We have a winner for our pink Kitchenaid Hand Mixer – Lisa!

Lisa, if you could email me your address at patti@anatomyofadinnerparty.com, I will make sure it gets sent right out to you.

Congratulations!

And many thanks to Kitchenaid and Del Webb for donating to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund. We can help to find a cure for this terrible disease.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The Cars – Shake It Up

Last night I helped Swoozie’s celebrate their 10th birthday and it was so much fun. Their Chastain Square store is huge and filled with anything you could ever need for a party.

I also had the pleasure of meeting my co-Swoozie Party Expert, Kat, who writes Buckhead Betty on a Budget. Love it! And her. She is way adorable.

Look! It's the Buckhead Bettie line for our Buckhead Betty on a Budget!

Wendy from Atlanta Events joined us as well. Wendy is one of the most delightful people I know, always upbeat, always happy.

Kat and Wendy

And, I cannot forget my fab friends that came out to help celebrate. Besties Lisa, John and Danny were there and wonderful Lauren and Randall came out for a glass of bubbly and just in time for the confetti drop. So much more fun when someone else is cleaning up. Eric swooped in at the end of the evening and whisked me away to a romantic pasta dinner, where I filled him in on the details.

Kat, Lisa and Me, loving Swoozie's!

Amy, Marketing Director for this particular Swoozie’s, and I are whipping up something fantastic for you all in the future, so stay tuned.

In the meantime – more photos!

Lisa and me - love this bowl!

Princess Time for Wendy and me!

Lovely Lauren and me.

Ashley and me. Check out the confetti in my hair. Fun!

Me, with my darling besties, Danny and John.

Thanks to everyone that joined us. And many thanks to Swoozie’s!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Pink – Get This Party Started

This weekend was packed with tons of fun. Saturday morning my bestie Lisa, reopened her Cabbagetown Market after a brief vacation. Lisa has a new partner, Mike, who is the ice cream guy! Mike is there making gallons of ice cream for your eating pleasure.

Mike and Lisa, Proprietors, Cabbagetown Market

Photos taken of Mike’s ice cream didn’t do it justice, but suffice to say, I bought 15 containers of the chocolate with chocolate chips and oreo bits. Five of those were devoured by Saturday night’s dinner guests, while the other 10 will be for tonight’s Design Is staff meeting. Everyone wins!

The shelves are fully stocked with all kinds of goodies, canned goods and good things to eat. Lisa has her pickled veggies for sale and there is a brand-new candy counter. Take a look:

And now, for a quiz!

Can You Guess What This Is?

And the answer:

Why, They're A Bevy Of Pixy Stix!

As always, Lisa will be making her amazing hand-crafted sandwiches (honestly, there is not a better bahn-mi in town).

You will find me at the lunch counter.  Join me?

Cabbagetown Market
198 Carroll Street
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-524-4539

Happy Monday, everyone. Make it count!

xoxo, Patti

I had the good fortune to attend our city’s Urban Picnic this past Friday in support of Food Trucks in Atlanta. The event was held curbside at The Sweet Auburn Curb Market, one of Atlanta’s oldest operating markets.

It was a lovely event meant to raise awareness of what we could be enjoying on a regular basis like other cities.  Cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago. All the major metropolises seem to possess what seems to be a daunting task here in Atlanta. But the Atlanta Street Food Coalition has taken on this task on behalf of all food lovers in our fair town.

Souper Jenny's Super Soup Truck!

ASFC Founders Hayley Richardson and Greg Smith were recently quoted in the AJC as saying:

“As the Atlanta Street Food Coalition, we are advocating for three straightforward changes in the food permitting bureaucracy: 1) Liberalize the state health regulations so that food trucks can move freely throughout the city, 2) Modernize Fulton County food service regulations that prevent the preparation of food in mobile kitchens, and 3) Re-energize Atlanta by adjusting ordinances that prevent food trucks and carts from stopping for more than 30 minutes on any public street.

