I love fried chicken. On Tuesday night here at the house I tried to fry some chicken for some friends. How did it go? I dang near burned the house down trying to fry chicken. It was wildly embarrassing. We ended up grabbing take out. See? It’s not all glam parties at my house. Every once in a while we have a clunker. But sparkling conversation made up for my kitchen gaffes and my husband’s running out to grab edible eats saved the night.

Executive Chef Joe Truex is bringing chickeny (is that even a word?) fried goodness to town at the new outpost for Watershed in the Brookwood Hills neighborhood. All the deliciousness you loved in Decatur has come to town. Whew. Thank goodness!

Executive Chef Joe Truex

I can’t wait!

Watershed on Peachtree will continue to boast an expansive wine program and bring back the highly celebrated fried chicken night on a new night. Wednesdays will now ‘pop’ with Watershed’s famous fried chicken and biscuits.

Smith Hanes designed the new construction space to have a naturally casual neighborhood feel, comfortable enough to dine there every day, yet refined enough for business meetings. Located in Atlanta’s only LEED certified high-rise condominium community, diners can expect a focus on green in both the cuisine and the architectural materials, which will reflect the preservation and reclamation aesthetic of the modern south.

With a nod to southern hospitality, diners enter into a warm and welcoming expansive bar area – one of four distinct spaces. Limed oak boards will cover the arched ceilings and floors, softening the dramatic concrete bar and walls of the bar. The outdoor terrace will be dotted with large colorful umbrellas and the separate dining room will sport antique wood tables and richly colored booths along the walls.

Heck, they could be cooking in the back of a truck. I am so glad they are here!

Now, who wants to hang with me on a Wednesday night?

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to the Indigo Girls – Watershed

How is 2012 coming along for you? Do you need something to spice your life up?

If you live in Atlanta, you are in luck. If you don’t, you should come visit us, we are very friendly!

My friend, Asha, started a wildly successful dinner party club called The Spice Route, which has morphed into her new venture, Cardamom Hill. I was lucky to be invited to a preview party, and I cannot wait to go back for dinner.

Take all your preconceived notions about Indian food and put them aside. Asha is rewriting the book with the cuisine of her home in India, Kerala. Kerala is located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. I expected loads of curry, but there is so much more.

Can you say fried chicken? And not just some ho-hum fried chicken – this is the best I have ever tasted. Asha’s fried chicken is crispy and juicy all at the same time. This could become a problem for me, as I cannot stop thinking about it.

Asha's divine fried chicken

I also sampled some beef and potato croquettes that were so yummy, I could have eaten a tray of them all by myself.

You are going to want your own order of the beef and potato croquettes.

There was a tasty gin cocktail that handsome Brian, Cardamom Hill’s mixologist, was whipping up for us party goers.

You might want to visit just to meet Brian. Stop staring - lol.

The cocktail contained gin, soursop and lime. I loved the tied lime rind. What a swanky little detail.

That lovely cocktail - I just cannot remember the name of it.

The space is really beautiful. Step inside and you are transported from a strip mall in Atlanta to somewhere much more exotic.

At the end of your meal, try the chai tea and pizzelles. I loved this, and especially loved the pretty tea cups.

Luscious Chai Tea and Tasty Pizzelles.

For a fun evening out with wonderful food, visit Cardamom Hill. Ask for Asha. She’s is not hard to spot – she just glows.

And so will you, after eating her cuisine.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Fats Domino – Blueberry Hill

But now Chioke is moving to THE big city, New York City, to continue his education, and will be gone for three years. Three years I will not be able to walk two blocks for a hug or a special cocktail. Three years I will not be able to hear the sound of his smooth voice and laugh at his wicked jokes.

My heart is a little heavy today.

We spent our last evening together for a while doing what we do best – eating. Eric, Holly, Chioke and I met up at JCT. Kitchen in Atlanta for a (semi) celebratory meal. I first introduced you to  JCT on my first meeting with Eddie and Jaithan.

Since JCT. does southern cuisine best, it was a fitting place to say our goodbyes.

JCT Kitchen

JCT. was thumping when we arrived. Chioke was waiting for us at the bar, looking very big city already. Out table was ready and we were ready to order.

While waiting for our dinner, Chioke filled us in about apartment hunting in New York, finding his brownstone and upon arrival, realizing that a bunch of stuff was not going to fit into his big city, small space, new home. But also about the thrill of being in the middle of the world’s most exciting city. I couldn’t help but feel a little envious and very hayseed. He is embarking on a mad, crazy adventure and I can’t wait to hear every detail as he becomes a New Yorker.

But for tonight, he was still very much the southern gentleman.

And so we ate.

Deviled Eggs With Benton’s Bacon and Truffled Parmesan Fries to start.

