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i don’t know about you, but i find it horrendously difficult to follow a cookbook recipe to the letter. strangely enough, i did alright in high-school Chemistry and Physics practicals where precision was crucial. but all that rigour breaks down quite embarrassingly in the kitchen… as if another more basic instinct takes over. as such, i never really take to recipe books in the way most people do… i use it more for inspiration, both visually and in trying to imagine the flavours evoked by the ingredients called for within a dish. on occasion, i do *try* very hard to follow a recipe to have a feel of where and what it might lead to in the culinary adventure. suffice to say, the simpler the recipe, the more at home i am with it.
thing is, mummy never really prepared our meals following a recipe book… and i found, from the numerous mundane chopping chores i often got roped into helping her, that the cooking part was most fun… although all that said, it wouldn’t be so without having the ingredients to play with. cooking with mum has always been very much an experimental affair and an exploration in taste and texture. nothing ever tastes the same, done twice. they get to approximate the previous attempts pretty closely but you could never say it is identical. and to add to that, amounts and measurements are always approximate. the only rare occasion when mummy deviates drastically from this experimenting cooking is when she is baking her amazing kuey lapis (Indonesian inspired multi-layered) cake for Chinese New Year… but that’s a recipe that has been tried and pretty rigorously tested. all in all, i have not been groomed for all things requiring precision in the kitchen setting.
my first acquaintance with recipe books began before i left home for boarding school in a faraway place… the little collection of recipes i received from one of my secondary school teachers was more of a reminder of the comforts i was leaving behind rather than any real possibility of me actually recreating them, given the lack of appropriate ingredients in the new country or the lack of a real proper kitchen in the student housing. and while i really appreciated the gesture, i dreaded opening it. the simplified version of many of the local dishes i love were found between its covers and it was pure torture even to open it to the contents page. and i never really considered buying a recipe book until i went to college (or as the Brits will say, University) and lived in a shared flat with a proper kitchen, which included a gas stove.
going on a suggestion from a friend, whose mother is a creative gourmand and a kitchen wizard, i picked up a copy of Nigel Slater‘s ‘Real Cooking‘ and subsequently his ‘Real Food‘… and never looked back. i like the simplicity of his recipes and also the anecdotal way he shares his unpretentious enthusiasm for food. the nice thing about all his books is i never ever really felt that i would be doomed if i didn’t follow the steps rigorously. that freedom is essential for an experimental cook i seem to be and for the fact that so very often in my life, i just can’t seem to find all the required ingredients!
in fact, that is exactly what i like about Nigel Slater’s recipes and his books, as aptly described in the introduction of my US version of his ‘Appetite‘ (acquired at a bargain price):
“I want to tell you about the sheer, unbridled joy of cooking without a recipe. I want to reveal the delight to be had from making our own decisions about what we eat rather than slavishly following someone else`s set of rules. And to suggest that our cooking has in fact become too complicated – hence the need to attach ourselves so firmly to recipes – when in truth good eating depends more on fine ingredients simply cooked.
…
I want to encourage you to take in the spirit of the recipes that follow but then to deviate according to your ingredients and your feelings. To understand that both our ingredients and our hunger are variables that should not, cannot, be subjected to a set of formulas laid down in tablets of stone. I want to get you to break the rules. I want you to follow your appetite.“
reading that (again) made me smile… i feel completely at ease in breaking rules particularly in the kitchen… i’ve been doing it since i can remember trying to cook, whether intentionally or not! but it’s nice to be ‘given’ that blessing… especially from the master of the trade.
these days, i don’t really acquire recipe books even though i am thrilled when i receive them as gifts and i thoroughly enjoy browsing them in bookstores. instead, i often derive my inspirations online (particularly from the links on the left featured under “Gourmands I Aspire To Be”) and since BBC now offers replay of certain foodie (or other) programmes (if you live and watch from the UK) using the ibbc service, i sometimes get to watch Mr Slater in action and i am always left hungry and salivating… no doubt, i find myself also much more inspired with foodie ideas to keep me excited about cooking and what i might like to eat, in the next meal or two…
and that is no small joy! i say it from one who cooks that being inspired is important for the activity. this is particularly so given that in many modern societies today, dining out can be a daily option. in fact, while it sometimes feels a bit overwhelming to have to get yourself fed and your sugar levels checked after a long day at work, i don’t think i will find life complete without cooking on a regular basis.
