running with tweezers

RWT in Scandinavia - Bergen, Norway 2010

At a stark-but-charming restaurant called Jacob's, I had my very first taste of Norway: freshly caught mackerel, thinly sliced radish, sweet roasted cauliflower, sharp spring onion in a browned butter sauce. It was a beautiful dish that was at the same time unassuming and bold...simple but so complex. It's a theme that repeated itself in the food I ate in Bergen. In fact, the same could be said about the city itself and the magnificent days we spent there.

RWT in Scandinavia - Stockholm, Sweden 2010

"Stockholm, eh?" was pretty much my response as I stared blankly at my laptop screen. Mike told me he was going to Sweden for work...for 10 days. I was immediately filled with feelings of anxiety - I'm not sure we've been apart for 10 days since the day we first met - but more so was an unexpected wave of jealousy. Honestly, Sweden was one of those places that I never thought I'd go....or even thought about traveling to. However, when the possibility of joining him on the tail end of his business trip came up, I thought about that creaking sound my passport was going to make when I opened it - it's been a decade too long since I'd used it. Being able to share a trip like that with my sweetie - and experience a culture I never realized I'd been missing - was too tempting to turn down. So we sent the kitten to summer camp, packed up more camera gear than clothing, and went off on our Scandinavian vacation...

Attack of The Killer Tomato Festival 2010!

This past Sunday brought the second edition of what has become my favorite Atlanta food event - Attack of the Killer Tomatofest, which is a benefit for Georgia Organics. The organization does so much for area farmers, raising awareness of locally grown food and helping network growers, retailers and consumers together to spotlight the diversity and deliciousness of eating local. Georgia Organics is involved with many events throughout the year but this one has become a local favorite of not just me but of the entire food community in Atlanta, as evidenced by the sell-out crowd that braved the scorching heat & blaring sun to sample the best tomato-based dishes & drinks created by the best chefs and mixologists in the Southeast.

In case tastes by Atlanta legends such as Gerry Klaskala and Kevin Rathbun wasn't enough, this year's festival brought incredible chefs such as Chris Hastings from Hot & Hot Fish Club in Birmingham and Mike Lata from Fig in Charleston. There was so much deliciousness in one place, I can't begin to tell you about it all. To see photos of just a few scenes from Tomatofest, check out my Flickr set here. You can see more photos from the event both at Georgia Organic's Facebook page (there's a list of the winners there, too), as well this great recap post over at Foodie Buddha.

please blog responsibly

Stepping on my soapbox here on RWT isn't something I often do. I've had my tongue in cheek rants in the past but they've still had a little levity. However, an exchange I had at the recent Taste of The Highlands event planted a seed in my brain that I just haven't been able to ignore. The owner of a fairly well regarded local restaurant approached our group - comprised of mostly non-restaurant review bloggers - and asked who we were. Once it was clear to him that we weren't part of the offending party, he revealed his disdain for the local food bloggers and the impact that their opinions - often based on quick glimpses at one time experiences - have on their business.

At the time, we all sort of gave each other the side-eye and went on about our business. The following week, as I read negative after negative review of Atlanta establishments (both new and longstanding), I have to admit there might be some truth to his argument. These days, the restaurant review bloggers can be considered an expert with no background in the etiquette or ethics of their field. Some folks are blogging irresponsibly. There. I said it.

Don't get me wrong...I'm all about the Internet being an open forum to express ideas and pass along information. I did it myself with this here blog. However, from day one, I've made the conscious choice to post about cooking, life stories, and unique experiences I can share with readers. When products are pitched to me, I immediately pass along the caveat that while I will try most anything a company wants to share with me, I will only present positive reviews and uses for their product on my blog. Why? Because being negative and controversial is too easy. Let's face it - there is a lot of mediocre out there, whether it's a product or restaurant or service. Spicy words and scathing reviews drive a lot more traffic to a blog than the warm-and-fuzzy stuff. It's much tougher to seek out the good stuff (and do real research) and highlight the positive - something bloggers like The Blissful Glutton have grown to do and earned a great deal of credibility & respect in the process.

The bloggers aren't the only ones to blame here. The excitement by companies and the faces of their PR machines caused them to jump on the food blog bandwagon as a way to get free publicity and peddle their wares. They've often not quantified who is qualified to speak on the topic of their business, their restaurant's style of cooking or the service they provide. Now, the pendulum has swung in favor of the bloggers and the weight they carry, much to the dismay of those representing a business who gets a review based on an off-night or a bad batch.We need to get to a point where those pushing restaurants and products really target those who best fit the image and market their trying to reach.

