Sunday, December 30, 2012

30 December 2012


It's been a few weeks since my last Sunday Supper post. The holidays have been very hectic but nice. Most of the time was taken by the preparations for the Cherokee Historical Society's Holiday Tour of Homes. One Britt was on the tour, and it took a few weeks to decorate, clean, and prep. The tour was successful in raising much needed funds, and we had around 350 people on the tour. All in all, we had seven trees and other decorations throughout the house. I've included a video virtual tour that I compiled below. After the tour was over, we only had about a week to prepare for our holidays.

Our holidays began with the annual Grant Holiday Hoedown at One Britt! My brother, brother in law, nieces and nephews came down the Saturday night before Christmas, and the others joined us for brunch on Sunday. We had a lot of fun cooking together on Sunday morning, and it was great to see everyone. Unfortunately, my niece, Kacey, was sick, so she and her boys could not join us. We missed her but look forward to a date night soon.

We spent Christmas Eve with Jeff's family, and I cooked a beef tenderloin, cream biscuits and a Red Velvet Cake to take to dinner. We had a great time, and Jeff's parents gave me a food mill and canning set for Christmas! His brother and sister in law continued the kitchen themed gifts with a beautiful, handmade cutting board. It was a very nice gathering, and we joined Jeff's parents and grand parents for breakfast on Christmas morning.

With all of the family gatherings behind us, we cooked dinner on Christmas night for six of our friends: Cory, John, Sandy, Gary, Beth and David. I made a standing rib roast from Mountain Valley Farm. I also cooked Yorkshire Pudding, Horseradish and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Salt and Pepper Cream Biscuits and a Carrot Cake for dessert. We had a great time!

The day after Christmas, Cory and I went to see Les Miserables. It was very well done, all except for the miscasting of Russell Crowe who can not sing. Tonight's French inspired Sunday Supper is a tribute to the movie and a segway into lighter cuisine for the new year. Tomorrow,
I will cook my standard baked macaroni and cheese for New Year's Eve. This tradition started in 2000 when I cooked the best mac and cheese for Y2K in case it was our last meal! I guess it is time to cook it again in observance of the Mayan Apocalypse that never materialized.

Last night, I cooked one last cake for the holidays to take to our dear friends, Steve and Amado in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I made a Chocolate Velvet Cake with Coconut and Pecan Icing. We had a great time celebrating the holidays with them. They cooked an amazing dinner, and we even had a little snow to enjoy.

So tonight is the last Sunday Supper of 2012! It's been a great year, and I am looking forward to an exciting new year. Jeff bought me a great new camera for Christmas, so hopefully the food photos will improve in 2013! I just have to learn how to use it first. Tonight I prepared Bouillon de Poulet Avec des Quenelles de Volailles or a Chicken Dumpling Soup. It is a lighter version of the Southern Chicken and Dumplings, and it was a good choice for a cold night. The dumplings are light and airy, and the chicken is actually incorporated into the dumpling mixture. I added a few ingredients, but the basic recipe came from Rachel Khoo's series, "Little Paris Kitchen." She is great! She went to Cordon Bleu and cooks classic French food in a small flat. Her show is on BBC and now airs on the Cooking Channel as well. Check her out.

So until next year, I wish you all a prosperous, healthy and joyful 2013! Here's to all of the great meals and opportunities that lie ahead.

Cheers!

The Menu:

- Bouillon de Poulet Avec des Quenelles de Volailles
(Chicken Dumpling Soup)

- Chocolate Velvet Cake with Pecan and Coconut Icing







Sunday, November 4, 2012

04 November 2012









It has been a nice weekend, and we got a lot done around the house. Jeff finally painted the front doors that were primed, but never painted, eight years ago! We are trying to get ready for the Historical Society Christmas Tour of Homes on December 14 and 15. Wish us luck!

My country roots are really showing for tonight's Sunday Supper! My dear friend, Elly Hobgood, gave me a "mess" of fresh young turnip greens from her plot at the Victory Garden. I also got a few baby turnips as well, and both were delicious! I also cooked a pot of pinto beans and made cornbread to go with the greens and beans. I also served some of the last hot peppers from the garden and chow chow with the beans and homemade pepper sauce with the greens. It really hit the spot, and my Southern country appetite is very satisfied.

Now on to next week and the election! I will be so happy when it is over, and if things go well. Fingers crossed...

