September 18, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 1 Comment

Cat Scratch Fever

Shortly after going to bed last night, I was woken by a really loud noise.

It sounded like someone had “cow-tipped” a 300-lb. rat, and the big fat rat was desperately scrambling, with its giant scratchy ratty toenails, to right itself on the hardwood floors. It fell. It scrambled. It scratched. It took out a lamp. It fell again. Scratchie, scratchie, scramble, scramble.

I sat up. David grumbled something in his sleep that sounded like “Fracklefarklefrack. Cats.”

I grabbed my glasses and squinted through the darkness. Cats, yeah, for sure; where are the cats?

Brodie, typically the first against the wall in a shennanigan revolution, was fast asleep at the end of the bed. Well, was fast asleep. He cracked an eye open by a slit, like, “Awww, Ma. I’m sleepin.”

I peered through the gloom for Keegan, who should have been curled up on the other corner of the bed.

Keegan, the good cat, who never misbehaves or causes trouble. Keegan, the quiet, dignified cat.

No Keegan.

Giant rat falls over again. Louder. Thump. Scramble, scramble. Scratchie, scritchie, scramble.

“Keegan?” I whisper.

Silence.

“Keegan??” Louder.

Thump. Scratchie. Scrible. Scramble.

I crept downstairs, based on the noise, expecting a scene of tsunami-like destruction. At the least, the kind of damage that a 300-lb rat would inflict on a living room after consistently falling over and scrambling to right itself.

I turned on the light.

No flipped over furniture. No tossed cabinets. Not even a beat-up, discombobulated rat. Simply a small, slightly-chubby, orange and white cat. A cat calmly sitting in the middle of the floor. A cat looking up at me with the most innocent expression I may have ever seen on the face of a small, slightly-chubby orange and white cat. Nothing dumped over. No chaos. No calamity. I swear to God he smothered a yawn with one immaculate paw.

“Keegan! Jeeezuuusss. We’re sleeping!”

He begins to lick his butt.

Shaking my head, I climbed the stairs, crawled back into bed and drifted back into sleep.

Minutes/hours pass.

WHOMP! SCRAMBLE! SCRITCHIESCRITCHIESCRAMBLE!

I leapt from bed, ran down the stairs and peered again into the gloom. Dear God, what is up with the racket!!!

I turned on the light.

“WTF? Keegan!”

What was he doing to make all that noise? Juggling with power tools? Rollerskating in circles? Re-arranging the furniture? Sliding down the hallway on just his claws? What the hell was he trying to do, drive me completely insane?

Frustrated, I stormed down the stairs, swooped him up and carried him to the couch. Shaking my finger in his furry face, I explained to him that it was sleepy time and that meant for ALL of us. I pointed to the corner of the couch.

“Go! Sleep!”

Keegan looked suitably chastised. He curled up on the assigned cushion.

I went back upstairs and back to bed.

Time passed.

Thump. Scratchie. Scrible. Scramble.

At this point, I was getting really angry. I don’t usually lose my temper with the cats, but I was exhausted and this was ridiculous. Some sick feline game. Well, in theory, I was Mom. Breadwinner. Possessor of thumbs. Opener of cat food cans. Certainly due some form of respect and obedience.

“Keegan!” I hissed, into the blackness.

Thump. Scratchie. Scrible. Scramble.

Wearily, I drug myself to the stairs. I flipped the wall switch and the stairwell filled with light.

“That’s it, you furry little bastard.” I snarled. “It’s seriously sleepy time now. No more of that.” I snatched him up and dumped him on the foot of the bed.

David groaned in his sleep and pulled the covers over his head.

“Keegan! Stay there. Sleep. Now.”

Keegan obliged and I climbed back into bed. Finally, I think. He’s finally tired, too. I’ve won.

I felt fairly smug, in all that silence, so eventually I drifted off to sleep.

WHOMP! SCRAMBLE!

Furious, I scrambled out of bed only to find Keegan sleeping peacefully on David’s feet.

I looked over the rail.

The darkness was very quiet.

Suspiciously quiet.

I slowly walked down the stairs.

Quiet.

Wait a minute. Where was Brodie?

Scritch.

I turned on the light.

It dawned on me then, they’re working in shifts.

I’m outnumbered.

I gave up, went back to bed and buried my head under the covers.

September 1, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 6 Comments

We are Martial

I’m into weird exercise.

Oh, stop it. I’m merely saying I get bored with conventional workouts at the gym, so I’m constantly on the lookout for interesting things to do to keep in shape. This all started years ago, when a friend hooked me up with her equestrian team and I did some show jumping and endurance riding. Unfortunately, while earning a pile of street cred for gettin’ my National Velvet on, I lost my butt financially, as everything about riding is expensive – from horses to hats to halters – and you need a Robin Leach lifestyle to support your equine habit.

My next adventure was Rock Climbing. Yes, a major adrenalin rush, but ultimately rather lonely, as I have surprisingly few friends interested in scrambling up 40-foot walls and falling back down them. I moved on to Bouldering, a more social form of rock climbing at lower heights, until I fractured my finger jockeying for cool points with a passel of monkey-jointed teenagers I could have easily given birth to. Belly Dancing? ::sigh:: Epic fail. When the instructor you are paying money to teach you looks at you in a pitying way and says, “Wow, you really don’t have any sense of rhythm, do you?” you know it’s time to hang up your hip scarf.

