Let's Eat

Too many months, too many dishes - part two

2012-06-25T22:20:00.002-05:00

I had so many pictures of some amazing food that I decided to break them down into smaller blog posts. So, here's more of the fabulous fare I've been grazing on over the past several months.

Porches

I live about 30 minutes from one of my favorite restaurants (I have so many now), Porches in Wesson. My favorite day to dine there is on Thursdays when they have Shrimp and Eggplant Crostini. It is soooo good. You may say you don't like eggplant, but you'll change your mind with one bite of this dish. They take a thick slice of eggplant, bread it, and deep fry it. It is then topped with sauteed shrimp and a cream sauce. It's so good that I usually throw my manners out the window and sop up the sauce with one of their homemade yeast rolls.

Georgia Blue

I had heard so many people rave about Georgia Blue in Madison that I couldn't stand it any more, I just had to try it.

So, I stopped by to divulge in their highly touted Gorgonzola Chips. They take their homemade potato chips and top them with caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese. To...die...for!!!

Ok...this picture is horrible, but the Shrimp and Grits in it were not. I'm always amazed at how many different ways shrimp and grits are presented at restaurants across our state. Georgia Blue Shrimp & Grits consisted of savory shrimp sauteed with applewood smoked bacon, onions, tomatoes, and garlic, served on top of a mound of their roasted corn and cheese grits, then smothered with a sweet corn cream sauce. It ranks close to the top of my best shrimp and grits list.

Blue’s Burger - hand crafted Stockyard Angus beef on a fresh-baked sourdough bun with applewood smoked bacon, havarti cheese, garlic mayo, lettuce & tomato.

This one gets my "Most Unusual Sandwich" award. FGT & Praline BLT - fried green tomato, praline bacon, lettuce & mayonnaise on sourdough bread.

The Grand Finale! This one caused a fight. The husband got quite upset because he couldn't get a spoon in edgewise. Georgia Blue Ice Cream Sandwich - vanilla ice cream between warm homemade peanut butter cookies with house made whipped cream and whiskey brown sugar caramel. It was worth fighting for.

The Alluvian

My favorite hotel in Mississippi is, hands down, The Alluvian in Greenwood. As soon as you step in the door of this, as they describe it, cosmopolitan boutique hotel, you feel as if you've been transported far from the Mississippi Delta. Every morning, their full Southern breakfast will bring you right back home.

When they say full Southern breakfast, they mean it. And, in my opinion, it's the best hotel breakfast anywhere. It's included in the price of the room. Served buffet-style, it consists of homemade hash brown potatoes, sausage and egg casserole, cheese grits, biscuits, gravy, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, bagels, muffins, plus a whole lot more.

Jaco's Tacos

One of downtown Jackson's newest eateries is raising the bar on Mexican food.

Tortilla chips and freshly made salsa

Mexican Pizza - a made from scratch flour tortilla is smothered in melted cheese, pico de gallo, and beans. Then, you can add a variety of toppings. I chose grilled shrimp. You can't really see them, but they're there. This was delicious.

Grilled Mojave Pork Quesadilla

Tabella

Robert St. John struck again in Hattiesburg last year when he added Tabella to his family of restaurants. Tabella is Italian for table. St. John wants you to come sit at his table and enjoy made from scratch Italian fare. It's more than just spaghetti and lasagna.

The daughter was with me and had to have her usual appetizer of fried mozzarella sticks. What I loved about these was their size. When you bite into one, you don't get a mouth full of stringy cheese to choke on. (I always hate that.) These were the perfect size for nibbling.

This very well could be the best piece of salmon we've ever eaten. You can see the grill marks on the slab of fish. It had just a hint of the grilled flavor and was cooked to perfection. It was topped with a lemon caper sauce and served with a side of aglio olio (pasta with garlic sauteed in olive oil) and fresh green beans.

Pasta Carbonara – pancetta, peas, parmesan cream, gigli pasta, and (I added) shrimp

The daughter is on a Tiramisu kick. This one satisfied her craving.

Shapley's Restaurant

My favorite place for steak is at Shapley's in Ridgeland. It's atmosphere is upscale and the steaks are phenomenal.

When you look at the menu, you will be tempted to order the ribeye because it's more steak for your money. Listen. To. Me. - Don't do it!!! The filet mignon is the way to go. Their homemade fries (not pictured) make a perfect side dish. If you look closely in the background of this pic, you will see the best aparagus ever. It was roasted, topped with parmesan cheese, and served with hollandaise sauce.

One of my all-time favorite desserts - Lemon Icebox Pie - it's topped with real whipped cream

Yum's the word!

Too many months, too many dishes - part one

2012-06-19T21:18:00.001-05:00

I had no idea it had been so long since I blogged. I've been so consumed with the magazine (eat.drink.MISSISSIPPI), I lost track of time. I've eaten many tasty dishes over the past seven months and there's no way possible to catch up with in-depth reviews of all the places where I've eaten. So, I'm just going to post some pics of some of my favorite dishes. I'll try to do better for the future. Enjoy!

Two Sister's Kitchen

USA Today voted them one of the 10 best places for fried chicken. I had to go see for myself. It was really good chicken, but not my favorite. I love the skin most and theirs is skinless. The angel biscuits were to die for. They are heaven in your mouth.

Sombra Mexican Kitchen

From the folks that brought us Amerigo and Char comes Sombra Mexican Kitchen. I dined there at lunch for Fish Tacos and a Baja Brownie. Their chips and salsa are reminiscent of the Iron Horse Grill that used to be in downtown Jackson. Many have tried to duplicate them and these came closer than any I've had.

The Fish Tacos are comprised of beer-battered Mississippi catfish with jalapeno slaw and tomatillo-avocado salsa. Alternatively, you can have the catfish blackened or pan-seared. They were absolutely delicious.

The Baja Brownie is mind-blowing. It is made with dark chocolate chunks, a touch of chipotle chili, and dark chocolate icing. It is served with cinnamon ice cream and tequila caramel sauce. Words cannot adequately describe it. You just have to try it for yourself.

Weidmann's

Weidmann's in Meridian is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, restaurants in Mississippi. It dates back to 1870. It has changed hands over the years, but is still serving some great food.

Since the 1940s, Weidmann's has greeted patrons with handmade crocks filled with peanut butter along with assorted crackers. Now, I'm sure due to health department regulations, they still use the crocks, but insert cups filled with their creamy, tasty tradition.

The Smoked Salmon BLT was a good choice on a recent lunch visit. Smoked Salmon is served on a croissant with pesto, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes and haricot verts alongside their homemade potato chips.

Shrimp and Grits were also very tasty. Stone ground grits from Sciple’s Mill are slow cooked with butter and cheddar cheese, then topped with fresh Gulf shrimp, ham, tomatoes, peppers, onions and a light cream sauce. Delicious!

No trip to Weidmann's would be complete without a slice of their World Famous Black Bottom Pie.

Topher's Rock 'N Roll Grill

A Facebook friend on mine checks-in at Topher's in Hattiesburg quite often. Since he loves it so much, I had to check this place out. This is not your typical fast food joint. It's menu offers nine different burgers and a ton of sandwiches, plus several salads to choose from. They also have lots of desserts to choose from. While I was there, I bumped into Masterchef Whitney Miller. Turns out that the owner is her cousin.

I chose a Pepper Jack Chicken Sandwich. Grilled chicken is served on a sourdough bun with pepper jack cheese, bacon, get-back sauce, lettuce and tomato. I chose homemade onion rings for my side. This was one heckuva sandwich.

I don't normally do dessert at lunch, especially when I'm alone, but I just couldn't pass up the Chocolate Beignet Sundae. It made my husband really jealous to miss out on it. Mini beignets are layered with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was big enough for two, but I managed to stuff it in by myself. They also have several other desserts to choose from and a long list of gourmet milkshakes.

J. Broussard's

One weekend, we ended up in Columbus at dinner time and decided to try J. Broussard's. It's a fine dining restaurant in the heart of downtown.

I'm a big fan of Brie (along with the husband and daughter). So when it's on a menu, chances are I'm going to order it. The Brie Baked with Brown Sugar and Almonds did not disappoint. The picture doesn't do it justice.

I was on a nut kick that night. My entree was Pecan Pane Catfish. The restaurant was featured in Southern Living for this crunchy pecan breaded catfish with lemon butter served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Roux 61

When we mentioned to a friend that we were going to Natchez, she insisted that we try Roux 61. It has only been open a little over a year and folks line up and wait for hours to get a seat.

The must try on Roux 61's menu is the Alligator Cheesecake appetizer. It was tasty, but my mind just doesn't like the thought of eating alligator. So, the husband got to devour it mostly by himself. He loved it.

For dinner, I chose The Delta Queen - a filet of fresh blackened redfish served over a bed of pasta, topped with shrimp, finished off with a white wine cream sauce.

The husband and daughter shared a steak topped with grilled shrimp. It was served with a side of baked potato and sauteed corn in a mini pie shell. I'm not sure what they call the corn, but it was unique and quite tasty.

Mississippi Mud Pie was for dessert. Yum! Yum!

Pimiento and cheese with a twist

2011-11-26T19:33:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted a blog. The reason is, in case you haven't already heard, is that I've been really busy with a new project. I'm publishing a food magazine covering the state of Mississippi. I married into publishing and I love food, so I've combined my publishing experience and passion for food to create eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI. The first issue has been printed and will hit news stands and mailboxes next week. Go to my website, www.eatdrinkmississippi.com, or find me on Facebook and check it out.

Just before deadline on the magazine, I had a recipe I needed to test before I published it. It was written to make eight casseroles and I wanted to cut it down to just one, so I figured I better try it out first. It was late in the evening before I got started, so I was running out of time. The sauce for the casserole didn't turn out to my satisfaction, so I scrapped it. The recipe called for hoop and Havarti cheese, which is a little pricy. I've been wondering what to do with the unused cheeses and finally decided to make pimiento and cheese.

