Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Four Eyes and 6 Wines

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How much can you fit into one day?

Apparently I decided to try and find out yesterday.

I ran a new route and even with the (somewhat unexpected) hills and kept a good pace.  My legs felt really stong after a Thursday rest day.

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 48:06 mins
  • Pace – 8:01

My legs did feel a bit heavy at mile 5, but that didn’t prevent me from sprinting to make a cross walk and then running up and down my street to get the last quarter mile (had to make an even 6!).

Recovery smoothie time.  Thursday’s smoothie list reminded me of a old favorite – mocha banana.  It was just as delicious as I remembered.

Mocha = Smoothie in a Mug

I worked from home in the morning, but took a moment to make a crust (to be filled in a few mins this morning).

Any guesses as to what it’s getting filled with?

I also took a moment to learn a very import lesson about why you should wear a shirt while baking.

Due to an eye appointment, I took a lunch break from Excel.

I’m loving my new doc, Dr. Reena Gupta, at Ansley Eye Care!  She fixed me up with an updated prescription and new glasses to replace my old (5+ years?!) pair.  She get extra rockstar points for being at work just 1 month after having a baby!

Which is better?  1?  2?  Or 3?

They arrive next week!

Starbucks has become my home-away-from-home during this crazy work period.

I tried one of their new lunch boxes – the Chipotle Chicken Wraps.

Verdict: Not bad.  It was <400 calories and had 26g of protein.  The sauce was delish and I loved that it came with a piece of dark chocolate.  The tortilla could have been more fresh, but for a boxed lunch it was fine.

After chowing down, I found a new ring in the fiery pits of Excel hell  more working from Starbucks ensued.

No matter – because then I got to celebrate the weekend with an Italian wine tasting!  Perrine does a great job with these at her shop – complete with an awesome cheese spread.

She even brings in the wine makers.  There is nothing cooler than talking to the Italian wine maker while sipping on his wine…

…except when you get that Italian grower to autograph your newly-acquired bottle of his signature wine.

Corinne and I will be visiting Alessandro Bocci and enjoying the wines at Perazzeta in Italia. 🙂

The icing on this day’s cake was sharing one of those bottles over (another) delicious dinner at Bocado.

That beet salad with farro, avocado, hazelnuts, and oranges is seriously addicting.  If you’re in ATL, don’t miss it!

And that, my friends, is how you fill up a Friday.

***

You guys were cracking me up about the peanuts and coke yesterday.  I kind of want to try it…

What are you doing this weekend?  

Is anyone running a race?  I’m missing it after a couple weeks off!

Winning Trifecta

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Today is a winning day!

  1. My birthday party (we gonna party like it’s your birthday…)
  2. The Auria earbud winner is announced
  3. MY BEST FRIEND’S WATER BROKE!!!  There’s going to be a baby boy today!
Clearly, I have things to do. 🙂  Here are a couple of birthday highlights:
Fried Ice Cream “Cake”
Mom’s Red Velvet Cupcakes
Awesome, wine-themed present from Mom and Baby Sis
BUT… you want a winner.
The lucky winner (chosen by Mom) is….
Congrats, Katy!
***
I’m off for a quick sweat at kickboxing before continuing with party prep and waiting on a baby!
What are you doing this weekend?
Did it cool off where you live?  It’s only going to be 80 here today!

Closer I Am to Fine

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Last night was a late one.

Therefore today’s blog is a late one. 🙂

 

I went to see the Indigo Girls at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

The event is on the lawn and you can pre-order food from Metro Fresh to picnic with.

 

Peach caprese, roasted turkey sandwich with apples and walnut pesto, black pearl rice with mushrooms, and grilled asparagus with lemon aioli.

All very good – my favorite with the sandwich, which also included white Vermont cheddar and apples.

 

And, of course, a bottle of wine.

 

It wasn’t the best, but not the worst.

 

The Indigo Girls were my favorite band in college and they didn’t disappoint last night!

 

They opened the show with Yield and played a good mix of old and new all night.

Favorite new lyrics:

“My, my how time flies. The first time I met you had to shade my eyes.”

 

Despite a mid-concert torrential downpour, people stayed for the whole show, singing and dancing their hearts out.*

*Except the woman next to us, who was passed out cold. Too much crappy Chardonnay will do it every time, lady.

After the rain let up, Emily played Watershed.  Appropriately timed, FTW.

“Every 5 years or so I look back on my life and I have a good laugh.”

I really like her restaurant, Watershed.  (Click through to the site where you can check out the restaurant while listening to the song!)