“… You can get through life perfectly comfortably without lifting so much as a wooden spoon. Fine. Do that. What I want to say is that if you do decide to go through life without cooking you are missing something very, very special. You are losing out on one of the greatest pleasures you can have with your clothes on. Cooking can be as passionate, creative, life-enhancing, uplifting, satisfying and downright exhilarating as anything else you can do with your life. Feeling, sniffing, chopping, sizzling, grilling, frying, roasting, baking, tasting, licking, sucking, biting, savouring and swallowing food are pleasures that would, to put it mildly, be a crime to miss out on. Add to that buzz, the satisfying tingle that goes down your spine when you watch someone eating something you have made for them, and you have one of the greatest joys known to man.” — from ‘Appetite’ by Nigel Slater.
and best of all… at least from my wee bit of foodie enjoyment and awareness… is that the whole eating, tasting, and experimenting feeds back into the cooking and sharing!
i seem to notice a silly trend of habit of mine… i have a tendency to feel nostalgic about certain experiences, which happen to be linked to being with certain company and certain foods… e.g. Thai dinner cook-outs with the Merkles; sticky-rice and spring-roll-making with family; uncle A’s cooking fun which includes his creamy fish stew, amazing veggie stir-fry, and gado-gado salad which he learnt to make during his stay in asia; Pina’s spaghetti; blueberry tortes made with Frank and Claire, vanilla pudding and sushi-making at Sabine’s; curries and soups by Ruth! fish and dessert at Molly’s with Rafe… so many fond memories… so many associated with food…
but it’s kinda nice though, that if i don’t get to meet up with them in a while, i would resort to recreating something edible from the past encounters, perhaps as an attempt to relive that happy moment.
that was kinda what happened last night, i was hoping to meet up with Courtney for dinner but my last-minute invite was a little late! my old, subjectively harmless, ‘Scottish’ habit of total randomness and casual invites can at times be quite an awkwardness here in the mid-west… i had thought of heading to this new Mediterranean restaurant cafe near where we both live… it has lovely authentic Mediterranean dishes which actually reminded me of the Sudanese Nile Valley Cafe, by the kitty-corner of the ugly 60′s architectural gem, Appleton Tower, which is a 5 min walk from George Sq Campus, at Edinburgh U… it is where i have lifted my spirits with the scrumptious flatbread wraps filled with spicy chilli-chicken, or tasty aubergines, or falafel… hummus… yuuum. there are many excellent ethnic restaurants in Edinburgh… how i love that city!
in any case, i didn’t make it to the Mediterranean cafe… and decided to make dinner at home instead… and perhaps out of my subconsciousness, my dinner plate included a side of stir-fried courgettes, in the style of how Courtney did hers a few weeks back when we got together…
Courgettes (or Zucchini) a la Courtney
Ingredients:
- 2 fresh courgettes, washed and peeled if desired (i left the skin on mine as they looked fine)
sliced approximately 3mm thick (the emphasis is on approximate)
- 1 heaped teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of sliced shallots (left-overs from another cooking attempt)
- olive oil
- 3-4 large fresh basil leaves (julienned)
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- salt n freshly ground pepper to taste
add a little olive oil to a nice heavy non-stick/cast-iron pan… heat it up to a good temperature, add the minced garlic and shallots and lightly brown them before introducing the zucchinis and basil. gently stir-fry (with a spiffy Ghost-spatula, if you have one) until zucchinis are a little yellow or browned. they don’t have to be thoroughly cooked if you still like a bit of a crunch. serve with grated Parmesan, fresh ground pepper and some salt, if desired.
it’s that simple… but it sure is good. =)
i spotted this list today while browsing Clotilde’s blog, from which i often find culinary inspiration and writing muse; her writing puts me to shame! anyways, here’s some interactive fun even if it’s already been going on for a while…
the list comes from Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, who thinks every omnivore should try the following 100 at least once in their lifetime. he justifies the selection of a hundred here.