All I'm saying here, folks, is think before you type. I know this is demodé but cliches are around for a reason - there might be something to be said for not saying anything if you don't have something nice to say. Silence or lack of information about something often speaks volumes. At the very least, don't let your judgment be swayed by Google Analytics or the lure of free swag. Please continue to go out, stimulate the economy, and let people know how you feel about it...but do so in a way that is educated and well thought out. Visit a place more than once. Give things a second taste. Walk a busy service in their shoes. You'll be rewarded by a better blog, more credibility and the respect of the entire community.

Taste of The Highlands & an incredible summer soup!

Last weekend, I was asked to be a guest judge at the 8th Annual Taste of The Highlands, an outdoor food festival to benefit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. I was thrilled, of course. It's a great way to spend a beautiful spring day in our city - in the company of some other great judges (Broderick from Savory Exposure and the foodie event planners EatUpAtlanta) and some 30 local restaurants providing food and drink. It's also for a great cause - each year, the event raises between $25k to $35k for the charity. 

There were so many great dishes at the festival that we couldn't pick just one. We had to create a sweet category, a savory category and a special mention for best cocktail of the day. Chef Hector Santiago of Pura Vida won the savory group with his rice dish and accompanying salt cod & baby banana fritters. Best sweet went to Tierra for their Tres Leches Cake - I've tasted nothing like it. The cocktail of the day was a landslide - The Warren's White Peach & Watermelon Sangria. You can see some photos from the day here.

After it was all said and done, all of us who attended that day kept coming back to one particular dish: a chilled pea soup topped with ham and radish. On that warm, sunny day...having that nice shot of cool soup was so refreshing, simple but flavorful. We've all been talking about it for days and I've gotten my hands on the recipe. Jay Swift, chef at 4th & Swift, kindly passed this simple recipe along. It's labor intensive because of the fresh peas but once you're done with the prep, it takes about 10 minutes to get the rest of the soup together. I've omitted the ham here but it adds a nice salty touch - feel free to garnish with ham, pancetta or bacon.

Chilled English Pea Soup with Ham & Radish - recipe by Jay Swift of Atlanta's 4th & Swift - makes about 2 cups of soup

• 2 cups english peas blanched lightly in boiling salted water, drained and chilled

• 1/4 cup warmed heavy cream

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 -3 tiny drops of lemon infused evoo (agrumato) to taste - I substituted a drizzle of EVOO & juice of half of a lemon

• water or vegetable stock (enough to make puree-able) - this depends on your own preference

- Place all ingredients except water in a high speed blender, and water until velvety smooth. Season to taste. Serve very cold with shredded or julienne radishes, diced ham of your choice and a fresh pea sprout or two in top. Have fun!

waking from my Sugar Coma...

 

I do apologize for the delay in posting. I've been in a whirlwind of work. I've also been recovering (with water and salty snacks) from the amazing event I got to take part in two weekends ago - the Sugar Coma redux. So many of you have commented on the post & photos from the first edition of Sugar Coma...I just had to share this latest tour with all of you. I took close to 300 photos that day...and as much as I would like to share every detail with you, this post is just the frosting on the cupcake of all we experienced that day.

I was so tickled that the creator of Sugar Coma, my brilliant friend The Broke Socialite, asked me to the be official "Sugar Mama" for the tours. Yes...you read right....I said tours. So that meant twice the caloric, delicious Sugar Coma fun. Fear not - I had my roomy jeans and my water bottle with me as a support team. It was a wonderful day of trying new dessert spots in Atlanta, meeting folks I've known from the on-line world, and making some new friends. There were also cupcakes. Lots and lots of cupcakes - the ones shown in the top photo are beautiful little creations from Cami Cakes. 

This was how our day started. Folks, this was at 8 am at No Mas Cantina. They put out quite the delicious spread and got us caffeinated with Mexican hot chocolates and coffees. It was at this point that I almost phoned and friend and asked for a delivery of Tums. Did I mention this was our first stop?

Like I said, there were a lot of cupcakes. These little treats were a riff on your usual coconut cake variety. They're topped with cream cheese frosting. I declared that day that anything can be used as a vehicle for cream cheese frosting. Thank you, Highland Bakery, for these bites and for being so dedicated to quality ingredients & cruelty free chocolate sources.