Street food can often serve as the magic bullet to invigorate drab urban spaces. In Los Angeles, a city quite similar to ours in its heavy reliance upon the automobile, food trucks are facilitating a lively street culture. According to Kogi’s head chef, Roy Choi, a food truck pioneer: “You have all these neighborhoods now where people come out, when in the past they got in their car and went to a mini-mall. Now they’re flocking to the streets, talking to their neighbors.”

And because it’s fun! Let me share some of the photos of the day with you.

The grandest surprise of the day came when I got a chance to meet Christiane Lauterbach, the grand dame of food critics here in Atlanta. She is an icon and could not have been more delightful. You can now find her writing at Knife and Fork, which can only be seen by subscribing (Cost is $26 annually and you can order gift subscriptions for $24 or $22, depending on the number you buy. Call 404-378-2775 for more information.)

Ok, after careful consideration and a thorough search for photos of Christiane on the internet and finding none, I feel that I can’t in good conscience post the picture of me with Miss Lauterbach. It would be like unmasking the Lone Ranger or Batman. So I will keep that precious memory to myself. But I ate some great food and met lots of other folks.

Like Kwanza Hall, our City Councilman.

Miss Lisa, Me, Councilman Hall

Speaking of Miss Lisa, she is re-opening her store after a brief hiatus. She re-opens officially on April 1, so go see her at Cabbagetown Market on Carroll Street in, well, duh…Cabbagetown! She makes the most amazing bahn mi you have ever eaten. It is so ridiculously delicious.

Sorry to get off track, but I was dreaming of bahn mi….

At the picnic, I had a really cool hotdog named the “poodle”. Instead of a bun, it was wrapped in french toast, topped with crunchy apples and then you could put mustard and syrup on it. Putting syrup on a hotdog made me feel a lot like Will Ferrell in Elf, but it was fun and it tasted great. Really. No, really, take a look.

Nom, nom, nom...I have syrup on my hotdog!

The poodle was a bit drippy, but buddy Patricia Tinsley saved the day by switching out my hotdog cone so the dry one was on top. She also introduced me to some new friends. Gina Park, Tiana McCray and Miss Dionne.

Patricia, Miss Dionne and Tiana

Just gorgeous folks everywhere! Remember Miss Dionne, because later this week you are going to get to know her much better. She is a true joy.

I also had a fun visit with the ebullient Lauren of Big Daddy Biscuits, baker of the things dogs dream of. She baked Easter baskets for dogs that contained little chickie and little bunny biscuits. Too cute, y’all!

Easter Baskets for Your Canine Baby!

Lauren Sharing With Me That Things Don't Always Turn Out Perfect in the Kitchen For Her, Either

Lauren is so terrific. You are going to want to catch her at various farmer’s markets around town. You can also friend her on Facebook to see what’s wagging! I took home a bag of her chicken bacon biscuits and my dogs went nuts. I bet your babies will love them, too!

How about we let the photos take over and tell the rest of the story?

Roving Accordion Player

These Folks Brought A Brick Oven For Pizza, How Cool Is That?

Chocolate Nachos, Brought To You By the Folks Who Brought Me The Poodle

Farm Cart!

Good Food Cart Menu - Note the Poodle!

Lots of Vendors, Selling All Sorts of Delectables

Like Fresh Honey and These Adorable Candles...

Luscious Imported Olive Oils

The Yummiest Salsas and Tamales From Zocalo

This lovely couple from Zocalo are owners Luis and Sonia, who met when she walked into the midtown restaurant.  They became friends and then fell in love. Don’t you just love a happy ending?  Me, too.

These Sausages Were Incredible. Why Didn't I Buy 700 of Them?

And, as always, Atlanta is filled with interesting people.  This woman asked me to take her photo and she was so darn happy, I just couldn’t refuse.

Street Food Makes Everyone Smile!

If you are in Atlanta, please support the Street Food Coalition. They are working hard to bring the best in portable eats to us all.

xoxo, Patti

I had the sweetest time in NOLA with my darling husband, but the birthday celebration didn’t stop there.  This past Friday night, 22 of us gathered to celebrate some more at Karaoke Melody, a terrific spot on Buford Highway that has private karaoke rooms. Most.Fun.Ever.