I wanted to add a twist to it by putting a chipotle pepper in it, but was afraid it wouldn't turn out good and didn't want to waste the cheese, so I made a regular version and a chipotle version.

Havarti cheese is a semi-soft cheese that has a buttery flavor. It combined really well with the hoop (red rind) cheese, adding extra flavor to an otherwise run-of-the-mill pimiento and cheese. For the chipotle version, I removed the seeds from the chipotle pepper and finely chopped it. Removing the seeds takes out the heat, leaving the flavor. The addition of bacon also added another layer of smoky flavor to it. Plus, bacon makes almost anything taste better.

To top it off, I made a sandwich with both spreads and grilled them on my panini grill. The result was hot, gooey, cheesy goodness. It made for a comforting lunch on a dreary, rainy November day.

Pimiento and Cheese

1/2 pound hoop cheese, shredded

1/2 pound Havarti cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon grated onion

2 ounces diced pimientos

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix cheeses, onion, pimientos, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups.

Bacon Chipotle Pimiento and Cheese

1/2 pound hoop cheese, shredded

1/2 pound Havarti cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 ounces diced pimientos

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and finely chopped

1/4 cup real bacon pieces

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix cheeses, onion, garlic, pimientos, chipotle pepper, bacon pieces, and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups.

Check out what's "shaking" at my house tonight

2011-10-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, my sister-in-law told me about an awesome milkshake she and a cousin had made. It was a Nutella Milkshake with a toasted marshmallow topping. It sounded awesome and I knew I had to try it first chance I got.

When my daughter begged me to make her something sweet tonight, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. So, I hit the pantry and the freezer to gather my ingredients.

My sister-in-law's shake was made with chocolate ice cream and Nutella. I had planned to make mine with vanilla ice cream, but came up dry when I checked the freezer. The little red head in the house (AKA son, John Taylor) is an ice cream fiend and had cleaned me out. So, I decided to use what I had on hand - Tiramisu Ice Cream.

I also didn't have Nutella brand hazelnut spread. Instead, I had Kroger's knockoff, which tastes the same to me. I then grabbed some milk and mini marshmallows and headed to the blender.

I don't know if I was more excited about the milkshake or getting to try out my latest appliance purchase, the Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor.

I scooped about 2 cups of ice cream into the pitcher, added 1/2 cup milk, 3 tablespoons hazelnut spread, and blended away. The Ninja rocks. It quickly blended up the creamiest shake and never bogged down even once. The air pockets in a traditional blender drive me nuts. I get so tired of taking the lid off to stir. I'll move on before I start sounding like an infomercial.

After pouring the shake into small glasses (this recipe makes 4 small or 2 regular size shakes), I topped it with mini marshmallows. Then, I fired up my gas torch that I use for creme brulee and toasted them. My sister-in-law said she used a household lighter to toast her marshmallows, so if you don't have a torch, give that a try.

The final result was a rich, indulgent, hazelnut mocha shake. The toasted marshmallows were a nice treat at the bottom of the glass after the shake was gone.

With the plethora of ice cream flavors at the supermarket these days, the options for milkshakes are endless. I'd love to hear what combinations you may come up with.

Cool weather calls for a cup of hot chocolate

2011-10-01T00:29:00.000-05:00

The daily temperatures are finally below 80. It was even in the 60's at tonight's high school football game. I left the game with a slight chill and a cup of hot chocolate on my mind.

As soon as I got home, I hit the pantry and dusted off one of my favorite kitchen gadgets - my hot chocolate maker. This gadget consists of a glass pot and lid, which has a hole in top to receive a frother. You simply pour milk into the pitcher, heat in the microwave, add chocolate or cocoa and sugar, hit the button the the frother, and in a few whirs you'll have a rich, delicious cup of steaming hot chocolate. It's so simple.

Why settle for the instant stuff when you can have homemade in an instant?

Dump chocolate into pot of hot milk.

Give it a whir with the frother to combine chocolate and milk.

I have an old family recipe that I normally use, but since I overstocked on Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate, I decided to use that. The recipe is on the back of the container. Also, the only place nearby that I've found this product is at Fresh Market in Ridgeland. There's usually a recipe on the cocoa container, too.

And no cup of hot chocolate would be complete without extra sweetness added to the top. My daughter and I prefer whipped cream, my son likes marshmallows, and my husband likes both.

Found these micro marshmallows at Fulmer's General Store in Richton a few weeks back.
Perfect addition to a rich cup of hot chocolate.

My hot chocolate maker was a birthday gift from Williams-Sonoma a few years back. I checked their website and couldn't find one, but I did find a couple different versions on Amazon.

Bonjour Pink Hot Chocolate Maker on Amazon.com

Bodum Chocolatiere Glass Hot Chocolate Maker/Frother on Amazon.com

Dinner and a movie

2011-09-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

If you haven't been to the theater to see "The Help," you must go. It is such a good movie that I've been twice, and I never do that. It's against the financial laws that my daddy instilled in me to pay to see the same movie twice. But I did, and it was just as good the second time around.

My husband and I have some friends who wanted to see the movie as well, so we made it a dinner and a movie night.

For dinner, we chose Mint - The Restaurant, which is located in Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland. It's a sister to Julep in Highland Village.

I've eaten at Mint several times and have never been disappointed. The words that come to mind when thinking of the atmosphere and decor are upscale eclectic. One of my favorite things is their red chandelier. I've never seen one like it before. It's stunning, to say the least.

The food is as impressive as the decor. Among the dishes at our table were Shrimp and Grits, Double Cut Pork Chop, and Seared Tuna. It must have all been good because every morsel was eaten.

The Shrimp and Grits consisted of house-made tasso, Mississippi mushrooms, bacon lardons, vidalia onions, rosemary, and Original Grit Girl cheese grits.

Shrimp and Grits

The Double Cut Duroc Pork Chop was served with creamy asiago polenta, roasted pepper peperonata, and sherry gastrique.

Double Cut Duroc Pork Chop

Ginger beer BBQ sauce accompanied the Seared Tuna along with pickled radish & jalapeño, sautéed swiss chard, and Original Grit Girl cheese grits.

Seared Tuna

The #1 thing that brings me to Mint is the Chocolate Hammer Cake. Anyone I've recommended this restaurant to will tell you that I always tell them they MUST get a piece of this cake. It's the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten.

I had heard there was a new chef in the kitchen and that his wife was handling the pastries now. I kept my fingers crossed that the Hammer Cake was still on the menu. Well, sadly, it's not. I wanted to cry. It's just that good. They do, however, have a chocolate cake, just not the one I love.

So, I gave the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake a whirl. It consisted of layers of devil's food cake, milk chocolate mousse and peanut butter ganache. Plus, it had the most unusual garnish - caramel popcorn. At first, I thought it was a candied nut, but, no, it was caramel popcorn. I've never seen it used as a garnish before. It was a great compliment to the cake, adding a tinge of saltiness. This cake didn't bump the Hammer off my list, but it runs a close second.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I've been told for some time that their beignets and cheesecake were excellent. So, that's what my friend and my husband got, respectively.

House made Creole cream cheese is used in the batter, layered over a pecan cracker crust, and served with minted strawberries. It was delicious, but just wasn't as pretty as the chocolate cake. I like for my desserts to look as good as they taste.

Cheesecake

Our waiter was confused about the beignets and didn't order them. So, we had to run another waiter down to get them. That was our only negative of the night. They were worth the wait, though. They were light and fluffy and served with raspberry and caramel bourbon dipping sauces. I don't know how I managed to not get a photo.

Mint is in a class of its own with their atmosphere, decor, and upscale Southern menu. If they would just bring back that Hammer Cake, they would be in "mint" condition.

Stop and smell the roses in your local grocery store

2011-08-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

My family and I just returned from a weekend trip to the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Since I'm a foodaholic, one of my favorite things to do while there is go to Kroger up the street and slowly peruse every aisle. They have so many things that I can't get here in Monticello. This weekend I picked up ladyfingers and marscapone cheese. My daughter and I want to make our own Tiramisu. That'll be tomorrow night's project. Sometimes I spend the upwards of an hour just looking at all the unique items they have. I'm like a kid in a candy shop. One aisle is dedicated completely to international foods from countries like Australia, Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, and more. There are some really cool and some really strange things on that aisle.

I never do that at my local Ramey's grocery store. I'm usually in a hurry to get home and rush right through to get the necessary items and get out.

A while back, a friend of mine from Brookhaven told me that she frequently comes to Monticello to shop at Ramey's. I was like - really? Ramey's in Monticello? What ever for? Certainly there's nothing we have here that you can't get in Brookhaven. Well, it turns out there is. She likes a dip that is made in Ramey's deli. It comes in a clear box with only the store-printed label on it - no name on it. I thought to myself that if it's that good, I need to try it. Of course, the next time I was in Ramey's, I was in such a hurry, I forgot about it.

This past weekend while shopping in Ridgeland, I saw this same friend again. She proceeded to tell me she had been to Ramey's just last week - this time for Pancho's White Cheese Dip. Formally known as Queso, this is the white cheese dip like you get in a Mexican restaurant. I just couldn't believe my ears, so I made a vow right then and there that as soon as I could I'm going to Ramey's and take my time to find these items. I just had to see it to believe it.

So, today I made a special trip to Ramey's for dips. They've re-arranged the store recently so I had to look a little harder, but I found them both in the refrigerated case in the deli. They also have Pancho's Salsa. I'm trying that next time

I grabbed one of each dip, a bag of flour tortillas, and headed to the checkout. Another good friend of mine was in line behind me, so I shared my find with her and she didn't know about them either. I didn't know we had such a secret at our grocery store. Now, if you already knew about this, shame on you for not sharing with the rest of us.

The first thing I tried was the mystery dip. It's actually more like a cheese ball. I spread it on Ritz crackers and boy was it good. As best I can tell, it's a mixture of cream cheese, bacon, pimiento, green onions, and maybe black olives. It would be really good rolled in toasted pecans and served as a cheese ball. This will definitely be a staple at the tailgate this year. The best part about it was the price. I got 1/4 lb for $2.15. You can't even buy the ingredients for that.

