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November in New York, trip report

Monday December 5th 2011

This fall has been one helluva season for me. After one of the busiest quarters ever my other half recognized our need for some serious R&R and booked us a long weekend away in one of our favorite cities- New York!

This city is just magical this time of year! We seriously could not have had better weather, company, or bites along the way. (With the exception of that stale pretzel I ate after one too many drinks our first night out… It was tough as a tire and tasted like car exhaust, which I guess is just what you get for ordering a pretzel form a street vendor on Columbus Circle.) Other than that minor snafu, everything we dined on was spectacular.

Edible Highlights included:

Carnegie Deli, Matzo Ball Soup- I know, I know- this place is totally touristy and it’s all about the giant sandwiches… But trust me, should you find yourself at this NY staple you have got to try this buttery broth- it’s divine! And diving in to a hot pastrami and rye with a side of pickles and melt in your mouth matzo was the perfect way to kick off our trip!

Elephant & Castle, brunch- I’m always researching blogs, magazines and what-have-you for advice on the next greatest hot spots, but there is still no substitute for a solid word of mouth recommendation from a local. And that is exactly what led us to my new friend’s favorite Elephant & Castle in Greenwich Village. Their menu was an inventive twist on my favorite brunch classics like: Eggs’n Apple Benedict on French Toast (which is exactly what I indulged in) and Tasmanian “At Anchor” Eggs with Cremini Mushrooms and Madeira Cream Sauce. Also the Latte Bowls, which are exactly what you might imagine, a giant latte served in a bowl the size of your head- these were equally amazing and the perfect way to begin our Sunday funday.

Babbo- After hearing Sarah rave on, and on , and on about Babbo for the past few years- I felt like I just couldn’t miss the opportunity to dine at her absolute favorite while I was in town and Mr. Batali did not disappoint. My favorites from the meal- Spaghettini with Lobster, and the Charred Beef Tongue.

Other Trip Highlights:

The Brooklyn Flea- This outdoor market was exactly the taste of eclectic New York that I was craving. There were tons of local artists and collectors out selling their vintage finds and artisan collections. And the best part- I was able to walk away with a few unique gifts for the holidays without breaking the bank.

Chinatown- I could have spent all day exploring the tea shops and street food of Chinatown. Unfortunately we only had about an hour, so we grabbed a quick bite and and snapped a few photos that looked like they could have been from another world.

Central Park- How could you not just love this gem in the city? We stayed right on the corner of the park and made a point to stroll through the garden at least a few times a day. Amber and crimson leaves blanketed all of the walkways. Strolling through was just the perfect way to begin and end each day.

Can’t wait to get back again soon!

Brown Butter, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Wednesday August 24th 2011

I’ve been meaning to write a bit about my surf camp experience at Surf Simply in Nosara, Costa Rica, and my daily craving for banana chocolate chip muffins seems like the perfect reason. Which I’ll get to.

So why surf camp? I’ve taken surf lessons before – on my trip to Hawaii in 2009, Cabo in 2010 and most recently, Puerto Rico this past January (which I may or may not have thrown up during the middle of the lesson…). Anyway, I definitely caught the surfing bug on these trips, but since I live in land-locked Dallas there aren’t a lot of opportunities for me to get better. And taking a surfing lesson once a year, here and there, wasn’t making a huge impact on my development.

So I started doing my research. I literally knew nothing about surf camps, so I decided to trust what the internet and TripAdvisor told me. And I kept returning to Surf Simply’s site, online videos/blog, and facebook page over and over again.

And then I booked it. All by myself.

My solo trip wasn’t completely intentional, but I didn’t really know of anyone else who was willing to take a week off of work, fly to the shack that is Liberia airport, and drive two hours on dirt roads to go to surf camp for a week. I was a little nervous, but once I arrived, I realized there was nothing to worry about. I was surrounded by friendly people, harmless stray dogs, great food, delicious beer and impeccable surroundings. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

A typical day looks like this:
6am Morning Surfing Lesson
9am Breakfast
10:30am Surfing Theory Lesson
12 pm Lunch (always something delicious homemade by beautiful chef Sarah)
2 pm Yoga
3pm MUFFIN TIME (this was not officially on the schedule, but VERY IMPORTANT)
4pm Evening Surf Lesson
6:30pm Dinner at local restaurant

This is me on my largest wave, but most of my days looked a bit more like this -

As you can imagine, I was exhausted at the end of every day and asleep by 9pm. I loved it. Getting nine hours of sleep is a luxury in and of itself.

