credit: William Berry/staff

All those fancy cooks at the New York Times are proposing exciting  ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey. Why shove your bird into the oven on a roasting pan, they ask, when you know that’s just a one-way ticket to the ho hums?

According to the New York Times, you should STEAM your turkey.

But if that’s too much work, then you should BRAISE the bird or — better yet — SPATCHCOCK the sucker.

We will not be outdone by those commonplace techniques here at the AJC. If you really want to impress guests far beyond any way they might be momentarily wowed by a New York Times turkey, may we propose one of these five exciting new preparation methods:

1. Tie it to your exhaust manifold: Nothing could be simpler. Wrap the turkey in sage leaves and then chicken wire and then heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drive to Whole Foods (the one in Birmingham) to pick up your sides and desserts, and you will have one beautiful bird by the time you roll back into Atlanta.
2. Go …

Continue reading Five fabulous new ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey »

Does your family have a food outlier? By that I mean the one person who enjoys food, thinks about food and handles food unlike everyone else.

In the family I grew up in, that was my father. While my siblings, mother and I were all instinctive cooks who could throw ingredients together with ease, he couldn’t fry a steak in a pan. While the rest of us all liked desserts well enough but would rather have seconds of spaghetti, he had a raging sweet tooth.

So my mom always had some perfunctory dessert or other after dinner. Pudding or Jell-O from a mix, tapioca with fruit cocktail or her infamous “yogurt pie” fashioned from Dannon coffee yogurt, Cool Whip and a pre-made graham cracker crust.

But once every four years, something strange happened. As we all watched the election returns on TV, he would disappear into the kitchen, pull out the tattered copy of “The Joy of Cooking” and set about making fudge.

It was the strangest sight in the world: The man who would heat up a can of …

Continue reading An Election-night tradition: making fudge »

AJC staff

Time to break out the hammer and nail and add a few notches to your belts, because the most face-stuffing season of the year is upon us once again.

Thanksgiving is, and has been, my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. And not because, as my Mom used to always say, it is one of the only holidays that centers around simply being with your family rather than buying “stuff” for them. No, it is because of the food.

While my wife probably isn’t looking forward to the annual 7-10 lbs. of base layer blubber that I usually pick up over the next 45 days, I sure am. And the opening ceremonies are less than a week away.

The Thanksgiving meal is one that is nearly always steeped in tradition, and it seems like everyone I know has some sort of Thanksgiving tradition that, when “messed with”, sets off a sometimes violent reaction. And this usually comes down to one or more of the dishes served each year.

I vividly remember the year that my brother-in-law volunteered to …

Continue reading A Thanksgiving dish you can’t live without? »

credit: William Berry/staff

Atlanta restaurants are gearing up to help you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday whether you plan to dine out or at home. Here’s a sampling of options for a little holiday help.

Dining out:

• Food 101 is planning a traditional Southern Thanksgiving meal for its patrons. A variety of appetizers like deviled eggs and pickled veggies will be provided for the table. Guests will have a choice between turkey, ham or leg of lamb for their entree and a slew of Southern sides served family-style. Holiday favorites like pumpkin and pecan pie will be among the dessert options. 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. 4969 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 404-497-9700. $45 adults, $20 ages 6-12, 5 and under free.
• Marietta’s Chicken and the Egg will also offer a Southern Thanksgiving experience with a meal comprised of an entree, three sides and a dessert. Entree choices include roasted turkey with cornbread dressing or glazed ham. Select sides like sweet potato casserole, green bean …

Continue reading Atlanta restaurants do Thanksgiving »

The Pond Room at Spice Market

Atlanta has many options available for private dining. If you’re planning a social or corporate function this holiday season, it’s time to make those reservations. See yesterday’s article on venues for private holiday dining. Here are a few additional restaurants accepting reservations for your festivities.

Modern Restaurant + Bar

• This new restaurant serving American fare with an emphasis on seafood has several options for holiday gatherings. The glass encased Vista room will host groups of 30 while the Outlook room overlooking the bar and dining room will accommodate 12. Five- to seven-course tasting menus are available for your event.

Spice Market at W Atlanta Midtown

• Spice Market offers two private dining rooms that will accommodate guests for both seated and cocktail-style events. The Trellis room is the smaller of the two, seating 35 guests or holding 45 for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. The larger Pond room will host 75 seated or 90 …

Continue reading Additional options for hosting holiday events in Atlanta »

Although it may be difficult to believe, the holidays are quickly approaching. Restaurants are accepting reservations for holiday parties. If you’re considering hosting a soiree for an upcoming business or social event, now is the time to secure a date. Here are some private dining options to help you plan those festivities.