Most successful, so far, have been classes in Aerial Silks, also known as Aerial Tissue or Ribbons (think Pink’s 2010 performance at the Grammys) which is basically hanging mid-air from two strips of fabric doing flips and spins and acrobatics. Really, exceptionally fabulous, both because it’s a great workout and, most importantly; it’s the coolest freaking thing you’ve ever done in your entire life. My dreams of running off and joining the circus were forever crushed though, when I sprained my shoulder last April loading glass racks into the van for a wedding and could no longer support my full body weight on one arm. Farewell, Cirque du Soleil and Vegas. What happened there would have stayed there. Now, I make no promises.

Iceskating at Piedmont Park

Just this past winter, I learned to Ice Skate, which probably doesn’t seem exotic to many of you, but I grew up in Mobile, Alabama and I live in Atlanta, Georgia so ice isn’t exactly thick on the ground in any kind of conveniently recreational way.

Ice Skating is a ton of fun and it was fairly easy to nail the basics since it’s a lot like Rollerblading (yet another one of my fitness fads in the 90s). As a matter of fact, David and I went ice skating on our first date, a lovely piece of trivia you might jot down for your personal notes.

The negatives of ice skating are:
a) it’s seasonal (there are some year-round rinks in the ‘burbs, but nothing close enough to be practical)
b) the pop-up Holiday rink near me is attached to a bar. While handy for liquid courage and hydration, it adds a lot of dangerously drunk dudes to the mix, slamming around a very small rink. This reminds me I don’t have health insurance and significantly reduces the light-hearted diversion.

At last we come to my latest fitness foray, Krav Maga, which I stumbled on in an internet search for martial arts classes in my neighborhood.

Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art made famous by the Mossad, and is foremost about self defence. Krav teaches you to disable and beat the living ~~Jesus~~ Moses out of an attacker, so you can flee to safety. This translates to a lot of punching and kicking, something I’ve never done before but that I find myself embracing wholeheartedly. I’ve been taking classes for about a week now, and I can see myself morphing into a cross between la Femme Nikita and Laura Croft.

David’s been amazingly supportive about the whole thing, even coming to my first class for moral suppport. I think he’s finally learning to take my wild tangents in stride, as evidenced by this recent text message.

Me: Hey baby. Finishing up early today. Yay! What r u doing 2night?
David: Washing car, doing some push ups. Reading.
Me: I’m going to punch stuff and yell, “Fire!!!!”
David: That’s nice.
Me: U really want me right now, don’t u?
David: I’ve never found u more desirable.
Me: R u being sarcastic?

The downside of Krav Maga is that you pretty much get the crap beaten out of you. I’ve never actually been in a fight so I’ve been a little shocked by the level of bruising and swelling of knuckles and knees. I’m working on a theory that cocktails before and after class could prevent inflamation by icing me down from the inside out, but David doesn’t think there’s any science to support this.

In the meantime, I’m just taking a lot of Advil and I bought some super cool boxing hand wraps, which are like spendy, bright red ace bandages to wrap around my hands to protect my wrists and knuckles. They can now join my collection of expensive weird excercise gear, which is packed into my hall closet gathering dust.

L - R, Clockwise: Ice Skates, Rock Climbing Shoes and Harness, Hunter/Jumper Helmet, Boxing (Krav Maga) Hand Wraps, Belly Dance Hip Scarf

August 24, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 1 Comment

When pigs fly…

Last Wednesday was David’s and my 8-month dating anniversary.

That’s fine, I can hear the mocking laughter of you married people out there. “8 months dating! How cute! 8 months is a cake walk! A cake walk with kittens and puppies and pony rides!” I imagine you going on and on, in that incredibly smug and smarmy way you married people do sometimes, when you talk to us un-married people. “Anybody can make it 8 months,” you say. “Try (insert-the-length-of-your-marriage-here) years!”

Well, congratulations. I’m sure my gift was simply lost in the mail and should arrive any day.

So if you’re done now, can we can move along and talk about me and how freakin’ excited I was about our ~~anniversary~~ (okay, whatev) monthiversary? I can’t remember when I last dated anyone for that long, much less, the last time I’ve been as incredibly happy as I’ve been during this 8 months with David.

So yes, 8 months IS a big deal.

Unfortunately, the actual day of our monthiversary David ended up working late to wrap up some post-production, and we weren’t able to spend any time together. I didn’t get to see him until after work on Friday, when I came to his house and he promptly went to great (and suspicious) lengths to lure me to the front porch. I know, skepticism is unattractive and I should be more trusting. I’ll add that to the list of things I need to work on.

And there, on the doorstep, was a Flying Pig!

He bought me a Flying Pig for our monthiversary! The most beautiful Flying Pig, which I immediately named Garibaldi.

