buddy’s on North and N. Highland where The King of Pops has set up shop. A vending cart, really. Funny how we are suddenly fascinated with mobile food vendors these days. Is it our nation’s increasingly transient culture that makes “food on the go” so appealing? Or perhaps our desire to “hunt” for our food….hungry patrons never know where the trucks or carts will pop up.

It was 93 degrees yesterday. I needed an icy treat! At $2.50, they are not expensive, but certainly on the gourmet side.

King of Pops makes all natural frozen pops with fresh fruits, herbs, and cane juice much like their Mexican counterpart, paletas. Yesterday’s selection included banana cinnamon, honeydew, chocolate sea salt, raspberry lime, strawberry lemonade, and blackberry mojito. Unbelievably I had an issue with every flavor….allergic to honeydew, don’t like chocolate ice cream, not a big fan of raspberry, and really dislike mint. I promise, I’m not that hard to please. Really. I swear.

So I ended up choosing the less creative strawberry lemonade. It was quite good but I was hoping for some fruit chunks like the ones in Mexico. Sweetened with cane juice, there was only a hint of tartness from the lemonade, the intense flavor of fresh strawberries dominating each lick. Juicy!

The creative flavors and their renegade business plan has garnered the popsicle dudes, mainly Steven Carse (although he said his brother is involved as well), a lot of press, almost entirely positive.

The pops are wildly popular and are often sold out but one can find that at Irwin Street Market in Inman Park as well as Souper Jenny in Buckhead.

The first time I attempt any dish there is that moment of uncertainty, especially when I am trying to duplicate a family recipe like my Grandma’s fried green tomatoes. And especially when I have critisized so many chefs for turning them into something they are not.

Fried green tomatoes are, in fact, a side dish to be served along with meat and other veggies. They can often be found on restaurant menus as appetizers, drizzled with aioli and topped with goat cheese or some other atrocity, their delecate, tangy flavor obliterated by heavy breading and deep-frying. Shameful.

Lovingly reproduced by my Mom, here is my Grandma’s recipe (if you can even call it that, it is more of a method). I probably could have made them by memory but I got the verbal instructions from her to be safe. Just so you know, I used two medium/large green tomatoes and ate every last bite….they were that f*ckin good!

Green tomatoes
Corn meal
All-purpose flour
Canola oil
Salt & pepper

Slice the green tomatoes about 1/4″ thick or a little thinner. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dust with half corn meal, half flour, just until coated. Heat about 3 teaspoons oil to medium/high. Add the tomato slices in a single layer to hot pan and cook 15-20 minutes turning several times. Watch carefully and turn heat down, cooking until tomatoes are tender and browned.

If I can make them right on the first attempt there is no excuse for the pathetic execution of this dish at most restaurants.

This heat almost reminds me of Brazil, minus the part where there is no air-conditioning and the only clothing you can comfortably wear is a bikini. Here, thankfully, bikinis are optional. Especially when me and B are chowing down on baskets of chips, fajitas, and tacos at El Taco.

Their patio is the perfect spot to chill out and sip tangy margaritas with salt. On Saturday our server recommended an all natural margarita made with only lime juice, tequila, and a little agave nectar….awesome!

El Taco serves freshly made guacamole that can be spiced up with jalapenos and cilantro from their salsa bar. The cheese dip is the perfect consistency to cling to chips, although I do wish their chips were a bit thinner, like Uncle Julio’s.

B ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas while I got my usual red chili steak taco having already filled up on chips and dips, as planned. At just $3.95, the taco is full of grilled steak, crispy onions, and tomatillo-lime salsa. I get it on a corn tortilla and add a bit of shredded cheese, guacamole, cilantro, and jalapenos…..delicious!

The fajitas came out on a sizzling platter. Of course B let me have one! I was impressed with the perfectly cooked fat shrimp and tender steak, although B mentioned that the steak would have been easier to eat had it been sliced thinner (true). At $14.50 the portion was not huge but I think the flavor compensates.

I like El Taco. It’s close to home, the margaritas are great, the food is fresh and flavorful. Only problem, I always have a huge bill because they nickle and dime you on everything. Chips and salsa are $2.50, guacamole and chips are $5.75, and queso is $4.75….$13 just to get started! Ouch. Have another margarita and maybe it won’t sting so much.

I’m such a sucker for tradition. I always drink sangria at Pura Vida, a real martini at The Highland Tap, and margaritas or a Corona Light with lime at any Mexican restaurant.

So what would I drink at Meehan’s? Guinness, of course! I love it’s rich flavor with hints of caramel and coffee. DB and I met there recently to work on our writing projects, but without his laptop it was like making pizza without a crust.

No worries, it was 100 degrees and I was ready for a refreshing beverage! Full of bad ideas, I couldn’t resist starting off with my favorite Irish appetizer, the traditional Car Bomb…..a shot of Jameson’s Whisky and Bailey’s Irish Cream dropped into half a pint of Guinness, making for a whopping 9 ounce shot. And yes, you drink it all at once.

Anyone who can optimize their time is my hero but with my apparent ADHD I was finding myself a wee bit distracted, staring at the Guinness our server delivered, preoccupied by its pretty head. Is it OK to stare? At saucy spaghetti, sexy sausages, perhaps. Pisces are so superficial. Back to reading (note the manuscript nearby).

What will you have with your Guinness…..reality or fiction? My reality is increasingly crazier than fiction. It’s becoming a tradition I like.