But another one of my favorite luxuries of this trip was LuLu’s freshly baked banana chocolate chip muffins each afternoon. Surfing ignites a ravenous hunger like nothing else, one that can’t be satisfied by purely healthy eating, and these muffins were exactly what I needed to keep me going.

LuLu and her muffins.

And ever since I left surf camp, I’ve been craving these muffins. So last night, I whipped up something that could satisfy my craving. They’re not exactly the same, as I believe LuLu’s have oatmeal in them, but I did my best to improvise. And the nutty, delicious taste of brown butter makes everything a little better.

Brown Butter, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins (adapted from Joy the Baker’s Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread)

Makes about 11 muffins

6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin tin.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt. Whisk in the mashed bananas. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.

Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until muffins appear browned. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes.

Costa Rica Highlights

Monday August 15th 2011

I just returned from the most amazing week in Nosara, Costa Rica. I’ll whip up a full trip report once I download all my pictures, but I thought I would share my favorite Costa Rican discoveries with you in the meantime.

Numero Uno: The Casado

A casado (Spanish for “married man”) is a typical Costa Rican meal consisting of rice, black beans, plantains, salad, a tortilla, and an optional entrée that may include chicken, beef, pork or fish (I usually chose fish).

The term originated when restaurant customers asked to be treated as casados, since married men ate such meals at home. So I let myself be treated to the married man’s meal several times over the course of the week. Oh, the life.

Numero Dos: Lizano Salsa

This stuff is literally crack in a jar. Although the name is salsa, it’s nothing like your typical salsa – it’s not red, spicy or chip-dip-able, but I could literally throw it on everything. It’s actually slightly sweet, with a hint of cumin and black pepper.

I usually covered my casado with it, as well as everything else I was served. Including breakfast.

Numero Tres: Imperial Beer

After a day of yoga and surfing, all I wanted was an ice cold Imperial at the end of a hot day. It’s produced locally in Costa Rica, and it’s been around since 1924. So it’s definitely legit.

And since I wanted to support the local economy, I consumed a few of these each night. For the people of Costa Rica, of course.

Ate My Way through Santa Fe

Thursday June 16th 2011

Last weekend Matt and I jetted off to the land of enchantment for a much needed long weekend getaway. Santa Fe is an excellent weekend trip for Dallas-ites. You can almost always catch a cheap flight, and after a quick 90 minutes in the air you’re transported to another world. I’ve never meet an unfriendly face in this desert city. The pace is much more quiet and laid back which forces folks like me to take a breath, slow down and just smell some roses, or smell the green chilli… both of which I did of course.

Santa Fe is a bona fide food nation. They put as much creativity and craft in to their art work as they do their food. We didn’t eat one meal, or sip on a single cocktail that wasn’t seriously outstanding. These are just a few of the highlights from my favorite meals, cocktails and shops around town.

The perfect margatita- found at our hotel bar Luminaria. They craft a perfect sweet-meets-heat margarita using serrano infused tequila, pomegranate, lime and agave nectar. It was the perfect way to start and/ or finish each day.

My Kind of Gift Shop- Oleaceae. When I walked up to this little olive oil boutique I swear I could hear angels singing as I stepped in to this little culinary dream-scape. Oleaceae carries dozens of the best quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars, and the best part is, they are all for the tasting. I sampled everything from Harissa Olive Oil, to Violet Balsamic Vinegar aged 12 years. They carry many other oddities that got my creative cooking wheels turning- like the giant Himalayan salt blocks. I’ve seen these used for plating presentation, but I had no idea you could actually cook on a salt block as well! The owner assured me I’ll never have anything better than what comes off these sizzling salt blocks. This place is going to be my go-to for gifts from now on.