If you’re ever in Atlanta check out their brunch, or for dinner don’t miss the white bean dip.  Sounds plain, but YUM.

Encore!  Encore!

Amy and Emily came out for their encore and played Chickenman.  It’s my favorite song.  Love the energy of it and Emily’s bangin’ guitar solo mid-song.

“I am an only child born of the wild, riddled to spend my time defending my land.”

You can’t have an Indigo Girls concert without Closer to Fine, which the crown enthusiastically sang along to.  An oldie but a goodie.

“The best thing you’ve ever done for me is to help me take my life less seriously, it’s only life after all”

***

I need to get out to more concerts – good times.

What was your favorite back in high school or college?

What’s the best show you’ve seen lately?

Chef Summer Series – Bruce Logue

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Wednesday’s dinner was so good I woke up still in a food coma.

Yes, I realize that makes no sense.

The best way to recover from a massive dinner is a run.  The reason I love a morning-after run isn’t due to excess calorie intake.  The purpose of the run is to sweat out the stuff my body hates.

See, I LOVE dining out.  I like rich foods.  I like red meat.  I like wine a lot.  My body can’t stand those things.  I actually woke up in the middle of the night in a full sweat as my body rejected the aforementioned.

Today’s run was to sweat it all out.

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:17 mins
  • Pace – 8:04 mins

In today’s heat, sweating was not difficult.

The most important part of the morning-after run is to strike the “I’m a bad ass” pose.

What deliciousness brought on the morning-after run?

My friend Corrine and I attended another of ONE Midtown Kitchen‘s Summer Chef Series.  (Remember the first one with Chef Hugh Acheson?)

This week’s guest was Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina (my favorite Italian place in Atlanta).

Chef Bruce Logue

The amuse, 1st and 5th courses are done by ONE’s Chef Drew Van Leuvan and courses 2-4 are by the guest chef.  Each course is served with a pairing.

The Menu

As we waited for all of the guest to arrive, we were treated to crisp glass of sparkling wine that I wish I knew the name of.  It was light and refreshing after coming in from the heat.

Amuse

One of my my favorite dishes of the night – Potato Zeppole wrapped with a charred beef and dusted with rosemary and freshly ground pepper.

1st Course

This was my favorite.  We learned as the dish was being served that Chef Drew used to own a pasta making company.

That was apparent in the perfection on this Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Tortellini.  It was served with a tomato that had been roasting for 3 hours, smoked cream, and lemon verbena.

All of the flavors we good, but the perfection of the pasta made the dish.  It was so light it almost melted in my mouth.

The pairing was great as well.  A glass of Borgo Conventi, Collio Sauvignon 2009.  It was ok on it’s own, but paired with the dish the flavors grew and we discovered this was an incredible multi-layer, complex wine.  Brassy and floral, then a super-juicy melon, followed with a clean ending. Cheers.

2nd Course

This was the only problem of the night.  The planned course was to be a burrata, but it apparently was delayed in it’s arrival from La Pietra.  Therefore, we were served the 3rd couse.

The Cavatelli with green garlic, asparagus, and a white bolognese.  Cavatelli is similar to gnocchi; however it is made from flour, semolina, and water (no potato like gnocchi).

It was quite good – chewy pasta, rich bolognese, crunch scapes.

The pairing was excellent… and is now my favorite Italian beer!  Menaerea Ambe.  The beer was a nutty, surprisingly light amber with a touch of honey

The problem was the order – this rich pasta dish following another intensely-flavored pasta dish was too much.  We needed the lighter course and sparkly beverage originally planned here to rest the palate.

3rd Course

The originally planned 2nd course came out next: Whipped Burrata with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and pesto genovese.

I love burrata, so whipped burrata seemed like a good idea and it would have been at a 2nd course.  Unfortunately, by there time we got to this we were ready to keep going to the meat.  The table agreed that it was like being brought down too soon at this point.

Don’t get me wrong – it was still tasty and the whipped burrata was interesting.  Almost ricotta-like.  The pesto was the highlight of this dish – not too cheese-reliant, allowing the basil to shine.

The pairing was not the best.  It was called a Ruby Slip: Absolut Ruby Red, Prosecco, and Lemon.  The drink itself would have been a great starter, but was wayyyyy to light at this point in the meal.

4th Course

Milk and Fennel Roasted Pork Arista with a warm broccoli salad and truffle chips.

Truffle chips are just as good as they sound like they would be, FYI.


Arista is just a fancy way of saying pork loin cooked in milk.  It is extremely moist and flavorful without being too rich.

