weaver d's (athens, ga)

Sometimes, you don't go to a restaurant just for the food. Weaver D's as made famous by R.E.M.'s album "Automatic for the People" is one of those exceptions. It's not just about the food here - it's about connecting with history, creating memories and experiencing - becoming even - a part of Athens.

Located off Broad Street, it's almost impossible to miss Weaver D's in its bright, lime colored building. On this particular day, I met my old friend Brandon for lunch. I'm not sure if it was school in general, different majors or some other reason but even though we go to the same school, 2 years had passed since our last meeting. It was good to see that he was doing well and still the same, big, friendly giant I knew years ago.

Inside the bright green building is a simple yet uniquely decorated place filled with posters, memorabilia and overall - history. Nothing's pretentious about Weaver D's - it's food at a reasonable price that's made for the people. You'll find Weaver as soon as you enter the door and after a warm, prompt greeting, he'll run though the daily special. Brandon got the meatloaf special and I chose to get the dark meat friend chicken with a side of greens and mac & cheese.

For the price you pay, you get a good bit of food. An extremely large drink (think 64oz. cup), 2 sides, whatever your main was plus a piece of cornbread. Not that bad of a deal especially in a college town. In general, the food at Weaver D's is okay. It won't blow your mind away, they won't have the best fried chicken or sides around but it's not bad food either. If I have to be technical for the sake of the blog - the skin on the fried chicken could've been crispier, greens needed a tad more seasoning and the macaroni was missing the cheese that makes the side so great. But like I said earlier - Weaver D's is more than just food and a restaurant. It's an Athens landmark and a piece of this town's history.

While the food's not phenomenal, it's a cozy and humble location where you can catch up with a friend and/or experience a bit of Southern hospitality. This girl I know always tells me that it's not about how good the food is - it's about what you make out of the whole experience. And Weaver D's is no exception

- Thanks for being a good friend Brandon, we have to do a FIFA night real soon just like the old days.

in memory of: cauliflower mac and cheese

There won't be a Wordless Wednesday post today.

February 24th is a special day for me. One filled with sorrow, memories and unfortunate regrets. Because on this day last year, my friend T - my very first friend growing up in Canada - passed away.

Even when I was growing up in the 90s, racism was prevalent in school. I went to a Catholic school with an extremely low Asian population my first few years after moving from South Korea. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't understand much English but I didn't need to comprehend words. The eyes, the looks, the actions...kids made you know you were different and that different wasn't always a good thing. I still remember my cousin (sorry about the shoutout!) Justin coming back from school...crying that he didn't want to go back because of the bullies that made fun of him - it was heartbreaking. The feeling of standing by yourself at recess and getting made fun of for being different in a foreign language as a little kid... words can't do it justice.

Then there was T. This skinny, buzz cut kid that would always come up to me - smiling. He would always come sit next to me in class, include me in group games (even though I had no freaking idea what was going on) and talk to me. He was the first person to put aside our racial differences and welcome me into his life and his family. My first and most influential friend.

I had lost contact with T over the years and living in different countries didn't help much either. So when I got a random phone call from his mother this day last year about how he passed away in a car accident - it was devastating. We hadn't talked in forever and just like that...he disappeared from my life. I never got a chance to say good bye or see him as a college student like me. It all seemed like a cruel joke initially but...it wasn't. Through a simple phone call - he was gone. His death really made me realize how often we don't tell people that we care about them...and love them. So to those close and special to me - thank you for being in my life and making every day memorable.

The first time I had mac and cheese was at T's house (which was not from a blue box!) and I remember him arguing with his mother all the time about how much he hated cauliflower. The only way he would eat it was with melted cheddar cheese and I actually think that was the first time I had cauliflower also. I think he ended up liking cauliflower eventually and if he was with us today - I think he would like this dish too.

