Nashville - Bite One...

Some friends are heading to Nashville this weekend for a wedding and it got me thinking that I never had a chance to share about my most recent escapade to that wonderful town. I had the privilege to visit Nashville again back in February for some vacation time. I may just now finally be writing about it, but the experiences, sites, and tastes I enjoyed are still as vivid as yesterday.

While Art and I of course had a wonderful time taking part in the backstage tour of the newly refinished Grand Ol’ Opryhouse, visiting other historical sites and hanging out in that wonderful town, we experienced some fantastic meals.

I had done my research before the trip and had an idea of which spots I wanted to hit when. I like structure but I also leave a few options open for discoveries we may stumble upon and things of that nature. I’m happy to say every place we picked was stellar and I want to share the highlights, and I imagine I’ll be breaking up the trip into two posts to give each dining experience its due!

Our first night in town, we visited Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Not to my surprise after reading a few reviews, it was truly an entire experience. The employees did not rush us as we tasted multiple flavors and they explained each one with great detail. I am a sucker for clever presentation and excellent service, and Jeni includes both in her parlors. I sampled Bangkok Peanut, Ugandan Vanilla, Darkest Chocolate, Brambleberry Crisp, Cherry Lambic Sorbet (yes, made with beer!), Ooey Gooey Buttercake, Lime Cardamom, and Goat Cheese with Cognac-soaked Figs. Phew, I think remembered them all.

 





Simply put, they were all so good and unique, but I ended up with scoops of Dark Chocolate and Buttercake. Art got a healthy does of the Buttercake - it was a great flavor for sure.

A month or so before the trip, I changed my Groupon settings to receive deal in the Nashville area just to see if anything fun would come up. Well, I purchased a Groupon for The Phunky Griddle after checking out its site and menu. I was fond of the organic and GF batters available along with the chance to sit at a table with a built in griddle and cook my own food! I know some people shudder and think it’s silly to PAY to cook your own food but I love to cook. The prep and clean up are the parts I don’t like and of course they are taken care of here.

I had organic five-grain cakes with breakfast potatoes and Art went with the GF batter. We had some fun mix ins and toppings and we had a blast!

I think I’ll leave it there for now. I need to sort through some more pics and decide what to share for a second post about Nashville!

Cheers!

Missing My Weekly Fix…

I'm on the road for work this week. As always, it makes me miss home and the routines I so easily take for granted. I love being able to visit a new place and go on a few culinary adventures, but I already can't wait to get back to my regular life for so many reasons.

I do the majority of the cooking in the household, and I usually love doing it. Just the other day, while preparing one of our favorite meals, I asked Art when we started the weekly tradition of quinoa and squash. It has been a while, and my guess is since fall we have had quinoa and “buttnut,” as we so affectionately refer to it, about once a week for dinner.

I’ve tweaked the dish with this and that from week to week, but it remains a staple in our diets, and rightly so. Butternut squash is packed with vitamin A and vital phytonutrients that combat cancer. Quinoa is an incredible seed with great doses of iron and fiber in addition to it being a complete protein. It is also gluten free and along with millet is an easily digestible whole grain.

Lately, one of my tasks on Sunday to get ready for the week is to prepare and roast a whole buttnut to use throughout the week. This proves to be a far superior method than having to do this after work during the week. One squash typically gives provides two dinners or a dinner and some lunches. It’s a super easy go-to for weekday dinners and super delicious. Butternut squash turns into candy when it's roasted – who doesn’t like that!? Sprinkle it with a little rosemary and/or cinnamon and its divine!

I’ve had my eye set on acorn squash lately as I’ve discovered some fun ways to cook and present it for a meal. I’ll be sure to document it when it happens. Cheers!

Farm-to-Fork and Fork-to-Mouth…

“Harvest” is a great word. I remember having an annual “Harvest Celebration” in elementary school where we’d bob for apples, get lost in corn mazes, and make candy apples. While this word evokes cooler weather and pumpkin’s infiltration of every food group, it is also the name of an excellent “farm-to-fork” restaurant in Glen Mills, PA.

On my way back from a business trip in Dover, DE, I began getting hungry for dinner and was contemplating whether or not to stop somewhere for instant gratification or continue on for another hour to get home. As I pondered the issue at a stop light, I looked to my right to see that wonderful word affixed above the front doors of a restaurant. Jackpot! I completely forgot I’d be driving by Dave Magrogan’s place even though it had been on my “To Eat” list for close to two years. I was happy to discover my destination and be done with my contemplation about whether or not to stop.

I was quickly seated and placed an order for the PeakOrganic Simcoe Spring Ale. I sipped on its deliciousness as I decided on vittles. I went with the Fresh Ratatouille sandwich. It was made with local, organic veggies, a zesty red sauce, and some awesome fresh mozz. I also had to give the mac and cheese a try and it was excellent.

Overall, a complete home run thanks to Harvest!

A Daikon a Day...

I usually turn on Dr. Oz when I get home from work and occasionally absorb helpful tips and hear about a new recipe to try. I heard about one recipe a while back and recently had a chance to try it out. This particular dish had some more exotic ingredients I have never or rarely used, so I wanted to give it a try as each ingredient was included for a specific health benefit. It was also a new venture for me because in addition to eating meat on rare occasion, I have never prepared an entire chicken. Whole Foods had its whole organic chickens on sale so I figured it was time to give this a whirl. I was in for some fun!

Ginger “Braised” Chicken with Daikon

This recipe includes health promoting powerhouses like ginger, daikon, carrots, onion, and turmeric. I had never worked with a whole chicken or lemongrass, and I have never even tasted daikon. While daikon is rich in the "ACE" vitamins and has great immunity boosting properties, ginger aids digestion and turmeric is an incredible anti-inflammatory ingredient!

 















 


All in all, I think it was a successful dish. I love the flavors of ginger and lemongrass and was pleasantly surprised by daikon. It looks like a big white carrot but is actually in the radish family. It kind of had the texture of a water chestnut. It was a cool combo! It’s a great dish that will provide wonderful disease- and sickness-fighting abilities to all who partake.