The photos really tell the story here, so lets begin!

Teague Checking The Mics

Lisa Arrives

Lisa Made Party Favors - Filled With Peppermint Patties!

Eric Checks Out The Stage

A Hug For My Sweetie

At first, Eric, Teague, John, Danny, Crystal, Holly, Lisa and I sang a few songs  before everyone else arrived. “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” is one tough song to sing. But we muddled through, giggling til the end.

Matt With Clint Laughing Through "Punk Rock Girl"

Me and My Girls, Crystal, Holly and Lisa

Tim, Becky and I, Wearing the Darling Apron They Had Custom Made For Me

Sweet Miss Diane

Teague Opens With La Bamba - "It's In Spanish!"

Shane In The Hall

Danny and I Belting Out The Lyrics to Something

New Neighbor Dean Brings Down The House With His Rendition of "Lets Get It On"

My Crooners - John and Taruan

Shane And Eric Take A Beverage Break

Holly and Danny Cut Up For The Camera

Val and Leila Share a Moment

In Honor Of Johnny Cash's Birthday, Eric & I Pair Up To Sing "Jackson"

Like All Good Southern Girls, Crystal and I Sing "Delta Dawn"

Diane and I Having A Giggle

Taruan and Chioke Enjoying The Evening

Shane and Teague Sing "The Time Warp"

and if you are going to sing The Time Warp, you know that right behind are folks that…

Are Going to Sing and Dance With You. Guaranteed.

and sing and dance some more…

More Time Warp Fun

Me, Getting A Chance To Thank Everyone For Coming

But there is one (maybe two…) more surprises to come…

Lisa Wrote Custom Lyrics To "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", Just For Me!

This tickled me to no end. I was so thrilled.

I just wasn’t ready for the party to end. And so, six of us brought it on home.

Because no birthday is complete without…

a Pink and White Cake, Complete With Adorable Candles!

It was a fabulous birthday and I was so thrilled with all our guests. We have the best friends ever.

xoxo, Patti

Good Morning, Darlings!

If you know me well in real life, you will know that I am a Super H devotee. I adore the Super H Market.  Google it and see if  you have one near you.  It is an Asian supermarket and their produce, meats and seafood departments will blow you away.  And those prices! Crazy insane cheap.  You could shop here for a week and not spend $50. Or you could spend more – it’s all up to you.

I was hankering for sushi and wanted to make it myself, so I called up bestie Lisa and away we went.  But first, we had lunch in the Super H Food Court. Coolest food court, ever. I kept myself from being tempted to buy a roasted duck and opted for duck soup instead. Lisa chose the soup with the honey ribs. Lisa won this round. Her soup was superb. And she is such a great friend, she even shared.

My Duck Soup

I Don't Even Eat These, But Aren't They Beautiful?

Spanish Chayote - Not Sure What to Do With This..Do You?

I didn’t lose my mind in there, but I could have.  I picked up a bit of salmon and king crab for nigiri at home. Plus a little mochi for dessert. But before we left, Lisa and I took a gander at the housewares. I liked this package:

Spend Lavishly! Nothing Subliminal About That

And home we went. But not before getting a shot of Lisa in her adorable coat and hat in front of the store:

How Cute Is Lisa? Super Cute!

Once home, I cooked up the sushi rice and put together the nigiri, while Diane and I visited and sipped some Chardonnay. I thought it all turned out pretty well. Not restaurant quality (which is why we will continue to dine out when the sushi craving grabs us.) But a valiant effort all the same. It’s worth trying at least once.

My California Roll and King Crab Nigiri

Salmon, Decorated With Fish Magnets From BFF VIckie

Pot Stickers and Shu Mai Rounded Out the Meal

Strawberry and Coffee Mochi Wrapped Up Our Supper

What is mochi you ask? Lets let wikipedia explain it to you. They are rice cakes wrapped around something else. In this case, yummy ice cream. They are so delicious and the perfect little dessert when you just want something sweet, but not too big.