RIP TS, this one's for you. You were an amazing friend and one hell of a person.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Adapted from Jennifer's Skillet Mac & Cheese, Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

- 1 pound dry elbow pasta

- 1/4 cup of unsalted butter plus more to top

- 1/4 cup of AP flour

- 2 cups of whole milk

- 1 cup of heavy cream

- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard

- 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese (I used a blend of regular cheddar, extra sharp and aged Canadian)

- 1 cup of parmesan cheese plus more to top

- 1 cup of breadcrumbs

- 1 cup of grated cauliflower

- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the dried elbow pasta and stir. Cook just under (about a minute) al dente. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3) Melt 1/4 cup of butter in an 11" cast iron skillet and whisk in the flour. Cook out the flour for a couple of minutes then add in the milk and cream. Whisk constantly to make sure it's smooth without lumps.

4) Whisk in the dry mustard and season with salt and pepper.

5) In batches, melt in the cheddar/parmesan cheese. Mix a little in at a time and whisk to prevent lumps. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6) Add the cooked, drained pasta to the cheese mixture and stir until the pasta's evenly coated.

7) Mix together the breadcrumbs, cauliflower and thyme in a bowl until evenly mixed. Spread evenly on top of the pasta. Dot the top of the breadcrumb with more butter and place in the oven.

8) Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until browned and bubbling. I usually place it on top of a baking sheet so cleaning up isn't such a hassle. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

TS 1988 - 2009

take 5 with...kitchen m

 (all photos in this post are by Em from Kitchen M)

In case anyone was wondering - yes, I'm still alive. There's a bunch of posts I need to finish, write and process but school is le suck right now from all the tests and I've just been busy with life in general. By no means have I forgotten about my T5W series and I'm particularly excited about today's because this happens to be one of my favorite food blogs.

Kitchen M is a creative and beautiful food blog run by the talented Em. Kitchen M is special...because it's one of the first food blogs I started to follow when I got into this whole food blogging thing. I still remember running into her croissant post over 2 years ago (my pre-blogging days) and being fascinated by how tasty a simple picture of a croissant looked.

When Em's not making people salivate and smile through her food blog, she's out saving the world as a dietitian. I'm also convinced she knows almost every single food item on the planet. If you ever need an ingredient identified - she's your go-to girl. Thanks for all the hard work you put into the blog, your friendship and being such a big inspiration these past 2 years Em!

Take 5 With... Em from Kitchen M

1. Hi Em! Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers out there before we get started?

- Hi everyone! This is Em from Kitchen M. I'm a dietitian and freelance food photographer living in the Bay Area. 

2. What inspired you to start Kitchen M?

-  I used to live in the mid-west for a long time where ethnic food meant Chinese buffet and Tex-mex. There were absolutely no Japanese restaurants and people thought sushi was fish. When I was a student, I did my food service internship at UC Berkeley one summer, where I discovered the beauty of foods and culinary art. (Yes, the Bay Area restaurants, chefs, and people are the ones who inspired me to start my food blog called “Kitchen M.”) I never thought that food could be so entertaining and fascinating. Every time I went out, I naturally started taking pictures of what I was eating. By the time the internship was over, I realized that I took more food photos than anything else, which inspired me to start a food blog.

3. I’m sure this is a question you get asked a lot – what kind of camera and lens(es) do you use to take your photographs? 

-  I'm currently using Canon 50D. My favorite lenses are the 100mm f2.8 and 50mm f1.4.

4. What’s it like being a dietitian? Does your job influence the blog at all?

- I love being a dietitian. Nutrition is something that I enjoy learning for myself, so when I get to share my knowledge with others and help their well-being, it's absolutely the best feeling. Though it's not easy at all to motivate people and to change their lifestyles. I pretty much check nutrition facts on every food item instinctively, but that's just my habit. Although I wouldn't have a post about McDonald's fries or KFC's tempting biscuits, I try to feature a wide variety of items on Kitchen M. I want people to realize that healthy diet shouldn't look like prescriptions or formula. Being able to enjoy eating food is quite important. 

5. Being a dietitian, food photographer and a food blogger – it’s like having 3 jobs. How do you do it??

- Simply because I enjoy them all equally. I sometimes stay up till 3am writing and processing photos.

6. What’s your favorite thing about living in the Bay area?

- The food scene for sure. I'm very fortunate to be living so close to beautiful wineries and great restaurants including fine dining, ethnic cuisine and even street foods!