The Menu:

- Fresh Young Turnip Greens with Pepper Sauce

- Pinto Beans with Ham Hock and Hot Chow Chow

- Braised Baby Turnips

- Buttermilk Cornbread

Sunday, October 21, 2012

21 October 2012







We had a very full, but fun, weekend! It was picture-perfect when it comes to Fall in North Georgia. On Friday night, we had our friends, Josh and Vanessa Brackett over to the Side Porch for the first time. Carmen Slaughter joined us for a fun evening. We dined on North Georgia grass fed burgers, lemon oregano potatoes and Vanessa's delicious black eye pea salad. We talked about every possible topic, laughed, listened to good music and relished the fellowship of enlightened friends.

On Saturday, we were treated to a bonfire and outdoor dinner at Laine and Bill Wood's beautiful home, "The Treehouse." A great group of friends gathered around the ring of fire for hot dogs, great side dishes, s'mores and lots of laughter. We tried to spot meteors, and joined in song for Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. It was great, great fun, and a perfect way to welcome the cool Fall night.

Today started out slow but gathered spontaneous momentum. It was a drop dead gorgeous day, so we felt the need to do something outside. Serendipity ruled the day! On a whim, we decided to visit Gibbs Garden in Ball Ground. The wonderful gardens on over 200 acres are 30 years in the making. The visionary garden designer, Jim Gibbs, greeted us personally at the reception area and explained the map of the grounds to us. This destination is simply jaw-dropping gorgeous! Every where you look, the plants and landscape design is impeccable. Some of the highlights included the Japanese Garden, exact replica of Monet's bridge and the Manor House. We can't wait to return in the Spring to witness over 50 million daffodils in bloom!

On our way back from Gibbs, we decided to stop by Sharp Mountain Vineyard. Luckily, Jeff's parents were on their way back from Dahlonega, so they met us there for a tasting. We chatted with the owners and wine maker and enjoyed the last bottle of their 2010 Cabernet Franc. While I had not planned on cooking tonight, I had a last minute inspiration on the way home. For some reason, I decided to make Croque-Monsieur's for Sunday Supper. I paired the French ham and cheese sandwiches with an organic cauliflower and parmesan soup. Jeff took some of the last peppers from the garden and stuffed them with some smoked string cheese for a delicious appetizer. I paired dinner with a 2010 Collage from Sharp Mountain which is a North Georgia Bordeaux. Our simple Sunday Supper was a gracious ending to a phenomenal weekend.

As Iris Dement has been serenading, go ahead and go home!

Bon Appetit!

The Menu:

- Croque-Monsieurs

- Organic Cauliflower and Parmesan Soup

- Sharp Mountain Vineyard's 2010 Collage (North Georgia Bordeaux)


Sunday, October 14, 2012

14 October 2012



The week was long and busy, and the weekend was not a lot different. I was in New York City on Monday and Tuesday for a client presentation. Everything went great, but I wished there was more time to enjoy the city. I did get one of my favorite things, an authentic New York bagel! There are not better bagels in the world, and it always provides some familiar comfort in Gotham. The rest of the week was a blur, but it is great being busy again. The weekend began on Friday with a great art exhibit opening at the Cherokee Arts Center. Afterward, our friends Sandy, Gary, John and Cory joined us on the Side Porch for a nightcap. We talked, laughed and listened to Barbra Streisand's new CD. "Release Me." It contains previously unreleased tracks from her personal vault, yes she has one, dating from 1963 – 2010. I have been mesmerized with the CD since it was released on Tuesday, and I especially enjoyed listening on my return flight from NYC. At 70 years old, she is truly a national treasure, and that voice...

 Despite the hectic workweek, my heart was heavy with thoughts of my dear friend, Amado, and his partner Steve. They went to Colorado earlier in the week to be with Amado's sister, Maria Christina, who is about to pass away from cancer. I was fortunate to meet Christina a couple of times when she visited, and she is a great soul. As of tonight, she is still with us, but the transition is expected any moment. Steve flew back to Atlanta yesterday to take care of business, and I picked him up at the airport and drove him home to Blue Ridge. Despite the circumstances, it was great to spend some personal time with him. True friends are to be treasured. While in Blue Ridge, I stopped by Mercier Orchards to get some local apples! It is the peak of apple harvest, and I had to have a few! So for tonight's Sunday Supper, I had to find a way to incorporate them into the menu. I have been craving pasta with brown butter and sage sauce for a few weeks, so tonight I submitted to the urge. I have always enjoyed the Atlanta restaurant, Soto Soto, and on of my favorite dishes is Tortelli di Michelangelo, ravioli based on a recipe from Michelangelo's personal letters. I could not find the exact recipe, so I improvised. It does contain veal, pork and chicken and is served with brown butter sage sauce. I incorporated the Georgia apples into the filling, and it worked out great! When we were preparing for our yard sale a few weeks ago, I found my pasta machine! I bought it a few years ago and used it once, so I spent the afternoon making homemade pasta for the ravioli. It was very relaxing and therapeutic! I made the pasta from scratch while listening to Barbra's lost gems and another one of my favorite new releases, "Sing the Delta" by the most amazing Iris Dement! It is incredibly written, and NPR recently named her as one of the most amazing voices of our generation. I agree!

