Sunday, February 16, 2014

16 February 2014








It has been a marathon weekend. Friday night, Valentine's Day, was spent in Atlanta at the Four Seasons! After cocktails in the lounge, we proceeded to downtown Atlanta for dinner at White Oak Kitchen. While the atmosphere was less than intimate, the dinner was divine. We opted for the four course meal with wine pairings, and it did not disappoint. The meal began with a celery root salad followed by a delectable smoked trout mousse. The entree delivered with a grass fed filet with parsnip tart topped with an Ellijay apple and black truffle relish. The flavor truly etched a moment in my mind! After dinner, we returned the hotel for a nightcap with my favorite server of many years. Regardless of how long I stay away, she always remembers my quirky drink – a Colorado Martini: shot of Belvedere Vodka and Baileys shaken up. It was a great start to a memorable weekend.

On Saturday morning, we had an enjoyable breakfast at Babs on Juniper. I had heard about this little gem for many years, and it delivered. The food was delicious, and the owners entertained. We returned to Canton with full bellies in time for a short respite. Saturday night consisted of an amazing evening at the Cherokee Arts Center for Gospel Fest IV. I was asked by the event's founder and former Canton Councilwoman, Pat Tanner, to offer a welcome from the City of Canton. It was an honor and a privilege to have my first "ceremonial" duty as a councilman to introduce this incredible event. The theater was filled with some of my favorite people, and the night was magical and uplifting. My dear friend, Carmen Tanner Slaughter, served as Mistress of Ceremony, and she preached the truth! Her talent, heart and spirit defines humanity, and the entertainment raised the roof from start to finish. Among many blessings that night, I was thrilled to have my niece Kacey, her husband Chris and my twin grand nephews, Pierce and Reagan, in attendance. After the amazing show, we ventured to Riverstone Corner Bistro for a late dinner. We had a great time, and they treated us very well – as usual. In addition to our impromptu dinner mates, Sandy McGrew, Gary Mullet, Will Carlan, Carmen Tanner Slaughter, Cantrece Gober and the incomparable Jennifer Dunn, we were happy to find our neighbors – Pat, Nugget and Michael Gold – at a nearby table. As always, Mike and Shelly Farrar and their staff hosted with style and grace. The twins proclaimed they wanted to eat at RCB every night and returned to the Hampton Inn to enjoy their first night in a hotel. Oh the joys and carefree spirit of childhood!

Sunday began with a slow start followed by a vigorous hike around town. Jeff and I walked from One Britt down to the new Etowah Park. From there, we caught the railroad tracks along the river to downtown where we scaled a steep hill to the historic cemetery behind the Arts Center. From there, we proceeded down East Main Street to home. The Bailey family was waiting to follow us to Cherokee Market and Scott Boys BBQ for lunch. The twins and I enjoyed feeding buns to Cow 97 and petting Josie before chowing down on the best barbecue in North Georgia! While there, we were happy to find our friends Meghan Griffin, Quinlan and Jack Tuszynski enjoying the smoked goodness as well. After lunch, we ventured inside Cherokee Market to chat with Lisa Meyer and curate ingredients for tonight's Sunday Supper. In honor of our dear friend's 30th birthday, I decided to cook a vegetarian Sunday Supper for John Clark. Johnny turned 30 on Thursday, and we celebrated with a post snowstorm meal at Union Hill Grill. Since his party was somewhat subdued by the week's weather, I wanted to honor his milestone with a tad more celebration. I went for an interpretation of the typical steak and potato dinner with a vegetarian twist. Most of the fresh ingredients came from Cherokee Market, and I prepared cauliflower steaks with "smashed" red potatoes. For the sides, I cooked fried winter okra with a homemade ranch dipping sauce, braised baby Vidalia Onions, and roasted garlic with Tuscan bread. For dessert, I baked Johnny a Honeybell Orange Pound Cake with orange scented whipped cream. We chowed down and followed a great dinner with the latest episode of Downton Abbey.

So the weekend filled my soul, spirit and stomach with an amazing celebration of family, friendship and community. Tonight, my sweet dreams will be filled with blessings and the joy of life. This weekend, I followed the path less taken, and that made all the difference.

Peace Out.

The Menu:

- Cauliflower Steaks with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley

- Smashed Red Potatoes

- Fried Winter Okra with Ranch Dipping Sauce

- Braised Baby Vidalia Onions

- Roasted Garlic Bulbs with Tuscan Bread

- Honeybell Pound Cake with Orange Scented Whipped Cream

- A Bushel of Gratitude



The Recipe – Cauliflower Steaks with Lemon and Garlic

1 head Cauliflower
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
Juice and Zest of 1/2 Lemon
1 tsp Paprika
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment.

Remove the leaves from the Cauliflower and try to not damage too much of the stem. Thoroughly rinse, and then slice the Cauliflower into 1/2 inch slices from the stem to the top. Add any lose florets to the pan.

In a large bowl combine Olive Oil, Parsley, Garlic, Lemon Juice and Zest, Paprika, and a small pinch of Salt. Arrange in one even layer on the cookie sheet, and brush with the garlic and lemon mixture.

Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until things are golden brown and crispy on the edges.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

09 February 2014







It has been a beautiful weekend in Canton, but more snow and ice may be on the way this week. On Friday night, we watched the opening ceremony for the Sochi olympics. I thought it was very well executed, and the floor projection technology was very impressive. Yesterday, we went to Atlanta for the day and had a very nice walk around Piedmont Park and the Beltline. The weather was perfect, and afterward, we stopped at Antico Pizza for a late lunch. It was as delicious as always. I picked up some Italian spaghetti while we were there, and I used it for tonight's Sunday Supper.