7. Now…you live like 30 minutes away from Bouchon bakery. How do you tell your patients to cut back on the sweets while living so dangerously close to a bakery like that?

- Portion control and moderation are the keys! Don't eat them all at once. Save some for later or share with others. :)

8.  I’ve talked to you about this in the past but each one of your posts has so much work and effort put into it. Could you describe for our readers the planning, writing, cooking and shooting process that takes place for each blog post?

- I know, it's a lot of work. I don't know how other people have a post almost everyday! (You too, Sean!) If you don't know, my posting schedule is once a week, usually Sundays. Typically, I think of ideas during the week, cook/make it on weekend, take pictures and write as I edit my photos. (me: I usually set aside a time block on the weekend and knock out a bunch of posts for the rest of the week. Then there's the Wordless Wednesday thing I've been doing...which is kinda a filler but it's also so I can get better at taking pictures too!)

9. What’s the most important advice you can give to people who are looking to improve their photography skills?

- You really should learn the technical stuff (i.e., ISO, f-stop, shutter speed, white balance, etc). Even if you have a perfect image in your head, it's not good enough if you can't transform the image. I read the entire manual front to back when I bought my camera and I've been only using manual mode since then. And of course practice... Duh!

10. What kitchen tool can’t you live without?

- Chopsticks. Am I too Asian? LOL (note: stir frying with chopsticks = win)  

11. Food that evokes the greatest childhood memory?

- Definitely Japanese home cooked food. There are so many and I just can't think them all right now.

12. Any food in particular you hate/won’t eat?

- No worms or insects. Also fetal duck eggs and organ meats are something that I would be completely satisfied without having to ever trying.

13. Any guilty pleasure foods?

- Hahaha. I answered this already. Please skip. :P (me: it's 'seirtsap, for those wondering ^^)

14. Drink of choice?

- Sparkling water or wine. I don't like juice and am just not a fan of beer, either.

15. Favorite cookbook (or food related book) that you think everyone should have?
- For food photography books, I like Donna Hay and The French Laundry - they are so beautiful! I don't really try to make the food from these cookbooks, but I get inspirations and ideas from these. For good recipe cookbooks, I like The Art of Simple Food (Alice Waters), Tartine (Tartine Bakery), Professional Baking and The Professional Pastry Chef (both CIA), Salute to Healthy Cooking (The French Culinary Institute)

wordless wednesday

...because sometimes, pictures are all you need

Thanks for the doughnuts and the bagels - they were delicious :)

it's easy, man: chicken "stock"

Roasting a chicken has to be like the hardest thing - ever. Remember when Ruhlman wrote about how insanely difficult it is to roast a chicken a while back?? It's Twitter crashing stuff, man. Imagine if people actually started to make stock...at home! Forget that crap movie 2012, it's gonna be 2010!!!

Of course, I'm being sarcastic (you did catch on right?) and roasting a chicken really isn't that hard and there's also this misconception that making stock is a labor intensive and difficult process. While it does take a little time, making stock is anything but difficult. If you can make Sandra Lee cakes (aka box cake mix) - you can make stock.

So why make stock in the first place? I mean they sell it at the grocery store in boxes and cans right? It's true, you can just buy stock at the grocery store but compared to homemade stock, it's more expensive and it doesn't taste as good.

I don't know if this counts as "true" stock because I used the remaining carcass of an already roasted chicken. And no, I'm not going to make up a ridiculous name like "brock" combining broth and stock. This is just another way of being resourceful and squeezing out as much as you can from your ingredients. Everyone's having a tough time right now because of the economy so saving a few bucks here and there is always a good thing.

Easy Chicken "Stock"

Original, Makes 8+ Cups

- 1 carcass of already roasted chicken, bones from wings, thighs and legs

- 1 large onion, quartered

- 2 medium carrots, rough chop

- 2 stalks of celery, rough chop

- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed, skin on

- 1 sprig of parsley

- few sprigs of thyme

- 1 large bay leaf

- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, lightly crushed

1) Add everything together in a large stock pot. Fill with enough cold water to cover everything. Bring up to a boil over high heat

2) Once it's at a boil, reduce the heat down to a simmer and go do other important stuff for 45 minutes to an hour. Skim off the foam and impurities that rise to the top with a ladle every once in awhile.