I've sung the praises of Cacao many times on this blog - most recently in my post about the Food Bloggers Bake Sale. Kristen, the owner of Cacao, is fiercely indie and thoughtful about the sources of her ingredients. She travels to far-away lands, sleeping in hammocks and facing not-optimal security conditions to get the best ingredients possible for her creations. The fruits of her labor? Chocolate like you've never tasted before - she was named one of the best new American chocolate shops by Food and Wine. The Love Bar is one of her signature items, which you can order on-line.

Needing a little break from all of the sugar, one of my new favorite spots in Atlanta - Noon Midtown - had a brilliant idea: some savory bites to take the edge off. These BLT bites were little stacks of the best early spring tomato i've ever had, beautifully smoked bacon, and toasty brioche. By the time we reached this stop in the tour, everyone's eyes opened wide at the thought of something lunchy.

That having been said, Noon also put out the sickest sweetest single bite on that tour: profiteroles made from cult-doughnut phenom Sublime Doughnut. Sliced down the middle, stuffed with vanilla ice cream and a mound of roll-em-yourself chocolate sprinkles....there were no words. 

 

Peachy Treats was a revelation in that "I-can't-believe-I-didn't-think-of-that-first" kind of way. Seriously, ya'll. It's a color customized candy catering/buffet business. They'll customize your candy choices, color-coordinate them to your shower or reception, set up and break down the display. All you have to do is contact them. There are wonderful little cello bags included so guests can take a goodie bag to go. This buffet was at the communal lunch and everyone in attendance audibly squealed when the word "candy" was announce. So much fun! 

The afternoon tour had a very sophisticated, relaxing stop courtesy of 29 Spa at The Mansion on Peachtree. Stepping out of the elevator, our group let out a group sigh of happiness and relaxation when we entered the spa. So beautiful and calming in a way that is more upscale and refined than your typical spa - no New Age bubbling brook soundtracks here. We were treated to a glass of wine, fresh berries, bites of chocolate...all while getting a tour of the space & hearing more about their grape-based skincare line. I just adored this stop and have been dreaming of booking a massage there soon.

Our last stop on the afternoon tour was a place I just had to share. Off the beaten path in a neighborhood called Castleberry Hill, The Wine Shoe is a charming little store. The owners try not to carry wines that are overly expensive or wine that you can get just anywhere. We were given several tastes, which were paired with sweet bites from private chefs Chris Arpante and Bren Herrera. 

Of all the noshes I had there, I just have to show you these little vanilla custards topped with a delicious blackberry mirror and fresh berries. After having so much rich, chocolate-y stuff pushed your way during the day....having a glass of white wine paired with this little treat was heavenly. Chris has been a blog cohort and friend of mine for some time and is now branching out into pastry - visit her at Mele Cotte. 

As you can see, it was a fully delicious experience. There are plans in the works for Sugar Coma tours all over the country, as well as other boutique tour experiences. Keep up with all the future event details on The Broke Socialite Does... Facebook page!

Atlanta's Food Blogger Bake Sale - The Recap!

It's been another busy week of work and travel...and I wish I had gotten this post up sooner. I didn't want to just throw something up and call it done. This was a very special event for me and the outcome of Atlanta's first ever Food Bloggers Bake Sale was quite remarkable. It was a gorgeous morning. Lots of folks came out to both help, visit and do some shopping. In the end, our little ol' bake sale raised over $1600, all of which goes to Share Our Strength! Thanks to the hard work of the bloggers, the bakers, participating businesses and restaurants and all the other volunteers - as well as those who donated online. None of this would have happened without you and I am eternally grateful.

