Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

New Addiction

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I gave in. I now have a Pinterest account.

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Today I’m going on a long run to ensure I will be able to run the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving.

In honor of this run, here are a few images from my crack “Inspiration” board on Pinterest.

Did this Thursday morning!

“There are some things you should know about me.

My sweat is clear and my blood is red.

My feet are tired and my knees are weak. 

My thighs are burning and my abs are hurting.

Right now my heart feels like it will burst.

But let me be abundantly clear.

When I’m finished my body will be unforgettable.”

***

I will rock this run today.

What inspires you?

Do you Pinterest?  I’d love to see your boards!

Curried Carnival Lentil Stew

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Have you ever seen a Carnival Squash?

 PYT, pretty young thing…

I have to admit that I am shallow.  I chose this squash knowing nothing about the Carnival variety other than it is one attractive squash.  It’s pretty… and who DOESN’T like pretty things?  This is one squash you can judge my the cover – it was reminiscent of an Acorn squash, but had the sweetness of a Butternut.

Don’t mind the classy paper towel…

Even better: it can be microwaved and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Side note: do I use bold too much?   I feel like I overuse bold… but I am bold.  Hear me roar.

Indian-inspired dishes are a staple in my kitchen, so I made this Carnival a curried affair.  My curry is an extra-hot variety, but you can buy a more mild powder.  I, of course, added extra heat with red pepper flaked across the top.

 Breaking out of my brown food rut, I used red lentils in this curry.  They were fantastic!  I always heard the lighter colored (non-black or green) were mushier, but I left them al dente and added them to the mix in the last few minutes to ensure the bite remained.

The other flavors in this dish really made it pop – the sweetness from the cardamom and the richness of the cinnamon compliment the curry.  Adding a little basil at the end provides a pleasant surprise with every bite.  I really love basil in spicy Asian dishes. 

It is also delish topped with these Cardamom Roasted Seeds.

 

Curried Carnival Lentil Stew

Curried Carnival Lentil Stew

  • 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 tsp hot curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 C low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 2.5 C (1 medium) Carnival squash
  • 3/4 C water
  • 2 C spinach
  • 1/4 C basil
  • S & P, to taste

Stab the squash 3-4 times and cook in microwave 8-10 mins, until soft to touch.  Cut in half and remove guts/seeds.  Separate from skin and dice into ~1/2 in cubes.

Over medium heat in large pot, saute onion in olive oil until turning translucent (3-4 mins).  Add minced garlic and saute for additional 2-3 mins, until fragrant.

Stir in curry, cardamom, turmeric, and cinnamon and cook another 1-2 mins.  Add broth, cider, and lentils and bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat and cook for 7-8 mins. Stir in squash, adding water as needed.  Allow to cook ~5 mins, then add spinach and basil.  

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until spinach is wilted (~5 mins).  Salt and pepper, to taste. Makes 2 servings.

***  

Now I have the entire MJ catalog stuck in my head… Thrillllller!

What is your favorite squash?

For those of you who are old enough to have caught the reference, what’s your favorite Michael Jackson song?

A Taste of Everything

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Saturday was one of those days where I feel like I never stopped eating.

In other words, it was a perfect day.

 

 

After the panels, we made our way to the Tasting Pavilion.  There was definitely a buzz in the air as the bloggers lined up to be let in.

 

 

Inside there were companies offering samples of everything from coffee to wine, chocolates to endive, vegan meal bars to lamb-filled phyllo.

 

 

I left no corner undiscovered as I bounced from table to table in a state of foodie euphoria.

 

Some favorites:

 

Oren's Nuts

 

Espolon tequila drink made with COCOA bitters (recipe at the end!!!)

 

Decadent, thick balsamic (aged 8 years) from House of Balsamic

 

Mission Minis Cupcakes – the chocolate PB (eaten, thus not pictured) was the best

 

21st Amendment's craft brews - loved them all, but Allies Win the War took the prize

 

The Girl & The Fig’s Black Mission Fig Jam

 

 

The best part was yet to come…

at 2pm a crowd formed around the Alexia display.  None other than Tyler Florence had arrived.