3) After cooking, pass the stock through a fine sieve. Discard all the vegetables and the chicken bones. You're done with those suckers.

4) Now, line the sieve with a cheesecloth... or a coffee filter (I had to improvise okay??) and pass the stock through the lined sieve one more time.

5) Pour into containers and use within 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.

See how easy that was? Even an idiot like me pulled it off! :-)

un-complicated: easy chicken masala

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm no genius.

I don't have the answer to all of your questions and I won't pretend to know something when I really don't. But given the opportunity and time - I will find you the answer and I'm damn good at keeping my promises. Determination and integrity aside, the other thing I'm pretty good at is multitasking.

I've been getting flak from this particular girl about making food that's too complicated. I will admit, for presentation purposes there is some detail work that goes into each of my featured dishes but almost all of the recipes are actually easy. And trust me - there is no presentation when I'm eating by myself and after photos have been taken. So when my old professor was rambling on about nonsense during class, I was on the Epicurious app looking up easy, dinner ideas. The first thing that popped up? An easy chicken masala. 

You make a marinade, dump it into a ziplock bag, add chicken, marinade until you come back from school/work and bake in the oven until it's done. Nothing pretentious, easy and light years away from complicated. 

See? Are you reading this post? I make simple, comfort food!

Easy Chicken Masala

Adapted from Epicurious, Serves 4

- 4 skinless chicken breasts

- 1 cup plain yogurt

- a bunch of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

- 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 heaping tablespoon of garam masala

- 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger

- 1 large clove of garlic, crushed/skin left on

- salt and pepper

- 1 large onion, cut into 0.25" rings

1) Mix yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, ginger, clove of garlic, salt and pepper. Mix together until incorporated and dump into a large ziplock bag.

2) Remove excess fat from chicken breasts and add them into the ziplock with the yogurt marinade. Remove excess air from the ziplock and close. Evenly coat the chicken breasts with the yogurt marinade. Leave in the fridge and marinade for at least 2 hours turning over once in the process. This can be done 1 day in advance.

3) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

4) Arrange the onions in a thin layer on a baking sheet to form a bed for the chicken. Once the oven has preheated, place the chicken breasts on top of the spread out onions discarding any excess marinade.

5) Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear. Garnish with cilantro for blog purposes but it's completely unnecessary.

Happy? :-)

02.14.10

For the couples who are celebrating - happy Valentine's day! I hope you and your favorite person have a wonderful day filled with fun, laughter, companionship and of course: good food.

Also, happy lunar new year! This year is the year of the tiger. So if you're not participating in Valentine's day festivities, celebrate the new year - Asian style.

Full Disclosure: I don't work for Merck and I am by no means promoting Nasonex. It just happened to be the pen closest to me.

it's simple: faux-filet au beurre rouge, pomme puree - les halles

It's that time of year again.

You know the day I'm talking about. Chocolate, candy and cheesy cards are passed around classrooms. Couples flock to restaurants with hands locked. Red, white and pink are everywhere. And for the unfortunate single guys and girls out there - it's just another day.

Valentine's Day. Love it or hate it, it's happening soon - like this Sunday soon. The good thing about this year's V-Day is the fact that Chinese New Years falls on the same date. So, even if you're not spending it with that special someone, you can go celebrate the new year by going out to eat tasty dim sum (or slutty Chinese food, whatever works for you).

Lets say for instance that you forgot to make reservations at that favorite restaurant and you have to cook at home. Or maybe eating at home this year was the plan all along. The question still remains - what do I make for dinner? There's no need to overthink things here folks, especially if you're cooking for a guy. Men are simple creatures and the equation is simple. "Meat + potatoes + booze = full, happy man". So why not combine everything in one, easy, simple dish and spend the rest of the night cuddling over a chick flick? (this is probably the only day out of the year you girls can get us guys to watch one without complaining)

This is taken out of the Les Halles Cookbook so when you present dinner, you can say impress your date furthermore by saying you made a faux-filet au beurre rouge on top of a pomme puree. I believe someone said that, "French is the language of love" right?

