4TYTUDE

Priceless McNugget Meltdown

A woman in Florida became distraught when her local McDonalds ran out of chicken McNuggets after she had already placed her order and paid. So distraught, in fact, she called 911 three times. You can even listen to the 911 calls. Read it here. (via CNN)

FoodiesATL

Every Friday night for the past 5 years, I have been going out to dinner with the same group of friends. Some of the group have been going out to dinner on Fridays for 10+ years! There are a few restaurants that we frequent on a regular, rotating basis. In recent years we are often at kid-friendly places as one couple in the group has a young son. But we also try new (newly open or new to us)  grown-up restaurants in the Atlanta area.

Last Friday we went out to Parish, which is a new restaurant in Inman Park owned by Concentrics Restaurants, which owns other Atlanta restaurants like TAP, One Midtown Kitchen and Two Urban Licks. We had mixed reviews for Parish and it's interesting that what bothers one of us might not necessarily irritate another. So we came to the conclusion that we should put our shared thoughts together in blog format thus FoodiesATL was created (just this morning, as a matter of fact).

Everyone in our Friday Night Dinner Gang will be able to author entries on their thoughts, likes and dislikes and photos of our shared dining experiences. We all love to eat and drink and are pretty opinionated on the subject. So please check out FoodiesATL on a regular basis for tips on where to eat and where to avoid.

Mud Wrestling

It does appear that I might be constructing a mud pit for a little bit of recreational fun and as a way to get to know the neighbors better, but in fact I am building a vegetable garden. I know, I know it doesn't sound as glamorous as the mud wrestling. And I'm afraid Oli thinks I'm building a giant sandbox for him to dig till his hearts content. I'm somehow going to have to disabuse him of that notion.

In any event with the whole wave of buying organic and also buying local or close to home it was starting to make sense to plant a few seeds on the side of the house and see what happens.

I am doing a raised garden bed as it is impossible to work with the red Georgia clay that passes for dirt. And I'm using organic soil which promises to grow a better plant and a bigger veggie (bigger is better right, haven't we already established that?). Home Depot dropped off a pallet of dirt this morning (those bags are heavy) and after JLC kindly put the frame of the garden bed together, I went to work playing in the dirt.

And how will my garden grow? Just to name a few things, I am going to plant Roma tomatoes, red bell pepper, radish, green onions, green beans and eggplant.

Stay tuned.........

Hungover?

The New Year's Eve celebration is alot about seeing the old year out with a big bang and a big buzz. Which of course leads to seeing the first day of the new year in with a hangover. There are many hangover remedies. I'm a fan of aspirin and a big bottle of water before climbing into bed. This only works if you have the foresight to anticipate your hangover. But if you forgot to re-hydrate before bed, check out the following link for other helpful (and downright strange) hangover cures.

http://www.hungover.net/#

Bubbly

As we near the end of 2007, there are important decisions to be made. At the forefront is the question of just what kind of champagne or sparkling wine to quaff at the magical hour of midnight. I'm sure you've given this weighty matter alot of thought. If you are still undecided here is a helpful chart to aide in the decision making (courtesy of Luxist):

• Demi-Sec: The sweetest of the champagnes, it is best served with dessert. (If you see Sec, this is a touch drier than the Demi-Sec).
• Brut: Dry and most popular around the holidays... very little sugar.
• Blanc de blancs: Made only of Chardonnay grapes, this is great with seafood.
• Blanc de noirs: Light in color though made from dark-skinned grapes, this is fabulous with meat and cheese.
• Rosé: A variety of options abound in this category from light to dark which makes it pair well with different foods.
• Vintage Champagne: Made from the grapes of a single harvest of an exceptional year which makes them more expensive.

In the sparkling wine category I like Domain Chandon and Piper Sonoma. Both can be had for about $20. My favorite champagne is a Deutz Rose that I had in Paris last year and that has been impossible to find in the states.

In any case, whatever you decide to imbibe on New Year's Eve, be it bubbly or PBR, have a kick-ass good time.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Here is a great classic French recipe with few ingredients and big taste. It's a wonderful stew to enjoy on a cold day!

Boeuf Bourguignon (Meat Stew)

Serves 6

3 T. butter divided

2.5 pounds of chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes (the butcher at the grocery store can cube it for you)

2 small red onions, halved and thinly sliced

Half of a 750-ml bottle of fruity red wine (Chianti, for instance)

1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes with juice

1 cup brewed espresso (I used instant)

Rice or pasta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook beef until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer beef to a large bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter to pot and melt. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot. Add wine, tomatoes with juice and espresso. Bring to boil, cover and transfer to oven. Braise beef until tender, about 2 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl. Using 2 forks, shred beef. Return beef to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta or rice.