The formal affair

If you plan to host a formal business or social function that’s fit for foodies, Rathbun’s Restaurant has your bases covered. Menus start at $50 per person for three courses and range up to $80 for five. They include some of the restaurant’s signature dishes such as the mock turtle soup with Dry Sack sherry, Maine lobster and roasted green chile taco with Cascabel cream, and the ever-popular banana peanut butter cream pie.

Wine, beer and spirits are charged based on consumption. The restaurant will guide you through its formula for pricing estimates based on beverage selection.

Rathbun’s has several private spaces available. The Wine …

Continue reading Venues for private holiday parties »

So, tell me… White Chocolate Peppermint Pringles. Sound yummy? Cinnamon & Sugar? Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Sweet and savory combinations work so well: salted caramel, chocolate pretzels and so forth. I’m sure that’s what the research and development team for Pringles thought of when they developed these new holiday flavors.

When I first heard about them, I can’t say I was especially enthusiastic. Yet, I was curious enough to seek them out. And when I couldn’t find them, it became a challenge.

A friend of mine mentioned on Facebook that she’d seen them in Walmart. I checked every Walmart in the metro area to no avail. I checked local grocers, Target and other retailers. Nada. In the end, my friend who lives in Hoschton mailed me a package containing two of the flavors.

After trying both, I’m undecided. I wouldn’t buy them again, but they aren’t quite as unappealing as I thought possible. And, if I actually liked Pringles to start with, they might satisfy that sweet/salty note.

The …

Continue reading Coming soon: Holiday-flavored Pringles »

Truly Living Well market (courtesy of Truly Living Well)

I like to think that every day is Food Day, but tomorrow really is Food Day. An event created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, it exists to raise awareness of food issues and to advocate for policies that support good food distribution and awareness.

Slow Food Atlanta send over this handy-dandy guide to all the events scheduled around town tomorrow and Thursday to observe Food Day. You can help work a community garden and enjoy a potluck lunch. You can go to a wine tasting. You can listen to music. You can do/eat/drink lots.

On Wednesday:

Food Day Eat-In: Celebrate Food Day by shopping at the Decatur Farmers Market on Wednesday, October 24! Bring a blanket or chair, grab some delicious picnic food and walk across the street to our Food Day Eat-In outside of the First Baptist Church and enjoy your fresh, local food with fellow Food Day supporters. Local musicians will provide entertainment. Decatur …

Continue reading Events to celebrate Food Day »

courtesy ONE.org

Today is World Food Day, an event to promote awareness about worldwide hunger and malnutrition and to inspire action around the globe.

ONE, an organization co-founded by Bono that is dedicated to fight poverty and preventable disease, will host a series of events as part of its campaign to encourage world leaders to take action to reduce chronic malnutrition in kids. According to a press release, it’s estimated that malnutrition is to blame for more than a third of all deaths in children under the age of five.

Chefs Mario Batali, José Andrés, Marcus Samuelsson, Spike Mendelsohn and Hugh Acheson join the campaign with food events around the country. These chefs will highlight the sweet potato as a source of nutrition.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Stop by the Viking Cooking School today to catch a free demonstration and tasting with Hugh Acheson at 11 a.m.
• Join a mass “Heat Tweet” today at noon. ONE is calling on the public to send a tweet to U.S. …

Continue reading World Food Day today, free cooking demo with Hugh Acheson »

Halloween is coming up soon, and some Atlanta restaurants are getting into the spirit of the season. Here are a few of the Halloween themed events going on around town.

Meehan’s – Sandy Springs

Meehan’s Public House in Sandy Springs has the ultimate Halloween Bash planned for Saturday, October 27. 80’s power-rock cover band Iron Mullet will play, and there will also be a cash prize give away to the patron that shows up with the best costume. Stay hydrated with drink specials including hunch punch and Jell-O shots. If you want to get a head start on burning off that Halloween candy, join us during the day for a walk/run marathon hosted by the American Lung Association. The marathon ends at Meehan’s. Runners will be offered a specialty food menu and drink specials. 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m., Saturday October 27th. 227 Sandy Springs Plaza, 404-843-8058. www.101concepts.com/meehanssandysprings/. $6 admission

Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market – Howell Mill

The Atlanta Food Truck Park & …

Continue reading Restaurants celebrating Halloween around town »