Caprese Sandwiches

You'll notice we've been eating a lot of tomatoes recently. That's because (1) tomatoes are readily available right now, (2) I like tomatoes--they're actually my favorite food, (3) I especially like heirloom tomatoes, (4) I bought several big, juicy, colorful heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market while traveling back to Atlanta from Highlands, North Carolina, and (5) it would be a darn shame to let those tomatoes go to waste.

For lunch today I made caprese sandwiches--so yummy even Dean was lured home from work. These sandwiches are so good that if I owned a restaurant they'd absolutely be on my lunch menu during tomato season and would probably be the most popular item, despite the fact that they're super easy to make (which is why I make them often).

Here's how to make a caprese sandwich, step-by-step:

Ingredients:
* good French or Italian bread, sliced to size and number of sandwiches desired (I slice the baguette to length and then slice top from bottom hoagie-style)
* fresh tomato slices, enough to cover half of sandwich bread and sliced to desired thickness (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 inch)
* fresh mozzarella slices, enough to cover half of sandwich bread and sliced to desired thickness (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 inch)
* fresh basil leaves, enough to cover half of sandwich bread
* fresh ground pepper to taste
* extra virgin olive oil

Slice the bread, tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle half of sandwich bread with extra virgin olive oil then top with cheese slices. Top other half of sandwich bread with tomato slices. (Create a single layer of cheese and a single layer of tomato on each half of the sandwich, though if the tomato slices are thin you can stack them to the thickness that equals the cheese.)

Place under broiler until cheese bubbles. Top tomato slices with fresh basil leaves. Crack pepper to taste over the cheese. Merge halves into a sandwich and enjoy.Fair Warning: Juicy tomatoes can make this messy to eat. But it's oh-so-good, so just grab a few napkins and eat it anyway.

Wine Dinner at Old Edwards

On August 23 a group of foodies gathered at Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, North Carolina to enjoy an eight-course meal prepared by Executive Chef Johannes Klapdohr and Chef de Cuisine Chris Huerta. I was lucky enough to have snagged an invitation to the exclusive event. Kicking off the fabulous menu was an amuse bouche of kohirabi soup with fennel pollen. This was so yummy I had to fight against the urge to lick the bowl (I do try to behave in public):
Next came the appetizer: mille feuille of Columbia River King Salmon, scallops, cucumbers, wasabi ice cream, marine cider vinegar. Wasabi tends to dominate a dish, but everything was in perfect balance here.
The second course: sea urchin and lobster custard, life cycle of peas, verbena infused crustacean froth. For dramatic presentation the plates were presented with the sea urchin shells covering the custard, which were then whisked away to reveal the dish.

 Third course: "liver and onions" sautéed foie gras and monkfish liver on vidalia onion puree and chef's garden onion varieties.

Fourth course: vitello tomato, ida gold tomato with braised veal cheeks, gremolata, petit lemon basil, society garlic chive blossoms. By this point in the meal each new course seemed to be my favorite, until the next course arrived. All the blossoms were edible, of course, and these purple garlic blossoms packed a very pleasing strong garlic flavor. Wish I could find them at my local farmers market!
Entrée: coffee-roasted partridge with Brussels sprouts "surprise," organic red eye gravy prepared tableside with the press jus.

Cheese: Maytag blue cheese soup, orchard pear bread pudding, muscadines. This may have actually been my favorite course, though it's really hard to elevate any one course over the others because they were all so good.

Dessert: zephyr squash blossom tempura, ginger spiced Bing cherry ragout, micro lemon grass

Heavenly!

Photos by Rob McDonald.

Red Tail Ridge Winery

While traveling in the Finger Lakes region of New York I had the opportunity to talk with Nancy Irelan, winemaker and co-owner of Red Tail Ridge Winery (pictured above with her husband and viticulturist Mike Schnelle). Highlights of our conversation became an article I wrote for Sunday Paper. Here's more of our chat that the paper didn't have the space to run:

