No Exageration

My mother-in-law, as Alison and I are heading out the door to the pharmacy:

I need cigarettes and Dr. Pepper and do they have any packs of those little doughnuts that I like?

Seriously. This quotation succinctly summarizes her diet.

Most Ridiculous

The most ridiculous new food product I've come across recently: individually wrapped prunes.

Chain-Chew

Here's a habit related to, but less dangerous than, chain-smoking:

chain-chew, noun. To chew gum nearly continuously, so that the used piece may be wrapped in the wrapper from the new piece.

VTGTG5

The Fifth Annual Very Team Grondul Thanksgiving was a great success, despite some hiccups. Thanks to Lisa, Ken, Nick, Amy, and Not-Yet-Named Fetus for making it so.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This is an adaptation of a recipe that Shuaib recommended we cook at the first Team Grondul Thanksgiving. If you follow the link you'll see that the original called for butter and heavy cream...fine for a Thanksgiving treat, but not so great for everyday. I swapped the butter for olive oil and the cream for lite coconut milk to health it up...now it's a healthy fall treat! Yay!

Ingredients

• 4.5 Tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• About 2 lb. butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock (you could certainly use vegetable stock instead to make it vegetarian)
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cups lite coconut milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the squash and stock, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Add the apples and nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a food processor or a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the coconut milk, and season with salt and pepper. Warm gently as needed.

No-Beef Stew

I recently had a craving for beef stew but Michael doesn't eat beef. Hmm...conunrum. Then I was shopping at Whole Foods and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but bison stew meat...on sale! So, I searched Epicurious.com for a good beef stew recipe that sounded like what my mom used to make when I was little. I found this recipe for Irish Beef Stew. Based on Michael's no-beef preferences and some of the reviewers' comments left at the Epicurious site, I came up with this (awesome, if I do say so myself) recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 3 Tblsp flour plus salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5 - 2 lbs. bison stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 large garlic cloves minced
• 5 tsp vegetable Better than Bouillon
• 5 cups water
• 2 Tblsp tomato paste
• 1 Tblsp sugar
• 1 Tblsp dried thyme
• 1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves

• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 1.5 lbs red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups chopped baby carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tblsp cornstarch

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, dredge the bison meat in the flour/salt/pepper mixture. Sauté meat until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add Better than Bouillon, water, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Add vegetables to bison stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and bison are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Whisk cornstarch in cold water and then stir into stew to thicken.

Recipe: Nut-Butter Banna-Dog

Here's another of my bachelor-style* culinary inventions: the nut-butter banana-dog.**

Ingredients

• 1 hot-dog bun. I like whole-wheat ones, but use whatever floats your boat.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons nut butter. I like almond and cashew, but peanut, is a classic and is also acceptable.
• 1 small-ish banana.

Directions

• Open the bun.
• Spread the nut butter of your choosing on both inter surfaces.
• Peal the banana and press it, firmly, into the bun.
• If needed, slide banana back and forth to spread the nut butter.

* This one's also great for a kid, or for a child-at-heart like me.

** No dogs were harmed during the development of this dish. Although, one might have eaten some pieces of the prototype that were "accidentally" dropped into his bowl.

Recipe: Spaghetti Enchilada Casserole

Today for lunch I'm having spaghetti enchilada casserole: leftover spaghetti sauce---with ground turkey!---layered with corn tortillas and reheated in the mircowave oven. It's not just international; it's tasty.

Let's Pizza

Do you crave a freshly made pizza but only have three minutes to wait and five dollars in your wallet?  Then you need to get yourself to a Let's Pizza.  Too bad there's only one.

Mmm...Cupcakes!

I bought the COOLEST book today.