Here are a few simple rules of the game…
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
the germans were in town last week… old classmates of mine while i was in the little dreamy university city of tübingen some nearly 5 yrs ago… d is often in town for his research collaboration and c is here to visit him! even though i’ve been here longer than d, i am quite embarrassed to admit that he has a better knowledge of all things fun and exciting in the twin-cities than i do. they suggested trying out the minneapolis restaurant week fanfare which ran till the leap day of 29th Feb… the foodie in me was hyped up with curiosity!
i left the decision to d & c as to which restaurant to pick… but i ought to have anticipated that d who has a nose for good food would at times pick something quite posh and extravagant… we sped through the minneapolis downtown skyway during friday’s after-work madness to the Cosmos…
déjà vu… it hadn’t occured to me when the name of the restarant was mentioned, that we were actually dining at the place where i had a rather formal dinner nearly 3 yrs ago… quite uncanny; the experience was utterly awkward and i experienced my first ID check in this country for ordering an alcoholic beverage. the same waiter, with the stout and somewhat condescending demeanour was assigned to our table.
i generally like good food without the fuss… or more appropriately, without the snobbery attached… but this was to be a ‘high-brow’ dining experience. i felt inadequate in all sense; a little under-dressed for the chic venue, particularly with my black rucksack and layers of jacket to fight the wintry wind. faux-pas galore, ooops.
they were eager to get us served with drinks. i ordered some sparkling pear juice while d had some belgium beer, and c was happy with her pelligrino wasser, after what i remembered as a frustrating exchange with the waiter. the thing about dinning at such posh places, as i’ve come to appreciate, is that you should assume they would have everything under the sky… literally… so asking what they might have as alternative beverages to their alcoholic selection could appear a little insulting to them… also, let them make a fuss about your drinks, even if it is welches’ sparkling pear because, it may just be true that “it is not cold enough!” and thus require an ice bath within the champagne chilling bucket! i suppose, they practice their own dinning philosophy within their ‘cosmos’…
we ordered the Cosmos Restaurant Week Menu, and for 30 US dollars, we got a splendid 3 course selection:
First Course
Cosmos Lettuce Blend from the Chefs Garden in Huron Ohio Roasted Shallot Banyuls Vinaigrette
Second Course
Choose One
Confit of Chilean Sea Bass
Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, Tomato Water
or
Minnesota Grass Fed Ribeye
Blue Cheese Potato Gratin, Green Peppercorn Spring Onion, Truffle Pommes Paille
Dessert
Chocolate Gâteau
$30 per person, tax and gratuity not included
while d indulged in the ribeye, c and i savoured the Confit of Chilean Sea Bass that was served atop lightly mashed Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, and topped with a drizzle of Tomato Water. a first bite sent my taste-buds into heaven… the light but subtle blending of white fish, tomato water, buttery cauliflower mash and the occasional zingy tones from the capers and olives, with a little sprinkling of parmesan flavours fused into a delightful gastronomic experience!
yuuuummmm mmmmmm mmmm mmm.
the entree was amazing… and everything else paled in comparison; even the chocolate gâteau, which i found a little too rich and heavy…
if my previous visit to Cosmos was a little awkward, the Pan Seared Wild Acres Duck Breast served with Butternut Squash Flan, Granny Smith Apple, Glogg Demi, Raisins that i ordered might have a little to do with it. searing isn’t how i’d imagine duck ought to be prepared… but that’s just me; i prefer it crispy on the outside and tender within. but if there’s an entree i’d recommend the chefs at Cosmos to consider listing on their regular dinner menu, it would be the sea-bass with it’s eclectic pairing of flavours.