 While I was obsessing over homemade pasta all afternoon, Jeff and Cory were moving the last items and cleaning their home at Tara. They close tomorrow afternoon, and the Mayor of Canton and First Lady, Gene and Elly Hobgood, will have a new home. So tonight's Sunday Supper was in celebration of Jeff and Cory's closing, and here's to the next phase of life in so many ways. Handmade pasta just felt – appropriate.

 Ciao!

 The Menu:

 - Tortelli di Michelangelo: Homemade Pasta with Veal, Pork, Chicken
   and North Georgia Apples with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

 - Bruschetta

 - Pan Roasted Asparagus

 - Unintentionally Charred North Georgia Apple Tart

Sunday, September 16, 2012

16 September 2012








It has been a beautiful weekend with just a hint of Fall in the air. I bought a new car this week, a Fiat 500 convertible, so we took her for a spin up to North Georgia wine country yesterday. The car is a lot of fun to drive. I asked my Facebook friends to help me think of a good Italian name for her, and I got a lot of great responses. However, the winner was Tina Kell who suggested that I name her after the Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, so the Fiat will be henceforth known as GiLo!

In honor of the Fiat, I decided to go with an Italian theme for tonight's Sunday Supper. I prepared homemade potato gnocchi with a fresh tomato and basil sauce. On the side, I served a classic Panzanella, an Italian bread salad with tomatoes and basil. It was delicious and very easy. We had a great 2008 Cabernet from Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega.

I have a very busy week ahead with some travel, but for tonight, all is well. Cheers to Fall. Bring it!

The Menu:

- Handcrafted Potato Gnocchi with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

- Panzanella: Italian Bread Salad

- Pistachio Gelato

- 2008 Frogtown Cabernet Sauvignon

Sunday, September 9, 2012

09 September 2012



It has been a great weekend, and there is a touch of fall in the air! I am so ready for the crisp fall air, and all of the locals are predicting a cold and snowy winter in North Georgia. Apparently, all of the squirrels' tails are "fluffy" which indicates a cold winter. We shall see...

It was nice to be home all weekend. I went to the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday, and I found some great things! Two new sustainable vendors had some great products. One lady had local spice rubs, and they are delicious. Another lady had some amazing lettuces, micro greens and corn shoots. I also purchased some of the last okra of the season and local potatoes from an adorable older couple. All of these ingredients found their way to tonight's Sunday Supper.

The weekend began with First Friday, and we had a great crowd in Canton's Historic Downtown Loop. There were over 75 classic cars and some nice live music. The rest of the weekend was spent checking on the progress of the window restorations at the historic Galt Building, home to my firm, Grant Design Collaborative. Metamorphosis did an amazing job as they went from window to window to replace the decayed wood, sand and paint each of the 113 windows! It is going to look great, and I am very excited and proud of the work. I may be prejudiced, but I believe the building is the Grand Dame of Downtown Canton, and it is rewarding to return it to its grandeur.

Tonight, we also celebrated the fact that Jeff and Cory got a contract on their house in Governor's Walk! As an added bonus, our great friends Gene and Elly Hobgood are purchasing their great home, so it will still feel like it is "in the family." Congratulations to all! I was very pleased to have a Sunday Supper that consisted entirely of local ingredients! I grilled some amazing heritage pork chops from Mountain Valley Farm and paired them with local produce and spice rubs from the Canton Farmers Market. Additional herbs and spices came from the garden at One Britt.

It is weekends like these that make me so thankful for a great community, good friends and local, sustainable food. Cheers to life!

The Menu:

- Mountain Valley Farm Heritage Pork Chops with Home Appétit's
  Rosemary and Citrus Spice Blend and Grilled Ellijay Mountain Apple

- Local Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chive

- Harvest Meadows' Micro Greens and Corn Shoots
  with Apple Vinaigrette

- Grilled Local Okra

- Deconstructed Fig Cobbler Tart with Mascarpone
  and Brown Family Farm Honey

Sunday, August 12, 2012

12 August 2012





What a glorious weekend! The weather has been perfect with just a little chill at night, and it feels like the long, hot summer may be winding down. Wednesday, August 15 would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, and restaurants across the country are celebrating with special menus. Of course, I had to get in on the action, so tonight's Sunday Supper is a tribute to Julia!