 

Everything was fine until someone shouted and a mob formed!  Tyler was surrounded and security couldn’t restrain the hysterical group of women (and a few men).

 

The police arrived with tear gas and mob shields.  It was like a scene from a movie!

 

 

I’m kidding.

 

It was a very calm line.  I waited patiently, along with the other bloggers and received an autograph photo.  Tyler and I chatted for a moment about the demo he would be giving at the banquet later that night, and I got a pic with him.

 

Why doesn't Picnik have an "add lipstick" feature?

 

 

Tyler’s demo that evening was also mob-free.  Pre-demo/dinner there was a cocktail hour where we snacked on the 4 finalist recipes for the new Alexia flavor.

 

 

No surprise, my favorite was the Thai-Spiced Sweet Potato

 

 

The reception was a great experience because I was able to meet even more bloggers – including Mamma Pea (who told me she thought I would be taller in person… I thought she’d be shorter 🙂  ).

 

 

 

I also got to hang with some of the same people we met the night before.  Our table was a fun one!

 

Pictured: Karen, Lauren, Maissa, Christin, Me, Sarah, and Lori.  (Thanks to Sarah for sharing this pic!)

 

Last but certainly not least – I spent some QT goofing off with my new favorite person – Andy (a.k.a. orange pants).

 

Andy and Me

Andy's pants

 

 

For his demo, T-Flo (his new nickname, pass it on) made a fantastic-smelling sage pork chop with sautéed cabbage.

 

T Flo's meat

Gentle hands to saute the cabbage

TV screen shot of the plated dish

"My name is T Flo, and my pork is fantastic."

 

 

Unfortunately that was NOT what we had for dinner.  It was kind of a cruel tease because Tyler’s sage and seared pork smelled incredible.

What we had:

 

Banquet menu

 

Even FoodBuzz couldn’t make hotel banquet food taste good…

I requested the vegetarian meal, which consisted of wheatberries, leek, tomatoes, and carrots.  Sounds ok, but in reality it was overall greasy and tough.  Ho hum.  

 

Looking on the bright side, I did get to practice my iPhone photography on Karen’s surf n’ turf main!  The lighting was terrible, but one of these was shot with a point-and-shoot and the other with my iPhone.  

Can you tell which is which?  

 

I like to call these “I’m still learning.”

 

 

Until next year, my friends!  P.S. Come to Atlanta!!!

 

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Here’s the tequila-cocoa bitters recipe, as promised.  If you serve this at your next party, please invite me.  So.  Good.  🙂

 

La Bandita

  • 2 oz Espolon tequila
  • 3/4 oz Wild Turkey American Honey
  • 1/4 oz Frangelico
  • 2 dashes Angostura cocoa bitters

 

Shake and serve chilled!

***

If Thomas Keller had been there, I probably would have started a mob.

 

Have you ever had good banquet food?

 

Who is your favorite “celebrity” chef?

 

Getting Buzzed with Foodies

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Meeting the people behind your favorite blogs?  A privilege.

Being in a room full of people who don’t bat an eye as you photograph every food item in the room?  Surreal.

Sharing ideas with a roommate who comes up with the coolest food combos around?  Inspiring.

Sampling all of the food, wine, and beer you can handle?  Sin-tastic.

 

FoodBuzz 3rd Annual Blogger Festival?  Priceless

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Friday night we attended a Welcome Reception sponsored by Sabra.

 

To start we had hummus hors d’oeuvres and wine.  Hummus Heaven.

 

When it hits stores, try the new Holiday flavor – the rosemary deliciousness will knock your socks off.  I’m thinking that served on little toasts with goat cheese and micro greens will be my holiday party go-to this season.