OK, so I like dessert, particularly baked goods. I'm not so much into candy or ice cream...when I crave something sweet, I want a cookie or a cupcake or pie. But store-bought ones are kinda meh and/or have weird, unpronounceable ingredients in them. So, I prefer to bake my own. However, Michael doesn't eat stuff like that. For those of you who don't know Michael personally, he has not eaten desserts since the summer before he went to college which was, oh, 15 or so years ago. So, if I decide to bake a batch of cookies, I end up eating them all myself, and trust me...I do not need to eat 36-48 cookies. One or two, sure! Not an entire batch. A slice of cake, great! Not a whole cake. And my willpower is limited around baked goods. Thus, I mostly go without.

Enter my new cool book entitled Small Batch Baking. I know, right?

Today I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and they were AWESOME...and there were only four of them! I ate two and gave the other two away because, apparently, I have no better willpower with four cupcakes than with twenty-four. Still! I was very impressed and I can't wait to try more recipes. She has tiny cakes in there that she bakes in tin cans and itty bitty pound cake in tiny loaf pans and little pies and small batches of 6 cookies. I'm so excited!

Thanks to kchristie on the dog board for the recommendation!

Recipe: Oily Bread

Here's another of my bachelor recipes.* I call it oily bread, and I think it makes a great snack or side-dish.

Ingredients

• 3 English muffins or small pitas.
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.
  

Directions

• Split the English muffins or quarter the pitas.
  
• Toast the bread.
  
• Mix the oil and vinegar** in a small bowl.
  
• Dip the toasted bread in the mixture and enjoy.

* I can't help but wonder how horrified a gourmand like Nick is by these.

** As best you can.

Saliphile

I just made this one up for my post on edamame:

saliphile, noun.  A person who enjoys salt and salty foods.

Salt

I'm not a saliphile, like Nick.  In fact, I rarely add salt to my food, if it's not called for in the recipe.  One exception is edemame;  I like my soybeans very salty.

Recipe: Herbal-Tea-Flavored Hot Cereal

Here's another bachelor-style recipe that I invented, though I think even non-bachelors may appreciate it.

Ingredients

• 1 serving (usually about 1/2 cup) dry hot cereal. I typically use oat bran, but you can use oatmeal, or anything else you like.
  
• Milk or soy milk, quantity determined by cereal directions (usually about 1 cup). I like to use unsweetened soy milk, but you can do what you like.
• 1 ripe banana.
  
• 1 bag of herbal tea.*  I usually use something fruit-flavored: blueberry, pomegranate, apple-cinnamon or some such.
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon of flax oil.
  

Directions

• Mix the cereal and milk, then cook according to the cereal's directions. I usually find the 90 seconds in our microwave suffices.
• Cut or tear open the bag of herbal tea, then mix its contents into the cereal.
• Slice the banana into the cereal.
  
• (Optional) mix the flax oil into the cereal.

This recipe may sound strange, but I find that the herbal teas usually have a melange of spices that work together to complement the cereal. I encourage you to try it.

I'm certain that the flax oil seems odd to most of you in the readership. I like to use it to provide a solvent for the oil-soluble spices in the tea and to add some essential fatty acids to the dish. It also produces a bit of an odd flavor, which some may not enjoy.

* I feel compelled to point out that "herbal tea" is a misleading name, since this bevearges does not contain leaves of Camellia sinensis.  Instead, it should be called a tisane.

Recipe: Chili Dog Casserole

Alison posts most---to date, all---of our recipes, so I thought it was time for me to post one of my own. What follows is a "recipe" for the chili dog casserole I make---assemble, really---sometimes when I'm feeling lazy, espcially when Alison isn't around. This dish is well within the bounds of what I call "bachelor food." What I mean by that phrase will be obvious when you read the recipe, if it isn't clear from the dish's title.

• 4 hot dogs. I use uncured chicken dogs, but you can use something more traditional, if you like.
• 1/2 can chili. I use low-fat vegetarian chili, but again you can certainly use "regular" chili.
• 2 hamburger buns. I use whole wheat buns, but...
• 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion.
  