Today, we enjoyed a spontaneous gathering of friends at Scott Boys BBQ at Cherokee Market. The barbecue was amazing as always, and I stocked up on some fresh produce and local grass fed beef. These supplies may come in handy if we get snowed it later this week. I also bought some beautiful artichokes from Lisa and cooked them as a side to my spaghetti and meatballs. I baked some fresh rosemary and parmesan focaccia, and it turned out great. Not a bad meal for a wanna be chef!

After dinner, we took a field trip to Menchie's Yogurt, and I had my favorite flavor – salted caramel. Now, our stomachs are full as we prepare to watch Downton Abbey. I have a busy week ahead, so I hope the weather cooperates. Wishing you all a great week.

The Menu:

- Spaghetti and Meatballs

- Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Butter

- Rosemary and Parmesan Focaccia

- Old World Chianti

The Recipe – Rosemary and Parmesan Focaccia

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Fresh Chopped Rosemary
Parmesan Reggiano

Directions:

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm place until the yeast is bubbling, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.

Put the dough onto the pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. When the dough rises again, it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia.

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt, chopped rosemary, parmesan and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting.



Sunday, February 2, 2014

02 February 2014 – Super Bowl Sunday








Although it is Super Bowl Sunday, my obsession with ethnic food continues. For a genuine "wanna be" chef, this merely presents an opportunity to innovate. Last week, I had intended on cooking Cuban food for Sunday Supper, but after an overly zealous birthday celebration, I never got around to cooking. So when this week rolled around, I was torn between my traditional Super Bowl Party dishes and Cuban recipes. Therefore, I decided to merge the two concepts into what I refer to as Cuban Super Bowl Fusion. It was an interesting and fun challenge, and the results were quite good.

Speaking of a fusion approach, most of my afternoon was filled with sourcing local ingredients from a variety of sources. The excursion began at Cherokee Market where I found local grass fed ground beef, onions, cilantro and other great produce purveyed by the lovely Lisa Meyer. Of course, I could not stop at Cherokee Market without partaking in some Scott Boys BBQ for lunch! Afterward, I stopped by La Luna Bakery on Marietta Highway to purchase some fresh baked Cuban rolls. The Luna's are wonderful people, and their food is delicious! Stop by and try their Caldo de Pollo and amazing Cuban sandwiches! The next stop was down the street at Ramirez Grocery. This locally owned Latino grocery is always a delight. Here, I found some perfectly ripened avocados, limes and plantains. The final ingredients came from Publix, so even my shopping was a fusion experience.

After spending some fun time with friends in downtown Canton for the Main Street's Tailgating event, I came home to begin the meal. Jeff spent the weekend in Orlando at a conference, so I wanted to treat him to a home cooked meal upon his return. He had no idea about my eclectic concept, but he seemed to enjoy the results. Cory Wilson and John Clark came over to dine with us while we watched the Super Bowl, and they brought some delicious Brecca Old Vine Garnacha to accompany the meal. So here's what I prepared for my Cuban Super Bowl Fusion cuisine. Instead of nachos or potato skins, I made some Cuban sandwich egg rolls. They are traditional egg rolls, but I used Cuban sandwich ingredients instead of Asian fillings. The base recipe was inspired by one I found in my favorite magazine, Garden & Gun.
As a replacement for wings, I made Pollo de la Plancha – Cuban Grilled Chicken. For the guacamole substitute, I prepared a simple avocado and onion salad, and my burgers were disguised as Frita Cubanas – Cuban Hamburgers with homemade ketchup. All in all, it was an interesting and very fun spin on my Super Bowl Sunday party food!

After dinner, we enjoyed the Half Time Show, especially the impressive performance by the uber talented Bruno Mars. For me, he is a fusion performer too, a perfect cross between James Brown and Michael Jackson. Next stop, the Opening Ceremony for the Sochi Olympics. Until then, I hope your upcoming week is the perfect blend of happiness and good intention.

The Menu:

- Cuban Sandwich Egg Rolls

- Pollo de la Plancha – Grilled Cuban Chicken

- Avocado and Red Onion Salad

- Frita Cubanas – Traditional Cuban Hamburgers with
Homemade Cuban Ketchup

- Brecca Old Vine Garnacha


The Recipe – Cuban Sandwich Spring Rolls

(adapted from Garden & Gun)

1 lb. ground pork

1 cup shredded manchego cheese

¼ cup sliced dill pickles

1 package spring roll wrappers, thawed
1 lb. sliced Serrano ham (I used prosciutto instead)

4 whole eggs, beaten with a fork

Oil for frying
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup yellow mustard


In a hot pan, sauté the ground pork until completely cooked. Set aside and let cool. Then add to a food processor with half the cheese and all of the pickles and process thoroughly.

Lay out one spring roll wrapper with the point facing toward you, so that it looks like a diamond. Lay a piece of sliced Serrano on top, then add a spoonful of the pork-cheese-and-pickle mixture, and sprinkle a little bit more cheese on top of that. Brush beaten egg over the edges of the wrap. Then fold the bottom point of the wrapper over the filling so that it extends 1/3 of the way up the length of the wrapper. Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper over that and roll it up tightly. Deep fry rolls until browned on the outside and gooey on the inside, about 2 minutes. Combine mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and serve as a dipping sauce. Since I have an aversion to mayonnaise, I used Chinese hot mustard instead, and it worked well.