The cheese dip required a little preparation, so I saved it for last. I'm not a big fan of bag tortilla chips, so I took flour tortillas, cut them into wedges with a pizza cutter, and deep fried them. When you go to fry them, only drop about eight pieces in the oil at a time, as they cook really fast. Any more than eight and they will burn by the time you get them dropped in and flipped over for the second side. Sprinkle with salt after removing from grease to a paper towel lined plate. Then, just put the cheese dip in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 15-30 seconds, until desired level of warmth. Stir and eat. It truly is restaurant quality Queso. One container is $3.79 and three of us ate less than half of it and were full.

Now I'm wishing my friend hadn't told me about these dips. It will be too easy to have cheese dip whenever the craving hits. A diet is just impossible for me.

Next time you're in your local grocery store, slow down a bit and, as the saying goes, take time to smell the roses (or find the secret dips). Stop to see what it has to offer. You never know what may be hiding in the deli case.

Tasty summer travels, final chapter

2011-08-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

Each summer, my son, John Taylor, spends a week at Twin Lakes Camp in Florence. After picking him up on the last day of camp, we headed up Hwy. 49 to Jackson for some family fun. It was nearing lunch time, so we asked him where he wanted to go. He didn't know, so I started suggesting places as we headed up the highway. When I spotted a DQ Grill & Chill, I asked him if he wanted to go there. He replied, "Nah, I don't feel like eating at a franchise today." That just proves he belongs to me. After a few chuckles, we decided to head to a pizza joint in Downtown Jackson that had been on my list of restaurants to try for quite a while.

The Pizza Shack

If you're looking for ordinary pizza, try the chains. If you're looking for extraordinary pizza, look no further than The Pizza Shack in Jackson. I had heard how awesome the pizza is from several sources, so I had to see, or should I say taste, for myself.

If you want the normal flavor pizzas, i.e. pepperoni, beef, etc., you'll have to build your own from the variety of toppings they offer. Their specialty menu boasts combinations inspired by all parts of the globe. Choices include Chicken Curry Delight, Cajun Joe, Hawaiian, Shrimp Alfredo, Thai Chicken, The Greek, Mexican Fiesta, and more. After several minutes of poring over the menu, we finally settled on Buffalo Chicken.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Once it was delivered to the table, my husband grabbed the first piece. "Dang, that's a heavy piece of pizza," he exclaimed. He wasn't lying, either. I have never had a pizza so heavily laden with toppings. It was wall to wall chicken and was by far the best Buffalo Chicken Pizza I've ever eaten. I'll have to go back and try something different to see if it's overall the best. It was full of the buffalo chicken flavor without being overly spicy. It was so loaded that we each only ate one piece. Normally, we devour the whole thing.

We also ordered the cheese sticks with marinara sauce. They were delicious as well. There's more on the menu than just pizza. Choices include salads, deli sandwiches, subs, and buffalo wings. There are 11 flavors of buffalo wings to choose from, including Southwest Garlic Ranch, Lemon Pepper, and Spicy Thai.

Cheese Sticks

We boxed up the leftovers and took them home for supper. Before I reheated my slice, curiosity got the best of me. So, I pulled out the kitchen scale to weigh it. One slice weighed 1/2 pound, making a medium size pizza weigh 8-9 pounds. Now that's one heckuva pie.

Next time you're in Jackson and hungry for pizza, try one of their two locations. The original is located on State Street across from Baptist Hospital and their newest location is on Old Canton Road across from Colonial Country Club.

Madison Cupcake Company

Most folks who know me know that I'm crazy about cupcakes. So crazy that I'm on a constant quest to find a cupcake that's better, in my opinion, than Sprinkles. I just need to live closer to a Sprinkles so I wouldn't have to do this.

After filling up at The Pizza Shack, I trekked up to Madison to check out Madison Cupcake Company. It is located in the section of Colony Crossing Shopping Center that faces Bozeman Road.

Like most cupcake joints, they have their daily usuals and several specials that rotate. On this particular day, they had Banana Split cupcakes. It was a good cupcake, but just couldn't top Sprinkles. My favorite thing about it was the frosting. I asked what kind it was since it didn't taste like the usual buttercream. It was extra light and fluffy. The lady in the kitchen told me it's called bettercream and has marshmallow cream in it. I'm going to have to find a recipe for that to use on my own cupcake creations.

Madison Cupcake Company

Chilly Willy's Grill

A quick trip to McComb around lunchtime one Friday had my daughter and me searching for somewhere to eat. Since I like to try new or new to me places, I consulted the Urbanspoon app on my iPad for suggestions. I stumbled upon Chilly Willy's Grill and decided to drive a little out of the way to try it. It's just off the Fernwood exit South of McComb near the airport.

We were quite impressed when we finally found it. The building resembles a beach house, and the beach theme is carried out inside.

Sadly, we got off to a rough start there. When you enter, you seat yourself and someone is supposed to take your order. Well, we sat there, and sat there, and sat there and no one stopped to take our order. One waitress passed our table at least five times and never even looked at us. Just as I was about to get up and embarrass my daughter, I'm sure, another waitress came over and waited on us. I was so glad because I really wanted to be able to write a good review. Hopefully, next time I go, they will be more prompt.

Their logo touts that they're the home of the Big Willy Burger. That's not the only burger they offer, though. There are 16 burgers on the menu. Names like The Comeback Burger, The Lava Burger, The Volcano Burger and The Malibu Sunset Burger draw your attention. If you're not in the mood for a burger, there's plenty more to choose from. They have tons of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, grilled chicken platters, seafood platters, po boys, loaded potatoes, and grilled entrees to choose from. If you can't find something to eat here, you are just too hard to please.

Like most everyone else in the universe, I love Fridays. But, there is one thing I hate about Fridays in Mississippi. Virtually every restaurant's special is fried catfish. It must be some law that you have to serve fried catfish on Fridays in Mississippi. If there is, Chilly Willy's is a law abiding establishment. Luckily, they do it with a twist. Their Friday feature is Catfish Willy, which is a fried catfish fillet topped with a crawfish cream sauce over a bed of cajun rice. That's what I chose and it was delicious. Anne Morgan chose The Comeback Burger, which was loaded with comeback sauce, bacon, and cheese. She said it was delicious as well. They also had a glass pastry case full of tempting desserts, but we were too full to try one.

Catfish Willy

The Comeback Burger

Chilly Willy's is a fun place to visit. They offer karaoke on Saturday nights to make it even more fun. It has been open for three years and I don't know why I haven't heard of it before now. Plus, they opened a second location in Hammond, La. last year. I'm ready to go back and take the rest of my family for a fun night out. I think I'll pass on the karaoke, though.

As the old English proverb goes, "All good things must come to an end." School break is now over and so are our impromptu culinary adventures. We'll just have to make do on the weekends until next year. Oh wait, I just remembered, we have a holiday coming up. There's no telling where our taste buds will take us.

Tasty summer travels, part two

2011-08-19T23:53:00.003-05:00

My favorite town in Mississippi to visit is, without a doubt, Oxford. Not only is it home to my beloved Ole Miss Rebels, it has tons of great places to eat.

As much as I love Ole Miss football, I really enjoy visiting Oxford when there's not a football game being played. Summer usually takes us to Ole Miss and Oxford for camps at least twice, and this year was no exception.

Old Venice Pizza

One of my favorite places to eat in Oxford is Old Venice Pizza. We eat there almost every time we go to Oxford, mainly because of the Tiramisu. It is outstanding! If we don't go sit down to eat there, we at least swing by and get just Tiramisu to go.

Tiramisu

Their savory dishes are excellent as well. Their menu offers several appealing appetizers, soups, sandwiches, classic Italian pastas and entrees, as well as a unique selection of homemade pizzas. My family's favorites include the trio appetizer - a combination of Dynamite Shrimp, Crawfish Roll, and Hand-breaded Mozzarella Sticks; Ranchero Pizza - ranch base, chicken breast slices, bacon, roasted garlic, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and a drizzle of ranch dressing; and Chicken Tuscany Pizza - garlic cream sauce, chicken, roasted red pepper, Roma tomatoes, sweet red onion, oregano, and a sweet balsamic glaze.

Trio Appetizer

Chicken Tuscany Pizza

My husband is a brownie and ice cream fanatic, so his dessert of choice at Old Venice is the Chocolate Explosion. Look at the photo below and you'll see why they call it that.

Brownie Explosion

Now, before you Bulldog fans get bent out of shape thinking you'll miss out since you're NEVER going to Oxford, there's an Old Venice in Starkville, too, as well as Tupelo and Memphis.

Snackbar

Chef John Currence made a name for himself in Mississippi with his first Oxford restaurant, City Grocery. In recent years, he has added additional restaurants to the Oxford dining scene and has put Mississippi on the culinary map.

Tucked away in a strip mall off North Lamar Avenue, right next door to a yoga studio, is Snackbar. As soon as you step into the dining area, you feel like you've stepped into an English hunt club.

The cozy bistro features a raw oyster bar with fresh oysters from all over the country arriving daily. In addition, their charcuterie menu is serviced from the smokehouse out back. Charcuterie offerings include pates, hard sausages, and ham, to name a few.

The menu changes with the seasons. Fortunately for me the menu changed after I dined there in June. When I returned in July, they had switched to the summer menu, so I got to partake of the new options.

The most popular item in the menu is the Truffle/Parmesan Frites. One bite of these fancy fries and you'll see why. Daily specials are offered as well as small plate and not so small plate entrees. Dishes we've tried include Lobster Mac and Cheese, Royal Red Shrimp Fricassee, Steak Frites, and Sliders.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Royal Red Shrimp Fricassee

Steak Frites

Sliders

Desserts at Snackbar are exquisite. The Opera Cake is a layered chocolate and vanilla cake with coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce. During blueberry season, a Frozen Blueberry Souffle was a light, refreshing treat.