Truffled Fries

Chioke and Eric Model The Deviled Eggs

This Would Make For A Most Glamorous Breakfast, Yes?

Our Sweet Holly

And then, the entrees and more talk of New York. Holly goes every year for Toy Fair (how much fun would that be? Toys!) and Chioke and she made their plans to meet up soon.

Chioke's Slow Cooked Rabbit

Chioke chose the Slow Cooked Rabbit with farmstand onion & fontina filled pasta, local greens, candied garlic jus. It was melt in your mouth delicious.

My Crispy Duck

Crispy “Duck & Dumplings” duck leg confit, duck meatballs, potato dumplings, local greens, preserved tomatoes. It was dark in the restaurant and was I ever surprised when I bit into what I thought were potatoes and they were duck meatballs. Amazing.

Holly's Shrimp And Grits

Holly opted for Shrimp & Grits with Benton’s country ham, tim & alice’s red mule grits, soft poached egg, crusty bread for sopping. I almost ordered this but I wanted everyone to be able to try each other’s plates. I will be getting this when we return. Scrumptious.

JCT's Signature Dish - Fried Chicken

Eric ordered the signature dish, Jct. fried chicken served with macaroni and cheese, garlicky green beans. They only make a certain amount of this dish per night so nabbing an order is a special treat. And that macaroni and cheese, oh my goodness.

We all sampled, tasted and critiqued. Everything was delicious.

Especially the company.

Chioke And Me

It is too difficult to say goodbye, so I’ll just say, “see you soon, my sweet friend.” Save me a seat at the local diner.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Jay Z & Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (sniff)

and Billy Joel – New York State of Mind

AND Frank Sinatra – New York, New York

On day one, after spending the afternoon on the Crush Pad with Doug, Sharon and Chef Dairen, we drove home to Atlanta where Eric had made dinner reservations at Abbatoir. It was a splendid affair, although no pictures. A couple needs to have some private time, after all.

But on Sunday, we made our favorite baked potato salad and headed over to Jay and Valerie’s house for their fabulous fried chicken, and Curtis’ world famous pulled pork and lots of other goodies. And of course, I brought my camera!

She's A Grand Old Flag, She's A High Flying Flag....

Jay and Valerie are masters at frying chicken and there was bunch of it! Curtis made his pulled pork, (you met him here), I made potato salad, but there was also pasta salad, deviled eggs, Taruan’s amazing baked beans, Chioke’s wowee jello shots(!!), watermelon (of course – it’s July 4th!), cobbler and I’m sure lots of other dishes I am forgetting. I blame the jello shots.

Mr. Photo, please!

Mmmm, Fried Chicken!

Baked Beans and Deviled Eggs

The Aforementioned Jello Shots

No, Chioke did not make one type of jello shot – he made three! The green is a margarita shot, the dark red are Jack Daniels and black cherry and the last offering was Tropic Thunder – Malibu Rum, pineapple and cranberry juices. That last one was my favorite. Oh yes, yes, it was.

One Perfect, Carb Laden Plate

Curtis even made his own bbq sauce. Yum, yum, yum.

World Famous Curtis, Our Own BBQ KIng

Sweet Denise

Tim and Becky, Cutting Up

Our Buddy Rick

Taruan & Valerie, Kicking Back

Darling Chioke and Me

Mr. Perfect and Me!

Shane, Showing Off His Neighborhood Gear

I Love The Impish Look On Valerie's Face Here....

Always Adorable Marcus and Shawn

I'm Pretty Sure This Was Later In The Evening...

It was a perfect way to not only celebrate July 4th, but to celebrate Eric and I moving home to Atlanta just one short year ago today.

Thanks again, Jay and Valerie, for hosting – you all are the greatest!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Zac Brown Band – Chicken Fried

You might remember that I’ve been trying to use up the food in the house in an attempt to be frugal.  When I spotted some chicken thighs in the freezer, I knew we needed to have fried chicken night.  Ok, so it was necessary to pick up a few things at the grocery store, but I think that’s all right.  I invited Diane, Jonathan and Tracy over and set about prepping the meal the night before.

I took the thawed chicken and placed it in a gallon size Ziploc bag and then poured  enough buttermilk in to cover the chicken and put it in the fridge over night. The next day, I drained the chicken, took some flour and put it on a dinner plate, seasoned it with salt and pepper and got out another plate, in which I put four beaten eggs.  Into the pot went about three inches of vegetable oil and set the burner to medium.  The chicken first got dunked in the eggs, let excess drain off and dredge in the flour. Then it goes into the hot oil for about 8 minutes. Repeat until all pieces are ready. Place the fried chicken onto a baking sheet and put into a 200F oven so it can stay warm while you are frying the remainder of the chicken.

Steam your green beans. Warm up the amazing mac and cheese Tracy brought. Warm up the dinner rolls. Pour copious amounts of wine. Enjoy!

