Hot Dish Review

As the new year approaches, most of us revisit where the last year has taken us….and envision where we want to go from here. We dream.

And we make resolutions. For 2010 I resolved to recycle glass bottles and to write a minimum of 22 blog posts per month. After three months of doing both, those actions became habit. Twelve months later, I recycle not only glass but pretty much anything recyclable that crosses my path, from paper to styrofoam.

As I contemplated my resolutions for the New Year, I remembered I still had a bottle of one of my favorite inexpensive champagnes, purchased almost a year ago. It was to celebrate someone’s divorce, but said divorce never took place.

It’s Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut from California, so technically, it is a sparkling wine, but one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. There is a good chance I will drink it with LC this weekend. Funny how much things can change in a year.

So, raise your glass to the drama, the excitement, and the unknown of 2011. Cheers!!

(as for resolutions, I have a couple….)

Can you believe it actually snowed on Christmas Day? I was in Tennessee visiting my folks and we got 5″ of the fluffy white stuff.

Recently LC has been telling me about these popsicles his Mom buys that taste just like snowcream. Sounds delicious, but what is snowcream? Having grown up in the South, we were lucky to get one good snow each Winter. There aren’t many snowmen or snowball fights in my childhood memory bank. And I had never even heard of snowcream until LC told me about it.

Simply put, it is ice cream made with snow. A beaten egg, sugar, vanilla, milk, and snow. LC made it when he was a kid, and apparently so did my Dad. His version was without egg. When it started snowing I knew I had to try it!

My Mom only had powdered sugar and fake sugar (xylitol) so I thought I would experiment with a few variations. First, I sifted some powdered sugar in two bowls and put a packet of xylitol in the third. Next, I poured in some milk and a little vanilla (not much in the third bowl).

Then it was time to gather the freshly fallen snow! LC had warned me not to scoop up any that was yellow….LOL. It was still falling, fresh and white, when I put it in a big bowl and ran inside to make my first batch of snowcream. My Mom was standing by to assist.

I tried the basic vanilla first, adding snow to the bowl and stirring it until the liquid was incorporated. The taste and texture were just like vanilla ice milk that my Grandma used to buy. Success! I asked my Dad to sample it and he agreed, it was tasty.

The second flavor was my Mom’s idea. She added some pomegranite juice to the mixture (the one with less vanilla and sweetened with xylitol) to create a trendy-healthy version of snowcream. It was a pretty shade of lilac and was yummy as well, although I could taste the fakeness of the sweetener.

My least successful flavor was cinnamon. Not terrible, just not as good as plain vanilla which was our unanimous favorite.

Back in Atlanta, I could easily make more snowcream now from the layer of snow on my balcony. But it is anything but pristine. Smog flavored snowcream anyone?

Now I’ve gotta try one of those darn popsicles!

It took a whole week to polish off last year’s tart so I only ordered three slices this year….still the best dessert in town!

MERRY CHRISTMAS HOTDISH READERS! MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE FILLED WITH CHAMPAGNE AND FOIE GRAS!

This is my favorite dessert of all time! Marla, chef and owner of Babette’s Cafe, is a food genius. The restaurant is among my top ten and the dried cherry tart ranks as the best dessert in Atlanta. Offered only in the Fall and Winter, I just can’t go to the restaurant when the tart is not on the menu.

I don’t know why I never did it before, but this year I ordered a whole tart for Christmas to take home to my family. The shelf life of the tart is several days so we split the leftover….no worries, I can polish it off! It combines tart, chewy dried cherries in a crisp almond pie crust.

Me and my Mom made homemade whipped cream (not so sweet, Deutschland style!) and I requested vanilla bean ice cream (Haagen Dazs Five,check out The Blissful Gluttons post) to top the tart slices. After Christmas Eve dinner at Red Lobster, we counteracted the white trash meal (I mean this in the best possible way) with the quintessential rich French/Southern tart.