Opera Cake

Frozen Blueberry Souffle

Big Bad Breakfast

Next door to Snackbar is Currence-owned Big Bad Breakfast. Lard have mercy, they dish out a mean breakfast.

Most ingredients are fresh and local. All their bacon and sausage is smoked out back in the Big Bad Smokehouse. Eggs are from cage free suppliers. Dairy products are from a family run dairy in nearby Yocona. Jellies, jams, and preserves are made fresh daily. When possible, herbs and produce come from the chef's own garden.

The bacon is like no other I've ever tasted. It's tied on my list with ABE's. Cured with Tabasco and brown sugar, it's available for purchase by the pound to enjoy at home.

If you're really hungry, go for the Big Bad Breakfast Plate. Two eggs are cooked to order with a side of meat, home fries or local stone ground grits, choice of gravy, and toast or biscuit. There are leaner options as well as fancier options.

My favorite is the Pain Perdue, a brandy-spiked French toast with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. It's an entree and dessert all-in-one.

Pain Perdue

Lunch is also also available with offerings of burgers, BLT sandwich, and the Elvis sandwich - peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and mayo griddle fried between white or wheat bread. This combination may get you all shook up.

Bottletree Bakery

I first heard of Bottletree Bakery on The Oprah Winfrey Show many years ago. She featured their Apple Ruffle Tart as the best pie in America. Several years passed and I never stopped by to check it out until a Mississippi State friend of mine told me I could bring him a croissant from there any time. Well, I figured that if a State fan liked it, I had to try it out. So, the next time I was in Oxford, I did just that. It was love at first sight. Now I have to go EVERY time I'm in town.

When you walk in the door, if you can get in the door, you're greeted by a big glass case of freshly baked pastries - croissants, chocolate croissants, focaccia, danishes, humble pie, muffins, brioche, scones, and the list goes on. They also have open racks of homemade breads, including baguettes, sourdough, bagels, and more. Every time I go, I feel like I'm getting a glimpse of Paris. I just imagine what it's like there with all the delectable pastries and breads on every corner, and grabbing a croissant for breakfast and a loaf of bread on your way home from work every day.

Bottletree Bakery pastry case

The funny thing is that I've been Bottletree Bakery numerous times and have yet to see the infamous apple tart. The pastry that made them famous keeps evading me. I'm just going to have to ask about that next time I go.

My order is pretty much the same every time I go - chocolate croissant, humble pie, focaccia, and a couple loaves of bread to take home. The chocolate croissant is best eaten there since they warm it and drizzle more chocolate on top. The humble pie is usually strawberry or blueberry or both. It consists of a shortbread cookie with fruit in the middle. My favorite thing is a particular focaccia they make. It's basically like a mini pizza. They take focaccia bread and top it with chicken, applewood bacon, red onions, apples, cheese, and I don't know what else, and bake it to make it crispy on the bottom. It is to die for. And my daughter, Anne Morgan, is ready to kill somebody if they don't have it when we go there. Next time, I'm bringing extras home for the freezer.

Chocolate Croissant

Pecan Sticky Bun

Bottletree is more than just a bakery. They have a gourmet coffee bar and offer sandwiches for lunch. The walls are covered in funky art, making it an art gallery, too.

I've never been to Paris, but I hope to go there one day. For now, I'll just have to settle for frequent trips to the Bottletree, which is fine by me. I think that's why I'm so excited about football season kicking off soon - more pastries and bread.

Next time you're ready for a culinary getaway, look no further than Oxford. With a wide variety of cuisines to choose from, you won't be sorry. (Even if you are a bulldog.)

Stay tuned for the final chapter in my summer travels. Up next are some more dives within a short driving distance you'll want to give a try.

Tasty summer travels, part one

2011-08-15T00:07:00.000-05:00

Summer and I have a love-hate relationship. I'm not talking about a person. I'm talking about the season.

What I hate about summer is the South Mississippi heat and humidity. Sometimes it's so stifling, I can barely breathe.

What I love about summer is not being on a schedule and the flexibility that comes with it. It frees me and my family to make small road trips and visit restaurants I've been wanting to try. This summer has been a busy one, and we have managed to do some good eating along the way.

Another Broken Egg

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that Another Broken Egg is one of my very favorite restaurants. The original is located in Mandeville, La. with franchise locations across the South, mostly in the Florida Panhandle. In fact, I ate at my first one while in Destin for a cheer competition. I was instantly hooked. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out someone was opening one at the Renaissance at Colony Park shopping center in Ridgeland. Since its opening this spring, it has been a hit among diners from all over the state.

I've patronized the restaurant several times and was able to kick the summer off to a good start by meeting a friend there the day after school recessed.

Open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, ABE has an extensive menu with many mouthwatering dishes to choose from. I always have difficulty deciding.

Some of my favorites include the appetizer of Baked Brie with apples, pecans, and raisins in a Grand Marnier butter sauce served with toasted French bread rounds, Bananas Foster French Toast, and the Southern Crab Stack - a grit cake topped with a crab cake, smothered with a shrimp and Andouille saute. Other family favorites include Pancakes - which are as big as a frisbee, Cinnamon Roll French Toast, and Lobster et Fromage - a cream cheese laced omelette topped with brie cheese, garlic sauteed lobster, tomatoes and champagne cream sauce. And the list goes on and on. Their country potatoes and bacon are some of the best I've ever eaten. I'm told the bacon is smoked and then baked over corn cobs. It's thick, crisp and so flavorful. There's also a long list of sandwiches on the menu, but I love their breakfast so much I've never even ventured over to the lunch menu. Maybe I will on my next visit.

Baked Brie

Southern Crab Stack

Bananas Foster French Toast

Pancake

Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Roca

I never have been thrilled with the restaurant scene in Vicksburg. There just aren't that many local places to dine there. And then I found Roca. It ranks high on my list of Mississippi restaurants. It's located off Indiana Avenue at the Vicksburg Country Club and is open to the public, not just club members.

My first visit there was for dinner and I ordered their most popular dish, an appetizer of Benton's Prosciutto and Smoked Gouda Fritters. Resembling a hushpuppy, these fritters are anything but. Imagine Allan Benton's prosciutto and smoked Gouda cheese, formed into a ball, deep fried, and served with rosemary honey mustard dipping sauce. They're ooey gooey balls of cheesy love. Words can't describe their deliciousness. One must try them for themselves.

Dinner entrees include Pepperd Ahi Tuna, Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Hand-cut Steaks, and more. Their brick oven pizzas feature flavors such as Blacken Pepper Chicken Pesto, Seared Steak, and Crawfish. They serve an outstanding bread basket as well, one of the best I've ever eaten.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon

This summer, when I had a chance, I took my daughter there for lunch. They offer a Blue Plate Special daily as well as salads, sandwiches, and brick oven pizzas, and pastas. I had the Seared Sushi Grade Tuna Salad which consisted of mixed field greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, sesame seeds, crispy wontons, tossed in Ginger Soy Vinaigrette, and topped with slices of fresh tuna. Anne Morgan tried the Chicken Alfredo Pasta. Both dishes got two thumbs up.

Seared Sushi Grade Tuna Salad

I have an Eat Jackson discount card which got us a free Bread Pudding for dessert. It was tasty, but didn't supersede the dessert I had on my previous visit, the Pecan Lace Cookie Cup. Pecan lace cookies are shaped into serving cups and filled with vanilla pastry cream and fresh seasonal berries. This decadent dessert is divine in both appearance and taste.

Bread Pudding

Pecan Lace Cookie Cup

We went to so many places this summer that I'm making this a series of blogs so I won't take too much of your time. Check back soon for part two.

Twenty years, ten thousand meals, and counting

2011-08-08T11:02:00.001-05:00

20 years? That's what I keep asking myself. It's hard to believe that John and I have been married for 20 years. They say opposites attract and for the most part that's true with us. However, there is one thing we both have in common - we love to eat. According to my calculations, we've shared more than 10,000 meals together through the years. We have done some good eating.

To celebrate our milestone, we ventured north to The Parker House. It's located in the "Old Towne" part of Ridgeland in an English cottage style house.

It had been a long, long time since we had been there. And to be quite honest, I thought to myself after we got there that it'd probably be a long time before I came back. That was until the food started coming and I quickly changed my mind.

We called ahead and reserved one of their four private dining booths since it was a special occasion. The booths are quite cozy and are outfitted with curtains that can be closed for complete privacy. At first, John didn't want to close them, which made me flash back to our honeymoon. We left the church in a limo and he didn't want to raise the privacy window for fear that the driver's feelings would be hurt. "You have got to be kidding me," I thought. Twenty years later and here we go again. So, when our dinner arrived, I took it upon myself to close the curtains and he was glad I did. Oh yeah, after about 10 minutes, the driver finally raised the window.

A welcomed addition to our private dining area was the painting above the table. I was elated to see longtime friend Sarah McTaggart's name at the bottom. She is a fantastic artist.

Sarah McTaggart's painting

We started off with an appetizer of Grit Fries. Grits were formed into cakes, battered, and deep fried. They were then drizzled with honey chipotle aioli, balsamic glaze, and garnished with pickled onions. The spiciness of the aioli and the coolness of the onions complemented each other very well. Crab Mac 'n Cheese and Pimento Cheese Fritters were among other choices for starters.

Grit Fries

For our entrees, I had the Redfish Parker House. Redfish, encrusted with Parmesan and herbs, was topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and a lemon beurre blanc, and served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.

Redfish Parker House

John ordered the filet, which was served with a side of the garlic mashed potatoes. We always share bites of each other's entrees. One bite of his steak made me wish I had ordered it instead. The tenderness and flavor rivaled that of Shapley's, which we consider tops for steaks in Mississippi. You could almost cut it with a fork it was so tender. Normally one shared bite is enough for me, but this warranted a second bite.

