As hoped, last night’s dinner with Teague’s folks was a success.  Granted, the beef took twice as long to cook as expected (maybe the calibration on my oven is off?), but the company was divine.  Pat and Deacon look great and were thrilled that I added Miss DeVore to the guest list.  I thought it would be fun to have someone there they had not yet met and they all got along famously.  Pat and Deacon are both more than well rounded on current events and Diane, who works as an editor at CNN, was more than happy to engage them in conversation on the state of the media.

My day yesterday was not stellar.  I usually like to keep things light here, but I took a stand on something I believed in yesterday and lost an acquaintance because of it.  It stung. But there were guests arriving and I needed to move forward.  My sweet Crystal swung by early to help and it was wonderful having her in the kitchen with me before her inlaws came for dinner.  Having best friends working with you side by side in the kitchen is a very healing thing.  We tied the beef, we chopped and roasted potatoes. It helped my mood immeasurably.  We also had time for a glass of chardonnay before everyone else got there.

Crystal and I were so busy cooking and visiting that I forgot to photograph the food. But here are some nice photos of the table. The roses came from my front yard – aren’t they lovely? Although I ironed the tablecloth, the wrinkles persisted. I need a new tablecloth. One that won’t wrinkle. I’ll find one and get back to you on that.

Deacon brought us a gorgeous bottle of Chateau Tour du Mayne 2005 Haut-Medoc.  It looked too beautiful to open so we are saving it for a special occasion.  As the beef was taking its sweet time to cook, I decided we should go ahead, sit down and enjoy our salad.  That done, the beef made its appearance and was gobbled up happily along with the green beans with almonds, roasted potatoes and dinner rolls. All our guests  ooohhhed and ahhhhed over the cheesecake with coffee.  It was a lovely evening.

On an entirely different note, I would like to say congratulations to President Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. We salute you, our dear president and support you in your efforts.

Getting off my tiny soapbox now and  wishing you all a wonderful Friday. Our weekend is filled with lots of parties, so I will be bringing my camera and letting you all take a peek.

xoxo, Patti

Good Morning, Darlings. Tonight we are hosting the parents of our dear friend Teague, in-laws of our sweet Crystal. Lots of scurrying around to get ready.  Last minute cleaning and prep.  Here’s our menu for the evening:

Beef Tenderloin
Tossed Salad
Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Green Beans with Almonds
Dinner Rolls
Strawberry Cheesecake

It may not seem like it to you, but this is a really easy meal. Let me break it down for you.  The beef tenderloin gets rubbed with butter, salt and pepper and goes into the oven for 25 minutes at 500F.  Salad is just bagged salad (why would I cut up all those greens?).  Potatoes – cut up little red potatoes, toss them with olive oil and spices and stick in a 400F oven for 1 hour. Green beans – canned green beans heated up and toss in some almonds. Dinner rolls – prepackaged and heated up.  Cheesecake –  store bought.

My concern is that I’m phoning it in. It all seems so easy that I feel like I should be more stressed out, but I’m not.  I’m more concerned about what to do with my crazy dogs when they arrive tonight.  I know that when folks come to my house they expect a certain level of food expertise, but there are those who are just happy to be somewhere they will get fed and not have to worry about anything else.

So, today I will set about making the table the focal point of the meal.  I am going to iron my white tablecloth.  I will set out my nicest tableware.  I went to the Dollar Tree and picked up these cool, wide glass containers for the roses that are low enough to see over.  I will fill them with knockout roses from my front yard – they are perfect for table settings because they have no scent.  Remember, this is an Important Tip:  do not set your table with scented flowers or candles – they will only compete with the food for what smells best. And after slaving over a meal for your guests, you want them to smell only the yummy goodness you are bringing to the table, yes?

Question – what is the most important aspect of the dinner party?

Food?  Well, of course, you want everything to taste good.  But is it any less fab if you pick it up from a purveyor who does it better than you can? Absolutely not.  In fact, in most cases it helps to know your weaknesses and garner strength where you can.

