Just a big, heapin' thanks to Homesick Texan and her uncle Richard's sweet potato pie recipe. She's right; it really is the best ever and it was a huge hit this Thanksgiving. I doubt we'll ever go back to pumpkin pie after this. Also a big-ups to Smitten Kitchen for her perfect pie crust recipe. Though I cheated (used a food processor instead of a pastry cutter), it still came out perfectly flaky, all the way through.
Ever since I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in college, I’ve been captivated by the south. The sultry charm, the low drawl, the mint juleps. And there’s something so romantic about those humid Savannah nights and Southern belles and proper, hat-tipping gentlemen.
Though about 80 miles from Savannah, Sea Island in Georgia has all the southern charm and none of the crowds (not to mention no deep fried butter balls, a la Paula Deen). It’s a private island used mainly as a resort, but it feels more like a quiet retreat than your typical, overrun resort. When I was there, the hotel was about 90% booked, but I hardly ever saw more than a few people wherever I went on the property, even at the restaurants. In the evenings, I strolled along the waterfront alone, watching the sunset. I even swam in the enormous indoor swimming pool and shared the water with only one other person.
The décor at Sea Island Resort & Spa is, in a word, stunning. It’s a mix of traditional Southern and Missionary chic. There are both glittering chandeliers and gargantuan candelabras hanging in the lobby, and the rooms feature dark, hardwood floors with antique rugs and plush, velvet furniture. My balcony looked out onto the water, slit with tall swamp grass, and the trees along the roadways dripped with Spanish moss – exactly like I had imagined it would be.
Of course there were many Southern dishes that I tried, for the first time, while there. I had some fried green tomatoes, which came with a Tabasco mayo dipping sauce. They were crunchy on the outside, and moist but not overly juicy on the inside. They reminded me of fried zucchini, and though I didn’t love them they were very, very good. I had a real biscuit – tall and fluffy and buttery – smothered in country gravy, which was excellent.
At St. Simons Island (a quick car ride from Sea Island), I had a shrimp po’boy and reveled in all its crispy shrimp/chewy bread/fresh lettuce/tomato glory. The sweet corn grits at Sea Island’s Oak Room restaurant was a revelation: creamy and dense, with crisp kernels of sweet corn and laced with a buttery sweetness and unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Ditto on the sweet potato pie I had at the Georgian Room Restaurant, which was topped with a decadent praline and decorated with a luscious cream drizzle.
What I enjoyed most about the place were the people. Though I am not an old-fashioned girl by any stretch of the imagination, I almost came to admire the perfectly coiffed women and dutifully chivalrous men that I met during my stay. I was called “ma’am” a lot and doors were held open for me and there was genuine warmth and care there. Even the rules were somehow delightful. Men are required to remove their hats in restaurants and lounges, and proper attire is requested at numerous places. Coming from Los Angeles, where it seems everyone does whatever they want whenever they want and the self is of utmost importance, it was nice.
I’ll write more about my visit to Sea Island for a magazine early next year. More details to come later!
Recently a mainstay on my DVR has been episodes of "Spain...On the Road Again." If you haven't heard of this series, it is a PBS show that follows Mario Batali, Gwenyth Paltrow, Mark Bittman and actress Claudia Bassols as they eat their way through Spain. I thoroughly enjoy the show, especially Bitty's hunger-fueled, cantankerous outbursts and Claudia's child-like delight in everything she eats. I like that the food showcased is simple; it's not about fancy sauces and plating, it's about taking something that nature has already perfected and not screwing it up.
In one episode, Batali and Bitty ditch the girls to go "to the gym" (translation: they hit a number of tapas bars and stuff themselves silly). The duo is practically giddy with glee as they savor simple and wonderful tapas staples like prosciutto, olives and shrimp. But the plate that caught my attention, and seemed to hypnotize the two B's was the squid in its own, black ink. I knew then that I had to have some.
I found canned miniature squid in black ink at Whole Foods, and decided to get one for dinner last night. I made a simple salad of spring greens and cucumbers with a balsamic and Dijon dressing, and had it with the squid. It made for a cheap but luxurious dinner. The squid was stuffed with more squid meat and covered in a mixture of olive oil and ink. It was savory and slightly sweet and the ink added a touch of richness. Perfecto.