The main course is perhaps Julia's most popular recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon. I have always wanted to make it, so tonight's the night! I am serving it with her Pommes Parisienne – potato balls fried in clarified butter and a caprese salad from the first large heirloom tomato from the garden. For dessert, Jeff and I made her Mousseline au Chocolat, better know as chocolate mousse.

Cory and John joined us for the occasion, and they brought a lovely bottle of 2009 Bourgogne Ali Pelson - Pinot Noir from Domaine David Clark. We are also doing a comparison between this true Burgundy and an Oregon Pinot which is the same latitude as Burgundy.

We dined like kings on the side porch. Thank you, Julia, for all of the inspiration, and especially for this great quote: "Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in in." These are true words to live by, in and out of the kitchen!

Bon Appetit!

The Menu:

- Julia Childs' Beof Bourguignon

- One Britt Caprese Salad

- Pommes Parisienne

- Mousseline au Chocolat

Sunday, August 5, 2012

05 August 2012






Our trivia team, Scorpions in the Ivy, competed in the finale tournament today. The team included me, Jeff. Jennifer Dunn, Carmen Slaughter, Jessica Carter,  and Gary Mullet. We did pretty well, especially on the last bonus round, but it was not enough to place in the end. We had fun though and look forward to the games ahead. Due to the tournament, I did not get back in time to cook Sunday Supper. However, we had some dear friends over for a pool and dinner party yesterday. Amado Grabiel and Steve Martin came down from Blue Ridge, and Steve's brother, Rick, was in town from Seattle. It was a cloudy afternoon, but we had great fun in the pool! Cory and John joined us later in the afternoon, and I prepared a couple of great snacks for the pool. For starters, I picked fresh basil and figs from the garden. I drizzled the figs with balsamic vinegar and wrapped them in the basil leaves. It was a fresh and delicious combination, and you can't get much more local than your own back yard! Next, I prepared a charcuterie tray with sopressata, hard salami, Manchego cheese, cornichons, walnuts and parmesan reggiano.

For dinner, I went pretty simple with burgers and hot dogs. The grass fed hamburger came from Mountain Valley Farm in Ellijay, and it is always great. I wrapped the hot dogs in local heritage bacon from Mountain Valley, and they were quite divine! I bought a local watermelon at the Canton Farmers Market, and made a watermelon and basil salad as a side. I used the rest of the fresh figs from the garden to make a fig tart with creme cheese crust, and it was off the charts! We had dinner on the Side Porch and talked and laughed late into the evening. There is nothing better than spending time with life-long friends who stick with you through thick and thin.

I hope your weekend was filled with good friends, great food 
and lots of laughter

Sunday, July 22, 2012

22 July 2012






It has been a very fun weekend! On Friday night, we had Mexican with John and Cory, and then we went to Canton Lanes to bowl a few games with our friends Jennifer, Abraham and Carmen. It was a lot of fun!

On Saturday, Jeff and I went to the Canton Farmers Market and found sound great produce: lettuce, lady peas, okra, heirloom tomatoes and watermelon. We also picked up a couple of the t-shirts that Grant Design Collaborative designed for the farmers market. Afterward, we had some great pancakes at the Soul Food Market! Saturday turned into a rainy day, so we drove up to Ellijay to stock up on some local grass fed beef and heritage pork from Mountain Valley Farm! It's always great to see Suzy, and we have offered to bring several of our friends along the next time we visit. Last night, we stayed home and played Monopoly with the guys: Cory, John, TJ and Matt. The game lasted about six hours, and my upscale hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place delivered a win for me!

This morning, I made homemade buttermilk pancakes from scratch, and we cooked some sausage from Mountain Valley. It was, by far, the best sausage I have ever tasted! After a late breakfast, our friends Jennifer, Abraham and Erin came over and floated in the pool with us for a while. For tonight's Sunday Supper, I used all of the local produce and cooked a local grass fed pot roast from Mountain Valley. It is so great to know the people who grow and raise your food! Cory and John joined us for pot roast, fried okra, fresh lady peas and tomatoes and basil from the garden at One Britt. It was delicious and extremely satisfying!

Here's to a great weekend, good food and a busy week ahead.