Les Halles Pomme Puree

All you need are 6 potatoes sliced half lengthways, 2 cups of heavy cream, 6 tablespoons of butter, salt, pepper and a little bit of patience. In a large pot, fill it with cold water and add a tablespoon of salt. Add the sliced potatoes into the cold water and bring up to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until a knife goes through. Drain. Remove the skin once it's cool enough to handle. While waiting for it to cool...

Add cream and butter to a saucepan. Bring it up to a simmer. Make sure you keep an eye on this because it'll boil over in a blink of an eye. I'm notorious for boiling milk/cream over. Don't be like me - keep an eye on the cream. After the potatoes have been peeled, mash it inside the same pot you used to cook it in with a potato masher or use a ricer to get a smoother texture. Add the cream/butter mixture to the potatoes in thirds making sure to incorporate well in between. Don't overwork the potatoes. Mix until it just comes together. Season with salt and pepper (it'll need it) and season to taste. It's your Valentine's Day meal so do whatever you want at this point! Chives? Spring onions? Hell, truffles?! Throw it in. Now onto the steak...

Faux-Filet au Beurre Rouge

Don't let the name fool you - this is just sirloin with red wine butter. Fancy name, easy as hell and tasty results. Start out by making the red wine butter. Soften a stick of butter by leaving it out at room temperature. Once the butter has softened, finely chop a small shallot and combine it in a saucepan with a quarter cup of red wine. Turn the heat on high and let it reduce down until almost evaporated. Make sure the shallots aren't burning at the bottom though. Remove from heat to cool slightly after reducing.

In a food processor, add the softened butter, reduced wine, shallots, and finely chopped of parsley from 1 sprig. Blitz until everything's combined. Once red and combined, remove the butter and place in the middle of a plastic wrap. Roll it into a cylindrical shape and set in the fridge until needed.

For the sirloin - grill, pan fry or broil to your desired doneness. I cooked mine on a cast iron pan. Season both side with salt and pepper and add vegetable/canola oil to the pan. Once the oil is fluid and shimmering, add the steak to the pan. 5 minutes on each side should get you a medium-rare but I suggest poking at it after you turn it over to the second side for accurate results. A rare piece of meat won't have a spring back at you - it'll indent when you touch it. Medium-rare will have a slight spring when touched. Further down the temperature road, the meat will become more tough and more resistant to your touch. You shouldn't be eating your meat past medium-rare anyways right? Eat as it is with a slice of red wine butter on top or place it top of the pomme puree.

wordless wednesday

 ...because sometimes, pictures are all you need

Dude, Sublime Doughnuts are off the wall. I'd kill for an A-Town Cream right now. If you live within 50 miles of Atlanta, you need to go - now.

take 5 with...honey & jam

(all photos in this post are by Hannah at Honey & Jam)

First off, I want to apologize to everyone about this post's delay. I've been pretty busy with tests and overcoming an illness last week so things got backed up a little bit. No worries though - if all goes to plan, I'll be having a double feature for T5W this week! Now, back to the important stuff...

One of two things can happen when you stumble upon Hannah's blog for the first time. You either 1) have a photography revelation (think your first car or getting an iPhone scale reaction) or 2) walk over to your camera and throw it against the wall in shame and frustration while inspired by beautiful art. Hannah is the ingenious mind behind Honey and Jam and if you've ever browsed through Tastespotting - I guarantee you've visited her wonderful blog.

At only 19 years of age, Hannah shows incredible talent, creativity and maturity through her blog's content. I'm not sure what you guys were doing at that age but when I was 19 (man that was so 2 years ago...), my sole artistic ability came from putting organic chemistry molecules together so I could get into pharmacy school. Seriously though - amazing stuff Hannah. I'm always inspired reading through your posts! So, with great excitement...

Take 5 With... Hannah from Honey and Jam

1. Hi Hannah! Would you like to introduce yourself to any of our readers who may not know of you? (although I'm pretty sure everyone knows you already!)

- Hi Sean! Sure! I’m Hannah, I’m 19, I live in the mountains of North Georgia with my parents,  sister, brother, 4 dogs, 3 cats and 4 chickens. It’s pretty much a zoo around here.