Best Brunch- We wandered away from the main square in Santa Fe to find breakfast Saturday morning and stumbled upon the cutest tea-house off Canyon Rd. Named simply, The Tea House, this is definitely the local’s hangout. If you like chai tea you’ve got to try the Coyote Chai, smooth chocolatey with a kick of cayenne. We sat outside in the rock garden which is laden with fruit trees while we read over the paper and waited on our order. It was fun to eavesdrop on the conversations between the local artist and neighbors who congregate there; chatting about their latest artwork, gallery openings and travels. Then the bacon-egg stuffed burrito was sat before me and the mere sight of it rivaled any of the best breakfast burritos and tacos I’ve ever had! This massive tortilla was stuffed with scrambled eggs, tender new potatoes, crispy bacon and then spread with a hot chilli sauce that reminded me of my grandma’s red enchilada sauce. Seriously amazing!

A Dinner Date to Remember- El Farol. I visited this restaurant the last time I was in town and it was the meal we talked about all year. I was so excited to go back, and this second visit did not disappoint. This time my date and I bellied up to the bar and made a few new friends as I picked their brain on what their favorite bites were, and we all cheered the Dallas Mavericks on for their finals-winning game 6. Perhaps it was the ecstatic state we were in as we watched the Mavs demolish the Heat, or perhaps it was the many refreshing cocktails that Parker our bartender was pouring that led to the next moment, but the final dish that was plated before me nearly blew my socks clear off the bar! The paella at this place has to be some of the best this great nation has to offer, and one of the best dishes I have eaten in a long time!This paella at El Farol was PACKED full of deliciousness! It seemed as though there were as many sweet baby bay scallops packed in this dish as there were grains of perfectly saffron hinted rice. Then add in all the muscles, clams, tender buttery shrimp, chicken, and authentic Spanish chorizo! My mouth is literally watering again as I type. This dish alone was worth the trip to Santa Fe.

One of the best tips we picked up from the locals was to take the drive back to Albuquerque around the mountain on the Turquoise Trail, which is a beautiful scenic drive (see above), and it takes you through the funky town of Madrid.

There are so many more sips, bites, and stories I’d love to share but in the interest of blogging content I’ll cut it here. If you ever want my advice on where to stay or what to eat, please contact me I’d be happy to give more recos.

When Life Hands You Lemons - Make Limoncello

Friday April 8th 2011

So the past couple of weeks have been pretty rough. I’ve had a mountain of challenges at work and life come and go like a roller coaster – in the mix of it all my laptop and my sweet Nikon camera (which I take all my fab blog pics with) was stolen a few days ago! So l’ve been pretty crabby lately, to say the least.

But I’m trying to stay positive here. I’d like to turn these sour lemons life has handed me lately in to some sweet lemony-infused vodka -otherwise known as Limoncello.

I first fell in love with Limoncello when I was studying abroad in Italy in 2003. The story setup sounds cliche, I know – 4 girls sitting to dinner at a quaint seaside joint on the coast of Cinque Terre Italy. But that’s exactly where I was the first time that tiny yellow cordial of sweet summer scented liquor was set before me.

We had hiked all day along the coastline through the “5 lands.” This is a trek you must do for unparalleled views of this Italian paradise. All along the way we kept passing trees with enormous lemons dangling like something you’d see in Willy Wonka’s candy forest. They tasted about as sweet as candy too. We’d pass farmers along the trails with baskets full of the grapefruit-sized fruit, and they’d each be happy to hand you a sample of their fresh pick sliced crosswise for convenience. The refreshing tart fruit was as sweet as lemonade, and just what we needed to keep us moving along on our hike.

Later that evening after another epic meal along the coast, our server came out with a dainty tray of little cordials filled with a vibrant yellow liquor. I immediately recognized the scent as that from the heavnly lemons we had been refreshed with earlier that day. One sip, and the intoxicating sweet citrus flavor shocked my lips in to submission, and I have been hooked on limoncello ever since!

It’s been years since that summer in Italy, and still every time I come across this fine handcrafted treat I am transported back to the Italian Riviera. With a fine limoncello in my hand I can sometimes close my eyes and still breath in that sweet lemon scented air and the crisp turquoise salt water from that glorious summer abroad.

photo courtsey of Google- since some jerk stole my camera

Limoncello is very easy to make. It’s just a few simple ingredients mixed together and then a waiting game. This recipe comes from the Italian sweetheart Giada De Laurentiis. Most recipes don’t vary much from here, but one thing you always have to make sure of is to remove all of that white pith. Even the smallest trace of it could leave you with a bitter batch. Don’t chance it.