Each tart is eight servings, however, we made it into 12. Damn, it’s good! The texture is amazing, the crisp nutty crust the perfect compliment to the sweet yet tart chewy dried cherries. I can’t believe I forgot to take a photo of the whole tart, but at least you can see half of it!

Coming from a chick that hates pie, this is not pie. You must try this!

The Sunday before Thanksgiving LC and I somehow ended up at Goin’ Coastal….again! We weren’t planning on eating actual dinner, maybe just a watermelon margarita and a crab cake, something light.

Little did we know that they do a Sunday supper. Diners choose an entree item and four sides, plus soup and dessert. It was so inexpensive, only $17, how could we say no?

We ordered the collard greens, cheese grits, grilled asparagus, and potatoes, but it was the jalapeno cornbread pudding that I was craving….so we got five sides.

Despite the season, they still had the watermelon margaritas. Sweet and tart with a jalapeno kick.

Tomato bisque came as a starter. It’s not my favorite soup. Their collards were bland as always, lacking that vinegary punch. Jalapeno cornbread pudding wasn’t as spicy as usual, but was satisfying nonetheless, as were the creamy grits with gouda. I hardly remember the asparagus and potatoes but I think LC liked them.

I was most impressed with the grilled swordfish, displaying a smoky flavor and meaty texture. Goin’ Coastal uses simple cooking methods that don’t overwhelm the delicate fish with sauces or spices, and a minimal amount of oil, making it not only sustainable, but healthy as well.
Not only did we have the savory cornbread pudding, but also a dense chunk of sweet bread pudding for dessert. Although we were both stuffed, we managed to take a few bites, dragging our spoons through the liquor-spiked vanilla sauce beneath it.

Driving by the restaurant twice a day, I noticed they are now offering a lobster dinner deal Monday through Wednesday for just $15! There may be time restrictions, like the Sunday supper’s 5pm-10pm window, but hell, it’s worth checking out. I believe they are doing the lobsters with all the fixin’s for pick-up on New Year’s Eve too. Now that sounds like a great way to celebrate!

1021 N. Highland Ave. 404-941-9117

Heart-warming news from McCall at Melissa Libby & Associates:

JCT. KITCHEN & BAR DONATES $30,875 TO GEORGIA ORGANICS IN 2010

Atlanta Chef/Restaurateur Ford Fry Serves as Biggest Restaurant Supporter of Non-Profit Organization Devoted to Community Based Food Systems

ATLANTA (December 20 , 2010) – On December 9, JCT. Kitchen & Bar hosted its final “Farm to Table and Back” guest chef dinner for 2010 and donated 100% of the dinner’s proceeds ($5,200) to Georgia Organics (GO), a non-profit organization working to integrate healthy, sustainable and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians.

“Farm to Table and Back” is a series of guest chef dinners per year hosted at JCT. to provide diners with a special prix fixe menu created by the visiting chef in order to benefit GO. The previous Farm to Table and Back dinners this year resulted in an additional $8, 675 for GO, while JCT.’s Second Annual Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, held on August 8, 2010, raised another $17,000 for the non-profit organization.

“JCT Kitchen and Ford Fry have been stalwart partners this year, contributing a total of more than $30,000 to Georgia Organics, co-chairing our Chef Advisory Team, dishing up sustainable food in the kitchen, and organizing the unbelievably delicious and fun Killer Tomato event with the chef community,” says GO Executive Director Alice Rolls. “They are really walking the walk in terms of sustainable foods and farms,” she adds.

Both the quarterly “Farm to Table and Back” dinners and the JCT. Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival feature some of the Southeast’s top chefs such as Mike Lata, Chris Hastings and Kevin Gillespie, who join forces to further the local food movement and the mission of GO. JCT.’s Owner/Chef Ford Fry created these events to educate diners about sustainable foods, to support the local farmers and producers in Georgia and to celebrate locally grown produce at its peak. Fry sources many of the ingredients used at his restaurant from local growers in Georgia, and GO is an organization that is very close to his heart.