————————————————————————————————–
The Cosmos, at the Graves 601 Hotel
601 First Avenue North, Minneapolis MN 55403, Tel: 612-677-1100
Cons — $$$$ (pricey) / condescending waiter(s)
Pros — good small selection of entrees prepared with high standards / a classy bar next to restaurant / meals served by well-mannered chefs; a delightful respite from the condescending waiter(s).
many years ago, when my dormie, Stefanie, in UWCAC, was talking about baking a carrot-cake one saturday, i remember looking at her kinda confused. the only ‘carrot-cake’ i knew then was this yummy asian version of grated radish mixed with rice flour, steamed in large cubes, and then fried and served savoury… Stefanie is Italian (or German-Italian) and it was really unlikely that she’s tried the type of carrot-cake i grew up enjoying… but she was real certain of making it! so i watched her in the student-house kitchen grating carrots and dumping it into a gooey mix and coaxing the stuff into the heated oven. it was as she said, carrot cake! and it was yum.
during the many years i’ve spent in the UK, i’ve always enjoyed my nibbles of carrot-cake but without the super-sweet icing on top… unless it had cream-cheese ‘frosting’ like the way the organic deli, across from where i once lived as a student with two other flatmates, would make and sell it… but i’ve never attempted to bake one myself. the closest i got to was finding and printing out a recipe. that was nearly 5 years ago.
a few days ago i finally decided i would try it out so i could bring it to the Thanksgiving get-together at the Boeffs… i always like to bring something whenever i am a guest (mainly as an excuse to procrastinate!). but when i studied the recipe, the amount of sugars called for was a little more than alarming! being a totally non-devout recipe-follower anyway, i took the liberty of modifying it based on what i thought was sound… while keeping the cinnamony-spicey holiday season warmth of what the cake symbolized intact… and am glad to discover that not only was the cake edible, it was well-liked by a nearly 3-yr old toddler who insisted on having her cake, eating it! and asking for a second helping! wow. little did i know what the magic of carrots in a cake entailed!
so here’s the recipe a la yours truly… =)
carrot cake
- 2 & 3/4 cups of grated carrots (3 large carrots)
- 1 tin of pineapple purée (syrup drained off)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of raisins (optional)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown / castor sugar
- 2 & 1/4 cups of plain/cake flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 & 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 to 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves OR allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
*) if you don’t live in the US where ovens and stoves are always on auto-pilot, pre-heat oven to 350°F OR 180°C
**) line a cake tin (e.g. 9-12”) with parchment paper; grease and flour the sides
1) mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl
2) blend in vegetable oil into a smooth paste
3) beat in eggs individually
4) mix in pineapple purée and carrots
*) heat oven to 350°F OR 180°C if it’s not already preheated
5) pour mixture into lined/greased cake tin
6) bake in the middle of the oven for about 30-45mins, until tester slides cleanly out.
7) remove and allow to cool for about 5 mins
8) remove cake from tin to cool completely before frosting, if desired.
cream cheese ‘frosting’
- 14-16 oz. organic light cream-cheese or quark
- 1 (&1/2 if you prefer a sweeter frosting) cup extra-fine raw sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
1) beat cream cheese until soft and light
2) blend in vanilla
3) blend in sugar
4) ‘frost’ the cake when it is cool and decorate with edible festive sprinklers etc. if desired.
serve with tea, coffee or wine… or just dig in… =) enjoy!
… now i just need to find a decent recipe for madeleines… hmmmmmm.
i had no idea how these fluttery things with slimey-looking younglings get inside my apartment when there’s a wire gauze over all windows… except perhaps through the slits in the window wherein the air-conditioner (A/C) was installed over summer… darn those wretched creatures! i had to part with my beloved sacks of rice… rice of all sorts; wild, sweet, brown, and my baking stuff… evil little things!
may i also mention that the said window with the A/C also enticed a frequent visitor with a bushy tail particularly when it storms… and more annoyingly this visitor has a penchant for gnawing at the gauze outside the storm window next to the one containing the A/C. it’s partly my fault for having the storm window drawn up occasionally for the fresh breeze, because the protective (?!?) gauze has suffered 3 chewing destructions and consequent replacements… and i believe that the visitor actually came in one evening and decided that it wasn’t going to be finding any food and scampered out again. i’ve never had negative thoughts of grey squirrels until i met them in person… they are pesky.