HSP: What drew you to New York; why not stay in California?
NI: Well, working for a larger winery was an incredible experience and I learned a lot from that -- and I feel good about the experience and am good friends with the family -- but we wanted our own thing. If you look at the California wine industry, it's very well established; Napa is very polished. Mike and I wanted to be part of something that was growing, to be involved in the development of a community and have an influence in the direction of that community as far as the wine industry. We wanted to participate in the growth of community. We were looking for property, but not really in California. Also there are obvious financial aspects: For the cost of an acre of land in California I can buy 10 acres here -- I'm speaking roughly, but there's a huge difference in cost. So, we were looking around in Arizona, Washington, Oregon for a couple of years. I was familiar with this area (through my job I knew different people in the research community here). I had a project with Cornell and also one with the USDA in Geneva. So I would come back here off and on beginning in 1994. I have really good friends here. Over the course of several years I was watching this area figure out what it wanted to be -- clearly, there are situation where some businesses are struggling, but also clear indications and examples of other wineries and businesses who had figured out what they wanted to grow, how to grow it and how to make good wine. It was obvious to me this area had potential. Although there are some nice vinifera wines, generally speaking this area is still relatively undeveloped. It's a great opportunity in that I really enjoy being with people here -- because it's not just about making wine but being with people that you care about. Our neighbors are incredible. The winemakers here are very open and like a family. My experience is in warm climate wine styles and so it's a challenge to be here working with diametrically opposed fruit. It's been nice to work with other people and have openness. I am just beginning to understand Riesling and I tend to like to listen to other people's ideas. I don't like to work in a vacuum.

HSP: How many varietals do you grow?
NI: We have 14 acres of Riesling of multiple clones -- in my mind even though the vineyards are very young they are all very different. Riesling is our flagship. Then we have almost two acres of Chardonnay; we're going to continue to make aged-barrel-fermented creamy Chardonnay. We have three acres of Pinot Noir; they're babies and we have seven different clones including a clone from California that I just couldn't not bring -- we'll see how it does here.

HSP: What about the Finger Lakes area makes it perfect for Riesling?
NI: The temperature. The soil. It's the same reasons that make this area good for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

HSP: How is this region perceived as a wine region?
NI: It’s hard for me to say, since I've only been here for two years. That would be good question for someone of a 2nd or 3rd generation. Being a newbie I struggle with how to answer that question. I think there’s a lot of variability in business models, that is how people want to market and sell their wine. There's no perceived baseline for the wines being produced here and the region needs to get a baseline expectation of quality level. Once that’s met I’d expect this area to get the accolades it quite frankly deserves. I know we’re doing the best we can to put out a quality product.

HSP: How did you get into winemaking?
NI: I was a chemist working for DuPont at their research facility. Basically I worked on the development of different chemical treatments for disease control. I was going to night school for my undergraduate degree and knew I wanted to be a PhD — I think you just know these things; I think you have to otherwise it doesn’t happen — and so as soon as I finished night school I was already looking for graduate school. I wanted to work on biological crop improvement, so I ended up in a breeding program at UC Davis. I’m a scientist. My background is really biochemistry, chemistry, biology, microbiology and physiology. When I went to work at Gallo, I applied it to grape growing.

Photo courtesy of Red Tail Ridge Winery.

Matanzas Creek Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2006

With last night's very simple dinner of caprese salad and sausage we cracked open a bottle of Matanzas Creek Winery Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2006. Crisp and spry, the wine smacked of grapefruit, green apple, apricot and fresh grass.

The 375-ml bottle size and screw top suited the casual thrown-together-quickness of the meal. The salad (merely tomatoes, a slice of fresh mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil) proved to be a great way to showcase the excellent heirloom tomatoes that I received from Farmer Lee Jones at The Chef's Garden. Alongside the salad we had Hungarian sausage that we'd recently picked up from Patak Meat Products, Inc. in Austell, Georgia.

All darn good—and good together.

This wine retails for approx. $20.

Glenora Wine Cellars Seyval Blanc 2007

With tonight's dinner we enjoyed a 2007 Seyval Blanc from Glenora Wine Cellars in New York's Finger Lakes region.

The wine was dry with a crisp mouthfeel. It had good acidity and strong minerality (which contributed to its being very food-friendly). Citrus was the dominant flavor, primarily lemon and grapefruit, with hints of melon and grass. It had a pleasant, citrusy, lingering finish.

It worked perfectly with the pasta -- which was topped with sautéed sweet peppers, scallions and asparagus and doused with a sauce made of equal parts chicken broth, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese with a touch of nutmeg all topped with toasted walnuts. Yum!

This wine retails for approx. $11.

Rí Rá Irish Pub

I just finished a media lunch at Rí Rá Irish Pub in Midtown Atlanta. The place just recently opened and already draws a crowd.

Folks who work within walking distance have it easy since parking is a challenge. A lot across the street charges a flat $5; metered street parking would be cheaper but odds of finding an open space are slim.
The interior space is packed with Old World relics:

CREDIT: Heidi Geldhauser

The implied intent of the Rí Rá design is that when you walk through its doors you'll get the funny feeling that you somehow stepped through the time-space continuum into a pub in Dublin, Ireland where it's the 19th Century. (But the hip Atlantans frantically typing into their Blackberries throw this feng shui off.) The custom space was made using salvaged materials, including a 19th Century bar, a shop storefront circa 1800, wood paneling that dates between 1850 and 1900, and a parquet floor made in Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyard (where the Titanic was built). All of the artifacts were restored in County Wicklow (south of Dublin), then shipped to Atlanta. Rí Rá’s private party room, The Harbour Bar, is literally a miniature Irish pub that was once in Portstewart, County Derry, then transported and reassembled here.