Filet

Entrees range in price from $12-40 and include other selections like Shrimp and Grits, and Bacon Wrapped Salmon. They also offer a prix fixe menu for $39.95, which includes a selection of an appetizer, entree, and dessert.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I chose Peanut Butter Cheesecake for dessert. Normally, we share a dessert, but since it was a special occasion we each got our own. John went for his traditional brownie with ice cream, which was anything but the traditional version. It was topped with fudge, caramel, and candied pecans. The cheesecake wasn't what I was expecting, either. A graham cracker crust was covered with a thin layer of chocolate before it was topped with a thick layer of mousse-like, peanutty goodness. But that's not all - it was garnished with fudge and caramel sauces, and morsels of peanut brittle. My cheeks quiver just thinking about it. It was a truly sweet ending to a perfect meal.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Brownie with Ice Cream

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I'm almost positive that's how I hooked him. I can't wait to see what we eat for the next 10,000 meals.

Crazy Cat Bakers is crazy good

2011-07-24T23:06:00.000-05:00

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Highland Village in Jackson is Crazy Cat Bakers. This quaint cafe offers lunch Monday - Saturday as well as a wide selection of made from scratch desserts.

Interior of Crazy Cat Bakers

Lunch offerings consist of a variety of paninis, salads, and daily specials. Panini choices include meatloaf, rotisserie chicken, roasted red bell pepper, caramelized onion BLT, and more.

The Big Salad caught my attention with the lure of caramelized onions. Also topping the romaine greens were turkey, ham, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and roasted red bell peppers. Sweet Onion Vinaigrette was the perfect companion to this beautifully arranged salad.

The Big Salad

Of course, my initial draw to Crazy Cat was the word bakers. Desserts are beautifully displayed on the counter and selections vary daily. Their menu of desserts can be ordered whole for carry out. Choices include layered cakes, pound cakes, pies, cheesecakes, and bread pudding with brandy butter sauce. Tantalizing flavors include Fudge Pecan Cake, Toffee Crunch Coffee Cake, Chocolate Chip Bourbon Pecan Pie, Amaretto Cheesecake, and Turtle Cheesecake, to name a few.

I had a tough time deciding which dessert to order, and finally settled on the chocolate cake. The moist and fudgy cake was topped with a thick, creamy layer of fudge icing. It was a chocolate lover's paradise.

Chocolate Cake

I'm not a big sweet potato eater, but they had the most beautiful pie I've ever laid eyes on. Aptly named Lord Have Mercy Sweet Potato Pie, it was so pretty that I was tempted to try it. Maybe next time, because there will be a next time. (I forgot to take a picture before I left.)

So, when you're on the prowl in Jackson for a quick bite and something sweet, stop by Crazy Cat Bakers. You will leave there purring for more.

Thought this was cute. Entrance to the restroom.

From "Farm to Table" to fork to my mouth

2011-07-14T17:25:00.002-05:00

There's a movement afoot in the culinary world. "Farm to Table" is a phrase used frequently among agriculture, food service, and restaurant communities. It's an initiative concerned with producing food locally and delivering it directly to consumers. Some of the finest restaurants in the country are adopting it as their mantra.

Restaurateurs are buying meats, fish, cheeses and other dairy products, eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, and more from local farmers and growers and creating some amazing dishes in their restaurants. The purpose is to provide customers with the freshest food possible while supporting the local food economy. Everybody knows that fresher is always better. Especially since so many of our food products are exposed to chemicals and lose much of their nutritional value before they reach our table.

We are living in a day and age where a vast majority of children think that milk and eggs are made at the grocery store. With the mass production of food these days, it seems that farming is a dying art. But, every day I hear mention of more and more farms across the state of Mississippi who are managing to survive and prosper. It's our responsibility to teach our children about where food comes from and how to make healthy choices when deciding what to eat.

Robert St. John of the Purple Parrot Cafe and Crescent City Grill in Hattiesburg is a big supporter of this sustainable food movement and is doing a great job getting the word out around the state. Last week, he announced on Facebook that the Purple Parrot was hosting its Inaugural Farm to Table Summer Supper. I'm always looking for a new culinary adventure and knew I had to be a part of this one.

The meal consisted of five courses with wine pairings for each one. Almost every ingredient was grown or produced within a 75 mile radius of Hattiesburg. Waiting on the table when we arrived, was a starter course of Proscuitto & Melon. It consisted of a ball of cantaloupe topped with goat cheese and proscuitto from Benton's Country Hams. The delicious blend of the salty and sweet flavors made a perfect summertime appetizer.

The real appetizer was Crystal Seas Oysters, which consisted of a half shell oyster with pickled watermelon rind, grilled oyster with spicy garlic butter, and a cornmeal crusted BLT oyster. Oysters are bought fresh from Quality Seafood in Biloxi. They go pretty much straight from the boat to the restaurant.

The next course was a Triple Tail, which was a ragout of local heirloom vegetables, fresh grouper, Mississippi shiitake mushrooms, and jumbo lump crab. The mushrooms come from right here in Lawrence County. Mississippi Natural Products in New Hebron is a co-op that manufactures blocks on which to grow the mushrooms. A friend of mine, Heather Smith of Smith Lake Farms in Brookhaven, was at our table and explained how, as members of the co-op, they get the blocks from MNP to grow the mushrooms, then send them back for packaging and distribution. It's an interesting operation that I hope to go see for myself very soon.

The Duroc Pork Belly was my favorite entree of the evening. The pork belly had been braised for 12 hours for ultimate flavor and tenderness. It was served alongside a succotash of fresh vegetables, crispy grit cake, and a poached egg. As my 5-year old nephew says, there was a party in my tummy. Needless to say, I all but licked my plate.

The final entree was Gumbo. This was not your ordinary gumbo, though. It was a "deconstructed" gumbo. The rice was surrounded by pickled okra, chicken, andouille, country ham, and a dark roux sauce. I can honestly say I've never had anything quite like it before in terms of flavor and presentation. It's a great way to turn a dish that's often thought of as cold weather food into a summertime dish.

And last but not least, my favorite course of any meal - dessert! The Peach Upside Down Cake did not disappoint. It featured a mini pound cake layered with a half of a peach that had been bruleed and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. It was a light and refreshing finale to a phenomenal meal. The peaches were grown just next door in Walthall County.

The celebrity of the evening was Allan Benton of Benton's Country Hams in Madisonville, Tenn. Benton, a self-proclaimed hillbilly, has been smoking and curing pork since 1973 in the countryside of Tennessee. He does it the way our forefathers did it by slow curing in salt and brown sugar for sometimes up to a year. I've visited his operation and it is the best bacon, sausage, and ham you will ever eat. He told me that it makes him so happy to hear Mississippi folks rave about his products. He says a New Yorker can be fooled because they don't know what good bacon tastes like, but Mississippians know their pork. So, if they say it's good, it must be good. Benton is an humble soul who is overwhelmed and amazed by the recent surge in his business. He now ships his products to gourmet chefs across the country. While he's proud of what he does, he gives credit to the chefs and what they do with it. His bacon and proscuitto are favorites among the chefs he sells to. Besides St. John, famous chefs like John Besh and Emeril Lagasse are some of his regular customers.

Purple Parrot Chef Jeremy Nottke outdid himself. He has a lot to be proud of these days, as the Purple Parrot recently received two coveted awards in the restaurant industry. PPC and its sister, Crescent City Grill, was awarded their second Wine Spectator "Best of" Award of Excellence. This is quite an honor considering that Louisiana has 11 winners, Tennessee three, Alabama one, and Arkansas zero. And to top that off, AAA just voted them the second-best fine dining restaurant in the South, just behind Commander's Palace in New Orleans. That's pretty impressive. Robert St. John, you make us proud to call you one of our own. Thanks again for a fantastic evening.

With summertime comes the abundance of fresh vegetables grown in your own garden or nearby. If you don't have a garden, find a local farmer or farmer's market and start your own farm to table movement - right in your own kitchen!

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Menu front

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Menu back

Cruise on down to the Coast for some good eats

2011-06-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

This year's annual convention for the Mississippi Press Association took us back to Biloxi to the Beau Rivage. It had been a couple of years since we had been to the Coast, so I was excited to get back down there and eat some great seafood. Since Hurricane Katrina, a lot of new restaurants have opened, along with some old favorites.

An old favorite of many is McElroy's on the Bayou in Ocean Springs. Their original location was in Biloxi until the hurricane wiped it out. A sign still stands at the original site touting they're coming back soon, but it's been almost six years and no construction has begun, so I'm guessing they're not coming soon. Anyway, I had never been there and it's just on the other side of the Biloxi Bay Bridge, so that's where our first meal was. Their menu features a good selection of seafood and fish. We ended up with fried crab claws, blackened Mahi Mahi, and broiled Mahi Mahi. Everyone was happy with their selection and we all left there stuffed to the gills. McElroy's is a great choice if you want traditional Gulf Coast seafood.

A few months back, I tuned in to Food Network and "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" was on. One of the dives featured was Darwell's in Long Beach. It looked like the neatest place and I couldn't wait to try it. So, we took the scenic drive along Beach Blvd. and trekked over to Long Beach for lunch. The exterior of the cafe lets you know that it's going to be a cool and funky place. The building is painted with brightly colored flowers and designs. Upon entering, we were greeted by chef and owner Darwell Yeager himself. You order at the front counter and the menu is posted on the walls. Darwell explained the menu and the day's specials to us, pointing out that they do pretty much anything, but don't fry anything. The kids chose burgers, which were featured in Beach Boulevard magazine's best burgers on the coast article last year. John and I shared the Taste of Darwell's platter. It featured small portions of Shrimp Creole (their most famous dish), Crawfish Étouffée, and Seafood Gumbo, along with slices of French bread. Everything was delicious, some of the best we've had. When we ordered drinks at the counter, we were given a styrofoam cup and directed to a tiki bar area, where we were greeted by Darwell's dad, Papa D. He's a colorful character who is responsible for all the art in the restaurant. He even sketches designs onto the cups when he gets your drink for you. The place is full of his prints that are available to purchase. As we finished our meal, Darwell came by our table to make sure everything was ok. He told us of his upcoming participation in a new project headed by Guy Fieri called America's Chefs. Fieri hand-picked a team of nine chefs who, early next year, will travel the country and abroad and cook for our military and their families. Food Network will document it all as these chefs help boost morale and show appreciation to all branches of the military. Darwell is so excited to be a part of this program. He is just the nicest guy and you can see his passion for cooking and serving others. It's definitely worth the drive to Long Beach to get some, as their slogan says, "real food for real people."

