Date Night

Everyone loves a date night. Especially when you get to enjoy fabulous food at your favorite restaurant with great friends. Last night my boyfriend came in to town and we headed to Last Resort with my roommate and her boyfriend. Because it was a Tuesday there was no wait. We sat right down and ordered yummy cocktails, a dirty martini was my drink of choice. Soon warm bread arrived that I love to dip in Last Resort's famous Vidalia Bacon Dressing. Salads were then served, mine topped with a rich balsamic vinaigrette. My main course was by far the best thing I have ever had at Last Resort, it ultimately could be the best thing I have eaten in 2012. I ordered the special, a cornmeal crusted tilefish served with a corn barley mash, balsamic kale and roasted beets. The fish was crisp and sweet, the mash was rich and succulent and the kale was just heaven. Altogether it made for a scrumptious bite. Plates were cleaned, but stomachs weren't full as we made room for their white chocolate cheesecake. I left completely satisfied. I think we need to plan another date night for next week, especially if I get to enjoy food like that.

Donna Hay

About a month ago, I visited Birmingham to work on a photoshoot for Oxmoor House. I was working with the most amazing food stylist, prop stylist and photographer. Working along side them was one of the best experiences I have had in college. I enjoyed getting to know each of them; they offered me priceless career advice while I was there. I forgot I was even working as we got carried away with conversation about amazing restaurants and must-try recipes. It was here that these three fabulous women introduced me to Donna Hay, the quintessential Australian foodie. Her magazines are filled with pages of beautiful photography and mouthwatering recipes. Each image is composed perfectly, creating a serene balance with style and sophistication. I discovered the website, magazine and most recently cookbooks. Her ideas make weeknight dinners a breeze with recipes requiring only a few ingredients and limited hands-on time. I can't thank my Birmingham friends enough for sharing Donna Hay with me, I am now a very loyal fan.

Eat Your Veggies

Second semester, senior year of college is priceless. Yes, some parts are stressful, but the amount of free time I have compensates my worries of the future. I recently took on a new project: going through all of my old magazines and cutting out recipes I want to try. I attempted to look specifically for healthy recipes with spring break approaching next week; however, I found my self clipping Pimiento Mac and Cheese and Mushroom Croque-Monsieur out of last year's Bon Appétit. Sorting through all the various starters, entrees, even condiments made me very hungry.

I found a cover recipe I knew I had to try. Roasted Vegetable Tart, the cover recipe for January 2012. It wasn't very labor intensive, only time consuming. Making sure veggies were going in the oven at the appropriate time so that they roasted into perfect yumminess. I tried a short cut using pizza dough (as opposed to the homemade dough), which was not a complete failure, but I would not recommend it. Perhaps I will try a premade pie crust next time. The filling needs a substantial crust to go along with it.

Flavors were right on point. Eggplant, red bell pepper, sweet potato and balsamic tomatoes made this dish sing. Considering I ate it for dinner 3 times this week, I would say it was a success.

Simply Divine

During these final cold, dreary days of winter, there is nothing more comforting than a simple grilled cheese and hot bowl of tomato soup. I surrendered to my craving for the All-American classic and bought the essentials: Campbell's Tomato Soup, Kraft American Singles and Sunbeam Old Fashioned White Bread. Directions are easy, and cooking time is less than 6 minutes. Slather each side of bread with butter, layer two pieces of cheese between bread, cook in non-stick skillet over medium high heat on either side until golden brown. Follow directions on soup can, wait until simmering bubbles appear on the side, basically until it is warmed through. The tasty comfort food is then ready to serve. It's a simple meal, one that requires no thought at all, but results in pure happiness.

Peanuts and Cookies

If I'm not trying new recipes, I am finding new restaurants. The best way to find hidden treasures in a big city like Atlanta? Ask fellow foodies. I recently heard of Abattoir while I was in Birmingham. I investigated the menu, made a reservation on Opentable and then counted down the seconds to my first bite.

We arrived 30 minutes early to get a drink at the bar. The bartender enchanted me with refreshing grapefruit caipirinha. Dinner followed cocktails, and we began with complementary boiled peanuts. Served in a brown paper bag, these tasted better than the kind you find on the side of old country roads. They had a spice, a saltiness that was out of this world. I loved having the juice drip down my face and my fingers while in the sophisticated atmosphere.

We ordered sweetbreads that came with pickled cabbage and marinated pear for a starter. Followed by crusty bread and creamy butter, I was already in heaven. For my main course, I ordered the Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon Jam and Collard Greens. I have not stopped thinking about the bacon jam. Salty and sweet it complemented the chicken perfectly.

I think my favorite part of the evening was when we got our check, it came with two perfect little cookies. The miniature cookies were the sweetest ending to an already excellent meal.

*Just got the iPhone this week. Still trying to master Instagram.

Slow Cookin'

It's been quite some time since I have posted to this site. With graduation only a few months away, I have been staying busy with school, the job search and of course cooking. But, now that I have settled into my spring semester routine, there are no more excuses. It's time to start posting yummy recipes once again.

For Valentine's Day, my sweet boyfriend gave me the ultimate gift: The All-Clad Slow Cooker. This counter-appliance means business. It can cook up to 20 hours, knows when to switch to warm mode and conveniently displays the remaining time on a sleek digital clock. Plus, it makes the most delicious meals as long as you plan ahead.

This week tested my slow cooker with Real Simple's Spaghetti Bolognese. It only took 12 minutes to throw together, and 8 hours later I was enjoying a delicious meat sauce infused with dynamic flavors, like thyme and oregano.

I have to say minimum effort contributed to the delight of the overall meal. It's unbelievably simple:

Step #1: Gather ingredients
Step #2: Combine in slow cooker
Step #3: Select time, press start
Step #4: Enjoy your day
Step #5: Sit down for a nice dinner

As I approach the working world, I know I will remember to take full advantage of my slow cooker because there's nothing like coming home to a warm homecooked meal.

Gameday Chicken

Georgia played Tennessee this week in Knoxville, giving me the perfect excuse to make an awesome dinner and watch the game on the couch. I spent the weekend in Winston-Salem with my sister and my boyfriend. We decided to make a beer can chicken. I have never tasted anything so delicious. It's an ingenious recipe combining a beer and chicken into one dish. The meat was moist and flavorful. For sides we made baked beans with bacon on top, caesar salad and grilled corn. The corn was my responsibility, so to give it more personality I added a chili lime butter. Here's the recipe:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tsp. hot chili powder
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
Melt the butter.

Combine the chili powder and lime. As corn cooks on the grill, baste with the butter. Rotate the corn and coat each side of the corn.