Trip to Tallahassee

One of my good friends and co-workers, Desi, moved back to her home town of Tallahassee, FL. It's been about two months since she moved back, and another friend and co-worker of mine, Jamie, misses Desi just as much as I do. Last weekend we went down to Tally for a girls' weekend.

Once we got to Tally, we didn't waste much time. After cleaning up a bit, us three ladies went out for sushi at Jasmine Cafe. We arrived just before the Friday night rush, and sat at table in the middle of the top level of the restaurant. One of Tallahassee's trendier spots, Jasmine Cafe had an impressive sushi menu with a great selection of rolls. We had a nice waitress who helped us choose a great bottle of white wine to go with our meal. The sushi was delicious, and the wine was a great pick. Cafe Jasmine was a great way to catch up.

Saturday we headed out to St. George island. Just as we were getting close to the island, it started raining. The three of us ate our lunch under the pavilion while we waiting for the rain to stop. When it the rain slowed to a mist, we hit the sand. Jamie and I enjoyed frolicking in the choppy waves with our inflatable pink rings. Desi took the nap of her lifetime. After drying off and lounging to the sounds of the beach, it started raining again, and the wind picked up. When Jamie and I got goosebumps, we decided we'd been voted off the island. We packed up and headed off the beach. On our way out, we passed by a fresh seafood place to pick up fresh scallops and shrimp for dinner. What is more fresh than seafood fished a mile up road?

As we worked our way back towards Tally, we stopped at another beach, complete with full sun. We kept the seafood on ice, and headed for the sugar sand. This time I got in the nap of my life.

When we got home, we cleaned up and started fixing dinner. This is what we came up with.

Girl's Weekend Seafood Special
* 2 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 pint of scallops
* 1/2 package of spaghetti, cooked, with a dash of EVOO poured over it.
* white wine (dry)
* 2/3 a stick of butter, cut into smaller pieces
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1. Prepare your seafood and get your spag going- it won't take long to cook the seafood.

2. In a skillet, begin melting butter over medium-low to low heat (depending on how well your burner heats). Butter has a low smoke point, meaning it will burn easily. Keep stirring the butter to avoid burning. When the majority of the butter has melted, add the wine until a medium-thickness sauce has been created. Add the garlic and seafood.

3. The seafood is cooked when it is opaque. Cooking it on too high of a heat or past the opaque coloring will make the seafood tough. Serve over pasta. Enjoy!

Along with dinner on Saturday, we celebrated Desi's birthday before going out on the town. We made a gluten-free chocolate cake using Whole Foods cake mix, substituting rice milk for the dairy. Rich and delicious, this was the best thing to snack on all weekend long.

Sunday we canoed up river. We got to see so many beautiful things- river, turtles, birds, and manatees (!). We canoed up river with a mama manatee and her baby. It was amazing. Sunday night we ate a shmorgasboard of grilled things at Desi's parents house- smoked chicken, veggies, potatoes, apples. Her dad a gave me a little lesson on how to smoke things on the Webber, so sooner or later I'll try it out and post it on here.

Monday morning Jamie and packed the car and started the sleepy ride home. Atlanta greeted us with a monsoon- www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/09/22/southeast.flooding/index.html?iref=newssearch

Pre-Concert Musings + Lunch

Do you remember when you heard a song from your favorite band for the first time? That feeling like a first date, where you just couldn't wait to hear the song again? I remember the first music video I ever saw (we didn't spend much time in front of the tv as a kid) was Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time." I can remember when I heard my first Dave Matthews Band song. Under the Table and Dreaming is still my favorite DMB album. I can remember seeing Kings of Leon live for the first time at the Tabernacle and having the distinct memory of me rocking out to their music when I'm 50.

For me, music fuels memories, feelings, high school essays, visions of my future. I can't live or breathe without music. I was reflecting on how amazing it is to see some incredible people and groups play live in concert as I was preparing lunch the afternoon of the Staind/Creed concert. I was boiling water when "It's Been a While" came on the radio, taking me back to the a moment on a high school mission trip in Nicaragua. We were all gathered at the hotel restaurant table when that song came on the radio and a group of us starting singing along. By the time I'd finished preparing my simple lunch, I'd remembered laying on my bedroom floor listening to Creed on table during 9th grade, pondering the mysteries of adolescence. I'd gone back through many memories, and how each moment set to music shaped the woman I am today. We all have a soundtrack. What's on yours?

