Posts Tagged: Atlanta

Happy Lunar New Year! – Home | Atlanta, Georgia USA

 

Rice Cake with mushroom, cabbage, dried shrimp, minced pork

Rice Cake with mushroom, cabbage, dried shrimp, minced pork

 

Bok Choy

Stir fried bok choy

 

Combination Platter - smoked chicken, roast pork, bbq pork, jellyfish

Combination Platter – smoked chicken, roast pork, bbq pork, jellyfish

 

Steamed Red Snapper - soy sauce, green scallion, ginger, garlic

Steamed Red Snapper – soy sauce, green scallion, ginger, garlic

 

Tofu, mushroom, beef balls, oyster, black moss, sea cucumber

Tofu, mushroom, beef balls, oyster, black moss, sea cucumber

 

Curry Beef - tender beef, potato, lemongrass and spices

Curry Beef – tender beef, potato, lemongrass and spices

 

Shrimp and Bell peppers

Stir fried shrimp and bell peppers

 

Pork Trotter, snow peas, baby corn, carrot, mushroom

Braised Pork Trotter, snow peas, baby corn, carrot, mushroom

 

A Happy Lunar New Year to everyone! A little different format for this post as it’s all homecooked versus dishes you find at a restaurant. Perhaps this is a good segway to injecting some recipe type entries onto this site! 🙂 As you can see, we ate very well this past weekend with some people dear to me. What a great way to bring in the New Lunar Year! The dishes above are based on my family’s Malaysian Chinese decent, so what you may have could be similar in some while different in others.

For the most part, a lot of the dishes above have a strong symbolic meaning. And let me preface that such symbolisms are derived in part of the tones/pronunciation for the produce or protein. For example, the way you might say “fish” in Chinese/Taiwanese, has the same pronunciation to the word that is defined to be “surplus or remain”. Because of that similarity, it is very typical for families to have fish to consume the day before the new year, as it is just as important to leave some of that same fish for the first dinner of the new year; this action ties in the definition of “surplus or remain” in combination of the consumption of “fish”.

Some other dualities or foods we ate, symbolizing good meanings, were:

  • Pork – a ton of blessings
  • Rice cake – Is the official food of some forms of lunar new year celebration. Symbolizes compounded prosperity
  • Black moss – good luck or exceeded wealth
  • Shrimp – happiness and great fortune
  • Black mushroom – longevity
  • Tofu that is fried – gold
  • Sea Cucumber – happiness
  • Green leafy vegetables (bok choy) – close family ties

For those who celebrated, I hope this is a great year for you! As friends and families have hinted, if you were not successful with your resolution when Jan 1, 2013 had hit, maybe the Lunar New Year will be a good second chance 🙂 May the year of the snake bring wealth, good health, and happiness to all.

Thanks for swinging by!
-MW

Lunar New Year (information gathered 2/2013)
Cultures that celebrate this day:
Chinese/Taiwanese New Year
Japanese New Year (before 1873)
Korean New Year (Seollal)
Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
Tibetan New Year (Losar)
Vietnamese New Year (T?t)

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References:

Add me on twitter / facebook: twitter | facebook 
Wikipedia website

Batdorf and Bronson Roastery | Atlanta, Georgia USA

Look at all that deliciousness in that one drop!

Look at all that deliciousness in one drop!

 

Made by Jason!

Shortly after arriving, how awesome to be asked if I’d like a cup of cappucino!

 

Made by Jason!

Made by Jason!

 

Made by Jason!

mmm….

 

Le Nez du Vin; a box of aromas to train your senses.

Le Nez du Cafe; a box of aromas to train your senses.

 

All sorts of new things to learn about! Have my eyes set on that Bonavita variable temp thermal kettle!

All sorts of new things to learn about! Have my eyes set on that Bonavita variable temp thermal kettle!

 

Beans from the world. Free Trade / Organic

Beans from the world. Free Trade / Organic

 

Roasting, having fun using the 90-kilo Probat roaster from the 1960s. What a beast!

Roasting, having fun using the 90-kilo Probat roaster from the 1960s. What a beast! Oh and let’s make sure to note, Batdorf and Bronson was green before green was green! 100% renewable. Wow.

 

Roasted.

Roasted.