Thanksgiving in Pictures

 

Tradition

When it comes to the holidays, Thanksgiving in particular, are you a traditionalist or a non-traditionalist? Do you always have to have grandma's apple pie or Aunt Nancy's lumpy gravy? Is the holiday somehow not the same without those familiar comforts?

For me, since I've been married and have been living with a couple of Frenchmen, our Thanksgivings have been anything but traditional. For starters, the French aren't big lovers of the turkey bird. They find it underwhelming and most often dry. And besides, where are the organs? Cranberry sauce in the shape of a can? Quelle horreur! Also, we have, for most of our married life, lived far away from both of our families. So we have always cobbled together our family made up of our various friends and we have made many a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal. And by this I mean we varied what we served, most often choosing NOT to cook a turkey bird. We've had goose (moister, according to the French), we've served duck in the form of cassoulet (truth be told , this dish became our "traditional" Thanksgiving meal. One year I made it when we were invited to a friends house in Beverly Hills for Thanksgiving. The heavily European crowd left the turkey bird untouched and devoured the cassoulet), and I believe one year, we were so bold as to serve rabbit.

Because it is unfair to hog the holiday hosting duties we have accepted many invitations over the years. One Thanksgiving in particular stands out among the others. We were living in the Bay area and were invited by another French/American couple to spend the holiday with them and some other friends, a few other French, a Belgian, and a couple of Canadians.

They asked if we minded a non-traditional meal. Of course we don't mind, we said. In fact, we embrace it! Asked what to bring we were told to bring only wine.

On that Thanksgiving day we arrived at our friends home and noticed that there are no cooking smells wafting from the kitchen. Interesting.....After of couple glasses of wine, unfortified by any pre-dinner snacks, we were seated at the table where we were presented with.........fondue.

You know, the hot oil-cook your own meat-dipping sauces-kind of fondue? After a few awkward glances around the table everyone picked up a skewer and started cooking meat in the oil pit. Yum. After awhile I noticed that alot of the guests were eating very little. Either they weren't too crazy about meat chunks deep fried or they were waiting for the main course. After the hosts assured themselves that the guests were finished with the hot oil fondue, they presented us with the next course.

Chocolate fondue. Dessert.

It's at this point that all the guests started to realize how truly non-traditional this couple had decided to go for that particular Thanksgiving meal. My dear friend from Canada who was recently married at that time and more recently transplanted from her home and family, well, she lost it a little bit at that point. She and I excused ourselves to the bathroom where we railed against the audacity of serving fondue and only fondue at a Thanksgiving meal!!!! From the bathroom, she proceeded to call her mother in Canada and cry into her cell phone about the horror of the holiday dinner she had been subjected to in Sunnyvale, California. At that point I started to cry too.

Fast forward to this year. We are invited to a friends home for the holiday meal. I am in charge of all things sweet and have been dubbed the Pie-master. In keeping with my (still) non-traditional take on the holiday, I am tempted to tweak the pumpkin pie and to put a twist on the standard apple. But because I don't want anyone crying in a bathroom because of me, I will stay true to the standards but bring a few extra desserts for those who want to try something different. How about White Chocolate Bread Pudding or Dark Chocolate Tart with crystallized ginger?

Happy Thanksgiving to the traditionalists and the non-traditionalists! 

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Chocolate Pots de Creme

ingredients

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons rum (optional)

preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring cream just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk yolks and sugar and rum (if using)in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain mixture into another bowl. Cool 10 minutes, skimming any foam from surface.

Divide custard mixture among six 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Cover each with foil. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set but centers still move slightly when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove from water. Remove foil. Chill custards until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

Makes 6 servings

Note: I used Baileys instead of the rum but the flavor didn't really come through in the final product.

Also be careful when pouring the cream mixture into the egg mixture. If you pour too quickly you will curdle the eggs. Temper, temper!

What's Cookin?

We had a few friends over tonight for dinner. It was nice to cook for a small group as opposed to our larger group that we usually have for Sunday dinners. Tonight felt so easy.

The Menu

Ratatouille (no tie-in with the new movie) and Goat Cheese Timbales on Mache Greens

Hangar Steak and French Fries

Chocolates Pot de Creme with Cigarette Cookies

Does it speak to my culinary abilities if, at the end of the evening, after finishing my supremely rich (and oh so yummy) chocolate dessert, my husband feels the need to eat a bowl of store-bought ice cream? I'm just saying.