anyways… back to the pantry! i’ve been swatting and exterminating them moths and emptying my food cupboard… and putting whatever could be salvaged in a box… clearing away these invaders will be my new chore! baaaah… and i will have to live with an empty cupboard for a while… sob.
the weather has begun to turn pretty hot lately… and while i’ve installed my hand-me-down air-con… i have only used it once. it is LOUD and i am hoping the filter i’ve order from amazon.com will arrive soon…
speaking of THE weather, it has affected my appetite these days… and i am feeling less hungry than i usually am (hmm?!). it’s amazing how the heat makes you slightly anorexic… and the winter chill makes you crave for lovely sweet and warm things. so while i am somewhat peckish… i often find myself nibbling instead of making proper meals like i often do…
guess it’s time to explore finger food….
if you are like me, and maybe even if you are not like me, you might love a bit of Carr’s table water crackers with some prima donna artisan cheese! and if you are in the mood for more epicurian explorations, try some Dalmatian Fig jam with that combination… it’s delectably… good!
my new caffeine craze is Starbucks‘ double-shot… i know, i know… it’s most terrible… i actually have to admit i am quite particular about my coffee preferences… i have a fondness for good coffee… and Starbucks’ rank pretty highly on my list of cuppas…
SHOCKING, you’d say!
well… they do pretty good coffees… at a price of course… it’s a lifestyle commodity. and they are not bashful about it. well, at least in some parts of the world, e.g. hippy edinburgh, they do fair-trade coffee in their Starbucks’ store, which makes it less terrible for spending that much on coffee because you are supporting fair-trade.
double?! yes double. and milky… it’s got to be!
what about your cuppa tea?! you protest?
yes i totally agree… it’s sacrilege!
don’t get me wrong… i LOVE my tea… i find it soothing and comforting… and gentle… nothing beats a cuppa tea… well, most of the time…
because you see, coffee does the trick to keep me buzzing… particularly if i have to stay up or keep awake, as i am currently trying to…
it’s a terrible addiction, but while it manifests, you ought not to compromise quality… that is if you can help it! =C)
but i know my brother will disagree… i once tried to introduce him to good Illy and LavAzza coffees and the french press… but alas… he still prefers instant Nescafé…
spending a full week in a state of peachtree streets and more peachtree streets wasn’t really something i was looking forward to. the annual Society for Neuroscience Conference was scheduled there a month earlier than usual because the venue at New Orleans wouldn’t be able to hold the meeting for a long long time… it’s rather sad really, how slow the rebuilding process is yonder.
unlike the meeting held in D.C. last year… i didn’t get to have fun with my brother and lianne nor visit the numerous museums in the rather european-like city… but what i lost in direct family bonding, i gained in meeting old classmates & friends from germany and getting to know my colleagues, aka “Smelly Boys”, a little better… ahem.
Atlanta is quite a big city… home to CNN, Coca-Cola, the humongous Georgia World Congress Center where many of us (20,000 or more) plodded through its nearly 4-5 football fields acres of space… (great workout for the keen)… and lots of peachtrees (perhaps in the countryside)? i am not crazy about the city-planning and landscaping in Atlanta, nor parts of the twincities … and perhaps this is so in every part of the world… where some of the architecture and landscapes just ain’t terribly charming…
in any case, i got to hear some fascinating talks ranging from the biology of cascades of molecular processes implicated to be involved in e.g. learning, to abstract modelling of cognitive control theories and what it is that higher visual areas might be doing and the many aspects of the brain we have yet fully understood… some research labs are doing amazing inter-disciplinary work at different levels of investigation; from electrophysiology, to functional imaging, to genetic-targetting and patient-post-mortem histological studies… this is really exciting stuff because very few institutes can enjoy the privileges of achieving such collaboration within their walls. i also presented my work (in progress) in trying to relate brain signals to movement parameters to some interested fellow researchers and was really glad i didn’t have to find a rabbit burrow to hide… i suspect, though, that the fame of a senior author on my poster might be the reason why people came… but it was nice to hear some of their suggestions and positive feedback.