2. I'm sure this is something you get asked a lot so let's answer everybody's question: what camera and lens do you use to take your gorgeous photographs?

- I use a canon digital rebel xsi with a 50mm f1.4 lens. That lens is totally worth every penny.

3.  How did you develop interest in baking and photography?

- I've been taking pictures for as long as I can remember - apparently I won a photography contest in 3rd grade, but I don’t remember it at all! I got into food photography about a year ago, and love it, even though it’s challenging sometimes. 

As for baking, I never really did much in the kitchen until I was about 17 and got a cupcake cookbook. I became obsessed with finding the perfect cupcake recipe. It was then fell in love with the process, the measuring of ingredients, the careful stirring and sifting, and most of all that moment when you pull something out of the oven and it’s just so perfect (and even when it’s not). I still haven’t found the perfect cupcake recipe yet, but I did gain a new hobby!

4. What inspired you to start Honey & Jam?

- I needed a creative outlet. I didn’t start out with a food blog in mind, as I wasn’t baking nearly as much as I do now. I was picking up photography again after a hiatus (switching over from film to digital was not an easy process for me!) and it seemed like it would be fun.

5. What do you enjoy most about blogging?

- I love that it pushes me to keep baking, even when I don’t feel like it.  I love when people write me and tell me that they’d never baked before but were inspired after visiting my blog. That totally makes my day. I’m also immensely grateful for the food blogging community. Every one is so welcoming and encouraging.

6. What do you enjoy least about blogging?

- That it pushes me to bake when I don’t feel like it. haha! But seriously, I can’t think of anything I don’t really like.

7. One thing you'd like to ban or see get changed from food blogs?

- I’d love for everyone to rip the flashes from their cameras and go au naturale.

8. What's the most important advice you'd give people who are looking to improve their photography skills?

- Learn how to use your camera properly! Don’t rely on auto. Take pictures all the time, of everything, and take A LOT, you can just delete them if they are bad! Also, use natural light! It’ll make all the difference.  Flip through magazines - study how the food is styled and how the light hits the food. That has helped me so much.

9. How long does it take to finish one of your posts? It looks like a lot of work is put into every single entry!

- Probably about half a day, including prep/baking time/photographing/editing and writing.

10. This isn't a question but... Visit Hannah's Etsy shop here!

11. So who gets to eat all of those delicious baked goods after you make them? You can send some over this way if you want...

- My family and friends! I’m pretty sure they get sick of all that sugar though (too much of a good thing!), so send me your address. ;) (Sean: UGA College of Pharmacy, 250 Green Street, Athens, GA 30605. I pretty much live there)

12. What's your favorite ingredient to work with? Least favorite?

- This is so hard! I love oats - in crisps, cookies, breads. They add such a homey, rustic element to baked goods. Least favorite? Espresso powder and instant coffee.

The flavors are always so overwhelming.

13. What kitchen tool can't you live without?

- My Kitchen Aid Mixer. I would cry if it died. It’s on my top 3 list of things I’d grab if the house were on fire, right after the dog and my camera. I’d be without a house, but at least I could make whipped cream. Whipped cream makes everything better. (Sean: I'm still going through no-mixer induced kitchen depression)

14. What's on the menu for your death row meal?

- Roast chicken, mashed potatoes with lots of butter, steamed broccoli, a really good crusty french bread and chocolate chip cookies.

15. Food that evokes the greatest childhood memory?

- Green bean casserole. It reminds me so much of Christmas and Thanksgiving as a kid. I LOVED it (still do, actually) and couldn’t wait for that time of the year to roll around, no one else in my family likes it, but my mom would always make it for me.

16. Any food in particular you hate/won't eat?

- I recently discovered I really don’t like persimmons. They are mushy, just a little too sweet when ripe and wholly unappetizing.

17. Any guilty pleasure foods?

- Chick Fil A chicken nuggets + honey mustard = heaven.

18. Drink of choice?

- Sweet tea. I am a southern girl after all.