Everyone donated their time, their kitchens, or both so generously...I need to give all of those that took part a shout-out. Please visit their blogs or businesses to thank them for giving so selflessly to our cause:

• Lisa Hanson, owner of Cabbagetown Market, was so instrumental in the success of the Bake Sale. She gave so much of her business's space, her personal time, the use of her tent. She also made some killer pickles & banana puddings! Her market reopens - even better than before - on May 1st. Go check it out!
• Patti from Anatomy of a Dinner Party was totally the cruise director of the Bake Sale. She manned the cash register, took photos of everyone, and just bubbly & amazing. Her oatmeal cookies were incredible too!
• Tracy from Sensatiables brought over some of the best jams I've ever had - the caramelized onion is incredible as an accompaniment to savory dishes. You can visit her on her Facebook group page here.
• The wonderful folks from Maison Robert, a local pastry and confection shop, brought over freshly baked croissant, brioche and flourless chocolate cake. Those savory baked goods were gorgeous and a huge hit!
• Daphne made chocolate-mint marvel cookies. Yum! Her website is www.daphnesashin.com
• Ashley, who has a great food blog over at The Quick & Dirty Cook, contributed her Triple C Cookies.
• Thanks to Kirk Parks at Rathbun's for those double layer chocolate & peanut butter brownies. Rathbun's is one of the most popular restaurants in town - GO if you haven't!
• Is there anything more magical than homemade marshmallows? New addition to Atlanta's restaurant scene Miller Union donated boxes of homemade strawberry & chocolate covered marshmallows
• Cacao, just included in Food + Wine's Best New American Chocolate feature, sent over heavenly (and so beautifully wrapped) brownies.
• Betty from Trouble With Toast whipped up several whole Key Lime Pies (which is one of my faves - i took one home with me!)
• Local foodie & poodle lover Emily made her grandmother's rhubarb cake recipe - and stuck around to help out at the sale. It definetely seemed to be a fan favorite at the sale!
• Amy from Scratch, a local Atlanta bakery, outdid herself with Southern "Pecan Pah" Bars, Pumpkin Bread and two types of scones. Her baked goods are DIVINE - visit her website here. 
• Allison brought a slew of margarita cookies (a recipe she adapted from Smitten Kitchen). They were delicate & had great margarita flavor! 
• Maggie Sweeney, who runs a pastry business here in Atlanta, made everyone a little woozy with her grown up alcohol-soaked cakes. They're INCREDIBLE! Her gluten-free carrot cake cupcakes made a believer out of me - you would have never been able to tell the difference. She is on Twitter as CakeHag
• Chris from Mele Cotte was an angel during the sale. Not only did she bring a TABLE full of goodies, she was sweet enough to make awesome name tags for all of the volunteers & stick around to help. Her beautiful cupcakes & cookies put smiles on folks young & old that day.
• Mandy, who writes the Atlanta Dish blog, made one of my favorite types of cookies: shortbread. Her version had rosemary in it - yum!
• Wanda, whose lovely blog is The Teacher Cooks, brought a variety of beautifully packaged treats. The recipe for the chocolate chip cookies she baked is on her blog! 
• Nic and Katie, who tag team a pretty awesome blog called We Whisk Away, had the hit of the Bake Sale on their hands. Their Salted Caramel Brownies & Salted Cinnamon Chip Cookies nearly incited a riot. Do check out this brownie recipe - it was the talk of the day! Thanks to both of them for volunteering that morning, as well.
• Amrita, whose blog is Once Upon A Dessert, brought tiny, sweet little macarons and Japanese blueberry cheesecake bites to the sale. She's a relatively new addition to the food blog crowd in Atlanta so drop by & see her blog. 
• Thanks to Besha Rodell from Creative Loafing for the Lamingtons - an Australian treat that I had never seen before. We had to Google it...and they were delicious! 
• The Blissful Glutton knocked out a batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies that went quickly at the sale & caused people to hoot & holler out of their car windows upon tasting them.
• Meredith Ford Goldman, food writer for the AJC, was kind enough to donate a gift certificate for a custom made cake of the buyer's choice. The lucky recipient? A 2 year old, who was going to get a fancy birthday cake from his parents purchase. So sweet!
• Ashia, who has a great blog called Clueless Fashionista, came and hung out with us food bloggers while baking up a batch of vanilla chocolate cherry cookies.
• My food styling assistant - and the person who keeps me from chopping off a finger or tripping over a light - Abby made a huge batch of doggie treats in flavors like bacon & Italian-inspired. Even the pups got a treat at the Bake Sale!

The Food Bloggers Bake Sale!

I must keep this short and, well, sweet. I am in the midst of one of my proudest moments as a food blogger. I was asked by Gaby from What's Gaby Cooking to be the Georgia coordinator for the first Food Bloggers Bake Sale. It's happening in states across the country on Saturday, April 17th. Food bloggers from all over are banding together on the same day to raise money and awareness for Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading hunger relief charities.