Darwell's Cafe in Long Beach

Papa D's cup art

Taste of Darwell's

Darwell's burger

On our way back to the hotel after lunch, we stopped by Le Bakery in Biloxi. Anybody who knows me knows that if there's a bakery in town, I'm going. This bakery features homemade breads and pastries, as well as po-boys and Vietnamese fare. We opted for a chocolate almond croissant, pecan baklava cup, and piña colada cake. Everybody gobbled up their pastry before I could get a bite, so they must have been good. The piña colada cake definitely was good.

We met up with fellow newspaper friends for dinner on Thursday night. Our friends' only requirement was for oysters. So, we headed over to the Half Shell Oyster House, which is directly across from Hard Rock Casino. Their original location is in downtown Gulfport and this one just opened in May. I don't eat oysters, so I can't tell you first hand about them, but the experts in my group gave them two thumbs up. There were several options, including on the half shell, Oysters Bienville - topped with an herb, mushroom, crab, shrimp and Italian bread crumb mixture, covered with Parmesan cheese and baked; Oysters Rockefeller - topped with an herb, fresh spinach and cream cheese mixture and baked; Charbroiled Oysters - charbroiled over an open flame with butter and herb sauce; BBQ Oysters - charbroiled with New Orleans style buttery BBQ sauce; as well as fried oysters. If you love oysters, this is the place for you. The menu has many delectable sounding offerings. I had a tough time deciding, and finally chose the Seafood Pot Pie. It consisted of shrimp, crawfish, crabmeat, corn, peas and carrots in a traditional pot pie filling with a crisp buttermilk crust. It was soooo good. My favorite part of a pot pie is the crust. This crust was so tender and flaky, just the way I like it. For my side, I chose the asparagus. It cost an extra $2.00 and was totally worth it. It was grilled and topped with a gorgonzola sauce, and was so delicious. John ordered the Wahoo special, but we're pretty sure that's not what he got. The ticket said Mahi Mahi. I'm not quite sure how it was prepared, but it was good, too. We were too stuffed at the time for dessert, but their offerings sounded yummy. They offered Homemade Key Lime Pie, Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding. Next time I go, I'm saving room for dessert.

View from the Half Shell restaurant

Seafood Pot Pie and Asparagus with Gorgonzola Sauce at Half Shell

By the time we walked back to the Beau Rivage, I was ready for something sweet. I stopped by the hotel's coffee shop and got a Mississippi Mud dessert. It was a triple layer dessert with a thick walnut cinnamon cookie-like crust, a layer of chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and topped with a square of dark chocolate with the BR logo. It was divine. On another night, we tried the Tiramisu and Strawberry Sponge Cake. They were good, too.

Mississippi Mud

Tiramisu

Strawberry Sponge Cake

One day for lunch, we drove along Beach Blvd. toward Gulfport to see what restaurants there were. We ended up at Snapper's, which is very laid back and casual and located on the beach side of the highway. The food was good, but the view was better. Of course the water doesn't compare to that in Alabama and Florida, but as far as the Mississippi Coast goes, the view was beautiful. The menu consisted of traditional fried seafood and fish, as well as po-boys and sandwiches.

View from Snapper's

John attended the convention banquet on Friday night, so the kids and I opted to eat at one of the restaurants at the BR. We were joined by a friend of mine whose husband went to the banquet, too. We checked out the menus at several of the restaurants and settled on Stalla, the new Italian eatery. We really enjoyed the warm atmosphere and the service was superb. The kids built their own pasta. They offered about five different pastas and five different sauces to choose from with the option to add chicken or shrimp. I chose a Caesar Salad, which caught my eye with the topping of pancetta. My friend ordered the Veal Porterhouse special they offered. Everyone loved their selections. The best part was dessert. For some reason, Anne Morgan is on a Tiramisu kick, so that's what we ordered. It was heavenly and has now tied with Zoe's for best we've ever had. My friend ordered cannoli. She was served two cream and chocolate chip filled cannolis with pistachios, cashews (we think), and mini chocolate chips on the side.

More Tiramisu at Stalla

Cannoli at Stalla

For lunch the next day, we took a short walk to downtown Biloxi to the Ole Biloxi Schooner. I don't remember where I had heard about it, but it was on my proverbial "to dine at" list for the Coast. It was your typical fried seafood type of restaurant with po-boys, fried seafood, and fish. The portions were huge and could have been shared. I had a shrimp po-boy and onion rings, which were thin and extra crispy, just like I like them. I ate them until I hurt. I'm not sure of the age, but you could tell the restaurant had been there for a long, long time. We got there around 12:30 and it wasn't even half full. By the time we left, it was packed. It's obviously a local favorite.

Onion Rings and Shrimp Po-boy at Ole Biloxi Schooner

After a sunset cruise in the Gulf with some of our newspaper friends, we opted to go to Memphis Q at the BR for dinner. I had thought they only served BBQ, but found that they offer a variety of dishes. John had a steak, Anne Morgan had salmon, and John Taylor and I split the Mahi Mahi. (We're on a Mahi Mahi kick, too!) Everyone's dishes were tasty. Our fish was served with jasmine rice with crawfish etouffee and green beans. John Taylor cleaned his plate, except for the green beans, of course. This was a good choice for family dining.

Steak at Memphis Q

Mahi Mahi at Memphis Q

For years, I wished my kids would order something besides chicken strips everywhere we went and now that I'm having to buy adult priced entrees, I wish they WOULD get the chicken strips. John Taylor has been thrilled since he turned 11 and has been bumped off most kids menus, but it's killing our pocketbook. I will warn you that the days of cheap food at a casino are long gone. I guess it's their way of making money on the folks who don't gamble, too. Anne Morgan even went to the buffet one night with friends and it was nearly $30 by the time they added tax and tip. I'm trying not to complain too much, since I know these days with them will pass too quickly. I'm just so glad they're not picky eaters or I'd be stuck at fast food joints eating chicken strips all the time.

Blueberries are back

2011-06-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Hooray! It's blueberry season again. Every year, in addition to stuffing myself with fresh blueberries, I like to try new recipes with blueberries.
My sister-in-law's mother brought us a huge bucket of the biggest and sweetest blueberries I've ever tasted. One night I made a yummy blueberry almond crisp. I've been snacking on the rest and was down to about a cup's worth and decided to try something else. Earlier this week, John had gotten a Frozen Blueberry Souffle for dessert at a restaurant in Oxford. He has raved so about it, I googled it to see if I could find a recipe. I did find a recipe for it, as well as several for baked blueberry souffle. So, I decided to try the baked version. As soon as I get some more berries, I'm going to try the frozen one.
For some reason, I had been led to believe that making a souffle was just too difficult for anyone below the ranking of professional chef with a culinary degree. Well, I'm here to say, this souffle was quite easy to make. Other than the blueberries, all the ingredients are staples I keep all the time. You basically make a blueberry compote, which is blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a little water cooked until it makes a thick sauce. Then, you stir that into egg whites beaten with sugar, spoon into ramekins, and bake. It's just that simple.
The batter is the most beautiful shade of purple that bakes into a golden brown mountain of fluffiness. (I really do need to take a course on food writing so I can sound like the judges on Iron Chef.) It's a quite impressive looking dessert. I can't wait to try a chocolate one. I'll be sure and share how that one turns out.

Blueberry Souffle
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. water
2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
Combine blueberries, half of sugar, lemon juice, and water in saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until blueberries begin to burst and make a thick sauce, about 15-20 minutes. Cool completely. Spray two individual size ramekins with cooking spray and coat with sugar. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg whites in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment until soft peaks begin to form. Add remaining sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks. Reserve about 1 tbsp. of the liquid portion of the blueberry compote and fold in remaining compote and lemon zest. Gently spoon into ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes. Make a small slit with knife in center of souffle and pour reserved sauce in slit and drizzle on top. Serve immediately.

Before baking

Beautiful dessert


The inside is so pretty, too

I didn't take a photo of the Blueberry Almond Crisp, but here's the recipe. The recipe I'm posting is called a Fruit Crisp. Just use whatever fruit you like. The almonds are not listed in the recipe. Just add whatever nut you prefer to the top before baking. Also, this makes about 4 servings. So, just double it if you want a bigger one.

Fruit Crisp
2 cups fruit

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

Put fruit in baking dish. Sprinkle lemon juice and sugar over fruit. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Filling will be somewhat runny. If you want it to be thicker, add a little cornstarch to the fruit and sugar.

Something new is brewing in Monticello!

2011-05-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

I am excited to report that we have a new bakery and coffee shop in Monticello. It's called "The Bake and Brew," and is owned by Lisa Baggett. Some of you may remember Lisa from the bakery she operated in town many years ago next to Hudson Pharmacy called "Sweet Sensations." Well, she's back and even better this time around. The shop is located at 448 W. Broad St., in the former Center Stage Video location next to Many Expressions.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect considering it was a video store. I was more than delighted on my first visit to find that she had transformed it into a quaint coffee shop. I was very impressed with the decor. Lisa has in the past operated an antique shop near her home. She has incorporated several antique pieces into the decor, which adds a nostalgic touch to the place.

Wall display with their slogan - "Come see us and leave a little sweeter..."

One of my favorite displays is a gigantic wooden shadowbox filled with white coffee cups. It's a really neat idea that reminds you of their gourmet coffee menu. She purchased the coffee equipment from our old snoball business, so I can vouch that it's authentic gourmet coffee and not a powder or the gas station kind. The coffee menu features espresso, lattes, cappuccino, mochas, cafe au lait, regular coffee, as well as the frozen frappes. My mother used to run the coffee business for us, so she knows what a good white chocolate mocha tastes like. She says hers was prepared to perfection the other day. That's great to hear since espresso drinks can be easily fouled up. I got my favorite sugar free caramel skinny decaf latte and it was just right as well. A barista once told me that what I order is called a "Why bother?" I love the taste of the coffee and would just rather spend my calories on the pastries.