Drinks?  They don’t hurt.  But the in-laws are tee totalers. So tonight, I will have a nice glass of wine with Miss DeVore before eveyone else arrives.

Tablesetting?  To me, a lovely table setting is like putting on your makeup.  It makes the whole package look better.  Plus, there is nothing like the sound of your guests ohhhhing and ahhhhing when they walk in and see your table scape.  It is the icing on the party.  It makes everyone know that you think they are special.  And you can do it on the cheap.  Pull some things from your house you love and set them on the table. Whatever makes you happy (not the cat, of course, but you get my meaning).

A clean house?  Sure, they’ll notice if you are living like Big and Little Edie from Grey Gardens, but if you were the Edies, you wouldn’t be throwing a dinner party, now would you?  Clean the bathrooms, make the beds and dump all your Playboy magazines under the bed. Light a ton of unscented candles and keep everyone out of the kitchen if it looks like something exploded in there. Ply your guests with wine (or ice tea). Smile.  A lot.

Your attitude.  Most.Important.Aspect.   You are happy to have guests in your home. You invited them. You like these people. Let them know. Welcome them into your home with a huge smile and open arms.  It doesn’t matter that you are serving Kraft Mac n Cheese from the blue box with a Boone’s Farm chaser.  Do it with love and it is better than dining at a five star restaurant with a bunch of bores.

I promise.

Go out there and entertain – tis the season!
xoxo, Patti

Tuesday was just a bundle of fun. In the early afternoon, I met celebrity blogger, Tami H. of Running With Tweezers, for lunch at La Pietra Cucina.  It was sheer luxury.  I know Tami would never describe herself as such, but ask anyone in the food blogging world and they will know her, her food stylings and her fabulous blog.  We had a great time.  The food was amazing – we both ordered the same thing – the black spaghetti with rock shrimp, scallions and hot calabrese sausage. It was spicy, savory and hit all the right notes.  We both threw caution to the wind and enjoyed some lovely Italian white wine as well.

The lovely Miss H. with the winning dessert
Mascarpone, huckleberries and caramel

And always, as with people who are meeting for the first time in person (we have been running in the same circles for years), there was not enough time for us to visit – we could have sat there for hours and still not run out of things to discuss.  Tami is going for her second experiment of eating on $30 a week. You have to check out her blog to see how she does it.  Today was not that day – this was a total midweek splurge – complete with an afternoon nap for me.

Nap completed and refreshed after my incredible lunch, dinner needed to be tended to.  Even though the chill in the air has subsided a bit, I am still in Autumnal Cooking Mode. Chicken chili was the dish for tonight.  I read a few recipes and decided on my own.  Here’s what I came up with:

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
2 lbs of chicken breasts – cubed
3 large poblano chilies – roasted (see photo below)
4 cups of chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can of corn
2 cans of white northern beans
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp Adobo
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
2 TBP Olive Oil (the liquid, not Popeye’s girl)
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Cilantro, for garnish (if desired)

First, let’s roast the poblanos and get that out of the way. Hold the chili over a low flame with a long pair of tongs until blackened. After all are blackened, place in a big bowl covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.  Cut off the top of the chili and discard seeds and stem. Then slice open the chili (charred side up) and rub charred section with a paper towel – the char will come right off. Then slice chilies for later.

Next, take a big stockpot (not that one, that’s too big – the other one…) and pour the olive oil in.  Turn the heat to medium and let the oil heat up. When it is sufficiently hot, put in your onions and cook until translucent. Then add chicken and let brown.

Next, add those chilies and spices and your stock.  Turn the heat to high and let it come to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and turn back down to low.  Let simmer for about 2 hours. Remember to stir every once in a while.

After two hours, add corn and beans and heat through.

To serve – spoon chili into bowls, top with sour cream, cheese and cilantro – devour.

Although this was super yummy tasty….it was a fairly small bowl. So I needed dessert. Pumpkin bread! And lemon curd! Mmmmmm…..