Cut the hot dogs to whatever length you desire, mix with the chili. Heat in the mircowave to desired temperature. Pull the buns into smaller pieces. Add the buns and onion to the heated mixture. Stir, then eat with a spork.

Schadenfreude Pie

Obama fans in the readership might want to bake a schadenfreude pie today.

Apple Oatmeal Crumble Recipe

Hey guys! I had a hankering for something sweet and appley the other day, but I didn't want to make an entire pie or an entire pan of apple crisp. That leads to bad, bad things. So, I found this recipe at Epicurious and I tweaked it just a tad (see below for my version). Basically I left out the lemon juice because I didn't have any and I doubled the topping and added more spices. I mean, c'mon! Even with double the topping, you're eating a whole apple and only 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of butter. Did I mention the whole apple? And oats! It's practiaclly health food!

Ingredients

• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
• 2 Tblsp packed brown sugar
• 2 Tblsp water
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp cold butter cut into bits
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss sliced apples with 1 tblsp of brown sugar in a small ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with water. Bake 20 mins.
3. Meanwhile, stir together oats, remaining tblsp brown sugar, and spices. Rub the butter into the oat mixture until distributed.
4. Sprinkle topping over apples and bake 20-25 mins more until topping is golden brown.
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. (See?! You're even getting your dairy in. HEALTH FOOD, I'm telling you!)
   

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

Hey everyone! I thought I'd share the meal that we had for dinner tonight...it was SO GOOD. I'm still a little fixated on it and I want to eat more of it, so instead I'm going to write about it. I'm sure that will be JUST as satisfying, right?

Ahem.

OK, I basically adapted the recipe from this Emeril Lagasse recipe on the food network site. I know, right? It's really shocking that Michael would eat anything Emeril makes. However, it should be noted that by "adapted" I mean " pretty much totally copied except for I left out all the fatty cheese at the end". Aha! Mystery solved.

Ingredients:

• approx 2.5 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved (note: Emeril's recipe called for various colors of tomatoes...yellow and heirloom green in addition to red. They were hard to find and I'm not that fancy. All red works great, too.)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (Emeril's recipe calls for 1 tsp of fresh...I don't use oregano that often, so I elected to just use my dried oregano that I already had rather than buy expensive, fresh oregano of which I would use one tsp and then throw the rest away after I found it several weeks later all nasty in the bottom of my fridge.)
  
• 1/2 package of Angel hair pasta (We use whole wheat...yum!)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large glass baking dish. Bake 40-45 mins.
3. When the tomatoes are done baking, toss in the basil, parsley, and oregano.
   
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and then toss with the tomatoes.
   
5. EAT!

If you choose to check out the link above you'll see that the original recipe called for ricotta salata and pecorino cheeses as well as a bunch of toasted pine nuts. My version is probably less tasty, but on the upside I'll be able to wear my pants tomorrow. I sprinkled some grated parmesan on it and called it a day. If you add all the cheese, you might want to use the entire package of pasta as the original recipe calls for (the whole package ended up being too many noodles with just the tomatoes) and make sure your sweats are clean.

Things to Do in Atlanta When You're Hungy: To Eat and Drink in the ATL

I've often said that Atlanta is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there.  I say this because Atlanta is indeed a pleasant city to inhabit---the climate is mild though a bit hot, there are many trees, the cost of living is low, there are numerous good restaurants, and so on---but there's very little to do as a tourist---after you visit the CNN Center and the Georgia Aquarium, you're done. 

Of course, my cute little assertion is only partly true.  On the one hand, Atlantans must cope with the traffic in that city, which is terrible.  On the other, even tourists can enjoy all the restaurant diversity, too.  Thus, I'd like to present a few distinctive restaurants that you might be interested in checking out if you visit the ATL, or even if you live there.

R. Thomas' Deluxe Grill  

Alison and I agree that R. Thomas' is our favorite restaurant in Atlanta, and possibly worldwide.  Apparently, we are not alone.  But be warned.  R. Thomas' is not for the culinarily conservative.