My childhood was spent in Temple City, a small suburb about 8 miles southeast of Pasadena. Most foodies know the area now as an Asian food mecca with lots of excellent dim sum and Chinese restaurants, but back in the day, it was nothing of the sort. In fact, I recall one of our neighbors on our then all-white street who wouldn't talk to my parents because they were in an interracial marriage (my mom is Japanese). Like I said, TC was a different place 20 years ago.
Temple City back then had a few mom and pop hamburger joints, some fast food places and our local Mexican restaurant, Casa del Rey. As a kid, it was one of my favorites. I didn't have a particular dish that I always ordered but I remember liking whatever I got every time. Not that my taste buds were as refined as they are now (ha), but it was basic Mexican food in a cozy atmosphere and I liked that. Going out to eat was always a special treat as well, and Casa del Rey was only one of a couple places that we went to semi-regularly.
On Friday, a couple of my childhood friends from the 'hood and I revisited Casa del Rey. Tawny, who I've known since I was 8 years old, ordered her favorite crispy beef taco combo, which comes with rice and beans. I opted for the carnitas soft tacos, also with rice and beans. We also - for the first time at Casa del Rey - ordered double margaritas (last time either of us were there, we were probably only 15 years old!). Everything was decent, though not great, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
Jeff got the enchiladas, which he gave a big thumbs-up to. His was a combo as well, so it came with the standard-issue rice and beans. But Casa del Rey's rice is actually quite good; it's a bit dry but I actually prefer my Spanish rice to be on the dryer side. The beans come slathered in melted cheese. Yum.
Steve ordered the flautas, which, upon seeing it on his plate, reminded me that these used to be my favorite here. Of course I had to have a bite and they were as delicious as I remember - hot, crispy and packed with flavorful beef.
Again, this restaurant isn't the best Mexican food ever but it certainly holds a lot of good memories for all of us, and that's reason enough to revisit the place once in a while. For big, satisfying Mexican dishes and a walk down memory lane, we can't beat Casa del Rey.
When I was in New Zealand, I discovered that I actually like something I thought I didn't. Because I don't care for the taste of licorice, I've always disliked raw fennel and have passed on many a salad on a restaurant menu because it was a main ingredient. But while on a Zest food tour in Wellington, our guide took us to a local favorite called Floriditas and we were served a fennel and parsley salad with currents and a simple olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. It came with a simple grilled chicken skewer and was an immediate surprise: the salad was fresh, crisp and did not have a trace of anise or licorice flavor.
We asked the chef how to make the salad and I vowed to recreate it for myself once at home. So the other day I bought some baby fennel and Italian parsley and went to work. Though I forgot the currants, the result was just as good as the salad I had at Floriditas. I think the lemon juice actually cancels out the anise essence and leaves a crisp, fresh flavor. Since I had some ripe avocados, I topped mine with some thin slices and the perfect salad was born.
For my main, I took elements from different dishes I'd had in New Zealand and came up with a white bean and squid saute. It, too, was simply seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne. Fresh seafood is so prevalent in New Zealand that it's easy to find in almost any restaurant, but instead of overdressing or saucing it the chefs just bring out the seafood's natural flavor with just a few, simple complimentary ingredients.
Thanks to Zest for a fantastic food tour, and to Floriditas for inspiration!
History has been made. Tomorrow, I will run out and buy the paper and keep it forever. Yes, yes, yes!!!
Starting yesterday, I've been doing a juice fast. I plan to stay on it for at least three days, with the hope of being able to go for five total. Why on earth would a foodie and food blogger subject herself to such torture, you ask? The truth is that I've been feeling really blech lately, my allergies (hay fever) have been driving me nuts and I'm still feeling the effects of eating and drinking for two weeks straight in New Zealand. I need to detox and focus and a juice fast is a great way to do it.
Basically, I am drinking fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juice, vegetable broth, herbal tea and lots of water. After day one, I feel better already - lighter, calmer and focused. The biggest temptation are my friends, who have been inviting me out for dinners and happy hours and what-not. But I am determined to stick this out and gain the benefits from the cleanse.
I'll report back when I'm done, and get back to posting about actual food!