the Smelly Boys highlighted something amusing about these poster presentations and made me view this whole conference thingy more like a social event in some bizarre way for the younger generation… for they seem ‘besotted’ with a particular swedish female researcher/graduate-student and many people were quite enthusiastic about the evening socials! they also noticed a propensity of males visiting my poster… hmm… honestly, i have more romantic ideas of meeting a guy than at a poster presentation in a scientific conference… ?!?! maybe there’s a new wave of hippy charming researchers in the younger generation! ha. or perhaps, it’s always been like this… for generations!
in any case, i got to do some none-conference things… like visiting the HIGH art museum and saw some gorgeous paintings and sketches from the Louvre in Paris in the new exhibitions and hear some lovely live french accordian music and jazz in the museum’s piazza… i also saw the male version of da vinci’s ‘mona lisa’, raphael’s Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione…
i wandered about some of the modern pieces on exhibit and had some fun capturing the light in the spirally rotunda in the museum… so much so, i missed nearly all of Frank Gehry’s talk at the Conference because it took forever to get to the congress center and mainly because i got the time wrong… though i was utterly gutted and annoyed with myself, i discovered that i didn’t miss much, apparently, since i’ve watched the pbs.org documentary on Gehry’s work… and he didn’t really try to bridge his talk about his work as an architect with the discussion on its implications and influence on research in brain-sciences or vice-versa but i suppose the interviewer did try to engage him into the discussion at the end, if only for a short while… nonetheless i admire his creativity, his quest and striving to be different and strong admist criticisms, and there’s much to learn from this quirky personality; that talent can be latent and like many things, require the right environmental nurturing to blossom… also it’s good to multi-task least you become obssessed with just one idea… sigh… i would have liked to pen a question regarding the lack of windows in buildings in usa but i suspect he might retaliate saying that his buildings are an exception to that observation?!
i also went on the CNN visitor’s tour… and discovered how harry potter’s invisible cloak works on the screen… some clever but simple optical illusion with the use of chroma… and how news readers look seemingly confident with what they say without looking at their notes… i wish i asked why they keep bombaring their viewers with scenes of terror! oh well. thankfully i don’t have cable telly.
interestingly, what atlanta lacks in apparent architectural charm… she kinda makes up with a pocket of very good restaurants… within the mid-town area where claire and i stayed is a foodie paradise with some very european-like enterprise… much to my delight!
tucked away in a quiet corner along a street within the vicinity of Georgia Institute of Technology is a little understated art-nouveau resto named TOAST… simple modern decor complimented by fresh creativity in its menu, this delightful little place provides a splendid venue for the opportunity to toast to life’s simple pleasure of enjoying a meal with friends in a non-pompous casual setting.
— the rissoto with sundried tomatoes and basil was a delightful treat!
Toast Restaurant
817 West Peachtree St.
Suite E-125
Atlanta, Ga. 30308
there was another restaurant that caught my attention while wandering about one night with the Smelly Boys… it is a converted terrace building with a large patio for outdoor seating overflowing from the bar, generous glass walls allow privy peeks into the resto from the street and what you glimpse is a charming atmosphere of classy dinning experience. ecco was on my mind all week but i didn’t have the luck to sample what its simple stylish grandeur promised… the queues were long and waiting for nearly 2 hours for a table wasn’t something we could sensibly tolerate after a long day at the conference… of course we could have been a little more organised with advance booking… nonetheless it is definitely a place one ought not to miss exploring if you should find yourself yonder in mid-town atlanta… particularly the exhibition kitchen… hmmm.
ecco
40 7th Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
but we didn’t suffer our disappointment too long… for a few blocks away from ecco was a charming resto next to its cheese and wine store, just like the little stores along the streets of medieval european cities… a rare sight in usa, although perhaps not quite so in new york city. ENO, imbues the very essence of mediterranean and european atmosphere… we had a glass of wine each at the bar while waiting and the cheese and wine store caught my eye… i sneaked in and soaked in its european ambience with delight… the sales assistant was intrigued but polite. i inquired if they were closed for the day and if i might just have a peak… at the cheeses… and the wines and well, actually just the decor… and commented how much it reminded me of europe… and he agreed that it is rather rare a place on their side of the world.