The pairing was a Due Torri Pinot Noir.  I was more than ready for a good red and this fit the bill.  It was full of berries on the palate and finished with a hint of spice.

5th Course

We were stuffed at this point.  They brought out dessert and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.  It was a HUGE Blackberry Tart.

Thankfully, there is a whole other part of the stomach for dessert.

It wasn’t actually berry-heavy.  The tart was filled with a couple of blackberries, pecan cream, and… gorgonzola granita.  I finished it like a champ.

The gorgonzola granita stole this show – a salty, cheesy, ice cream topping.

The pairing was weird.  It was a deep glass of Tenuta Lodola Nuova, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004.  I get where they were going, matching it to stand up to the granita.  However, it was way too intense for any bite that didn’t have the granita.  The smoky, leathery taste and chewy tannis overshadowed the tart filling… it was really good with the Pinot I had left for the previous course though!

See why I woke up in a food coma?!

***

One of my favorite parts about these dinners is meeting new people, as seating is communal-style. I promised the people at out table a shout out: Hellooooo! 🙂

What is your “cure” for over-indulgence?

Is your body less of a fan of certain foods than your palate is?

Spinach-Walnut Pesto + WIAW

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It’s cherry season!

Cherries are one of my favorite grab-and-go snacks, as well as a favorite dessert addition.

Apparently they have a ton of health benefits too!

  • High in anti-oxidants
  • Act as anti-inflammatories
  • May help fight cancer
  • Loaded with minerals (potassium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese)

It’s also WIAW!  This is one of my favorite “events” (Jenn @ Peas & Crayons is a genius for thinking this up) because I love getting inspiration from what others are creating/eating, and I love finding new blogs to read in all my spare time.

You know when you’re sick, have no appetite, and nothing sounds good?  This lead to a day full of eclectic snacks and small meals.

Why did my immune system miss the memo that it’s 90 flippin’ degrees outside?!

Breakfast

Sick –> comfort food –> oatmeal.

Sweet berries + salty cottage cheese = oatmeal deliciousness

Cherry oatmeal!  I made this the old-fashioned way on the stove top.  In my comfort oats:

  • Almond milk
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cherries
  • Blueberries
  • Cinnamon

Lunch

Salad on the road:

  • Spinach
  • Orange sections
  • Edamame (which sunk to the bottom)
  • Liquid aminos

To dress this salad, I used the orange juice and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.

If you haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend doing so.  Liquid Aminos are NON-GMO soybeans and purified water.  The taste is similar to soy sauce, though its much more mild and less salty.  Added bonus: it comes in a spray bottle!

Snacks

Brazil Nuts

Think Thin Chocolate Toffee Bar

with…

New PB! Sunland Almond and Roasted Valencia

I added sriracha

Dinner

My spaghetti squash with it’s leeks and lovely Spinach-Walnut Pesto looked like this when I started:

Then I attacked it!  Mmmmm…

I  love spaghetti squash to begin with, but adding a bright, lemon-y, flavorful pesto made it amazing.  I also tossed it with some sautéed leeks.  Topped off with freshly ground pepper to set it all off.

Never tried spaghetti squash?  It’s mild flavor and spaghetti-like texture means you can use it in place of pasta in virtually anything. Click here for a “how to.”

Perfect welcome for Summer on the solstice. 🙂

Spinach-Walnut Pesto

  • 2 C fresh spinach
  • 1/4 C fresh basil
  • 1/4 C walnuts
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
  • Juice from 1/2 a small lemon
  • S+P, to taste

Toss all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed.  You may need to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally.

Makes 9-10 tablespoons.

***

Master sommelier Andrea Robinson says the perfect solstice pairing is a glass of champagne.  Had I felt better, I would have indulged!

Did you do anything to celebrate the solstice?

What are your favorite comfort foods with you don’t feel well?

Surprise Blondies

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Last night’s was another Screen on the Green in the park across from my condo.

One of the reasons I love Atlanta

The showing was 16 Candles.  My group was enthusiastic about re-living the 80s on the lawn with bottles of wine.

This is Kathleen’s enthusiastic face. Really.

Our wine of choice was a Malbec (one of my favorite varieties).  I was gifted a bottle of a 2008 Antigal Uno from Mendoza, Argentina.  It was perfect of the slightly crisp evening.

We enjoyed it with crackers and Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper (a creatively-named sheep’s milk cheese).  It was a great pairing!  I could also see this wine being wonderful with pizza or lamb.

Name: 2008 Antigal Uno

Tasting Notes: Lingering juicy blackberry taste, followed with end notes of chocolate.  As it opened up, a hint of spice in the middle.  Satisfyingly smooth ending.