Limoncello

10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Using apeeler remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from thelemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

Mofongo anyone?

Wednesday January 19th 2011

I just returned from sunny Puerto Rico, and I’ve decided to post a recipe instead of a trip report. Not that the food wasn’t fabulous – our group of ten lovely ladies dined at La Playita, KOCO at the El San Juan Hotel and feasted on homemade Cuban food at Metropol.

But I love trying specialty, regional dishes whenever travel. And the signature dish of Puerto Rico (unless you count the Pina Colada) is most definitely Mofongo. Mofongo is generally made from fried green plantains (although fried yuca or breadfruit are possible) which is mashed together with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. It is often filled with vegetables, chicken, crab, shrimp, or beef and is often served with fried meat and chicken broth soup.

I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. It sort of reminded me of an upside down chicken pot pie made with smashed plantains instead of pie crust.

The most popular mofongo online has to be Benny’s mofongo from Benny’s of Miami. I can’t wait to try this, and I would love to hear from someone who has. It’s just the recipe for the plantains, but I’m sure it could be easily topped with the protein of your choice.

Benny’s Mofongo

6 large plantains
6 small garlic cloves
3/4 cup pork rinds
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 cup pure olive oil, plus more for frying

Peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch slices. Put the plantains in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt to keep them moist until ready to cook.

Mash the garlic, pork rinds, 1/4 tablespoon of the salt, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a mortar with a pestle. Transfer the garlic mixture to a bowl.

Heat about 5 inches of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot (or in a deep-fryer) until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 300 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels.

Drain and pat dry the plantains. Fry without crowding, in batches, if necessary, until the plantains are cooked, but not hard, 15 to 20 minutes. It’s best to check the plantains after about 15 minutes; to do so, remove a slice from the oil and cut into it – if the center is still pink, keep cooking; if it’s yellow, the plantains are ready. Transfer the plantains from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain briefly on the paper towels.

Mash the fried plantains with the remaining 1/4 tablespoon salt and 1/4 cup olive oil until just soft. Add the garlic mixture and continue mashing until the mofongo is completely blended. Serve hot.

Trip Report: Whistler, British Columbia

Thursday January 13th 2011

I’m going to try to keep this short & sweet, as I know no one wants to hear every single detail about every single morsel of food I ate over my ski vacation. But the truth is, the food was good. Better than good – it was outstanding. Whistler has over 90 dining/bar options and 17 restaurants on Whistler/Blackcomb Mountains. So there’s certainly no shortage of food there.

There’s also not a shortage of ski acreage. With over 8,100 skiable acres, one vertical mile, two mountains, more than 200 trails, 37 lifts, twelve alpine bowls there really isn’t a reason you shouldn’t ski here. And it’s less than 4 hour flight from Dallas. If you’re a skier/snowboarder then you should definitely consider planning a trip to Whistler in the near future (there’s still a few months left of the ski season!).

But before you head off to ski heaven, I must warn you about something that I found rather alarming. It’s no secret that Canadians love their hockey. And I understood that before arriving, but I don’t really think I grasped how much they really loved it. Hockey is literally on every TV station 24 hours a day. Not just NFL hockey, but local hockey leagues, junior hockey, classic hockey, women’s hockey. All hockey, all the time. That means there isn’t any Food Network or Bravo, which I obviously couldn’t live without.

Anyway, back to eating. We tried our best to try all of the town favorites, but it was pretty busy the first week of January so some restaurants were booked (Araxi, Bearfoot Bistro). We still ate some amazing meals, and I would definitely recommend the following restaurants:

Rim Rock Cafe (located in Creekside)
Pacific Northwest seafood and wild game fine dining. I loved the dining room at this restaurant. The food was upscale, but it felt like you were eating at a friend’s ski lodge. Highlights: raw oysters with tobiko, creme fresh & vodka and the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

Il Caminetto
Fine Tuscan dining in the heart of Whistler village. I always try to order something different than everyone else at the table so we can all try a different dish, but on this night we both ordered the spaghetti carbonara, and I’m so glad we did because I would not have been willing to share my dish. It ranks up there with my other favorite spaghetti carbonara from Arcodoro & Pomodoro.