Coffee cup display

The pastries are beautifully displayed in an antique glass display case, reminiscent of what you'd see in an old general store. The freshly baked offerings include scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, cookies, slices of cake, and sometimes cupcakes and other sweets. The selection varies from day to day. My momma got a cinnamon roll, which I sampled, that was delicious. There is a microwave available for patrons to warm their selection, which is what she did to the cinnamon roll. My personal favorites are the scones. The flavor choices are white chocolate raspberry, apple, and blueberry. All are delicious and were moister than most scones I've had, which made me like them even more. My personal favorite is the white chocolate raspberry.

Pastry case

Also available by special order are assorted cakes, such as Coconut, German Chocolate, Carrot, Pound, and birthday cakes. Some days, she has mini cupcakes baked so you can get a sample of her cakes. On my first visit, I was given a sample of the carrot cake and it was yummy.

We are so fortunate to have this type business in town and I hope everyone will give her the support she needs to sustain. I know I'll do my share, even though it will wreak havoc on my diet. Maybe that latte cancels out the calories from the scone. I wish!

Oh yeah, hours are Tuesday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Pigging out in the Big Easy!

2011-05-15T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well this one was a long time coming. I've just been so busy, I haven't had a big block of time to sit and write it. I'll try to do better in the future.

For several years, I've been wanting to spend a weekend in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and enjoy some parades. I don't care to go there on Fat Tuesday, so my family and I opted for two weekends before. It's a little less crowded and a lot less crazy.

Well, naturally, when you plan something fun to do, something else always comes up. The plan was to leave as soon as the kids got out of school on Friday, which is around 1:15. Anne Morgan ended up with a school function that could not be missed after school on Friday. So, it was around 5:00 before she was able to leave. Being as it was so late and close to dinner time, we quickly made the decision to eat at Middendorf's in Manchac on the way down. It's our policy that when going to New Orleans, one meal will be eaten at Middendorf's. It's mandatory – don't even think about passing it by and not stopping.

In years past, Middendorf's operated two separate restaurants next door to each other, each having the same menu. Since Hurricane Katrina, only the original building had been open. Instead of re-opening the other one, the owners decided to expand. They added a deck and a beach area to the south end of the complex and began work on an additional dining room in between. We were pleased to find when we arrived that the new dining room was complete and open for business.

The entry has shifted a few feet down into the new area. We were quite impressed once inside. The new dining room had a huge tree in the center of it. Artificial, of course, but looked almost real. The walls were covered with hand-painted murals depicting scenes of the Louisiana Bayou.

John Taylor and Anne Morgan at Middendorf's with murals in background

John underneath the tree at Middendorf's

As usual, daughter Anne Morgan enjoyed crawfish cakes with remoulade sauce. They are just like crab cakes, except with crawfish instead of crab. They are quite tasty. Their specialty is fried catfish, offered thick or thin. Son John Taylor prefers the thick fish. He says he likes meat on his fish and the thin just isn't enough meat for him. The rest of us love, love, love the thin. I like the extra crispiness it has. It is, hands down, my favorite place for catfish. I always ask for the remoulade sauce instead of tartar. It adds an extra kick to it. As for dessert, I know a lot of you won't believe this, but I never get dessert at Middendorf's. I'm always too stuffed with catfish to eat it.

By the time we got to the hotel, it was almost 9:00. After we got settled, I began craving something sweet. So, we headed out for none other than Cafe Du Monde. Thank goodness they're open 24 hours or I would've had to settle for an apple from the bowl at the front desk. One good thing about going late at night is that it's not nearly as crowded as other times. We went right in, sat down, and promptly ordered beignets and cafe au lait. They were delicious, as usual, hot and loaded with powdered sugar. John applies the same rule to Cafe Du Monde as he does Middendorf's. They are both permanently etched into our New Orleans itinerary.

New Orleans Classics - Beignets and Cafe Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde

One of my favorite apps on my iphone and ipad is Evernote. It organizes memos and syncs to a server so I can access them from any device I have. One thing I use it for is to make a list of restaurants I want to visit. Whenever I read about a restaurant or see one on Food Network that I'd like to try, I make a note of it. Needless to say, with all the options available in New Orleans, that list is the longest one I have. I've often wondered how long it would take to cover them all if you ate out three meals a day. I would venture to say it would be at least a year or more.

One of those on my list was Mahony's Po Boys on Magazine Street in the Garden District. We skipped breakfast and headed there for an early lunch. I had a note to try their onion rings, one of my favorite appetizers. My favorite kind are the really thin ones. I'll pass on the big, thick ones. They're often not crisp enough. Mahony's has an extensive po boy menu, loaded with traditional ones and some not so traditional ones. We chose more traditional – fried oyster, fried shrimp, and meatball parmesan. Some of the not so traditional ones include eggplant parmesan, veal parmesan, liver cheese, and Zapp's potato chip po boy. I'll let somebody else try those and let me know how they are. These were some of the best po boys we've ever eaten. The bread was traditional New Orleans French bread and they were loaded with meat. John Taylor's meatballs were huge, even bigger than his mouth, if you can believe that. And the onion rings were the best ever, hands down. They were thin and crispy, just like I like them. They were so thin they should be called onion shreds. Everyone fought over the crumbs. Mahony's may get put on the permanent New Orleans list right next to Middendorf's, Cafe Du Monde, and our dinner destination, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro.

Mahony's Po Boys - Onion Rings

Mahony's Po Boys - Shrimp Po boy

Meatball too big for this big mouth!

Next, we headed over to the Creole Creamery for something sweet. Their motto is, “Eat ice cream. Be happy.” They offer an assortment of diverse and unusual flavors. Some of those flavors include Coconut-Lemongrass, Cucumber-Dill, Goat Cheese & Mission Fig, Smoked Gouda, and Strawberry-Basil Sorbet, just to name a few. These flavors change out frequently, but the more traditional flavors of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, etc. are staples on the menu. They also offer many toppings to choose from along with fountain classics such as floats, shakes, sundaes, and more. They're famous for their Tchoupitoulas Challenge. Anyone who can finish their Tchoupitoulas Sundae with no help will be immortalized on their hall of fame plaque. This is the biggest sundae I've ever laid my eyes on. It consists of eight scoops of ice cream and your choice of eight toppings, along with whipped cream and a cherry. This sundae comes with a price tag as big as the sundae itself, a whopping $25. While we were there, we witnessed three young, skinny girls try to win the challenge. They didn't even come close. Anne Morgan got a chocolate shake and John had the Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae – fudge ice cream in a peanut butter coated glass with hot fudge, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry. The rest of us just got scoops of ice cream. Everything was delicious. John says that next time we go, he's taking the Tchoupitoulas Challenge. He swears he can win it. I've seen him eat and I believe him, but I'm not paying $25 for a sundae. Dave Ramsey wouldn't approve of that.

The Creole Creamery

Left - Chocolate Shake and Right - Peanut Butter Sundae

John Taylor's favorite dessert!

Tchoupitoulas Sundae - Are you up to the challenge?

The first thing that drew me to “the cheesecake bistro,” as we call it, was it's name. Being the dessert-aholic I am, if it was named after a dessert, I had to try it, which we did many years ago and have been hooked ever since. The original location is on St. Charles St. There's one in Metairie as well. We were at the St. Charles location and were able to watch a Mardi Gras parade from our table. Their menu is literally a book, with more than just cheesecake. They have everything from burgers and sandwiches to steaks, seafood and fish. My all-time favorite entree is one of their signature dishes - BBQ Shrimp Linguine. It consists of jumbo shrimp sauteed with green onions, Creole seasoning and lemon butter garlic sauce, served over linguine in their original cheese pizza bowl. Talk about good – the cheese pizza is to die for once it has soaked up the lemon butter garlic sauce. I don't even want to know how many calories are in this dish. The portions are extremely generous here, so most entrees can be shared. Now, on to the cheesecake. The #1 on our list is White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake. It's one of their signature topped cheesecakes, meaning it's a piece of plain cheesecake with a topping, as opposed to their chef crafted ones which have the flavors baked in. Their plain cheesecake is delicious on its own, but when you add their white chocolate sauce, toasted macadamia nuts, and tons of real whipped cream, it's pure heaven. Some other delicious ones I've tried are White Chocolate Raspberry, Crème Caramel, Dulce de Leche & Praline, Black & White Tuxedo, and Turtle. You don't have to wait until you go to the Big Easy to try CCB, they have locations in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Atlanta as well. Also, if you can't work in a meal here, they do have a counter where you can get cheesecake to go, which we've done many, many times.

Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro - BBQ Shrimp Linguine

Black and White Tuxedo Cheesecake

With several parades behind us, the boys chose to visit the D-Day Museum on Sunday. So, the girls did some shopping, and more eating. On this trip, most of our time was spent in the Garden District. Every time we went down Magazine St., we passed a place called Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar and noticed that there were always several people standing outside. We decided that it must be good, and headed there for brunch. There was a short wait, but it was worth it. This small neighborhood café serves up fresh-squeezed, organic juices, Central American inspired dishes such as Huevos Rancheros and Migas, as well as traditional breakfast fare. The café offers fresh local seafood , boudin, sausage and chorizo along with locally grown organic produce. I chose scrambled eggs with salmon, which was lightly scrambled eggs with house-cured salmon, cream cheese, capers and green onions, along with a biscuit and hashbrowns. This was one of the best breakfast dishes I've ever had. If you love salmon and capers, you will love this dish. Anne Morgan chose a BLT and loved it as well. A few weeks after dining here, I was watching Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Surrey's was one of the featured dives. Host Guy Fieri highlighted their bagel-making and salmon-curing processes. Next time I go, I'm definitely trying the bagel and lox.