This, of course, is the best monthiversary present. Ever. In the whole history of monthiversaries even. Because, if you know me, as David so obviously does, you are aware that:

a) a red metal Flying Pig named Garibaldi simply RADIATES delightfully quirky cuteness, much as I like to think radiates from myself on better days, so is therefore totally ME

b) I have a huge writer crush on the Bloggess, Jenny Lawson, who recently wrote in one of the best blog posts in the whole history of blog posts even, of purchasing a 5-foot metal chicken named Beyoncé as an (ahem) anniversary present for her husband, Victor;

and

had you spent 5-7 days a week with me every week since I read that blog (as poor David has) you would be clearly and painfully aware (as it would have been brought up at EVERY AVAILABLE opportunity) that the appropriate anniversary gift for “15 YEARS IS BIG METAL CHICKENS“…

…so then logically the best gift for someone to get their farm-animal-art obsessed girlfriend to celebrate 8 months together could be…

… aluminum aerial swine!

Brilliant!

I know! He’s so awesome! But no, you can’t have him. He’s mine.

Er…ah…Garibaldi, that is.

Kidding! I mean David.

AND Garibaldi.

Heh.

Both mine. All mine.

July 20, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 0 comments

Summer Supper

Probably my favorite thing about my job is that I work with a big ol’ bunch of foodies.

These guys are just as bad as me, and this should not be in any way construed as “damning with faint praise” or anything “cutesy”-complimentary. These are people rabidly intense about food and they mean business. The arrival of the latest Saveur or Food & Wine magazine is like a bloody hunk of steak dropped on the floor of a dog kennel. Admit to any one of our chefs that you dined at a “trendy” restaurant, and they’ll waterboard you without hesitation until you spill the minutest detail about your experience. The day after a Top Chef episode, the hours of debate in the endive kitchen would lead you we’d had been hand-selected by Bravo to sit at the Judge’s Table with Padma, Gail and Tom. And no, I don’t really think Richard Blais cares what we think about his bacon ice cream, but listening to us (not recommended), you’d bet money we thought we’d be doing him a solid to let him know.

Yes, Endive, the food geek stops here.

Chief of our culinary bad boys is Executive Chef, Jason Starnes, who blows me away with his sheer passion for creating incredible food experiences. Jason honed his craft (among many places) at the renowned Johnson and Wales culinary school in Charleston, but he brings more than a classical education to the table. What I love about Jason is how he lights up while talking about heirloom corn hand-raised by his daddy or a locally-cured Berkshire bacon. He is truly inspired by food and sharing it with others and you can sense his joy and craftsmanship in everything he creates.

Deviled Quail Eggs with Pine Street Market Bacon "Flakes"

So, may I say it was much like a (insert-your-favorite-winter-religious-holiday-here) morning when we got a call last week from a very high-end client for a Farm-to-Table-themed formal dinner. Very little direction: all they asked for were for poached scallops to start and a pork tenderloin for the entree – simply to make everything “fresh, light” and summery”- chef’s choice.

Pair it with the appropriate wines.

Make it spectacular.

Duh.

From the excitement, you’d have thought someone handed us ~~frozen margaritas~~ keys to a new car.

I ran for the computer, Jason reached for his favorite cookbooks and the collaboration began (well, it was mostly Jason, but like Shake-N-Bake, “Ahhh helped!”). What we came up with was so stunning and delicious, both visually and gustatorily, I had to share it with you!

Fried Green Tomato and Crab Cake "Slider"

To start:
Butler Passed Hors D’oeuvres

Deviled Quail Eggs with Pine Street Market Bacon “Flakes”

Fried Green Tomato and Crab Cake “Slider” with Red Bell Pepper Remoulade

Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna on Cucumber Disc with Wasabi Aioli

1st Course:
Vanilla and Olive Oil Poached Asparagus
Shaved Fennel and Citrus Salad, Rosemary-Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Henri Bourgeois Sancerre ‘Les Baronnes’ 2009

Vanilla and Olive Oil Poached Asparagus

2nd Course:
Butter Poached Sea Scallops
Heirloom Tomato Concasse, Diced Avocado, Crushed Pistachio and Pistachio Frico

Droin ‘Vaillons’ Chablis 1er Cru 2009

Scallops with Pistachio Frico

Intermezzo: Meyer Lemon Sorbet

Entree:
Sherry-Blackberry Lacquered Georgia Pork Tenderloin
Sweet Potato Nettle, Heirloom Creamed Corn, Summer Minted Pea Puree, Wilted Cahaba Farms Spinach

Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad’ 2006 Pinot Noir

Sherry-Blackberry Lacquered Pork Tenderloin

Cheese Course:
Assorted Sweet Grass Dairy Cheeses
Fresh Sliced Pear, Fig Preserves, Fresh Seasonal Fruit, Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pecans, Artisan Cracker

Cheese Course

Dessert Course:
Duo of Chilled Honeydew and Strawberry Soup
Goat Cheese and Honey Gelato, Pink Peppercorn Tuille, Basil Syrup

Adami ‘Bosco di Gica’ Brut Prosecco DOCG

Duo of Chilled Fruit Soup

Yes, the client was thrilled. Look at those pictures! Can you imagine any other response?

Food geeks rule! Whoo hoo! Nana, nana nayahhh.

July 6, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 4 Comments

Tomato, To-mah-to

For Southerners, I don’t think there’s any food that says Summer more than a fresh garden tomato.