The Menu:

- Georgia Grass Fed Pot Roast from Mountain Valley Farm

- Southern Fried Okra

- Fresh Lady Peas with Mountain Valley Bacon

- Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil from the Garden at One Britt

Sunday, July 8, 2012

08 July 2012

Well, it has been a few weeks since my last post, but it has been a busy summer so far. I spent a week in Chicago for work, and we managed to sneak in a long weekend at the beach with friends a few weeks ago. The past two weeks have simply been too hot to fire up the Viking! Today, however, I had to get back in the kitchen to prepare the fresh local vegetables I found at the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday! The produce is really beginning to come in, and I am excited about the rest of the summer. Hopefully, it will cool off and rain soon.

Today, most of my family came down for our annual We Are The Grants pool party! We had a great time, and it was especially fun to watch my twin grand nephews, Pierce and Reagan, enjoy the pool. We had a great day and missed those that could not make it, as well as the others who are no longer with us.

For tonight's Sunday Supper, I went with all locally grown vegetables. I bought some of the season's first okra and silver queen corn on Saturday, and both were delicious. I also cooked some Lady Peas and cornbread. We had the first heirloom tomatoes from the garden, small yellow Virginia Sweets. They are like candy, and I am looking forward to the other varieties. The fig tree is bountiful this year, but it will be at least a couple of more weeks until they are ripe.

So, that's about it for this week. Stay cool out there, and eat your vegetables!

The Menu:

- Fried Young Okra

- Silver Queen Corn with Truffle Oil

- Fresh Lady Peas

- Virginia Sweet Tomatoes with Basil, Balsamic Vinegar
   and Crunchy Salt

- Iron Skillet Cornbread







Sunday, June 3, 2012

03 June 2012










It's been a quick, yet fun, weekend. The weekend started with First Friday in Canton's Historic Downtown Loop. There were some cool classic cars, an old time rock-n-roll band, and lots of people walking down Main Street. We visited and chatted with some great friends and had a rare dinner at R&M Sandwich Shop. Donna and her team were very busy, and it is always great to see the downtown restaurants doing gangbuster business from the Main Street events.

Last night, Jeff, Cory, John and I went to see Xanadu at Actors Express in Atlanta. It was not quite the scale of Xanadu on Broadway, but they adapted the show really well to the small stage. The production provided moments of hilarity and high camp. We had a really good time and laughed a lot. The production ended with a sing-a-long to Xanadu. The crowd was very engaged and entertaining!

Today was busy as well. We got up early and intended to have breakfast at Keithsburg Cafe, but they were swamped! Great to see a small independent restaurant doing great. So, we wound up at The Fork & Tavern, and our girlfriend, Jennifer Dunn, joined us for an early brunch. After brunch, we went to Home Depot to get some mulch for the garden and washers for some minor plumbing repairs. Jeff proceeded to mulch the garden, and it looks very nice. I went into the office for a couple of hours to catch up on some work. I spent most of the time compiling a master strategy for Canton's Main Street program. The board of directors had a planning session a few weeks ago, and we are presenting the resulting strategy to City Council on Thursday. Hopefully, we will get approval and a commitment for funding so we can continue our efforts to revitalize Canton's downtown core. We have worked very hard, and countless volunteer hours have been committed to our program. Now it is time for the City of Canton and our Council to walk their talk and support Main Street in a meaningful manner. I am optimistic and hopeful!

After working most of the afternoon, I pulled together a simple Sunday Supper. I am off to Chicago next week for NeoCon, an annual trade show for the commercial furnishings industry. I have been attending this show for over 25 years, and we will be launching some new product and brand initiatives for our carpet client, J&J Industries. I am confident our hard work and strategic branding efforts will prove successful for them, and it is always fun to spend some time in the Windy City with friends and colleagues. Plus, it is a fabulous food city! Since I will not be able to cook Sunday Supper next weekend, I wanted to fit one in tonight. I had a couple of grass fed filets from MountainValley Farm in the freezer, so I thawed and cooked them. I paired the steaks with some charred and truffled organic cauliflower, fresh English peas and a tomato and basil salad from our garden. We also enjoyed a bottle of Shotgun Second Reload from Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega. There's nothing like Georgia grass fed beef and local wine! For dessert, I whipped up a quick cream scone with organic raspberries and frozen vanilla yogurt.

All in all, it was a healthy and delicious Sunday Supper. I hope your weekend was equally magic and delicious!

The Menu:

- MountainValley Grass Fed Filets
- Charred Organic Cauliflower with Truffle Oil,
  Lemon and Pepper Flakes
- Fresh English Peas
- One Britt Tomato and Basil Salad over Holland Rusk
- Cream Scone with Raspberries and Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
- Shotgun Second Reload by Frogtown Cellars