I’m hoping that your Tuesday was just as wonderful.  And leave a comment – I know you are out there reading!

xoxo, Patti

How cool is this? It’s a calendar Berlin B. from Yelp.com put together to show nightly food specials.

As we are having girls day today/tonight, I wanted us to be able to go somewhere cheap and fun…..now we just have to choose!

Tomorrow – where we went and what we ate!

Saturday was a busy day for us. Miss DeVore and I did a little early morning shopping for Clint’s new place and then Eric & I were scheduled to go to the christening party of a friend’s baby. It had been a couple of months since I had seen baby John Charles and he had certainly grown. He was full of charm – more so than most babies. At four months he managed to have me wrapped around his finger in no time with his smiles, giggles and jaunty eyebrow maneuvers. His proud mom and dad, Dawn & Brad, along with big sister Megan, threw a lovely party. Yummy meats and cheeses, salads and even beets – I love beets! This was topped off with a gorgeous cake of blue with white polka dots – so sweet. And Dawn even served that swell punch we all love here in the south at special celebrations – fruit punch mixed with sherbet and 7-Up. It looks so pretty in the punch bowl and definitely signifies that this is an event to be remembered.

It was great catching up with everyone at the christening party and then it was on to the next event. We met my sweet, sweet friend Kathryn and her husband, John and adorable step-daughter, for dinner at Top Spice for Thai. The brief time we spent together at dinner was crammed with two years of catching up, so lots of talking between bites. I had the Pad Thai, which was filled with shrimpy, peanutty goodness. After 1.5 hours, we all packed up and headed home.

Eric and I spent the rest of the night lounging about, watching tv and playing with the Wii.

Hope your Saturday was just as fun. Sunday – Zombie walk!

xoxo, Patti

Last night, Eric and I went to LeFlash….a celebration of the photographic arts in the Castleberry neighborhood of Atlanta (just 5 minutes from our house). Although it was enjoyable, the main attraction was seeing the brand new condo of our beloved Clint. He closed on Friday and we were dying to take a peek. We finally met up with Clint around 10:30 p.m. and proceeded to his new digs. The new condo is spectacular, with killer views and most importantly, a killer kitchen. Matt poured us all a glass of champagne and all of a sudden, I swear, the condo filled up like the party in the movie, Breakfast At Tiffany’s. There were a ton of the most hip people filling the space. Some we knew, some we met for the first time, but everyone was super cool. I have never seen anything like it. These people appeared as if by some cinematic miracle. But that’s Clint – he attracts everyone he meets like moths to a flame. Here’s a cool little film made by Matt on Friday night.

My question to you this morning – with what do you stock a brand new kitchen to make it most efficient?

Lets see – I would start with a perfect cookbook. My choice would be Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything. This is a great all purpose reference for almost any recipe. It’s great for beginners and advanced cooks alike.

Next, you have to have a sharp, well made 8 inch chef’s knife. Do your research and check out what feels best in your hand. I like Wusthof, personally. You will be reaching for this knife a lot, so make it count.

You need a great cutting board. I know everyone is in a panic these days about cross contamination, and suggest plastic cutting boards, but I am going to disagree and suggest a big, sturdy, wooden cutting board – Boos if you can afford it. I always wash mine with a mixture of lemon juice, soap and bleach and have never had any problems.

What do you need to cook in? A stock pot is nice and doesn’t have to be particularly high end. I would suggest sinking your budget into a great saute pan (preferably nonstick). You can make everything from omelets to stir fries in this versatile pan. Don’t skimp, please.

These are what I believe to be the basics for your new kitchen. Hopefully you are fortunate like Clint and have a sleek, swanky place to cook and enjoy your guests. I know I can’t wait to cook with him at his new place.

Congratulations, Clint! We love you!!!