Forget sauces, stews or sun dried: think bright-red, juicy tomatoes straight from the vine, carved into thick slabs on the plate and spinkled with a little salt (if you’re old school), sugar (if you’re a transplant) or splashed with basil oil or balsamic reduction (if you’re a foodie).

A succulent, sun-ripened tomato elevates Wonder Bread and mayonnaise to manna-like stature.

I’ve seen people stuff them with tuna salad and salmon mousse, marry them with mozzarella and even eat them plucked from the plant, like apples or peaches, walking around with the juices running down their chin.

Heirloom Tomatoes

My favorite new way to present them: the Heirloom Tomato Bar.

We came up with this idea last year for a farm-to-table wedding menu, but haven’t had the opportunity to offer it again until this past weekend.

Chef Jason started with a gorgeous array of local heirloom tomatoes in reds, oranges, greens, yellows and purply-red-black hues, all sizes and shapes, sliced and whole.

To top each guest’s selection, their choice from a dazzling variety of toppings to dress, finesse or bless their pile o’ ‘maters:

Heirloom Tomato Bar

• Southern Style Dilled Potato Salad

• Thinly Sliced Smoked Duck Breast

• Fava Bean and Rosemary Salad

• Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella

• Pecorino Cheese

• Aged Shaved Parmesan Cheese

• Cabrales Bleu Cheese

• Fresh Basil Leaves

• Chopped Summer Herbs

• Raw Sweet Vidalia Onions

• Sliced Avocado

• A Variety of Sea Salts: Black Lava, Himalayan Pink, Hibiscus, Sel Gris, Fleur de Sel

• Flavored Vinegars: Raspberry, Balsamic, Walnut, Fig

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It was such a show-stopping way to present local Georgia produce. I think all of the guests were truly blown away by the vibrant colors, textures and luscious tastes.

I’ve been pouring a ton of obsessive love (and plant food) into my two little tomato plants on the terrace, hoping to harvest a little home-grown heaven for myself sometime in the near future. Despite my reputation as the anti-gardener, they’ve been growing like gangbusters: I can’t believe it’s only been six-weeks since I got them!

And me? No need for fancy! I like my tomatoes best chilled and sliced, with a dash of salt and a sprinkle of pepper, served with sweet corn on the cob, dripping with butter; some crispy fried chicken and fluffy buttermilk biscuits.

::sigh::

Those are the memories of my childhood, of hot July nights and summer suppers with my grandparents. It may not be the healthiest way to eat tomatoes, it might not be the swankiest way to eat tomatoes; it just might not be your to-mah-to, but it’s my tomato, and I can’t imagine a better meal.

May 23, 2011 New Plants!

July 4, 2011 Triple the size!

June 30, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Keep on (Food) Truckin’

Famous NYC Automat

Holy crap, I figured it out!

Way back, when I was itty-bitty, my grandfather took me to an automat in downtown Birmingham.

It’s painful how much I’m dating myself, but for you gen-y’ers out there, an automat is basically a giant vending machine disguised as a restaurant. Patrons would enter the establishment, peruse a wall of items in individual windowed boxes, insert coins, and voila! Lunch/Dinner/Snacks! Food springing from the air with no visible kitchen behind it! To an impressionable 3-year old, probably the highest form of magic.

David and the Food Trucks

It finally dawned on me this morning: this has got to be where my food truck obsession comes from!

If you think about it, it’s pretty similar. Drive to food truck ground zero (Woodruff Arts Center/Sweet Auburn Curb Market/Howell Mill Food Park, etc.) Select your food from a variety of boxes (on wheels). Pay a miniscule amount of money. Voila. Food from nowhere. Magic.

Needless to say, my inner child has been such a happy camper with the recent street food explosion in Atlanta. David and I have been to Woodruff Art Center a couple of times for Food Truck Thursdays, and snacked from the trucks at the last two Castleberry Hill Art Strolls. We’ve spied the hardest-working street vendor known to man, the King of Pops, at such unlikely spots as Kai Lin Art and the Turner Broadcasting Techwood campus, and we’re regulars at El Burro Pollo, Chef Hector’s amazing burrito joint, even though the city chased them from their al-fresco digs to the interior of Super Pan Latino.

Not surprisingly, we (that is, David, me and my internal rug rat) were jig-dancin’ happy to learn some super-smartie had opened up the Howell Mill Food Park in an empty lot in Westside, featuring a rotating assembly of Atlanta’s finest meals-on-wheels every Tuesday night.

Woot!

Kim and Beth

Work’s been crazy for us both, but we finally made it out to the Park last night, dragging along my dear friend and college roommate, Beth Hawks, of CoreComm PR. Despite predicted storms and foreboding skies, the park was packed with a motley and culturally diverse assortment of students, young families, hipsters and housewives (a few who snuck in their own vino, clever girls).

