Pastry dances

Are these Broadway desserts?   Dancing Pastries?   Fancy treats for a cotillion?

I don't know but I want to find out.  And I will find out soon.

Chocolate and .... ??

I know, I know...  Why would I need anything else besides the chocolate right?

I have been experimenting with cheese and choc combinations recently and used this Ibiza sea salt dark chocolate with Petit Basque.  The salt and sweet was a nice balance with the flavor or the sheep cheese.

But now as I eat the chocolate for dessert with some hot tea, it occurs to me that it would be great with plain popcorn.  Talk about a fantastic salty, sweet, gluten free - almost could be called healthy - treat!

True words that make me giggle

When I worked at a summer camp we used to make jokes about things that do not go well together.   Spaghetti and Breakfast; Alcohol and Swimming Pools; Crickets and Cabins.

But this was one we didn't think of but probably should have.  

I'm glad the folks at Bodum coffee did though!

History of holiday treats

I should have been a food historian.

I find myself fascinated by how many variations of holiday treats there are from different countries around the world.   Working in a European style bakery means I see and get to taste a lot of these!

Stollen, Panettone, Light English Fruitcake, Florentines, Traditional American Fruitcake.....

So many ways to bind together dried fruit in a sweet - with or without rum, nuts, marzipan or actual cake.
And they have interesting histories to explore while you eat them!

Happy Haloween!

I know the pet photos are a cliche but this was just too good not to share!

The devil costume didn't really fit because it was a gift from a bigger dog.  But he was such an angel for putting up with it and them with me walking him around the neighborhood in it.

He doesn't usually let me put his vest on when it is really cold outside. And I am not particularly a pet clothing kind of person either.  However, he was fine with his little devil costume!

How many have you tried?

Continuing my restaurant wish list, I took a look at the Top 100 Places to Eat article on Southern Living magazine's website.  So far I have been to 10 of the 100 with many of the other being already on my regional wish list.   Oh yes - I have a local list, a regional one, a USA one and an internaional list too!

Take a look at the SL Top 100 and see how many you have been to or even heard of before!     www.southernliving.com/restaurants

Restaurant Wish List - Fall- Atlanta

So I have my lists of places I want to go.  Some of them are exotic locales all over the world.  Others are as simple as the many great restaurants in Atlanta that I want to try out.

Here is my fall 2013 Atlanta list:

Cardamom Hill

Empire State South

Abattoir

Imperial Fez

Restaurant Eugene

King + Duke

Pinewood Tippling Room

Anyone have more suggestions?  What is on your list?