On an entirely different note – I would like to say hi to Carla over at il piatto blu. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her through our friend and neighbor, Michelle, last night (Hi Michelle!). Last night was full of magical moments – I hope you are making your own this weekend.

oxox, Patti

Special Note: Thanks to our Darling, Matt Belfi for that fine photo of our Clint!

Oh my. I was starting dinner last night when one of our darlings dropped by. Miss DeVore was on her way and of course there was a ton of food. Problem? We were all so excited to visit with each other that the only photos taken last night were of food in the works – not the finished product.

Crab risotto with peas and mushrooms along with an apple and blueberry crisp. Yummy, gooey Autumnal goodness.

Crab Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas

• 6 cups seafood stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 10 oz package of frozen peas
• 1 8 oz container of crabmeat, picked over to remove shells
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, warm the stock over low heat.
2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup stock to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, crabmeat, peas and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto is easy, but time consuming. Hmmm, between this and the beef bourguignon, I’m sensing a trend here. Plan to make it on a night when you have plenty of time.

Next, dessert. I love a fruit crisp. It is my favorite type of dessert. I can remember eating it in the cafeteria at school. Even that version delighted me. The blueberries and the apples were from the mountain trip this past weekend, so you know they were very fresh.

Here’s a shot of the filling. We ate the finished dish way too soon for pictures, but I promise I’ll have them for next time!

It’s Friday! You have the whole weekend to get in the kitchen and cook. Hope you are staying toasty warm and enjoying this fresh new season!

xoxo, Patti

As promised, here are the photos of the BB I finally finished last night. It took over 3 hours to cook, but it was delicious. It was the perfect dish to celebrate my 1,000 hit. As I said previously, this recipe was from Ina Garten. Hopefully, that link will work. Here are some pics of our dinner.

Here it is, finishing on the stovetop, with the addition of butter and flour to thicken it up:

My mother’s old dutch oven was so big I had to take a rack out of the oven to make it fit. I love using my mama’s kitchen equipment, it makes everything taste better.

Dinner all plated and ready to eat!

And the celebratory champagne, along with those adorable red flutes I picked up at the mountain flea market.

All in all, if you are considering making this dish, fear not – it is not difficult, but you do need to allot enough time to let it cook. I found that starting it one night and finishing it the next is perfect. It also gives you a ton more time on the second night to fiddle around with sides or just enjoy some wine.

Eric and I both ate plenty, and there was a bundle of leftovers. I just popped it into the freezer for a carefree night of cooking in the future.

Tonight – crab and pea risotto along with Tiger Woods PGA Wii Golf with Miss DeVore. It’s de rigueur!

xoxo, Patti

Thanks a gazillion to everyone who has read the blog this month. I am so thrilled that I have had over 1,000 hits in September.

Special thanks to the lovely Celine at Hop City, who helped me pick out a celebratory champagne for tonight!

Here’s to more cooking and dinner parties in the year ahead!

xoxo, Patti

I’m sure a lot of you went to the movies and saw Julie and Julia. Beef bourguignon seems to be very popular right now. Especially now that Autumn is sneaking up on us and there is a chill in the air (isn’t it exciting?) Its lure is not lost on me and I made up a pot last night, based on Ina Garten’s recipe (that for some reason will not link). I followed the recipe and after 1 1/2 hours in the oven, it was still not ready. The meat was still tough. Hmmm, what to do? Well, for one, I had to put dinner on the table and this was not going to suffice. What’s in the fridge? Some leftover chinese from Sunday night that had been yummy. It’ll have to do. I warmed everything up and we had a buffet right there in our kitchen – standing up. So gourmet – or not.

Anyhoo, back to the beef. It is in the fridge ready for tonight. I trust that putting it back in the oven for another 1.5 hours will put it right. And I am more prepared, having picked up a loaf of cuban bread with which to dunk.

I will let you know tomorrow how this all turned out.

On an entirely different note, I wanted to thank everyone for reading. It looks like I will have had over 1000 hits this month and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

If there is a recipe you would like to see me tackle, let me know. I am here for your amusement!

xoxo, Patti