So….are you going to try your hand at sushi?  You can do it!

xoxo, Patti

Hmmmm.  You know things cannot go smoothly all the time.  Yesterday found my little Art Director, Tracy, sick in bed. Without Tracy I would be decorating with construction paper chains and cotton ball snowmen.  I hopped over to Tin Drum and picked her up some pho with the directions to stay in bed until she’s feeling better or Wednesday – whichever comes first. Here’s hoping she will be 100%  soon. Then I came home, let the dogs out and Karen jumped the fence to freedom.  Took about 20 minutes to get her to return. Little minx.

Taruan and I keep missing each other to discuss space planning. But Mondays are tough for everyone and I’m sure we will see each other soon. Oh! I just remembered, I need to send him info on the tuxedo place. Ok, that’s done.

Tami sent an email to let me know that Nigella Lawson would be signing books at Borders in Buckhead on Friday – could I get away? Unfortunately (and that’s a BIG unfortunately….) no. Rats, I would love to meet Nigella. But there’s a party to give. Sacrifices must be made.

Phone calls were as follows:
Lisa and I discussed grocery shopping and cooking together on Thursday. And she is not even able to make it to the party! How sweet is that?
My adorable bff, John, and I discussed the game plan for Saturday and everything we needed to accomplish.
Becky and Tim are darlings and are lending us their stand up heaters for the tent in the back.

Champagne has been picked out and bought. A case split between NV Segura Viudas Champagne and Aria Estate Pinot Noir Brut. I love the Aria for its lovely red tint – it just smacks of Christmas! This was all purchased with the help of wine guru Celine at Hop City. I love those folks. They are so nice, helpful and knowledgeable.

The mantel is decorated with all the gorgeous greenery that Crystal provided – and the lit garland is hung over the doorway in the living room, also courtesy of Crystal. It’s shaping up, Darlings! Crystal gave us her LED battery-powered lights because she didn’t care for them. I know they don’t have the golden warmth of the tree lights, but Eric commented that it looks like moonlight on snow – I agree. They lend another element to the light in the living room. We turned out all the lights last night except for the Christmas lights, and I must say, everyone is going to look like a movie star on Saturday evening.

Mantel - Decorated With Fresh Greenery

Entranceway Lights

Highlight of the day brought a delivery – 4 boxes of treats from my dear friend Alison in Santa Monica. Boxes of lovely Walbrzych china from Poland that had belonged to her mother-in-law. It is so pretty and delicate. There were also gold chargers from Italy and beautiful gold flatware. After the party I am going to take each item out and admire it closely, and find a very special perch for it all. Thank you, Alison!!

I cooked a simple dinner of meatloaf, steamed broccoli and leftover mac and cheese for dinner. At around midnight, I fell into bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

xoxo, Patti

Down Carroll Street

The outside of Lisa’s Place

Look, Ma, I made Pork Tacos! Yum!

Have you ever cooked with someone in their kitchen? You feel like a neophyte. All of a sudden you can’t remember how to chop cabbage.  It took me about an hour and then I felt at home in Lisa’s kitchen, but boy, that hour trying to find your way around sure makes you feel like you have never held a knife or made cole slaw before.

In the end it was a great day with great friends, old and new. Can’t wait to go back and have fun before Halloween. Lisa and I are cooking up some swell treats for her patrons.  More on that story later.

Friday night after working all afternoon, I decided we needed a very easy dinner. You know, caveman easy.  I opened the pantry and what did I find?  Oh, the joy!  Pappardelle and Boar Ragu. Ok, not everyone has this in their panty, but you could. It was the perfect combination of swanky and embarrassingly easy. Boil the water, cook the pasta, pour the ragu in a pan, heat it up. Cut up some bread you might have about and call it dinner.  It looked and tasted fantastic on our chilly Friday night at home.

Hanging about in the kitchen waiting for pasta to boil

10 Minutes Later….

You need a quick meal when there is Wii to play and Zombies to shoot. This filled the bill. I got all of the ingredients at our local Italian Import store, Toscano and Sons.  If you don’t have a purveyor like this in your town, you can always order online. And think how surprised drop in guests would be if you served them this on the fly.  Always the host with the most, you are!