 

Sarah (my Smart Kitchen roommate) and I tried everything, obsessed over the fresh veggies, and made friends with fellow bloggers.

 

We were then brought in for the Awards Dinner.  Served buffet-style, many of the dishes were inspired by fellow FoodBuzz-ers.

 

Our table, which included new friends Karen (of The Tamale Girl) and Lauren (of Vegology), voted the night’s winning dishes to be the Housemade Beet Ravioli  with arugula and goat cheese and the Lentil Salad with shaved  fennel  and  escarole with a sherry vinaigrette.

 

After that smorgasbord Sarah and I hit the (surprisingly) nice gym to start out day 2 on the right foot.  I also ran to the host hotel to get my schwag bag.  Check out these goodies:

 

By the time we made it to the pre-panel breakfast bar we were ready to chow down.

Delicious fresh fruit, vegan sunflower seed bread, local jam (the strawberry was my fav), spinach-mushroom frittata, pumpkin bread, and scones.  I sampled a little of everything.  And then seconds of everything.

 

As good as that was, the highlight was getting to try Cookie Dough Balls from Mamma Pea herself!  Sarah and I split a Chocolate Chip and a Pumpkin Molasses.

 

Run, do not walk, to try this recipe for the Pumpkin Molasses.  It will change your pumpkin-lovin’ life.

Did I mention I also got the meet the famous Ms. Pea?!  Pics tomorrow! 

 

We attended 3 panel discussions: Taking Your Blog to the Next Level, DSLR-free Zone, and Effective Social NETworking.

My personal favorite was the one on taking good pictures without a DSLR camera, presented by Greg @ Sippity Sup, Chuck @ Foodgawker, and Angi @ Rice & Wheat.  You may have noticed photography isn’t one of my many talents.

 

Top take-a-ways:

  • The Camera+ app is a necessity for iPhone photography
  • When going out to eat, choose the table with the most natural light if possible (how did I never think to request this?!), or at least choose the seat with the best lighting
  • If you must use a flash, use one layer of a thin paper napkin to diffuse the light
  • For home photography, a grow light from Home Depot in a reflector (those sliver bowl things) works well when you can’t use natural light

 

It’s getting wordy and I’m running late for work (doh), so more to come tomorrow.  We had an awesome time at the tasting pavilion, met T Flo, and tweeted our way through a fun banquet dinner!

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Quickie week recap to hold myself accountable:

 

Workout Recap (10/31-11/7)

  • Monday – 0.6 mile run jog,  Ab Ripper X, 10 min X-fit circuit
  • Tuesday – 100 push-ups 
  • Wednesday – 1.5 mile run, Biceps/Back, 6 min plank sequence, 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – 1.5 mile run, 30 min core class, Body Pump, 40 ins Stairmaster
  • Friday – Triceps/Chest, 6 min plank sequence, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – 10 min jog, 30 ins elliptical, 100 push-ups, crunch machine (50)
  • Sunday – Travel day 🙁

***

I am full of inspiration after the weekend – perfect timing for the holiday backing season.

Do you have any tips for low-tech photography?

How did all the race-runners do this weekend?

 

Buzz Buzz

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It’s FoodBuzz Festival weekend!

 

People stared at my airplane lunch, but I bet it tasted better than hers!  Endive, spinach, S&P pumpkin seeds, carrots, zucchini, and pomegranate.

I arrived in San Francisco and braved the BART to get to the hotel.  I was so excited to meet my roommate – Sarah from The Smart Kitchen.  (She says “Hi, Everyone!”)

Also exciting was the rubber ducky in our bathroom.

 

One quick costume change and we were off to the opening dinner.

More details (and better pics) later, but here’s what I managed to get on my iPhone:

That lentil salad and the beet ravioli was AWESOME

No one here looks at you funny for taking pics of food!

Cleaned. My. Plate.

 

It was really neat to meet in person the people whose blogs  I’ve been reading, and discover new blogs.  I can’t wait to meet more today!