 

Packing station

Packing station

 

What a treat! I had been chatting with Jason Dominy from Batdorf and Bronson regarding all things coffee, and he was nice enough to ask if I wanted to swing by to have all my questions answered. A very informative tour that took about an hour; he pretty much set aside as much time as I needed to get all my coffee related questions answered. Also, if you happen to follow him on twitter, he is really quick to reply to your questions! Oh and don’t tell anybody, but not only does he make you an amazing cup of coffee upon arrival, he teaches you how to do it for yourself when back at home – because let’s face it, we don’t have a Jason Dominy to make us delicious cups of coffee at home :(,

A really fun room was definitely the one with all the awesome coffee equipment. Every coffee related item I’ve ever seen and more; the best part of it all? Jason was open to show/tell me what they were all about. My favorite part of the tour was seeing all the workers happy to be there. The interaction between everyone just made you feel even better drinking the amazing coffee that had been roasted right here in Atlanta, Georgia!!

Tips and Tricks:
– Clever Dripper – best tool a home consumer can buy to brew a wonderful and clean cup of coffee
– Use filtered water to brew a more impurity free cup of coffee
– Rinse your filter before use; reduce the filter’s flavor imparting into your java
– Best temperatures for extraction is 195-205 degrees
– Conventional coffee brewing machines never get water to optimal temperatures for extraction
– A Le Nez du Cafe is a cool tool to train your sense of smell; expensive though
– Light, Air, and Moisture strongly reduces the lifespan of roasted coffee
– Best to use a burr grinder; more even grind
– Grounded coffee should be used for brew within a week’s time
– Bloom your coffee! To bloom is to wet the grinds for a short duration, allowing degassing to take place; then, it’s best to pour the remaining water, optimizing water to grounds exposure – imparting more flavor per water.

After the short visit to Batdorf and Bronson, I have to say.. I’m a true believer! Did I mention I didn’t really drink coffee too much previously? And when I did, it was just for the caffeine? Trust me… try it and it’ll change you for the better. If you live in Atlanta, do yourself a favor and setup a tour with Jason. Actually, if you are available Feb 27th or 28th, go check out the Team Hidi tour via Atlanta Culinary Tours. Your favorite coffee guru, Jason, is leading both sessions of coffee 101! Check out the event here. Not only will you learn, you’ll also help an amazing cause!! Read up on Team Hidi, it’ll make you want to do your part; heck, a huge part of great Atlanta based restaurants and businesses are!

Thanks!
MW

 

Batdorf and Bronson (information gathered 2/2013)
1530 Carroll Dr NW #100,
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.351.0071
Hours
Mon – Thu 9:00am – 5:00pm (tours only between 7:00 – 10:00am)

Parking:
Plenty.

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References:

Add me on twitter / facebook: twitter facebook 
Batdorf and Bronson website | facebook
J
ason Dominy website | twitter
Atlanta Culinary Tour website
Team Hidi website

Star Provisions | Atlanta, Georgia USA

On Assignment for ChefsFeed!! Star Provision’s Salami Bread; recommendation by Ford Fry of No246, The Optimist, and JCT Kitchen

 

 

Inside Star Provision

 

 

Star Provision Brownie

 

To kick this year off (happy new year everybody, by the way), started off with going to Star Provisions to shoot a quick dish for Chefs Feed. Joined their team back in Q2/Q3 of 2012 and it’s been a fun ride so far, looking forward to more delicious shoots! If you havent checked out the app yet, please do. It’s a great tool to find some great eats locally.

The assignment was of Star Provision’s Salami Bread; recommended by Chef Ford Fry from such awesome restaurants like JCT Kitchen, No246, and titled by Esquire Magazine, “Best New Restaurant in America,” The Optimist. If he thinks this self-contained salami/cheese consumable is good, it is worth checking out. The shoot was a quick 30-45 minutes to find the optimal lighting, plate and capture the image. After, they heated up the salami bread and I got to eat it! Nothing gets wasted~ Such is the benefit of shooting the food as you would see it. No fake food or mash potatoes for ice cream here.

The Salami bread was awesome though. A great outer crust with a hot cheese and thin sliced salami on the inside. I was decently full after just eating half, got the rest to go. Had a quick chat with one of the workers behind the counter and was convinced to try their brownie. Made sure to snap a photo before I took a quick bite and took it also to go for later. It was definitely worth it. 🙂

Star Provisions (information gathered 1/2013)
1198 Howell Mill Road Northwest
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.365.0410
Hours
10:00 am until Midnight
Monday through Saturday

Parking:
Parking lot in front of the eatery / shop.

