Last Friday, we celebrated fellow SacFoodie Julie Berge’s birthday with this spooktacular Halloween cake from Freeport Bakery. It was delicious!
What are some of your favorite Halloween treats?
Archives for October 2011
A Southern Sampling at Taste of Atlanta
O, The Oprah Magazine recently named Taste of Atlanta a foodie event worth making a trip for – good thing for me, I was already in town this past weekend, Oct. 21-23, to celebrate the 10th anniversary event! And this was the best ticket in town for a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. Having just been in Oprah’s stomping grounds at Taste of Chicago in July, I had something to compare the festival to and it was another culinary fest that didn’t disappoint.
Here’s a sampling of my top bites from among the 80 restaurants on display at Taste of Atlanta:
Shrimp and grits from Milton’s. Having lived Atlanta for a few years, I’ve had my share of grits, but these were the best yet. Cheesy, creamy goodness cooked to just the right consistency without the bite back “grit,” and topped with three large prawns, mushrooms, scallions, and drizzled with a lemon butter sauce.
Mini lamb burger with tzatziki sauce from Gilbert’s Cafe. In one word: perfection. The burger was cooked perfectly with lots of flavors – mint, parsley, garlic – with a dollop of creamy tzatziki sauce on a toasted bun. Yum!
Maple bacon brittle ice cream – yes, that’s right, bacon – from Morelli’s Ice Cream, whose samplings won for best dessert in 2010. The flavor choice caught my eye, and I must say it was surprisingly good. The sweet, caramelized maple bacon bits were swirled into creamy, buttery ice cream. One small scoop was definitely enough, but the selection certainly topped off the overall experience.
If you’re planning a jaunt to Atlanta anytime soon, I would highly recommend stopping in to try any or all of these restaurants and their offerings. Or, perhaps next year, you might plan to attend the 11th annual Taste of Atlanta culinary celebration. It is definitely worth the trip!
Wordless Wednesday: Mini Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches
Mini Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches on Garlic Bread with Provolone and Parsley Oil from Bobby Flay’s Grill It!
Cooking Up Some Halloween Spookiness at Whole Foods
I don’t know about you, but when I think of eating and Halloween, it usually means inhaling copious amounts of treats and ending the night in a sugar-induced coma. Those sweets may come small and individually wrapped, but after I start indulging, there’s nothing “fun size” about it.
Thankfully, Halloween doesn’t have to be about overdoing it on the candy consumption. Whole Foods Market’s Arden Culinary Center is offering some fun hands-on Halloween cooking activities this month, starting with an Old Fashioned Halloween Candy cooking class for kids. Students will learn how to make crunchy popcorn balls, chewy caramel apples and cinnamon candy apples. Beyond working on cooking techniques, kids get to take all the recipes home. The class is $35 and takes place on Sunday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can register online here.
Adults can also take part in the fun on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Culinary Center hosts additional hands-on Halloween activities: pumpkin painting, sugar cookie decorating and pumpkin seed roasting. This event is free and lasts from noon to 3 p.m.
And before you take your kids out for trick-or-treating on the 31st, stop by the Culinary Center as it transforms into a haunted house from 3 to 7 p.m. Kids in costumes will receive a free treat from the bakery and can walk through the “spooktacular” kitchen of horrors.
Whole Foods Market’s Arden Culinary Center
4315 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
916-488-2800
The Lost Dog and the Alana Palmer
Recently, I met family and friends at The Lost Dog Bar & Lounge in Durango, Colo., where I sampled a truly unique and delicious take on the Arnold Palmer, a drink that is traditionally a mix of iced tea and lemonade. The Lost Dog version includes lavender lemonade vodka. The lavender notes in this drink were so unique, I asked if we could share the recipe with our readers.
A great big thank you to mix-master Eric, who so kindly recommended this drink and then shared his secret recipe with us:
The “Alana” Palmer
Ingredients
4 oz. lemonade
4 oz. iced tea
4 oz. Rain Organics Lavender Lemonade Vodka
ice
soda water
Directions
In a pint glass filled with ice, mix equal parts lemonade, iced tea and lavender lemonade vodka. Add a splash of soda water and enjoy!
If your travels take you to beautiful Durango, Colo., make sure you swing by The Lost Dog and sample this unique beverage.
The Lost Dog Bar & Lounge
1150 B Main Avenue
Durango, Colorado
970-259-0430
Lostdogbar.buzztown.com