Just to look at all this stuff it's worth stopping in to have a pint. But the food is great, too, so come hungry. Our group of five quickly polished off four starters: Pan Seared Potato Cakes, crispy on the outside/fluffy on the inside and served with balsamic reduction and sour cream; Steamed Mussels in whiskey garlic butter, white wine and fresh herbs; Crab Cakes, lightly fried and very meaty; and hand cut Chips (French fries), cooked to perfection. All very good. For my entrée I tried the Shepherd's Pie and Caesar Salad and would happily order both again.

Sure, it was a weekday lunch, but I had a Guinness — hey, I'm self-employed so I can't get into trouble with the boss and nothing pairs better with Irish food!

The restaurant can get very noisy when crowded; this is not a place to come when you hope to have a meaningful conversation. The potatoes are shipped from Ireland, so buying local is obviously a lower priority than authenticity. Many of the servers are here from Ireland on 18-month work visas, so their appealing accents are the real deal — and so is their culture shock, since the population of the Atlanta metro area exceeds that of the whole country of Ireland by more than 1 million.

Bottom line: Authentic Irish Pub experience offers warm/boisterous ambiance, tasty food and beverages, and friendly service.

Rí Rá Irish Pub is located at 1080 Peachtree St. NE. Find other details here.

Bouchaine Pinot Noir Carneros 2005

With last night's dinner of spice-rubbed salmon and sautéed brussels sprouts, we had Bouchaine Pinot Noir Carneros 2005. Turned out to be a great pairing.

We detected whiffs of spice box, wet mushrooms, dusty leather books and a hint of anise. The wine had a crisp mouthfeel and tastes of spice, tart cherries and tart cranberries. It had a very fast finish, but then boomeranged back with notes of spice and cigar box.

This wine retails for approx. $30 per bottle.

Varasano's Pizza

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Departure

When I dropped Joe off at the train station yesterday, I said good-bye to my friend, neighbor and (perhaps) my greatest fan.

In my professional life I write about travel, food, wine and spirits. In my personal life, I enjoy cooking, mixing up cocktails, eating and drinking. And I find it's always more fun to do this stuff with friends around.

I cook for joy and for necessity, to feed myself and my husband. But after many years of marriage Dean has grown rather accustomed to my cooking and (perhaps) even takes it for granted. Joe, however, is a new addition to our "family" and so is more easily impressed. Plus, he's expressive: With a wide smile he'll slap his thigh and/or murmur with delight when biting into something that he really likes. As a writer, I rarely get feedback on my work. So it's very nice to have such an enthusiastic, grateful diner to feed who gives such encouraging immediate reactions.

I will certainly miss Joe while he's off at grad school. Perhaps these "home cooking" photos and descriptions will encourage him to study hard and then return home after graduation.

Q&A with Kix Brooks

-Photo courtesy Kix Brooks.

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Sublime Doughnuts

Best doughnuts ever!

Enough said. Trust me and get yourself here as soon as you can:

Sublime Doughnuts
535 Tenth St. NW
Atlanta, Georgia
404-897-1801

One bite and you'll become a fan of the kind and talented chef/owner Kamal Grant. Tell him I said hi.

A Marietta native, Chef Kamal Grant followed his four-year stint in the U.S. Navy by attending first the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and then the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kansas. While he was working for what he calls “a big baking manufacturer” in Tucker, he discovered a doughnut shop for lease while out for a drive and decided to try his hand at running his own business.

Q. You’re a trained chef. Why doughnuts?
A. I love doughnuts! (I’ll admit that I love bread more, but the doughnut shop was here.) I took over the lease for the doughnut shop and it was turn-key—everything I needed was here. I’m trying to make the best possible doughnuts using the equipment that I have.

Q. What’s your inspiration?
A. I like cooking. When I was in high school I was in a food service class and this speaker came in who used to be an executive with Dunkin Donuts. He talked about his role with experimental flavors and I thought I wouldn’t mind playing around with flavors and trying stuff. I wanted to become a baker, a pastry chef. Also while I was in high school I got to eat a three-course meal at 103 West, which got me to want to go to the Culinary Institute of America.

As for doughnut flavors, I just think about things that I like and see if I can doughnutize them. For example, peanut butter and chocolate is like the best combination of things to eat in life and so I thought, ‘I’m going to try to do a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup doughnut.’