 

But first Sarah and I are off for a quick workout before beginning day 2 of FoodBuzz.

On the agenda:

  • 3 panels
  • Tasting/Expo
  • Tyler Florence demo!!!!
  • Dinner banquet

***

I love food.

What are you doing this weekend?

Is anyone else excited for the LSU/Alabama game?

 

Hijacking a Brunello Wine Tour

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Caution: this post involves drinking, gluttony, and theft.

In other words, my favorite things. 😉

We left Siena from Montalcino on a tour bus with 4 strangers and a tour guide, Mattea.  It was to be a relaxing wine tasting, followed by lunch, another tasting, and then a ride back to the hotel.  Little did Mattea know, this was no ordinary tour group.

First fateful stop: Il Cocco

It was here that we met our new BFF – Christal.  A New Mexican woman living at the winery with Giacomo, her wine-maker boyfriend (yes, we were all jealous of this modern-day Cinderella story).

Giacomo and juice

Christal labeling bottle at lightening speed

Wayward Wandering Wino Tour Group

At Il Cocco we tasted a fabulous Rosso di Montalcino and a Brunello di Montalcino.

Montalcino is a small hill town about 30 miles outside of Siena in the Tuscan region.  It is believed to have been founded in the early 9th century.  The town is famous for its Brunello – and rightfully so.

Brunello is the first wine to be awarded DOCG status.  It is made from the sangiovese grosso grape and must be aged 5 years before it is ready to be sold.  The Riserva must be aged 6 years, and is only produced only during the best vintages.  Brunello is a smooth, fruit-forward wine, often with notes of blackberry, black cherry, and chocolate.  I like the leather taste more commonly noted in the Riserva.

Rosso di Montalcino (aged just one year) is made from the same grape and is often called “Baby Brunello.”  It is good, but much lighter (and less expensive) than Brunello.  It’s all much cheaper in Italia.

Check out the price tag on the bottle below.  I paid $80 USD or the same bottle at a restaurant in Atlanta.

Back to our crime novella.

We needed to leave Il Cocco to get to our lunch reservation… but how could we leave our new BFF behind?!  Into the van went Christal the winemaker’s girlfriend!  Bwhahahaha!

After a lunch (and a limoncello digestif) we were off to…

Second fateful stop: Le Potazzine.  A Potazzine is a small bird found in the hillside, but it is also and endearing term used by adults to refer to children.  The two birds on this winemaker’s label represent his two daughters.  How cute is that?!

I particularly enjoyed their Brunello

Here’s where the hijacking begins.  We were supposed to be dropped back in Siena after this stop.  Tour over.  What had happened was…

There was a bottle of their absolutely fabulous 2004 Riserva.  And there were several of us that thought it would be a good idea to buy this bottle – it was one of the last bottles left!  Did I mention this was a magnum bottle?  Wine is better in magnum bottles.  How could we NOT buy it and solidify our friendship by sharing with the backdrop of a Tuscan sunset?

Corinne and me with our bounty

It only took a little convincing, but eventually Matteo caved to the pressure and agreed to take us all back to Il Cocco to drink the bottle.

Matteo, Corinne, and a thirsty kitten

I wish we had more time to open the bottle and let it breathe (often these wines will be opened the day before drinking to allow it to open up), but we did hold off for an hour.  It was fabulous.

Check out those legs!

We took our glasses and walked down to Giacomo’s vineyards, where we cheered to our perfect, unpredictable day and took in the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

Bright green vines, the smell of fresh grapes, a Tuscan sunset, and a special bottle of wine with friends.  La dolce vita.

I’m going back to Il Cocco next year to help with the harvest.  Not kidding.  

Get ready, Christal!!!

***

Check out my “dream vacation” guest post on Corey’s blog – Learning Patience!

What is your dream vacation?

If money, family, other obligations, etc. were no object, where would you live?

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