dinner at ENO was well worth the wait… i had a lovely dish of ATLANTIC SALMON FILLET GRILLED IN GRAPE LEAVES WITH FIG PUREE AND PRESERVED LEMON, SPRING VEGETABLE COUSCOUS and the flavours were fascinating… tangible to a rather pleasantly surprising awakening… oooh. i’ve never had salmon in that form… and it was a delightful combination of subtle fig sweetness with a tinge of savoury from the grape leaves and just the right citrus-tanginess of the fresh and gorgeous couscous…
one of the Smelly Boys (EK) had the SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH SUMMER PEAS CARMELIZED CIPPOLINI ONIONS AND FOIE GRAS STUFFED MORELS and i had a nibble taster… and was pining in my conscious awake dreams for more… the duck was deliciously crispy on the outside but juicey and tender on its flesh… and such succulence was complemented with the beautiful peas, onions and mushrooms… the handmade pasta dish that VC had was awesome too… and so was the lambchop that AM enjoyed…
and that wasn’t just it… the desserts were equally something to rave about… for the LAVENDER INFUSED PANNA COTTA with georgian peaches (i think they substituted with plums that night!), a lavender tuile and lavender honey was something i couldn’t refuse… even though there were so many other delectable choices… chocolate truffle torte, pistachio ice cream… oooh it’s just difficult… but i did not regret it a bit… i love lavender and panna cotta! and the idea of marrying the two things i love in a dessert is utterly splendid… my taste buds were on a high… oooh yeah.
i highly recommend the ENO dinning experience for their wonderful food creations and for their professionality; the chef personally introduces his new dishes of the season and is out there in the company of diners, helping the other staff at the tables too… and the staff are all impeccable in their professional conduct and yet laid-back… but of course a good dining company makes the whole experience something enjoyable too… bring a few of your foodie friends along!!!
ENO and Barrelman
800 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia
30308
despite an awesome food experience in atlanta, the chilly wintry air of the twin cities is a lovely welcome after a week in muggy soggy atlanta. and the remaining fall colours are really quite a cheer… nonetheless i know i’ll have snippets of fond memories whenever i hear the song…
“Georgia, Georgia,
The whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind” …
this weekend just gone saw me doing NO research-related work (considering how late i get back usually during the week) ! YIPPEEE!!!! instead, i did laundry, tried to rent a car but was told i couldn’t until the official license arrived… nonetheless i attempted to go shoe-hunting on saturday but was unsuccessful… it seems that online-shopping might be the next best solution… come sunday… i shamelessly slept the whole of it… only to crawl out of bed when the day was nearly over… it seems that my body has won the battle on sunday. for the last week i have been enduring some slimey bug in my system which aroused an unwarranted appearance of annoyingly painful Cranker-sores on my tongue; truly awful. and the only consolation, if any, is that i actually spoke with a more obvious ‘british’ accent when these crankers manifest themselves. while i’ve attempted to drown my system with fluids… i remained feeling quite ill… perhaps it is the spores of autumn, perhaps it’s stress… (yes the stupid conference poster stress!)
anyways… i felt a lot better after the whole lot of sleep! sleep is a miraculous cure! and to celebrate that ‘feeling-better’, i decided to go find some ingredients and make some crêpes for dinner… afterall, one has to eat and i just welcomed home a wee but lovely professional non-stick pan, which calls for a celebratory act of actually putting it into use!
while i am not indulging in cuisine-recipes here… because there are so many excellent, professional-looking and entertaining foodblogs out there (e.g. C&Z or TTL) and overacuppa just isn’t quite as profi… there is still the random occasion of my foody-indulgence…
and i must admit that the sporadic creation of savoury crêpes filled with finely chopped honey-cured ham, parsely, thinly sliced celery, chestnut mushrooms, and generously sprinkled fresh parmesan cheese to glue all the goodness together, were delightfully complemented with homemade barely water, which DSD kindly reminded me to have to feel better!
i should be on my way to full recovery… hopefully!