Q. What are the most popular flavors?
A. Peanut butter cup, fresh strawberries and cream, caramel apple fritter, cookies and cream, orange dream (which is like a creamsicle—that’s a real good one!), A-Town (which is like an éclair with vanilla pastry cream inside and iced with dark chocolate).

Q. How often do you introduce new flavors?
A. Whenever I come up with a new idea. I’m currently trying to figure out a honey bun to package and sell at Whole Foods, so I haven’t introduced a lot of new flavors recently. Normally with flavors the question is, ‘Is it selling as well?’ If not, I’ll move it out and add another flavor. I don’t do a lot of competing flavors: I had a strawberry glazed doughnut but then came out with strawberry and cream, which sold more and so I dropped the strawberry glazed because I don’t want to confuse people. I try to do things that are fun, think of a good flavor and see if it works. People always ask, ‘Is it good?’ My thing is, every doughnut put out should be good: Every doughnut should be an A+. There are no Bs. All the doughnuts are good. You decide which ones you want.

Holy Taco

Yesterday my friend Joe and I went to check out Holy Taco.

I hadn't heard much about this place and didn't know what to expect. Will it live up to its name? Will one bite of this taco inspire us sing praises to heaven?
Chef Robert Phalen has more than tacos on the menu. We started with Pulpo, which the menu describes as Galician-style octopus with lemon and paprika. I liked it; Joe couldn't get past the fact that it was a squiggly octopus, though he did admit the meat was tender (something cooked octopus too often isn't).

We devoured the Empanada filled with Berkshire pork cheek, potatoes, mascarpone cheese and piquillo pepper romanesco which was flaky and not greasy (something empanadas too often aren't).

Both the red and white versions of housemade sangria are refreshing sips. The white is outstanding. It's made with peach puree and star anise and is alone worth the drive to this place.

Joe used to work for Rosa Mexicano and so knows his guacamole (servers at that restaurant prepare it table side). The guacamole here impressed even Joe, who noted it was perfectly balanced and not too salty.

Since I recently traveled to Ecuador, I opted to try the Ecuadorian salsa. Made with tomato puree, serrano chile and scallions, it tasted mainly like chunks of tomato. It was OK, but didn't bring to life any memories of Ecuador.

The Paella was light yellow and had a mild saffron flavor. It didn't remind me of the paella I'd enjoyed on the beach in Valencia, Spain, but it was tasty and generously stuffed with shrimp, mussels, chicken, chorizo and slices of local corn on the cob. On cold evenings it would be a comforting choice for dinner.

We tried three tacos: Lengua, which is stuffed with roasted beef tongue and tomato/cucumber salsa; Pescado, stuffed with fried tilapia, Mexican slaw and chipotle ailoi; and Pollo, packed with poached free range chicken, tomatillo sauce and radish. Each taco is small and in a flavorful soft shell. On their own three tacos would make a decent meal for one person. In our case, we cut them in half and tried them all. We were both a bit timid about the tongue and I have to say we were pleasantly surprised: It was very tender and had a robust flavor that reminded me of liver. The fish taco was tasty and the bottled chipotle hot sauce that the server recommended to pair with it was perfect, adding a smoky edge and more complex depth of flavor. The chicken taco was possibly my favorite of the three, with its tender meat and peppery zing, but it was a close race. The tacos were very good; so good, in fact, that Joe started wondering if this might be his newest favorite taco joint.

For dessert we had Churros, which are like cinnamon sugar doughnut spears served with a chocolate sauce spiked with a coffee-flavored liqueur, and Pan de Chocolate, which is essentially a piece of toast topped with Nutella and grilled peaches (this is Georgia, after all). Between the two I preferred the Pan de Chocolate, which isn't the one I'd have guessed I'd favor -- just goes to show that it's good to try new things.

Menu items are priced from $3 to $15--most are around $5.

Bottom line: Holy Taco offers delicious upscale Mexican fare at reasonable prices.

Holy Taco is located at 1314 Glenwood Ave. in East Atlanta.

Photos courtesy of Holy Taco.

Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria

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Tabasco Spicy Tequila

I'm not generally fond of flavored spirits, but Tabasco-flavored tequila actually makes sense, so I decided to give it a try.

The spirit adds a kick of heat and a welcome level of complexity to margaritas -- and those margaritas pair well with spicy Mexican fare. (This seems like it would be the perfect spirit to use in bloody marys, but alas Dean and I are not bloody mary fans, so that's an experiment you'll have to take on yourself.)

Produced by Heaven Hill distillers and licensed by Tabasco producers, this tasty spirit gets two thumbs up from us.

Tabasco-Rita
2 oz. Tabasco Spicy Tequila
1 oz. Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
Salt

Dip rim of glass into salt. Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake well and serve over ice in margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Recipe courtesy of Tabasco Spicy Tequila.