Nagomi Sushi
We stumbled upon this place because we arrived in Whistler on New Year’s Eve without dinner reservations. We thought we would just wing it, and order a pizza & drink champagne at the condo if we couldn’t find anything. Luckily, we found Nagomi, and we had an unexpectedly delightful meal of sushi and sake at the sushi bar. If you love sashimi, this place is a must visit. The pieces were HUGE. I never get full from sashimi, and I could barely eat anymore after our tuna, hamachi, salmon arrived. Not only were they huge, but they came with eight pieces in each order. In the world of sushi, this is highly unusual. Highlights: salmon sashimi (and salmon is usually my least favorite, but this was salmon was unbelievably fresh and tender).

We ate at a few other places, including Tratorria, but I came down with a stomach bug during the meal so I don’t think my review of the bread, water, tea would be a fair evaluation. But it looked delicious.

Overall, I was really impressed with the dining scene in Whistler. It was by no means inexpensive, but it wasn’t your typical mountain pizza either.

Next stop, Puerto Rico.

Chef Pierre's Mac & Cheese

Monday November 15th 2010

So it’s been awhile since I posted a recipe, but that’s because I’ve been busy traveling, eating and running a marathon. And the week after the marathon I was so sore I had a tough time doing anything – including going to the grocery store. But I’m back!

I’ve decided not to do a full, detailed trip report because it can get pretty boring for those of you have no interest in LA/NYC restaurants, but I’ll list out my favorites for you.

LA
Capo (an Italian staple in Santa Monica. Truffles, anyone??)
Father’s Office (burgers in Santa Monica. but no ketchup. Why don’t people believe in ketchup??)
The Bazaar (Jose Andres new restaurant in the SLS hotel. It’s truly a dining adventure. So fun.)

NYC
Babbo (best post-marathon meal EVER. I even high-fived Mario Batali on my way out the door)
Sip Sak (Turkish food in Turtle Bay)
Trattoria Trecolori (Surprisingly good Italian in the theatre district. It’s no Babbo, but delicious in it’s own right.)

While I was in NYC, my mom and I went to the filming of my favorite daytime TV show – The Martha Stewart show (obviously). Such a good time, and Martha has the most fabulous set. It’s so much nicer than my home. But I expect nothing less from Martha.

Anyway, during the show Martha made mac & cheese with Yankees outfielder, Curtis Granderson. I honestly didn’t know who he was beforehand, and really could have cared less about any Yankees player, but he was completely adorable. I now love him. Seriously.

But back to the mac & cheese. I love mac & cheese, but I feel like I’m constantly disappointed when I make it or order it. I like it super creamy, and I’m not crazy about bread crumbs on the top. In Dallas, I love the mac & cheese from Toulouse and The Porch, but I’ve yet to find the perfect at-home recipe. Until now.

This recipe is slightly salty, super creamy, and beyond irresistible. And, the leftovers are just as good, if not better. I love that it’s made on the stove, so you can skip the whole 30 minutes in the oven ordeal – which always ends up drying out my mac & cheese anyway.

So enjoy!

Chef Pierre’s (Martha Stewart’s former chef) Mac & Cheese

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, heated
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated Comte cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese plus 1/2 cup cut into 1/4-inch cubes (I used regular cheddar, and it turned out fine. better than fine.)
Salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound shells or elbow macaroni

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk; bring to a simmer and continue whisking until sauce has thickened, about 10 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and return to a simmer.

In a medium bowl, combine Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Comte, and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheeses. Whisk cheese into simmering milk mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Add 2 teaspoons salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; generously season with salt and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add about 3/4 of the cheese sauce to bowl with pasta and fold to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped cheddar cheese and remaining sauce as necessary.