Scrambled Eggs with Salmon

BLT with Chicken Tortilla Soup and Salad

Another place that had been on my list for a long time is Sucre: A Sweet Boutique. I don't know why it took me so long to check it out. Maybe it's because I'm always full of cheesecake. Their original location is on Magazine St. and they had a kiosk in Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie. They have closed the kiosk and opened a full scale boutique in the strip on the south side of the shopping center. I just happened to notice it while outside waiting on another parade to begin. I'm so glad I did. They offer very unique cupcakes, all sorts of chocolate candies, and gelato. You know me, I went for a cupcake, a salted caramel one. Like their chocolates, it was quite different. It was presented on a rectangular platter, and laying on its side with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. It was chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting, which was dusted with edible gold dust and topped with a chocolate fleur de lis. It wasn't as good as a Sprinkles, but was very tasty. Anne Morgan chose a chocolate mousse dessert. I liked hers better. Next time I go, I'm going to try some of their signature truffles. They have lots of flavors to choose from in addition to chocolate barks, candies, and macaroons.

Cupcake Selection at Sucre

Salted Caramel Cupcake and Chocolate Mousse

On our way home, we tried a fairly new place in LaPlace named Frenier Landing. We found this place by pure accident. When we went skiing in early February, we had to catch a 6 a.m. flight out of New Orleans. As we were headed across the bayou on I-55 just north of La Place, we noticed a road lined with several street lights and wondered what it led to. So, of course I pulled out my iPad and looked it up on Google Maps. The name of the road is Peavine and on the map it showed Frenier Landing Restaurant and Oyster Bar. If you go, don't be fooled by the road before Peavine, which is named Frenier Rd. You would think Frenier Landing would be on Frenier Rd., but it's not. Anyway, we arrived just before dusk. The restaurant sits on Lake Pontchartrain and offers a fantastic view of the lake from three sides of the restaurant. You can't beat the place for atmosphere and view. I'm going to have to write these blogs sooner after we eat somewhere because I can't remember what everybody else had to eat, but I had the BBQ Shrimp. I usually don't order these because they're so messy, but this particular night, that's what struck my fancy on the menu. And these were worth the mess. They were huge shrimp, seasoned perfectly, with plenty of sauce for sopping with French bread. Next time, I want to get there even earlier to enjoy the view during dinner.

Aerial view of Frenier Landing

BBQ Shrimp at Frenier Landing

While I was able to strike a few places off my New Orleans dining list, I've since added even more to it. Oh well, I'll just have to get back down there soon to work on marking some more off. That is, after getting some thin-fried catfish at Middendorf's, of course.

Strawberry Cafe worth the trip to Madison

2011-02-13T20:36:00.001-06:00

Life has been really hectic that last several weeks between the holidays, work, etc. I haven't had much time to eat out anywhere new. So, on a recent Friday night, John and I had a much overdue date night. We cut out of work early and headed to Madison for dinner and a movie.

It is generally my goal when eating out to try a restaurant we haven't been to before. The Strawberry Cafe has been on my list, so we decided to check it out. It's located in the old depot in downtown Madison. We got there at 5:30 so we would have time to go to the early movie. We were a little concerned when we drove up and there were no cars in the parking lot. We wondered if that were a sign of how well the food is, but decided that it was early and somebody had to be first. Not long after we were seated, the restaurant began to fill. I guess we were the icebreakers.

Our waiter was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the menu. He told us about several specials, which sounded delicious, but didn't tell us the price of them. We've learned the hard way that if they don't volunteer the price, it's way too expensive. So, we opted for something from the regular menu.

We were starving because we were too busy at work to stop for lunch, so we started the evening off with an order of Craw Puppies. They were basically hushpuppies with crawfish in them and were served with homemade remoulade sauce. They were quite tasty and we devoured those puppies (pardon the pun).

Craw Puppies

For the entree, I chose Pork Tenderloin and John chose Yellowfin Tuna. My pork tenderloin was cooked with a dijon sauce (Creole sauce was an option, but it cost extra) and served with cafe potatoes and sauteed vegetables. There were six medallions of pork and the vegetables were seasoned perfectly and to the degree of tenderness of my liking. Needless to say, I made a happy plate. John cleaned his plate as well. The tuna was marinated in a pineapple ginger soy sauce and grilled. It came atop a bed of wild rice with sunflower seeds and was topped with pineapple chutney, alongside sauteed vegetables.

Yellowfin Tuna

As always, we made room for dessert. We chose the Caramel Pie. It was the same as the recipe I use, and was equally as delicious.

Caramel Pie

We had a great meal and will definitely return.

http://strawberrycafemadison.com/index.php

Caramel Pie
2 - graham cracker crusts
3 - cans sweetened condensed milk
Whipped Cream or Cool Whip
Optional Toppings: Toasted Pecans or Toffee Bits

Remove labels from cans of condensed milk. Place in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 3 hours, turning cans occasionally. Remove cans from water and cool. Divide caramel between graham cracker crusts. Refrigerate.

Top with whipped cream, which I prefer, or Cool Whip when serving. Sprinkle with toasted pecans, toffee bits, or both.

Hey, Cupcake, it's National Vanilla Cupcake Day!

2010-11-10T21:54:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, my friend, Debbie, asked me if I had been to the new cupcake shop in Jackson. Naturally, I thought she was referring to Gigi's, since that's the only one I was aware of in the Jackson area. Well, as it turns out, somebody has opened another one, in a much more convenient location for me, without me even knowing it. And she thought surely I had heard of it, too.

Because of my food addiction, I have a few pounds I'd like to get rid of. So, the last time I went to Jackson, I told myself, "DO NOT go get any cupcakes!!!" I had to tell myself this several times to get it to stick. I was so proud of myself when I made it home without any. Well, today, I had to go back to Jackson for an appointment and, again, I told myself the same thing. All was going well until I checked facebook. My cousin, Kari, posted that today is National Vanilla Cupcake Day and even sent me a message about it. Then, I began to ask myself, "How could I, as much as I LOVE cupcakes, NOT celebrate this momentous day?" Needless to say, I didn't listen to my first plea and gave in to my cupcake obsession. I did console myself with my lack of willpower by eating a light lunch. That helped ease the guilt of indulging in forbidden food.

I couldn't wait to get to "Hey, Cupcake!," which is located at 1491 Canton Mart Rd., next door to Majestic Burger (which is also on my list to try). That's all I could think about all day. I was so happy when I got inside. All the cupcakes looked delicious and the place was decorated so cute. There were several cupcake motif items all around. My favorites were the four cupcake canvases, all with different background colors, which were arranged in a square. I should've taken a picture, but I was too focused on my cupcake selection. One thing I liked at "Hey, Cupcake!" was the choice of a normal sized cupcake or a mini size. I opted for the mini. That way I could get a taste of several flavors without having to consume so many calories. My selections were, of course, Va-Va Vanilla (in celebration of the day), Italian Dreams, and Turtle Power. Va-Va Vanilla was a french vanilla cake with vanilla bean buttercream frosting. Italian Dreams was classic Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut. Turtle Power was chocolate and caramel cake covered in chocolate frosting and topped with pecans. All were delicious, but I couldn't decide if Italian Dreams or Turtle Power was my favorite. I especially loved the frosting on all the cupcakes. It was very light and creamy, and not overly sweet. Believe it or not, I have had frosting that is too sweet for even my taste. If it makes your cheeks quiver, it's too sweet. The Turtle Power has a dollop of caramel inside the cake, which was a nice surprise. The frosting was not piled too high, but was just the right amount for the cake. I do have to say that the cake itself was not as moist as I like, but it wasn't overly dry either. Other selections for the day included The Tuxedo (chocolate or white cake with both chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting), Rockin' Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss, and Strawberry Fields Forever.

My daughter, Anne Morgan, is a cupcake addict, too. I'm training her right. So, I couldn't dare come home without a cupcake for her. I brought her the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss. It was a chocolate cake with a peanut butter cup center covered in peanut buttercream frosting. She was kind enough to share it with her daddy and me, and I must say, it was delicious. I loved the peanut butter cup in the center and the frosting was heavenly. Next time I get ready to make cupcakes, I'm going to try my own version of these.

The owner herself, Nancy Smith, was running the shop. She was very friendly and a pleasure to talk to. She said she has been open for eight weeks and has been really busy. She was kind enough to agree to let Anne Morgan interview her for a school project that is due soon. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other flavors. I'm hoping she'll have The Elvis, fresh banana cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting and an extra dollop of fudgy chocolate. Sounds yummy! I better start saving the calories right now.

Va Va-Vanilla - Happy Vanilla Cupcake Day!

Loved the packaging.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss - and it was bliss!

Peanut butter cup center - part of the reason it was bliss.

I'm blogging!

2010-11-08T16:52:00.000-06:00

Shrimp Creole Omelet from LaLou, formerly Another Broken Egg, in Baton Rouge.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes I made recently.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake from Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants.

What can I say? I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. I love reading about it. I love watching about it on TV. I just love it. Food is what brings me here today. I have been contemplating starting my own blog, and those who know me won't be surprised by the subject of it. In fact, I have a reputation for eating well. I see people all the time who ask, "What good restaurant have you been to lately?" Or, "What have you cooked good to eat?"

A lot of the photos I post on facebook are of food. Those photos get more comments than any. I guess it's because here in the South, food is a huge part of our culture. Almost every function revolves around food, whether it be a wedding, funeral, church committee meeting, Bunko, you name it, food is involved. The main reason I'm blogging about food is that sometimes there is just so much I want to say about a particular dish, or restaurant, or culinary adventure, and there's just not enough space on facebook to do it. Plus, I feel like I missed my calling in life by not working in some form of the food industry. So, this will be a way for me to be more involved with the world of food.

As this progresses, I will post from various angles. I may post about the newest recipe I've tried, the newest restaurant I've patronized, or just my craving for a Sprinkles cupcake. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my ramblings, and if you have any suggestions for recipes or new places to try, feel free to pass them along.