Perfect Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken Makes Everyone Happy!

For dessert?  Oh my goodness, I tried a recipe from Framed (such a cute website!) It was a peach crumble cake and it was fabulous! Find the recipe here.  It was pretty sweet, so I might cut that next time with some fresh whipped cream. But I bet everyone will love it. What’s that you say? You’re horrified because it is made with cake mix? Oh, darlings – you can’t make everything from scratch – well, I guess you could, but it might cut into time with your guests, and to me, that is much more important.

Yum Yum Peach Crumble Cake!

It’s a fresh new week – enjoy!

xoxo, Patti

What frightens you about frying? Are you afraid you will burn yourself?  We have nice little fry pan protectors for that. They are called splatter shields and they look like this little number:

To keep the sparks from flying

With this nifty gadget, you reduce your chance of getting nipped by flying grease at least 90%. That’s pretty good. So, we’ve squelched that fear.  Using oven mitts helps, too.

What’s that you say? You are afraid of burning whatever you are trying to fry?  Do you have a recipe?  If you follow your recipe to the very last detail, you should be okay.   You will also need a thermometer, if you aren’t frying in a fryer (which I assume you don’t have if you are afraid to fry).  A thermometer will help keep your frying precise. Remember though, that when the oil reaches the proper temperature, it will immediately fall when you put your food in to fry. Don’t crowd your pot and you should be fine. Putting in too many pieces to fry results in the temperature falling and then you have to wait for it to return to the proper degree.  Plus, crowding keeps you from being able to tell which is browning first so you can flip it.  And that will just frustrate you and you don’t need the stress, Darlings.

A good roll of heavy duty paper towels is something you will want to have on hand, but newspaper or a paper bag works well to drain your fried treats when they are done.  If you need to salt your food, do it as soon as it comes out of the fryer – it will stick much better and sort of melt into your food.

One last thing before we talk about what is good frying cuisine – ventilation.  If you are lucky, and have a fancy hood in your kitchen, then good for you.  If not (like me), you will want to make sure the kitchen windows are open, or, if you have no windows, keep a fan close by.  I know you hate it when the smoke alarm goes off – you have to leave the kitchen and your nice adult beverage to fan that silly gadget. What a buzz kill!

I think you are ready to fry! A great frying 101 food is chicken. Everybody loves fried chicken.  Here’s a great recipe with which to start:

Southern Fried Chicken
This fried chicken recipe makes enough for about 8 people.
Ingredients:

• 2 frying chickens, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each, cut into serving pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• vegetable shortening for frying
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings

Preparation:
Wash chicken and pat dry.

In a heavy brown paper bag or large food storage bag, combine the flour and salt and pepper; shake to blend well. Pour the milk into a wide shallow bowl.

Heat 2 to 3 inches of shortening in a deep heavy skillet over medium heat, or electric fry pan set at 375° F. Add the bacon grease. When a drop of water spatters when it hits the hot oil, dip some of the chicken pieces into the milk then place in the bag and shake to coat evenly. Arrange the chicken pieces in the fat, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry the chicken until outside is golden brown and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides. Reduce heat to 350° F and fry until cooked through golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Turn once. Drain chicken on brown paper or paper towels, adding a little more shortening and bacon grease if necessary, setting or regulating the temperature as for the first batch.

Transfer the chicken to a large platter for serving.
Serves 8.

Yum, yum!

How about some french fries to go with your chicken (if fat and cholesterol are no issues – and if they’re not, you must be 16 years old and why are you reading this blog?) Anyhoo, I like to make up these fries, put them in the freezer and when the feeling strikes, they are ready to go.

French Fries ala Patti
Serves 4-ish

• 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Peanut oil for frying
• Salt

Slice potatoes lengthwise and cut into strips. Set a pot of water to boil.
Boil your potatoes for about 3 minutes. Scoop out of pot and dry thoroughly.
Pour peanut oil in another large pot about 3/4 of the way up and set burner on medium high.
When temperature reaches 375F, carefully place a handful of potatoes in to fry for about 5 minutes.
Scoop par-fried potatoes out of the pot, drain on a paper towel and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Put the potatoes into the freezer on cookie sheet. When they are completely frozen, you can move them to a airtight container or fry them immediately.
For final frying, use strained peanut oil (it gets expensive!) in large pot and bring to 375F again. Place frozen potatoes into the pot and fry until they are lightly golden brown (you don’t want them too dark, or else they will taste burnt). Scoop out of pot and sprinkle immediately with salt (seasoned salt works nicely here, too.)

Watch as your friends and family devour your handiwork in less than a heartbeat. Its embarrassing and flattering all at the same time. Please make sure you set some aside for yourself – you worked hard!

See, it’s not scary! Drop me a comment and let me know what you are frying these days.

xoxo, Patti