The 2011 JCT. Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival is scheduled for July 17 and will provide another opportunity for chefs and attendees to meet local producers while enjoying innovative tomato dishes created by the top culinary talent in the Southeast. “Farm to Table and Back” will also continue in 2011.

If you are curious about the Yogli Mogli coming to the corner of Virginia Avenue and N. Highland, here’s the scoop!

Everyone loves Yogli Mogli. Except for maybe the competition. Offering sixteen flavors of self-serve yogurt plus forty toppings to choose from, Yogli Mogli allows its customers to mix and match flavors and toppings to create their own customized yogurt treat.

Calories per 1/2 cup serving range from 70 to 120. Once guests fill their containers (there is only one size container and it’s large!) with yogurt, they are free to top them with any combination of goodies including chocolate chips, candies, granola, nuts, and fresh fruit. Then, the finished product is weighed at the cash register. At just .39 cents per ounce, it comes out significantly less expensive than a similar concoction at TCBY or Yoreka.

Much like SunO Dessert, it’s difficult to calculate the calories based upon the information given. My cappuccino and cake batter yogurt, topped with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and a bit of crushed Oreo cookie cost $2.60. That’s 6.67 ounces. Half a cup is 83 grams. So how many calories were in my serving? It’s like a word problem in algebra class!

The space is modern with dashes of green and orange. Lots of teens and moms with kids were there today, cooling off in the August heat. It was amusing to see little kids with enormous colorful concoctions, topped with everything from sprinkles to mini M & M’s.

I didn’t try the original tart flavor this visit, but I imagine it is much like the popular yogurt-flavored yogurt at the new shops springing up everywhere. Yogli Mogli has an insane variety of flavors like bubble gum and Reese’s peanut butter that will appeal to kids, as well as more adult varieties like pomegranite raspberry tart and Georgia peach.

There are four locations with two more coming soon. Give it a try and test your ability to serve yourself in moderation!

6595 Roswell Rd. in Abernathy Square 404-943-1641

NEWS FOR RELEASE from Mary Moore (owner) and Jim Brams (PR and Marketing) at The Cook’s Warehouse

THE COOK’S WAREHOUSE NAMED ONE OF TOP 50 RETAILERS IN U.S. BY THE GOURMET RETAILER

ATLANTA, December 13, 2010 – The Cook’s Warehouse has been named one of the Top 50 retailers in the United States by The Gourmet Retailer, a highly respected and widely read industry trade publication.

“From our sales associates to our store managers to our back-office support staff, all of us could not be more proud of this award,” said Mary S. Moore, CEO and founder.

“As a growing business, every day we work to please brand-new as well as longtime customers, to remain their favorite cookware shops and cooking school of choice. The excitement of this award is the recognition we’re doing just that.”

The Cook’s Warehouse ( www.cookswarehouse.com ) is greater Atlanta’s premier gourmet cookware store and cooking school with three locations in Midtown, Decatur and Brookhaven. It offers more than 15,000 products for the kitchen and operates the largest avocational cooking school in the Southeast, conducting more than 600 classes yearly, often taught by local chefs, and has a large web-based delivery-by-post site.

Owned and operated by founder Mary S. Moore, The Cook’s Warehouse also retails high-end appliances; conducts private cooking classes for unique celebrations and corporate events, and is a pro bono partner with virtually every major cooking event and gourmet association in Atlanta.

The Cook’s Warehouse is “Every Excuse to Cook.”

1544 Piedmont Avenue 404-815-4993

Rather than the leisurely dining experience we had planned on prior to Cirque du Soleil, several unfortunate incidents forced me and LC to rush to get a bite to eat instead.

Once at Atlantic Station, we ran into the closest place that served food, the Fox Sports Grill. With a mere thirty minutes to order and eat, we quickly requested two beers.

LC’s default is set on chicken wings and mine is usually burgers so their appetizer combo that included both was an easy choice. Two kobe sliders with caramelized onions and garlic mayo, two Buffalo chicken sliders, six Buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese, and a stack of thick-cut onion rings.

When our beers came LC made a brilliant executive decision. Two lemon drops, please. Cheers!