Chicken and "Kicky Sauce" Stuffed Arepa from Wow! Food Truck

What a great selection to choose from! We enjoyed fabulous Pommes Frites (with red curry ketchup and garlic aioli) from the Fry Guy, Chicken Tamales from the Tamale Queen (with the best salsa verde I’ve had in a long time), sinfully delish chili-cheese dogs from the Pup Truck and chicken-stuffed arepas and meltingly wonderful cinnamon sugar donuts from Wow! Food Truck. Surprisingly, Beth, who’s gluten-sensative and mostly Vegan, actually had some pretty substantial options, primarily from Good Food and Wow!Food Truck including an orzo, berry and grilled veggie salad and some tasty taters with jalepeno cilantro sauce. The park has a couple of picnic tables, but it’s first come/first serve and you’ll have to battle the Bettys for a brief butt rest.

Pretty typically, I filled up too fast and didn’t have room for everything I wanted to try, regretfully passing on vendors I’d enjoyed before, including Yum Yum Cupcake, King of Pops, Westside Creamery and (most lamentably) Yumbaii and Boner’s BBQ.

Lines at the Pup Truck

Awesomely fun evening!

We’re looking forward to going back, but in the meantime, my rewoken tamale cravings will need to be addressed, so I found a great recipe and plan to spring it on David this weekend, along with directions for one of my favorite vices in the world, elote, a chili, cheese and mayo slathered grilled corn on the cob, that is totally to die for.

Until next time, keep on truckin!

Yes, I know. I said it. It was contractual. Move along.

Tamale Recipe
Original Recipe Yield 16 tamales
Ingredients
Tamale Filling:

Tamale Dough:

Directions
Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.
Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.
Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.
Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.

June 17, 2011 by kimicalreaction

Up in My Grill

Baby, it’s hot outside. Really. Swelteringly hot, and not likely to cool down anytime in the near future.

Of course, nothing’s better to beat the heat than a frosty, exotic adult beverage. And if you’re us (that is, Kim and David, not the royal “we”), once you create the perfect, frosty, exotic beverage, then you have to plan a whole meal around it, so ::sigh::…let the culinary hijinks begin…

We’ll start with drinks – always my preference. I’ve been on a fresh ginger kick lately, most likely due to recent encounters with the stellar Moscow Mule offered by our favorite restaurant, 4th and Swift.

Dude, they even make their own ginger beer. Mad props to Sean and his team.

David has a rampant mint plant threatening to take over the corner of the yard and block the driveway, so truly in the spirit of helping-around-the-house, I thought I’d create a drink combining freshly harvested mint leaves AND grated ginger. Yay. David came back from the store with a white rum and some big, fat blueberries and limes, and we were off to Boat Drink Heaven. Excuse me while I do my Buffet dance.

Blueberry Ginger Mojito

Blueberry Ginger Mojitos
Makes 1 drink

Ginger Mint Simple Syrup
(makes several drinks!)

Messy but delicious!

Directions
Begin by making the ginger simple syrup. Peel and grate the ginger, then add along with the sugar, mint and cold water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain and cool in the refrigerator when done.

Make the mojito. Add blueberries, lime wedges and fresh mint leaves to a glass. Muddle with a wooden spoon so the blueberries are broken and the mint and lime release their juices and flavor. Fill glass with ice. Add simple syrup and rum, and top off with ginger beer. Garnish with a fresh blueberry and a sprig of mint.

Because I’m not the neatest person in the universe, the post-mixology countertop looked like…oh, let’s say the remnants of a third world sugar refinery, a sugar refinery that had been repeatedly pummeled by a small but exuberant tornado. Hey, the results were outstanding, though and totally worth scratching hardened sugar off of the countertops with my fingernails. Icy-cold, with intense berry and mint flavors and a kick of ginger. Thank-you-ma’am-may-I-have-another?

Never one to shirk in the face of aperitifs, David fired up the grill and produced this incredibly tantalizing dinner (and no, I’m not sure exactly how he manages to do it, but I’m overwhelmingly grateful):

Grilled Pork Chops with Rosemary Butter
Ahead of time prepare a rosemary compound butter with 1 stick unsalted butter and 2-3 Tbls fresh chopped rosemary.
(Note from Kim: I think you let the butter sit out and soften and then just mash it all up together)

Chops on the Grill

2″ to 2 1/2″ bone in pork chops
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
dash of worcestershire
Kosher Salt
Crushed Black Peppercorns

Sit out until room temperature
Coat chops with 1/2 tsp olive oil
Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt & course black peppercorns
Add a drop of worcestershire onto each chop
Sprinkle with dill (about 1/2 tsp each chop)
Let sit covered on counter
Have ready a sprig of fresh rosemary for each chop off to the side

Light charcoal in chimney starter. When coals are white pour into grill in an even pile along back of grill. Add olive wood or oak wood chips. Close grill cover to allow head to build up. When wood chips become smoldering and a full bed of coals has formed, grill is ready.

Before putting chops on grill heat a large cast iron skillet on cooktop over high heat. When at peak temperature sear chops on all sides about :30 to :45 sec each side. Remove, let rest 5 min

Put chops on grill grate arranging around the edge of the coal mound but not directly on top. Add sprig of fresh rosemary to each chop, close lid.

Cook on grill for approx 15-20 min or until internal temp reads 130F-135F on and instant read thermometer. Just before removing chops from grill move them to upper rack, add a dollop of the rosemary compound butter to each (about 1/2 tsp on each). Close lid to let butter melt.