It's been a busy few weeks getting the bloggers, bakers and volunteers together...but it's been well worth it. The response from our community here in Atlanta has been overwhelming. I've been so moved by everyone's willingness to help out. I'll have a full report on tomorrow's sale after it happens. For now, here are the important details. Come join us, meet some local bloggers, and help us raise funds for a great cause! If you can't be there in body, you can help out in spirit - make a tax-deductible donation on our team page!

Where: Cabbagetown Market - 198 Carroll Street in the heart of the Cabbagetown District of Atlanta

When: Saturday, April 17th from 9 am - 1 pm

How: Find on-street parking near the market or park right around the corner at Agave, located at 242 Boulevard SE in Atlanta

Why: We're raising money for Share our Strength. All those who buy items at the bake sale will be given a coupon for $10 a future meal at Agave! Bloggers from Atlanta - as well as several local pastry shops & restaurants - are donating baked goods & sweets!

Sugar Coma - The Redux!

Remember these babies? They caused quite a stir a few months back. They're frosting shots from Little Cake Bakery in Atlanta, one of our many stops on the wildly successful Sugar Coma tour of our city's sweeteries. The brainchild of The Broke Socialite, it highlights all things sweet in our fair city. We had an absolute blast last time.

I'm THRILLED to report that Sugar Coma is happening again in Atlanta! Sugar Coma - The Redux will take place on May 1st. Two tours - one in the AM and an afternoon one - will tool all over town (in a luxury shuttle) to taste the best that Atlanta's bakeries, sweet shops and restaurants have to offer. I'm honored to say that I will be following in Helen's footsteps as Sugar Mama of this edition of Sugar Coma. While touring the town, we'll be chatting about all things foodie. I'm SO excited about getting to spend the day with sweets & lots of sweet folks.

  If you'd like to join us - and I can't imagine you WOULDN'T - visit the Sugar Coma Redux event page for all the necessary information and for access to registration. I can tell you tickets are going LIGHTENING FAST so secure your seat quickly if you want to take part in the festivities. Hope to see all of you on May 1st!

missing Mo

How do you turn to writing to make sense of something when the event itself is completely senseless? Without any rhyme or reason. So far beyond your comprehension that no words fit the bill - no matter how hard to hold my breath and hope they come out.  

I've started this post in my head every day for weeks. I'm sitting here today with tightness in my chest and some tears welling up...fighting to tell you about my friend Maureen Allaben. We met through work - I assisted her when I first started styling. As both of our careers grew, we would work on jobs together as a team. If I was booked on a shoot and couldn't take another job, Maureen is the person I recommended - and vice versa. Our busy schedules kept us from seeing each other as often as we both would have liked - I saw her in December while out at lunch. We kept in touch and spoke often - calling one another to ask for tips or trade styling secrets, industry gossip or stories about our (frighteningly similar) families. 

Maureen was killed in what can only be considered an episode of domestic violence the first week of January. The specifics of what happened are unclear to those outside her family. I know enough to know that what happened to her was unexpected - I spoke with her the Sunday she went missing - to everyone. The rest...I can't think of. It breaks my heart to imagine something like that happening to someone so wonderful. There will never be an explanation for it. Never. For the rest of the details, I'll remain unclear.

What I can soundly say is that the gifts that Maureen brought to the world are - and will continue to be - sorely missed. Insanely creative, brazenly smart, wickedly funny - Maureen had a laugh that was just infectious. Her talent and presence filled up a room...and she could rock a short and sassy haircut like no one I've ever met. There was nothing that Maureen couldn't do...and if she didn't know how to do it, she learned. She was also fiercely devoted to her two children who have now lost both of their parents in this senseless tragedy. 

So I sit here...pouring my heart out to this blog as I've done many times...on the day of her memorial service...with just one wish. I can only hope for peace and healing for Maureen, her sister & the rest of her family, her colleagues and friends. That wish is amplified tenfold for her two children. Let them know that their mother was such a strong force in the world. She made a positive impact on everyone she met and I just wish for that positivity to surround them as they go through this journey of growing up, learning and healing. 

We miss you, Mo. <3

The photo in this post was taken by Evan Bartleson, a photographer and friend of Maureen's. I love this shot - it shows Maureen in her element: working on some wacky, challenging project and loving every minute of it. Also shown in the photo is her assistant Camille, who she always spoke so very highly of. Thanks you for letting me use this photo.