19. Favorite cookbook (or food related book) that you think everyone should have?

- My Life in France. Julia Child is such an inspiration. Her love of and passion for food and life is infectious - you can’t help but smile while reading her descriptions of the food she ate and made.

20. Any final words you'd like to say to your readers?

- I just want to say thank you. I’m so appreciative of every comment and email I receive from you all. It keeps me going! 

Thanks for playing along Hannah!

keba spitfire grill (athens, ga)

*Edit* - Revisited Keba the other day to try out the pork they offer on Mondays and Wednesdays. It's delicious. Tender, well seasoned and well - just really tasty! Gonna go back and see if it's consistent. If it is, it's going on my rotation. Recommended, go now!!!

It can get pretty challenging trying to find ethnic food that's not slutty Chinese, bad Tex-Mex or $1 maki rolls in Athens. So when that inevitable craving for juicy, slow-roasted meat descends down to your stomach, you head over to Keba Spitfire Grill on the East side.

Keba's (that's pronounced KAY-BAH and they really want you to pronounce it right) been dishing out German style doner kebabs to locals since last year and this may be one of the only places in Athens you'll find meat that's cooked on a rotating spit.

Ordering, although it may look complicated at first, is simple business. You start off with an European bread or wrap, pick a protein and choose from one of their 9 sauces to accompany your kebab. If you make it a combo, you get to choose an additional sauce to accompany the Belgian fries (which are just fries by the way) and a drink for about $2 more. There are 7 different varieties of sandwich/wraps that are offered on a daily basis and a special appearance by pork on Mondays and Wednesdays. I was slightly disappointed by the absence of lamb as a protein choice and because I went on a Tuesday, I opted for the beef with Keba sauce and feta sauce for my fries.

Maybe I'm just weird but I love watching meat cook. After filling up my cup with a drink (yes Chloe, it was diet Coke) I stood there watching the meat being shaved off while waiting for my food. In true fast food fashion, my order was finished in minutes and I took a seat in one of their booths although the bar stools might be better for one if you're not trying to take pictures with a DSLR.

The kebab, although generously filled with meat, veggies and sauce, was a letdown. I wanted to enjoy it but the tough and dry beef made the kebab less than prolific. The Keba sauce could've been more vibrant and tangy also as it tasted like watered down yogurt/sour cream. Not all is lost though as the real winner at Keba is their delicious Belgian fries - thick, crispy and seasoned just right with the perfect touch of salt. I'd come back just to get their french fries when I'm around the neighborhood. As for the feta sauce, it just didn't do it for me so I'll probably get the roasted red pepper next time around.

I'll have to come back on a Monday or Wednesday to try their popular pork and get more of their tasty french fries. Will update when I do.

Tips:

• Pork is only available on Mondays and Wednesdays
• Gets pretty busy around lunch time so pray there's decisive people ahead of you in line or it could take awhile
• Fountain drinks so drink away!
• Not familiar with doners? Watch Giles Coren as he goes behind the scenes to see how the meat is actually formed.

inspiration: homemade krystal burgers

With respect to the Atlanta food blogging scene, there are 2 people in particular who I'm really thankful for. Gene from Eat, Drink, Man... and Chloe from Chow Down Atlanta. Through Gene-hyung, I was able to meet Chloe and through Chloe I was able to meet a lot of cool food people in this city. I had no idea when I first started the blog in December '08 that people would even know who I was let alone meet them in person. (Actually, I'm more shocked that I even have readers)

Growing up north in Canada (eh?) most of my life, I was used to having White Castle every now and then - not Krystal. So when Chloe found out that I've never had those little burgers before, I pretty much got dragged to one with her and Buddha-san. I'm not a food snob but I have to say that my first experience at Krystal wasn't as great as they were making it out to be. It was ok... but as Jen put it - it was gray meat. However, after hanging out with Chloe so much, those little, anemic looking things kinda grew on me and I kinda like them now. However, the fact still remained that it was gray meat.

I was going through a major burger withdrawal and I was too lazy to go buy groceries (in my defense, it was cold outside). So, I decided to make these one night instead - Krystal style burgers. It's actually quite simple - fry meat and then steam everything together until the bun gets warm and soft. Chloe likes her Krystal burgers "off-the-grill with no pickles and mustard" so I made mine the same way with a couple variations. I actually browned the meat so it wasn't gray and I caramelized the onions before placing them inside the burger.