When butter is melted, remove chops from grill and let rest under tented foil for 5-10min then serve. (Note: keep an eye on the temperature to gauge when to add compound butter. You don’t want them going over 130-135 internal temp at the finish)

Grilled Pork Chop Perfection!

David’s not much on cooked vegetables, for some reason (perhaps he was terrorized by an asparagus as a child?), so we always try to include a salad of some sort with our dinners. We love mango and baby spinach leaves, so he whipped up this super simple yet incredibly delectable plate.

Mango Salad Prep Steps: Note how much neater Mango Salad Prep is than Blueberry Ginger Mojito Prep::sigh::

Mango Pear Salad

2 cups of baby spinach leaves (destemmed)
2 roma tomatoes
2-4 fresh basil leaves
1 whole mango
1 whole bosc pear
1/2 cup shaved almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
olive oil
red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
black pepper

Peel skin of mango and cut into slices (thin fingers) – 4-5 slices for each plate. Cut pear into slices (skin on) – 3 for each plate
Dice tomatoes into med-small pieces, place into small bowl, chop basil leaves and mix with tomatoes – sprinkle with Kosher salt and set aside. Mix 1-2 Tbls olive oil with 1/4 tsp red wine vinegar – shake together set aside – this is the dressing

In large mixing bowl place baby spinach, tomato-basil mixture, dressing and toss. Serve onto plates, arranging mango and pear fingers over the spinach, sprinkle on the shaved almonds and cranberries and top with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Mango Pear Salad

Mmmm. Crazy delicious.

David’s contempt for the common vegetable does not extend to the potato, however; so he added some excellent mashed spuds to the plate.

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 cup olive oil
3 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place garlic cloves in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover, and bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Place roasted garlic, milk, Parmesan cheese, and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Beat to desired consistency with an electric mixer.

Enjoying a fabulous dinner and drinks on the porch!

Yet another spectacular evening with my rockstar-chef-boyfriend. I am a lucky girl, indeed.

I promise, we’re planning a party soon, and I’m sure you’ll all be invited (umm hummm…don’t stop. Believing…), but in the meantime, hope you enjoy the recipes! Happy summer grilling, and to all of you dads out there, especially mine (card is in the mail!)a very happy Father’s Day!

May 26, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Artfully Done

It’s been a pretty good couple of years for me lately, amazingly fabulous, to be honest. I swapped a failing business for a solid job in sales, traded up the ancient Miata for a shiny new Murano, lucked into a deal on an incredible condo and fell head over heels for one of the best guys out there. When I look back, I’m truly, staggeringly grateful for all the abundance and blessings in my life.

That gratitude, however, comes with the reminder that not everyone has been so fortunate. It leaves me with a real desire to give something back, to write some kind of physical “thank you” note to the Universe in general. And while I’ve been doing much better financially, I’m still not in the position to cut checks to deserving organizations; nor, with my insane schedule, do I have much free time to donate.

What I do have is passion, intensity, creativity (especially the kind that works best with good intentions but shoestring budgets) and a whole bunch of wonderful friends garnered from years in the bar and restaurant industry.

Cue the heavens to send in my friend, Kathryn Guay, who represents a marvelous Non-Profit Foundation called Art on Atlanta, that needs exactly what I gots – passion, energy, and while maybe not a lot of money, at least the commodity of great friends.

Art on Atlanta is a very unique charity, since it has a two-fold mission. Primarily Art on Atlanta (or AOA, to spare typing tendonitus) is committed to changing the lives of people with spinal cord and brain injuries through art therapy.

They’ve figured out an astounding way to do this – by incorporating the city’s burgeoning art scene.

Art therapy at Shepherd

AOA sponsors Atlanta artists on a monthly basic with a quarterly gallery shows, press and marketing/promotional opportunities; and the artists, in turn, donate time teaching at the Shepherd Center. Monies raised go toward hiring a full-time art therapist for the Center, to give disabled and injured patients a way to express themselves creatively and contribute to their own physical and mental healing.

Creativity overcomes disability

The absolute best thing is that AOA is about people like us, in their 30s and 40s, not the big society folks you see at the star-studded galas showcased in Atlantan Mag, or Jezebel, but normal guys like you and me, our friends, neighbors and family, who are doing well for ourselves and are looking for a way to “pay it forward,” by contributing to others not so lucky. Like me, you’re probably full of great ideas and intentions, but short on practical time, money and energy.

Changing lives and making a difference

Here’s your chance. AOA needs you, your passion and intensity and most importantly, your pool of friends and contacts. We need your support both mentally and physically, to spread the word about the impressive things this program is doing and to come out and show you care. We need you to make a difference in the lives of people who don’t have it as great as we do.

I’d like to share this with you, from AOA’s website (they say it so much better than I could):

From Margaret Mitchell to Steve Penley, Atlanta has always had a vibrant artistic tradition. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for these talented persons to get the necessary exposure to support their important work. Recognizing this need in the community, Art on Atlanta serves as a platform for Atlanta’s visual artists to publicize their work and, at the same time, provide much needed financial support to the art therapy community.