Saturday came very early as I had made a pinky swear to Miss Crystal I would get up and go to the Annual Grant Park Yard Sale with her.  We jumped in the Jeep and took off.  It was a day filled with treasures for me. Crystal bought one thing. One. Cheeky monkey. While I spent money like a drunken caveman.  I picked up a set of glass nesting bowls for $3, a BBQ set from the Sharper Image for Eric for $5, a couple of blankets (one red wool, the other a precious quilt for my guest room), binoculars, a tripod for $1!!  We also rescued a worn, heavy rattan chair from the side of the road (free!) which I will recover and repaint for the guest room as well.  It was so much fun! But we had to head home to get ready for the Annual Little 5 Points Halloween Parade with more friends and neighbors.  Here’s where the pictures get really good.

Men in Tights!

More Men in Tights.

Mr. and Mrs. Beelzebub

Something for the guys…

Here come the Zombies!
and someone very special…..

Even Zombies love beer

Captain Sisko and The Dude
Halloween brings everyone together!

Edward Scissorhands
Try drinking beer like that!

It really is all about the kids

One of my favorite friends, John Charles

Queen Dawn and Princess Megan

Best buddies, including yours truly (in the center)

This was the most spectacular costume of the day

Giant Puppets. Aren’t they cool?
We really loved the beer hall girl

(click to enlarge photos)

All in all, a perfect day. A very cold (48F) day but a perfect day nonetheless.  After the parade, Eric, Crystal, Teague and I all headed over to Manuel’s for a bite and a beer. It is one of Atlanta’s institutions and they serve comfort food to warm your soul and your tummy.  Then we went home to shoot zombies.  Let me tell you, shooting zombies works up an appetite, so I went into the kitchen and whipped up some beignets. They were so good.

Not too long after, Teague and I agreed that the first really cold day was much like the first day in the sun when summer comes. It just wears you out.  By 10 p.m. we were finished. Worn out. Time for sleep. But in the best possible way, after you have spent the day having nothing but fun with the ones you love.

Hug your besties today and tell them you love them. It’s always the right time.

xoxo, Patti

Very Special Note: New follower, MPB1204…it took me exactly 3 seconds to guess who this was. Hi, Parri!

After trying to figure out where we were going, we finally arrived at the event right by Underground Atlanta.  Going to these events with Lisa is a hoot, she knows everyone.  So I got to meet lots of cool farmers, seafood vendors and even a cattle rancher.  Time for some photos!

Yummy Sauce from Sweet Sue!

Will Harris, one very southern gentleman and Cattle Rancher
from White Oak Pastures

The very generous John Pelli, Owner of Savannh Clam Company

Lisa and I both agreed he should win best booth. And best clams! Yummy!

One of the swell farmers from R & G Farm, LLC and
his gorgeous basil. Take a look at their breathtakingly beautiful lettuce (below)

Lisa and I happily munched our way through the show. There were lots of delicious foods to try and even wonderful beers to imbibe – provided by Red Brick, Terrapin and Sweetwater 420.

It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Thank you, Miss Lisa!!

Then it was back home to put on my homemaker cap and prepare dinner. I had made some pizza dough last Friday, but we got busy and had plans every night until last night. And so it was pizza night at our house.  Eric got in on the fun and we sliced, diced, sauced and baked until it was time to eat. It has become such a rare treat for us to be together in the kitchen, alone, even (!) that we savored every moment.  Eric is also becoming the photographer in the family and is doing a bang up job. Take a look at some mouthwatering pizza shots.

A perfect margherita pizza waiting for the oven

And after baking – it was so cheesy!!

Eric’s bbq chicken pizza ready to be baked

And ready to be gobbled up

And I’m sure I’ve posted this recipe for the dough, but it is so good, lets do it again.  Top it anyway you see fit.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

So go ahead, get your hands all floury and full of sauce. Giggle with your loved ones in the kitchen. Make some memories.

xoxo, Patti