Price: ~$15

Added bonus: the bottle is really neat

One the friends is gluten-free, so I thought this was the perfect time to try out a special recipe for her!  Sadly, she isn’t eating any carbs right now.  Happily, that meant more for me!

I gave her one in a baggie to take home and freeze for when she’s eating carbs again. 🙂

She should have had a bite… ’cause they were really friggin’ good.

Blondie had a bite.

Leggo my Blondie!

For my friends’ benefit, I referred to these as “Surprise Blondies” due to the secret ingredient.

Katie @ Chocolate-Covered Katie shared these “Genius Blondies” a while ago and I’ve had them bookmarked ever since.

Bloggers were raving about how good they are… but sometimes these “trends” turn out to be all hype.  I’ve tried a few and they weren’t realllly all that good (microwave protein muffins down right suck).

Katie’s Blondies? They live up to the hype.

Blondies have more fun

 Katie’s were originally made in a brownie pan.  I would use mini-muffin tins.  That way they’re easier to serve and you don’t need to cook them very long (the faster I can get to my dessert, the better).  You can fill each hole nearly to the top with dough – they aren’t going to puff up a lot (i.e. they aren’t going to turn into muffins).

I used a square “bar” pan.  This pan rocks, btw.

 I made adjustments to 90% of the ingredient amounts and added a couple items, so I’m re-posting the entire thing for ease.  Know that they originated here with Katie.

Surprise Blondies

  • 1.5 C chickpeas (drained and rinsed with skins removed)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 packet Stevia
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 C ground flax
  • 1/4 C peanut butter
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, blend all ingredients (except chocolate chips) until completely smooth.  Hand mix in chips, and scoop into a greased mini-muffin tins.

Bake 15 mins.  You want them a teensy bit under-done so they remain moist and doughy when cooled.

Note: You don’t HAVE to remove the skins from the chickpeas, but it will make the batter much more smooth.  (Same goes for using them in hummus, FYI.)

***

What’s your favorite way to sneak in veggies?

Mine is now Zucchini Oatmeal.  Or these brownies.  And, of course I’m now a Blondie-believer.

Souper Underground Supper Club

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Atlanta is BIG on Supper Clubs and special “Chef Series.”

Maybe it’s due to the economy?  

Make the ~$100 meal exclusive (i.e. limited seating) and people believe they are paying for something truly special.  Although it isn’t always perfectly executed (i.e. worth the price tag), my food adventures this week certainly were worth it!

Wednesday night’s dinner with Hugh Acheson was incredible.  Tonight’s dinner was equally good (if not better… shhhh!).

Given I’ve become a professional this week recently, I thought I’d share the ingredients for a exclusive fantastic dinner.

The Pre-Run:

  • Distance – 6.2 miles
  • Time: 52:38
  • Pace: 8:44

The Fabulous Friend:

Me with the lovely Kathleen

The Graceful Host:

The legendary Jennifer Levison of Souper Jenny

The Perfect Setting:

Secret Garden

The Talented Chef:

Jenny with Chef David Sweeny, formerly of Dynamic Dish

The Epic Entertainment:

That’s a belly dancer. With a wine glass on her head.

Do NOT try this at home (at least on a light colored rug)

The belly dancer was too cool.  She was dancing, shaking what her mamma gave her, and doing splits without spilling a drop of that wine on her head.  She’s my new idol.

Good food is also key.  This secret supper club succeeded.

The chef, David Sweeny, owned the now-defunct Dynamic Dish.  Dynamic Dish was a vegetarian restaurant in town.  In my opinion, it was one of the best overall restaurants.  Local, fresh ingredients were carefully prepared for the daily menu.  Why can’t places like this stay in business?!

Anyway, tonight we were lucky enough to enjoy David’s creations once again.  These dishes did include meat – I asked David if he was a vegetarian and found it funny that he is not.  Whatever, boy can cook!

90% of everything served was organic and locally sourced.  As in picked from a Georgia farm the day before this dinner. The meat was also local, sourced from a farm in North Georgia (who knew GA had lamb?!).

Hors d’oeuvres consisted of Borekas and pickled radishes (which I couldn’t stop eating).