Pre-Concert Shells & Parm + Aidel's Chicken and Apple Sausage
* Tinkanya shells, cooked. Top with extra virgen olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
* Cut a sausage into pieces, and brown over medium heat while the shells are cooking. Enjoy on the side of the pasta, on mixed with it.

Feast of 1,000 Beasts

I have the best friends in the world. I might have mentioned this a few times in the history of this blog, but it bears repeating. My friend Alan hosted a part over Labor Day weekend, featuring meat dishes. He prepared a few snacks- hummus, guac, cheese dip- and meat- burgers, hot dogs, wings, and chili. The guac was an easy gluten-free. Alan used Bush's beans for his hummus and (maybe I'm giving away a trade secret) peanut butter instead of tahini. I could have just eaten the whole bowl of hummus and been happy with my life. Although I don't have Alan's recipe for his wings, I did look up a recipe that looks pretty good for some grilled wings.

In between meat courses, I made flaming Sambuca shots. My cousin in the DR is a big fan of them- taking a shot (or coordial glass) or Sambuca, adding 3 coffee beans, and lighting it on fire for 5-10 minutes, until the sugars in the alcohol have started to crystalize and brown. Remember to blow out the flame and let it cool off a bit before enjoying!

Oh my goodness! It was good. Here are some ideas for your own meat-tastic grill out. After all, there are a few more weeks until it's too crispy to be outside. I ate until my stomach literally hurt. You should, too.

Burgers: ground beef, salt, pepper
Hot Dogs: Go all-beef- Boar's Head and Hebrew National are my favs; At this link (http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/05/14/hot-dogs-and-sausages-gluten-free-and-dairy-free-list/) they posted a list f GF dogs/sausages. Don't believe everything you read- always double check!
Wings: see below; recipe taken from http://www.examiner.com/x-17285-Milwaukee-Cooking-Examiner~y2009m8d16-Grilled-tequila-wings

Grilled tequila Wings

• 16 wings (and/or drumsticks)
• 1/3-cup butter or margarine
• 1/2-cup Frank's® Red Hot® Sauce - sub with Saracca (red pepper cock sauce)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 oz. of the tequila of your choice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2-tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt

Prepare and heat grill. Melt butter in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to bowl except chicken wings/drumsticks. Mix well. Marinate wings in sauce for approximately one hour. Oil grill grate. Grill chicken for 20 minutes, until brown, turning often to avoid sticking. Brush marinade over chicken wings frequently while grilling to increase flavor. And there you have them, grilled tequila wings for tequila month!

The Atlanta Braves Go Gluten Free!

For immediate release: September 2, 2009

Atlanta Braves and ARAMARK Announce New Gluten-Free

Concession Stand at Turner Field

The Atlanta Braves and ARAMARK, the exclusive food and beverage provider at Turner Field, have announced the opening of a dedicated gluten-free* concession stand for fans with Celiac Disease. The location opens Friday, Sept. 4, behind Section 106, and will feature all-beef franks, sirloin beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, popcorn, brownies, cookies, soda, water and gluten-free RedBridge beer.

"In response to increasing requests for healthier and gluten-free options from fans, the Braves and ARARMARK are proud to unveil this new concessions option at Turner Field," said Ron Ranieri, ARAMARK General Manager at Turner Field. "The gluten-free stand is part of the Braves and ARAMARK's overall commitment to offer menu options that allow all fans, regardless of dietary restrictions, to enjoy the ultimate ballpark experience."

The Atlanta Braves is Major League Baseball's winningest franchise since 1991. During that time, Braves teams have earned 14 division championships, five National League pennants and a World Series title. Based in Atlanta since 1966, the Braves franchise is the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball. Atlanta Braves games are telecast on FS South, SportSouth, and Peachtree TV with radio broadcasts heard in Atlanta on 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 (96.1 FM) and VIVA 105.7 and regionally on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network.

*Gluten is a protein particle found in wheat, barley, rye and all of their derivatives.

ATLANTA BRAVES · P.O. Box 4064 · Atlanta, GA 30302-4064 · 404/522-7630