Art on Atlanta will provide funding to enhance Shepherd Center’s current art therapy program resulting in a greater impact on patients’ quality of life and recovery. The center utilizes art therapy as one of many therapeutic interventions to help spinal cord and brain injury patients in their recovery and rehabilitation post injury. In the words of Phoebe Whisnant, Art Therapist at Shepherd Center: “Art therapy gives our patients the opportunity to visually express the full spectrum of emotions that accompany the journey of rehabilitation, from grief and loss to the restoration of hope and the courage to begin rebuilding their lives again.”

Here’s where you come in! Our next event is the 2nd Quarter Artist of the Month Showcase at Emerging Art Scene in Castleberry Hill on June 10, 2011. It takes place during the monthly 2nd Friday Art Stroll hosted by the Castleberry Hill Neighborhood and it’s FREE (yes, no dinero) to get in from 7-10 p.m., plus you’ll have a ball touring the galleries all over the district. There’ll be trucks from the Atlanta Street Food Coalition schlepping divine and delicious snacks. There are excellent bars and restaurants (No Mas Cantina, Bottle Rocket, and the Elliot Street Pub) to hang out in before and after, and a really cool crowd of 20 – 40s people, just like us, who are spending a Friday night having a great time, enriching their lives with art, music and friends and coincidently…helping a phenomenal cause.

Here are some fast, easy (and cheap or free) ways to be a part of this great Foundation! Trust me, little things can still make a BIG difference.

1. Go to Art on Atlanta Foundation’s Facebook page and “like” us. That helps in marketing, promotions and public awareness and is unbelievably valuable!

2. Take it a step further: At the top right corner, click on the “Suggest to Friends” and send a message to all your other friends to “like” our page.

3. Make plans to attend the AOA 2nd Quarter Artist of the Month Showcase in two weeks, Friday June 10, 2011 at Emerging Art Scene Gallery located at Castleberry Point Lofts, 321 Nelson Street, Atlanta GA 30313 (404) 890.0532. Invite some friends and come out for a fantastic evening!

4. Take it a step further: Come early at 6 p.m. to Emerging Art Scene for our pre-stroll VIP/Meet the Artists reception from 6-7. Not only will you get to hobnob with the artists, musicians and entertainers, but we’re offering a bourbon tasting, an artisan cheese and antipasto spread from Endive Catering, and complimentary drinks. We’re asking for a donation at the door of $20. What’s $20 – a Yuppie foodstamp? What bar can you go to and have a couple of drinks, some snacks, and great company and know that you are contributing to a great cause – for $20? No brainer!

5. If you can’t make it yourself that night, tell all of your friends and invite them to attend.

6. If you can’t attend but still want to make a contribution (or if you can and want to do even more), please go to http://www.artonatlanta.org and click the “Donate” button in the top right corner. Every dollar helps.

7. Accept my thanks for reading this. You’re probably one of my wonderful friends and I wouldn’t be me without you. Thank you for all of your support through the years. Please don’t stop now! Call, email or Facebook me for more information. And sincerely, thank you.

May 23, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 3 Comments

Playing in the Dirt

Damn you, Home Depot Garden Center. Damn you.

Sunday afternoon, David and I went to the Home Depot Supercenter near his house. He needed to pick up a few plants to replace ones that didn’t make it through the winter, and I needed to buy a universal remote for my garage door. Really. Just a garage remote.

How does Home Depot do it? I don’t even really like plants, but walking into the garden center, surrounded by all the lush, tropical foliage, I morph into Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo (obscure, self-dating reference to 1970s children’s TV show). I become overwhelmed with the desire for snapdragons and marigolds. It’s magpie syndrome full force, but instead of Shiny! Bright! Flashy! Must Have!, it’s Daisies! Marigolds! Orchids! COVET!

Walking down the aisles of plants and flowers, visions dance in my brain of plucking vine ripened tomatoes, sweet peppers and basil from the terrace. Images of summer sunsets frame themselves with flowering vines and hanging baskets rife with vivid blooms. Do they mist something besides water and pesticide into the air?

Let’s get real. I once killed an Air Fern. (I watered it.) What am I thinking?

New plants!

The hallucinogenic drugs do their trick: thirty minutes and $50 later, I’m leaving Home Depot – the Plant Devil – with a 30 lb bag of potting soil, 3 new pots, two heirloom tomato plants, marigolds (the ones with the little lion faces, my favorites!) and deep black purple petunias. Oh, yeah, and a garage remote.

Back at the condo, I dig out my grandmother’s sterling soup spoon (yeah, garden tools just don’t hold the same excitement) and get to work. Somehow or another, I end up with more dirt on me and the terrace, but they’re all planted. I even found an ancient box of Miracle Grow to dose their first drink.

Lion'golds, tomatoes and bears, oh my!

Looking around my freshly planted terrace, I feel both a smug sense of satisfaction and a deep fear that I’ll somehow let them down, forget to water them, somehow fail as a “plant momma.” Sad, really.

But as I walk in the house, I see that both my African Violet and my Christmas cactus, (both given up for dead, even though I had replanted them in larger pots several weeks ago and have actually remembered to water them since) have buds, flowers and new growth. Maybe I’m not a lost cause, after all.

the new "garden"

Hmmm. Maybe I’ll go back to Home Depot for that tomatillo plant. Then we could make salsa verde.

African Violet Resurrected!