You know what? I surprised myself with how tasty these turned out. The only things missing were extra-crispy french fries and good company :)

Homemade Krystal "off-the-grill, no pickles, no mustard"

Inspired by C, Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. ground beef

- 1 small onion, finely diced

- 8 slices of American cheese (only the fake, synthetic stuff for these burgers!)

- 8 small hamburger buns

1) Add oil to a hot pan over medium heat and throw in the finely diced onions. Caramelize the onions until they're soft and golden brown. About 10 minutes or so. Set aside to cool until needed.

2) Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions and shape them into round patties. Make an indentation in the center of the patty with your thumb. Place in fridge until needed or use immediately. Just before cooking the burgers, season both side with salt and pepper.

3) In a hot pan, add neutral oil (ie. canola) and once it's fluid and shimmering cook the burger in batches. Now, the cooking time will differ based on how thick you made your patties but 2 - 3 minutes per side for a 0.5" to get medium worked for me. Cook the meat in batches if you need to.

4) While the meat's browning, prepare a steamer. Line the bottom of whatever you're using to steam with (bamboo or that steel thing) parchment paper.

5) Once the burgers have been cooked to your liking, place each patty on the bottom bun. Top with caramelized onions and then the American cheese. Top with the other half of the bun.

6) Steam the burgers for about 20 - 30 seconds until the cheese has melted and the buns are warm and soft. Serve immediately with, in Chloe's case, Diet Coke.

Random: this week is doppelganger week on Facebook and I've been told that I look like John Cho from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Still not too sure about that call KT...!

wordless wednesday

...because sometimes, pictures are all you need

 (the kebab kinda sucked but whatevs)

being average: scallion potato cakes - ad hoc at home

...not the scallion potato cakes of course. These are Thomas Keller approved so you know they're good stuff.

Every year there's an Asian prodigy that pops up on YouTube who just stuns people all around the world. 3 years ago, it was Sungha and recently, there's this 5 year old who's on his way to becoming the next Jake Shimabukuro. I don't know what you did when you were 5 years old but I couldn't even play an instrument let alone read music.

 (he makes me want to smash my guitar into pieces and make chopsticks out of them)

I suppose I'm jealous (and I am) and on seldom occasions, I wish I was amazing at one single thing. When it comes to talents, I can do a lot of things but I'm not particularly good at anything. I can play a little guitar, I can cook (somewhat) and I'm not a genius either when it comes to academics.

I know I'm being ridiculous but what about you guys? Do you have an amazing hidden talent that no one knows of or are you like me - a jack of all trades?

Here's the ad hoc recipe for scallion potato cakes by Thomas Keller - a culinary genius - mastermind - who I hear is pretty good at cooking ;-)

Scallion Potato Cakes

From ad hoc at home, Serves 6

Ingredients:

- 5 scallions

- 3 pounds of russet potatoes

- 1/2 cup of cornstarch

1) Cut the ends off the scallions and slice them thinly on a diagonal. Set aside until needed.

2) Peel the potatoes and grate them using a grater or use your food processor's coarse shredder to shred them. Transfer the grated/shreded potatoes to a bowl with cold water and rinse the potatoes well.

3) Transfer the rinsed potatoes into a salad spinner and dry thoroughly.

4) Now, add the potatoes to a dry bowl and add the cornstarch. Toss the potatoes in the cornstarch to coat evenly.

5) In a large pan, add canola oil. When the oil's fluid, shimmering and "dancing", bring the heat down to medium and add 1/6 of the potatoes. Spread evenly, making sure not to press down on the potatoes to keep them light. Season the top of the potatoes with salt and pepper

6) Spread a generous layer of scallion greens over the potatoes and spread another 1/6 of the potatoes over the scallion layer. Season the top again with salt and pepper.

7) Once the first side is browned, turn the cake over to the other side and cook until the second side is browned and crispy.

8) Cut each scallion potato cake into quarters and serve immediately.