Then we made our way to the garden for the cold course:

Cold Course

Clockwise, the plate consisted of:

  • M’Tabbal – puree of grilled eggplant, sesame, yogurt, cucumber, parsley, mint, and olives
  • Sesame Tandoori
  • Warak Ei Nab Zait – Wine leaves filled with Egyptian rice, lamb, beef, fennel, and Lebanese spice (my FAVORITE)
  • Tajan – spicy puree of sweet peppers, preserved lemon, pine nuts, and sesame
  • Heirloom tomatoes

While I could have eaten the cold course all night long, next up was the Hot Course:

Hot Course

  • Kefta Halabieh – grilled skewers of minced local lamb and beef
  • Grilled Summer Squash
  • Kofteuk Tabouleh – fine grain Syrian bulgar, mint, parsley, and turmeric
  • Crem Tum – creamy basil and garlic sauce (I wish I knew more because it was fantastic)
  • Tajan

What would any meal be without dessert?

Dessert

Homemade Baklava with Orange Cardamom Ice Cream and a Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt.

One VERY important tip:

Look before you sip if you’re dining outside. 🙂

Thank you to Jenny, David, and the Souper Jenny team for an amazing, gourmet food-filled evening.  Not to mention some incredible dining companions.  I am so lucky to live in a town among such passionate, creative people.

If you’re ever in Atlanta don’t miss lunch at Jenny’s restaurant, Souper Jenny.

***

I think I’m developing a supper club addiction.

Would you have finished that glass of wine? (After fishing out the bug, of course.)

Did anyone else nearly melt in the heat this weekend? Not that I’m complaining…

Chef Summer Series – Hugh Acheson

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Before I write about yet another gluttonous feast delicious dinner…

 

Let’s talk about running in 90 degree temps.

 

I took off today a little later than planned (see the last pic in the post for an explanation).  It was already closing in on 90 when I got outside to run.  Nothing like a little sweat.  My original plan was 7 miles.

My Reality:

  • Distance – 5 miles
  • Time – 41:58
  • Pace – 8:32

 

A good pace, but I think it’s just because I hauled it home at the end just to get it over with.  Seriously.

I have NEVER felt like I might puke during a run before.. Until today (no, it wasn’t the champagne, thankyouverymuch).  It was so hot and I was sweating so hard… not pretty.  I need hot weather running tips.  Or I need to wake up earlier.

 

There was a treat waiting for me when I got back.  The vegan SunWarrior Protein Powder I ordered arrived!  Vanilla flavor.

Still sweating, I got to work making a huge green vanilla-almond shake with my new powder.

 

I wanted SO badly to like it. The ingredients/nutrients are awesome.

It’s chalky and not-so-tasty.  Any one want a full (minus one scoop) bag of this?  I’ll ship it to ya!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s talk about something much more delicious!  Wednesday night was a dinner of epic proportions.

 

One of the new friends I met while going solo to the Food and Wine Festival and I went to the first in a Chef’s Summer Series put on by ONE. Midtown Kitchen.

The series of dinners consists of 5 course meals with pairings prepared by some of Atlanta’s best chefs in conjunction with ONE’s chef, Drew Van Leuvan.  Last night’s meal with Hugh Acheson from Empire State South was outstanding!

James River Oyster with limoncello and lemon verbena

L to R: Summer Squash, Warm Bucheron, Veal Sweetbread, and Weisswurst all over Salsa Verde

Beets, Radishes, Arugula, Nasturtiums, and Pickled Ramps with a Charred Vidalia Cream

Beef Tartare with Cured Local Yolk, Crisp Tendon, Baby Fennel, and Tomato

Riverview Pork Loin with Braised Belly, Mixed Bean Escabeche, Sorghum & Green Tomato Chow Chow

Tres Leches with Blackberries, Lime Sugar, and Vanilla Lime Sorbet

The food was amazing. Except the oysters.  I do NOT like them, Sam I Am. Other than the ocean food, I can’t even choose a favorite course.

The flavors on each plate were spot on – they played off of each other such that each bite was better than the last.  Well done, Hugh and Drew!

Did I mention each course had champagne pairings?!

 

The champagne pairings were interesting.  I thought by the end they were a bit of a stretch (5 champagne pairings = HARD).  And I probably more champagne last night than I drank in all of 2010 combined.  Ouch.

My favorite by far was a Chateau St Michelle Luxe.  It paired really well with the tartare, something I didn’t think a sparkler could effectively do. At $20/bottle, it’s a get deal too!


We are planning to attend a few more.  June 29th with Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina is next on my list.  La Pietra is one of my top 5 restaurants in Atlanta!

***

Talk about a champagne high!  I’m going to take a teensy break from drinking.  At least until Supper Club Saturday.  Supper Clubs and Dinner Series are really popular here.

Do you have a lot of dinner events/clubs in your area?

Do you like the sweeter champagnes or dry?  Or do you care (mimosas anyone)?

 

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