Food came in five minutes flat. In my haste, I failed to add cheese to the sliders, however, they still hit the spot. The batter on the onion rings was quite thick, falling off the enormous onion slices. Wings were nothing to write home about and Buffalo tenders made into sliders were even less interesting. All in all, it was passable sports bar fare. Like all quickies, it served the purpose but was, in the end, just not very satisfying.

By the way, Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo was fantastic. It was about the magical world of insects, if insects were incredible acrobats with their own string section.

261 19th Street NW 404-207-1369

There was a period when I spent a considerable amount of time shopping at Lenox with my friend LC. We made a habit of drinking martinis and eating a little sushi at Prime.

Part of Tom Catherall’s Here to Serve Restaurants, Prime is primarily a steakhouse, but they also have a sushi bar. You may have noticed that Catherall puts sushi on the menu at almost every one of his restaurants, no matter what type of cuisine is offered. Remember Tom Tom at Lenox? That was a great little bistro…..until he added the sushi bar. Noche and Cantina are the only two that do not have sushi. What, no tuna taco rolls?

Nevertheless, Prime is a cool little spot, tucked away in a corner upstairs by Anthropologie. We always enjoyed sitting at the bar. I would have a Bombay Sapphire, dry, straight up, with three olives. LC would have the same, but with vodka, and then we’d share edamame to start.

Old habits die hard. Last night, while attempting to shop for Christmas gifts, LC (a different one) and I stopped by Prime for a cocktail and some sushi. I ordered my usual martini and he got a double espresso. And edamame, of course.

Then I got crazy and decided to try the yellowtail sashimi appetizer with cilantro, jalapenos, and yuzu soy for us to share. It was a great choice! Really fresh, clean, and simple.

We also split a spicy tuna roll, a lobster roll, and six pieces of nigiri, two each of shrimp, eel, and smoked salmon….my usual not-really-raw sushi selections.

The lobster roll, called langosta, was a tempura fried tail with asparagus, topped with avocado, mango, and red tobiko. It was certainly colorful, but the dominant flavor was “fried”. That is why I never order any rolls with fried ingredients. The somewhat slimy mango didn’t help matters.

Spicy tuna was better with a generous dose of wasabi. My standard nigiri pieces were good as always.

Here’s the thing about me and martinis. One is not quite enough, two is too much. Prime allows me to order a half martini, so that is what I did. Just right.

Now we were ready to shop….for ourselves.

I’m trying to kick my sugar habit. For the time being, no caramel corn, mocha popsicles, Clif Bars, or even fruit. Instead of berries with breakfast I add in veggies, making a delicious Southwest omelette this morning, with avocado, tomato, cilantro, and pepperjack cheese.

As with any change in diet, ya gotta keep it interesting or you’ll quickly slip back into old habits. I went nuts in the produce department on my last visit to Whole Foods, buying organic squash, zucchini, a poblano pepper, cippolinis, the avocado, hericot vert, tomatoes, and a bag of Brussels sprouts.

I love Brussels sprouts, usually cutting them in half and sauteing them with some onion and lots of fresh black pepper. But this time I wanted to try roasting them with the cippolinis and some shallots.

Here is my experimental recipe:

16 oz. baby Brussels sprouts
2 shallots
2 cippolini onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tblsp. olive oil
Nature’s Seasoning, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, use common sense

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with oil. Wash the Brussels sprouts, trimming off the ends and cutting the larger ones in half. Peel the shallots and cippolinis, cutting them in half. Mince the garlic with a press and add. Drizzle with olive oil (could easily use 2 tblsp.) and seasonings, and toss to coat the veggies evenly.

Roast for about 35-45 minutes, depending on desired tenderness. I took them out and stirred them around a few times, adding additional seasoning, and continued putting them back in the oven for a total of 45 minutes. Next time I may increase the heat to 425 and see if that shortens the roasting time.

They were delicious! I served them with tilapia for dinner and divided the remainder into two servings, one for lunch the next day and the other didn’t make it past midnight….they were that good.