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References:

Add me on twitter / facebook: twitter | facebook
Chefs Feed chefsfeed.com | twitter
Star Provisions website | twitter | facebook

Miller Union | Atlanta, Georgia USA

field pea hummus, black pepper lavash

 

 

creamed rice with country ham & greens, turnips, mushrooms, poached farm egg

 

 

Working with Chefs Feed to gather some delicious looking images of food around the country. First stop in Atlanta, Georgia is Miller Union. A restaurant from Chef Steven Satterfield, I’ve been once before and must say the food there is very tasty. Especially love the farm egg baked in celery cream with rustic bread dish.

On this day, I was able to work with Chef Steven Satterfield directly (very exciting!!) to capture a few of the dishes that Chefs Feed is adding to their app. A bit different of a setup as I had access to any angle the restaurant had vacant. (versus the unknown whereby I am sat at a table that may or may not be well lit).

Had a great time working with Chef Satterfield and enjoyed the opportunity via Chefs Feed! Really happy with how these shots came out. Thanks for reading!

Miller Union (information gathered 11/2012)
999 Brady Avenue NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30318
678.733.8550
Hours
Lunch
Tue – Sat 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner
Mon – Thurs 5:00 pm – 10:00pm
Fri – Sat 5:00 – 11:00pm

Parking
Street parking is plentiful as long as you get there at a decent time. I’ve typically arrived around 5:30 with no issues finding parking.

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References:  Chefs Feed chefsfeed.com | twitter
Miller Union website facebook twitter 

Empire State South | Atlanta, Georgia USA

Coffee. Black.

 

 

Roasted Padron Peppers

 

 

Pimento Cheese w/ bacon marmalade

 

 

Pork Belly; Anson mills grits, sorghum, coddled egg, pears, peanuts.

 

 

Steak & Egg; Anson mill oats, maitake mushrooms, kale, ESS hot sauce, sunny egg

 

 

Scrapple; Crisp sourdough, fried egg, pickled mustard seed, apple butter, radish and herb salad

 

While reading Chef Acheson’s blog on the finale of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 4 (congrats btw to Chris Cosentino!), he made a mention of how there is a dish that is similar to the beef tartar dish Chris served. I’ve always wanted to check out ESS and figured this past weekend was the opportunity to do so. After a few back/forth tweets between myself and both Chef Acheson/Chef Smith, knew exactly what to order for the group! Chef Ryan Smith mentioned Steak and Eggs with the oats and hot sauce; while Chef Hugh Acheson just said anything with pork and coffee. Also during some researching around the net, saw that the Pimento Cheese with bacon marmalade was a must have. Just reading it made me salavate.

Favorite dishes: Steak and Eggs with the oats and hot sauce; also, the Pimento cheese w/ bacon marmalade (it was better than the name sounds, which is pretty freaking awesome!!).

Empire State South (information gathered 10/2012)
999 Peachtree Street Northeast #140
Atlanta, GA 30309
404.541.1105
Hours
Breakfast
Mon – Fri 7:00am – 10:00am
Lunch
Mon – Fri 11:00am – 3:00pm
Dinner
Mon – Sun 5:30pm – 11:00pm
Brunch
Sat & Sun 10:30am – 3:00pm.

Parking
Parking is bountiful! Either the parking deck in the Taco Mac deck or there are a good bit of meters that you can pay via cash/change/credit card.

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References: 

Thanks to Ryan Smith / Hugh Acheson for the recommended dishes and the delicious food.
Chef Ryan Smith  twitter
Chef Hugh Acheson facebooktwitter
Empire State South empirestatesouth.com/ | twitter | facebook

Barley Swine | Austin, Texas USA

Barley Swine Menu

 

Chef Bryce Gilmore and team plating evening’s grouper special

 

Watermelon gazpacho, mint yogurt, smoked tomato, sumac

 

Grouper, blackened butternut squash, ham, coconut milk, jalapeno

 

Grilled Goat Heart; curried eggplant, figs, falafel

 

Grilled lamb sausage, tomato, fried chickpea cake, basil

 

Per the recommendation of Justin Fox of Fox Brothers BBQ, Chef Bryce Gilmore’s Barley Swine was a place not to miss. As I only had 24 hours in Austin, I definitely made this restaurant a priority. A surprise was that the Grilled Goat Heart was my favorite dish of the evening; followed by the grouper and blackened squash. Unfortunately as we had a reservation to Uchi soon, we were unable to order down the list. Will have to make another trip.

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Barley Swine  (information gathered 9/2012)
2024 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas
512.394.8150
Hours
Mon – Fri 6pm – 11pm
Sat 5pm – 11pm

Parking
When we went, there was limited parking; early arrival advised.

Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com

References:

Thanks to Bang Ho for coming with me on my food adventure through Austin, Texas
Barley Swine http://barleyswine.com/