Southern Comfort Road Trip

Thursday October 7th 2010

A few weeks ago Matt and I took off to the Old South for a fun weekend getaway to visit with family and reminisce with some old friends. We flew in to Atlanta Ga, caught up with the fam, then made a quick road trip out to South Carolina for some more family time and college football watching. Atlanta is a great foodie town- South Carolina is not bad either, but my favorite meal along the way was from the tiny cafe we stopped at along our road trip headed east on I-20

Upon landing in Atlanta (around lunchtime mind you) we immediately picked up our rental car and started on our way to South Carolina to catch up with the folks. About an hour and a half in to the road trip I started to get real fussy… Poor Matt has witnessed this mood swing before, and after dating for a few years, we’ve actually come up with a term for this hunger induced personality shift, we call it hangry.

hangry- [hang-gree]

-adjective. -han·gri·er, -han·gri·est.

1. Feeling or showing anger or frustration due to lack of nourishment for an extended period of time. Huger pains cause the aflicted to act out in unjust outbursts usually involving kicking and screaming temper tantrums.

ex: Angela hasn’t eaten all day so she is quite hangry. or, Stay out of Angela’s way when she’s hangry.

Our plan was to get out of the Atlanta traffic before we stopped for lunch, but little did we know there is not much outside of Atlanta for quick stop road trip dining. After the first hour went by and the gas station/ Waffle House combo exits were looking less, and less appealing, my stomach took over and I demanded we stop in the next town. Thank goodness for GPS and iPhone. I whipped out my iWant iphone app to see what was in our closest mile radius and sounded like it would satisfy the soul food craving that was now paining me. The Yesterday Cafe sounded charming (and it was only 3.4 miles away) so we hooked a left off of I-20 and made our way in to the little town of Greensboro.

As we drove in to the tiny town center my hunger pains subsided at the sight of a handful of charming cafes and restaurants with a down home grandma’s front porch feel. Enticed by a few different options, we decided to stick to our plan and step in to The Yesterday Cafe. We were immediately greeted by the sweet as buttermilk pie waitress, and two giant glasses of sweet tea. By this time Matt was starting to get hungry too, so we started with the southern fried sampler for an appetizer. How could we go wrong with that? They had me at fried. It felt like only 5 minutes later before we had our piping hot fried pickles, green tomatoes, and okra set before us. Those fried green tomatoes were some of the best I have ever had! My judgment might have been somewhat skewed because I was so hangry before I sat down, but that mood affliction usually doesn’t effect my taste buds. These were the real deal! They were perfectly seasoned, and the light airy, crunchy texture easily gave way to the tart green tomato beneath. For lunch I ordered the chalkboard special- grilled grouper served with chipotle grits and a side of collard greens, Matt went for the country fried steak. Both were excellent. The Yesterday Cafe was just the bite of southern hospitality I was craving.

As we were finishing our second mammoth glass of sweet tea and soaking in the the fine southern hospitality we had just received, I noticed the little journals on each of the booth tables around the restaurant. I picked one up to investigate and found that each journal was meant for the guests to sign and share their own personal stories of visits to The Yesterday Cafe. Of course I just had to contribute-

Thanks Yesterday Cafe. I hope to come back again soon.

New Orleans Flavor

Wednesday August 18th 2010

Last weekend my sweetheart whisked me away to New Orleans for a long weekend getaway to celebrate my birthday. Being the southern food fanatic that I am, it’s hard for me to believe that I haven’t been to this foodie epicenter before. People warned me to be cautious about the seafood because of the dreaded oil spill in the gulf. But after asking lots of questions while eating my way through the city I can assure you- New Orleans is open for business and the food is not only safer than ever, it’s- make yo’ tongue slap yo’ brain good!

People seriously know their food here. That’s the one thing (other than Katrina) that connects everyone in this city. It doesn’t matter whether you grew up in the projects or in a mansion on St. Charles Ave, every person I met along the way all has the same respect and love for their local flavors. It became clear to me with each new bite that I was not just feasting on the local fare- I was consuming the culture.

Highlights of the trip included, but are not limited to:

- Got to spend a long weekend with Matt

- Conversations with the Oyster Shuckers

- John Besh wished me Happy Birthday! (while I passed him in the street car waving
like a star-struck school girl)

- Bloody Marys and Oysters for breakfast everyday

- Experienced my first “Red Dress Run”

- Hurricanes (not the scary windy kind)

- Drinking in the street ( I still can’t believe that’s legal )

Since pictures are worth 1000 words I thought I’d just post a few of my favorites for you to enjoy here. More to be posted on my flickr page soon.

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