First, let's consider the structure itself, as well as its the decor.  Only the kitchen and restrooms are inside the building.  The dining room is under a tent.  Don't worry;  the tent is well sealed against the outside world and is climate controlled for your comfort.  The tent is decorated with pinwheels, whirlygigs, and other such paraphenalia, both inside and out. Additionally, there are beaded curtains, mirror balls, tiny fountains, and so on.   You cant' miss this place.  Oh, and there are birds.  Tropical birds, large and small, are caged inside the dining room and outside the building.  It seems that R. Thomas himself loves birds, and, if he's there, he may bring one by to show you its tricks.  I should mention that you will sit and dine on lawn furniture.  It seems that there is a minimum number of piercings and tattoos required of the waitstaff, but they don't look down on unmodified folks wearing khaki pants and button-up shirts.

The menu offers what I like to call kooky food.  There are plenty of meat substitutes for vegetarians, but numerous meat dishes are also offered.  You'll also find a large number of "alternative" grains, vegetables, and dairy products not often seen in the States:  quinoa, hiziki, other sea vegetables, kiefer, and so on.  You'll also see "normal" foods prepared in interesting ways.  The raw walnut and sunflower pate springs to mind as an example.  Don't be too worried if this all sounds a bit crazy;  there are several more mainstream dishes, too.  Alison loves the French toast---breakfast is served anytime---and I always enjoy the mini fajitas.

If this restaurant sounds interesting to you, I'd suggest you order a number of small dishes, so you can maximize the variety available to you.  In addition to the aforementioned fajitas and nut pate, I'd recommend the Crazy Trails salad, Dr Joe's mango salad, and the 4-vegetable plate, loaded up with curried quinoa, Dijon hiziki, sesame seawead salad, and the lil' bits of nori rolls. 

Plus, you simply must try the PBJ Plus smoothie, even if it is probably 800 kcal;  it's like drinking a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.  Mmmm.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe

The Biscuit, as locals call it, has several locations now, but I always go to the original location, just east of Little Five Points on McLendon.  The cuisine at the Biscuit is what you might call Southern ex-fusion.  By that, I mean it is Southern, but with influences from other cultures and cuisines.  For example, my usual order is the Southern-style vegan BBQ burrito.

The Candler Park location has some advantages associated with it.  You can check out the adjacent Flying Biscuit Bakery while you are there.  Also, if you are planning to have any holes installed in your body, you can simply stroll across McLendon to perhaps the best piercing facility in the Southeast, The Piercing Experience.  Just be sure not to try to go to the Candler Park location for lunch on Sunday;  it's always slammed at that time. 

Hmm.  It appears that the Biscuit has been bought, and there are plans to franchise it.  Can one franchise quirky?  I'm skeptical.

Madras Chettinaad

Madras Chettinaad is the latest location and evolution of Alison's favorite Indian restaurant.  It's also a favorite of her former roommates, Leah and Melinda, as well as the readers of The Loaf.  Madras is located in Decatur, and it offers South Indian cuisine, in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian incarnations.

Well, that's my list of the restaurants I think any visitor to Atlanta should try.  I hope those of you in the readership who've never lived there--perhaps 3 people---benefit from it.

Fall Food

Mmm...now that it has gotten a little bit chilly outside, I'm starting to want to cook all my favorite fall foods. I am a nut for anything that has pumpkin in it and I really love making homemade soup when it starts to get chilly outside. Here are a couple of my favorite soups:

Barley and Roasted-vegetable Soup

• I found this recipe on Epicurous.com and I really love it! I have made it both with and without the barley and I have never found dried porcini mushrooms, so I usually leave that part out. Also, if you use instant barley, you can sort of combine the last 2 steps into one and save yourself some time.

Alton Brown's Curried Split Pea Soup

• This one is easy and yummy. The hardest part is chopping up the onion. I think it tastes great served with bread made using Alton's pizza crust recipe.