May 20, 2011 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Mama-Rama, BBQ and Derby Day

A couple of weeks ago, we did the big pilgrimage to Augusta to see David’s parents for Mother’s Day. Although he’s been to Birmingham on several occasions to meet my folks, I had yet to meet his; and to be honest, although I was really excited to finally meet them, I was a little nervous, too. Not that I had any concerns about them being awesome – his mom and I were already FB friends, so I’d interacted with her a lot to this point and found her to be incredibly sharp, funny and sweet. My biggest worry was in making a good impression on them, after all, I hadn’t met anyone’s parents since oh, say, the Reagan administration, so my parental etiquette skills had to have some serious rust. David is very close to his family, so I felt there was a lot riding on this.

Me and Max!

Of course, my fears were groundless (or they covered well), and because they were so truly warm and welcoming, I got over my angst pretty fast and had a marvelous time.

We arrived around 5 p.m. that Saturday, just in time for the TV airing of the Kentucky Derby. David’s parents were quick to get into the spirit, grabbing an assortment of hats (de rigeur for Derby watching) while I mixed up some Mint Juleps for the guys.

We had a blast watching the Derby (yay, Animal Kingdom! Congrats on your win!), but even more fun trying on the Strohman’s vast collection of chapeaus and head gear and taking a bunch of goofy pics. Wow, did I ever luck out! My boyfriend is not only wonderful, but his parents are fantastic as well; and hey, they like to dress up too! Truly, a match made in heaven (or somewhere in a tropical climate with boat drinks, since I hear heaven may be booked up after this weekend.)

Kentucky Derby Hat Fest

Mint Julep

Mint Julep

To highball glass or silver Julep cup, add minted simple syrup, then 1 cup crushed ice, bourbon, and splash of water. Add enough of remaining ice to almost fill glass. Stir well and garnish with mint sprig.

Naturally, David had a special dinner planned for us; so after the races, he got to work on the grill, building the coals and whipping up all the ingredients for his famous Grilled Leg of Lamb with Chimichurri, something he learned to make during his many travels to Buenos Aires. I’m not a big lamb fan, as a rule, but there was so much hype around this, I put on my big girl pants and braved up for yet another culinary adventure.

Grilled Leg of Lamb

Let lamb come to room temperature. Open flat with inside facing up.
Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Let stand until meat absorbs salt and
it begins to ‘sweat’. Drizzle with olive oil (enough to cover surface with
a thin layer of oil). Liberally coat with course cracked pepper corns.
Drizzle with 1 Tbls red wine vinegar. Thinly slice garlic cloves and add to
lamb spread evenly.

Roll up leg of lamb and tie with kitchen string. Sprinkle out side of lamb
with kosher salt. Let stand at room temp until coals are ready on grill

Light charcoal in chimney starter. When coals are white pour into grill in
an even pile along back of grill. Add olive wood or oak wood chips. Close
grill cover to allow head to build up. When wood chips become smoldering
and a full bed of coals has formed, grill ready. Place leg of lamb on rack
over and near parallel with coals but not directly on top of entire mound.
Partially close grill lid so it remains half open. Let lamb slow roast for
30-40 min. Turn over and let roast for additional 30-40 min or until
internal temp reads 130 degrees.

Remove lamb from grill and let rest for 10-15 before slicing. Slice and
serve. Drizzle with chimichurri sauce if desired

Finessing the flames

Chimichurri
1/4 C hot water
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/13 C loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
2/3 C loosely packed cilantro
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 TBLS)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Can make the chimichurri up to 3 days in advance.
Combine hot water, oregano and salt in small bowl; let stand 5 min to soften
oregano. Pulse parsley, cilantro, garlic and red pepper flakes in food
processor until coarsely chopped, about 10 1-sec pulses. Add water mixture
and vinegar to med bowl and slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and
mixture is emulsified. Cover and let stand in room temp for at least an
hour before serving. If preparing in advance refrigerate and bring to room
temp before using.

Chimichurri

Wow, the lamb was spectacular! None of the gamey taste I always associate with lamb, and perfectly cooked with a nice char on the edges, contrasting perfectly with the cool, vinegary chimichurri sauce. Delicious. Will definitely be on my request list for future grilling (Note to David: Lamb is noms).

After dinner, the Strohmans entertained me with several original productions (read: family flicks) featuring David as a teen-aged movie star, which were, of course, not only massively enjoyable to watch (heh), but gave me some wicked amo for future boyfriend mental abuse. I even got to meet one of his sisters, Vicky, who came by the next morning with her family for Mother’s Day breakfast. What a bunch of really gorgeous, incredibly well-mannered kids! We sat out on the patio enjoying the sun, while the young’uns dashed around chasing bugs and playing with Max, the Golden Retriever, who kept jumping in the pool to attack the cleaning robot. Pretty funny stuff, but you’d probably have had to have been there. David and I even managed to cut out for a few minutes and walk down to the neighborhood lake, before heading back to the house to pack up.

Me and David at the Lake

When 4 p.m. rolled around, I was truly sad to leave. The Strohmans were so incredibly kind and hospitable, and I had such a great time, but we both had busy Mondays and needed to get back to town. I definitely look forward to visiting again! (and of course, I’ll bring my hat collection next time–Woot!)