Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Atlanta Opera Presents Bon Appétit! by Lee Hoiby at The Cook's Warehouse

Performance to Benefit The Atlanta Opera

Join The Atlanta Opera on Thursday, November 4 at 7:30pm at The Cook’s Warehouse at Ansley Mall for Bon Appétit! - a 30-minute operetta based on Julia Child’s popular television show. The audience will be transported to Julia Child’s famous 1960’s kitchen-studio, and will watch mezzo-soprano Susan Nicely whip up some giggles and comedic-fromage. Following the performance, guests will sample Julia’s treats, and will have the opportunity to shop in the store and sign up for future cooking classes. Attendees will receive a 10% discount on in-store purchases made that evening. There also will be giveaways. Admission is a tax-deductible $25 donation to The Atlanta Opera. This event is open to the public.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call Amanda Wilborn at 404.591.2928 or visit atlantaopera.org. Special pricing is available for Comprimarios members.

About Bon Appétit!
Bon Appétit!, by composer Lee Hoiby, was written for comedienne Jean Stapleton as music draped over the words and gestures of Julia Child, the mother-of-all foodies. The libretto, by Mark Shulgasser, is based on a seminal early work by playwright Lanford Wilson, first produced in 1965. The two acts also are based on two episodes of Julia Child’s second WGBH-TV season: “the race between the whisk” and “the electric beater comes out of a different cake.” Hoiby's music deftly veers around Broadway chansons, early television, and underlines Julia Child's compelling domestic uplift.

About Susan Nicely
Mezzo-Soprano Susan Nicely is known for her rich voice and vivid characterizations. Her highly acclaimed “lively comic presence” in roles such as Dame Marthe in Faust, Old Lady in Candide, and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, as well as dramatic portrayals in Cavalleria rusticana as Mamma Lucia and The Ballad of Baby Doe as Mama McCourt make the character mezzo an “audience darling,” says the Austin American-Statesman. Her roles have included Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette with the New Orleans Opera, Housekeeper in Man of La Mancha at the Shreveport Opera, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia in concert with the Helena Symphony, the Nurse in Boris Godunov at the Dallas Opera, and Katasha in The Mikado with the Indianapolis Opera. She performed the role of Thelma Predmore in The Atlanta Opera’s 2008 production of Cold Sassy Tree.

About The Atlanta Opera 

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera is one of the finest regional opera companies in the nation, drawing audiences from the entire metropolitan Atlanta area as well as from the Southeast region. Led by Zurich General Director Dennis Hanthorn, The Atlanta Opera strives to expand the experience of its patrons with memorable and exciting opera performances reflecting the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. The company also works to attract the finest international, national, and regional singers, conductors, stage directors and designers. For the 2010-2011 season, The Atlanta Opera presents three productions with four performances each at the Cobb Energy Centre.
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Dante's Down the Hatch Celebrates 40th Anniversary!

Buckhead Restaurant & Nightspot Famous For Fondue and Sterling Service

“I am extremely elated that we’ve not only survived for 40 years on the Atlanta restaurant scene,” states Dante Stephensen, of Dante’s Down the Hatch. “But we’ve thrived. Our 7 managers have amassed 183 years of restaurant service together at Dante’s, and our 50 employees are rigorously trained and intensely loyal. I am personally on site nearly every evening welcoming patrons aboard and helping out throughout the restaurant. We all work as a team and the words ‘that’s not my job’ aren’t spoken here. We don’t rest on our reputation...we earn it at every meal.”

Dante credits his unique business style to his immigrant parents’ work ethic, his Montessori schooling, his Navy Seal training, his mottos of consistency and integrity, and his love of fresh, high-quality natural foods. A world traveler, Dante got the idea for the restaurant theme when he was visiting the Swiss Alps. The restaurant is an authentic 18th century sailing ship which features private cabins, a spacious open deck, 13 levels of interconnecting dining rooms, and an intimate wharf bar. Antiques from around the world are found throughout Dante’s Down The Hatch including unusual religious artifacts like Baptist pews, a torah rail from a Jewish Synagogue, and a Spanish Catholic confessional.

But the ambience and service would be nothing without fantastic food. Dante’s specializes in dining fondue-style featuring choice cut chemical free Australian tenderloins, hormone free chicken, fresh shrimp and a delectable array of imported cheeses. And garden fresh veggies, homemade breads and old-fashioned New York style cheesecake will make your mouth water! If you want the amazing chocolate fondue, you’ll need to order at least 2 days in advance.

Whether it’s a first date, a 25th wedding anniversary, an annual corporate dinner, or just TGIF, Dante’s Down The Hatch has become a dining destination for Atlantans, as well as local and visiting celebrities. Just a few well-known diners include: Burt Reynolds, Ted Turner, Gladys Knight, Rod Stewart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Angela Lansbury, Halle Berry, Kathryn Heigel, Charlton Heston, Jimmy Carter, Newt Gingrich, Andy Young, Deepak Chopra, Marlin Perkins, Issac Hayes, Evander Holyfield, Neal Boortz, Phil Donahue, Monica Pearson, Candice Bergen, Bill Cosby, and Liberace.

Dante’s has always been home to some of the best live jazz in Atlanta. The Paul Mitchell Trio played there for 30 years until Paul passed away in 2000. A Mitchell protégé, John Robertson started playing with the Mitchell trio in 1989 and now he graces the stage with his own trio from Tuesday-Sunday evenings. They are truly one of Atlanta’s best kept secrets!

Fast Fun Facts:
· International visitors love Dante’s. The menu is translated into over 60 languages!
· Dante’s has a moat in the restaurant around the ship where crocodiles live.
· Dante’s makes a unique party setting. Groups from 4 to 300 are welcome and easily accommodated.
· Chocolate fondue (yum) can be ordered in advance and is a veritable feast!
· A tall ships captain from Savannah did the restaurant’s rigging and it’s accurate.
· The bar offers more than 188 different wines and they have been included in the prestigious Wine Spectator listing every year since 1982.
· Dante lives and travels (yes travels) aboard a1926 railroad car.

Dante’s Down The Hatch is conveniently located in Buckhead at 3380 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326. For more information and to see photos of the restaurant, visit their web site at: www.dantesdownthehatch.com. Reservations are urged. Call 404-266-1600.

GATable Note: LOVE Dante's Down the Hatch! It is definitely one of our favorites and for some of us, it has been so since the days of Underground Atlanta way back when. The food is fabulous, the music great, the atmosphere is perfect. Congratulations to Dante for continuing the tradition! I'll be hoisting a chocolate fondue tidbit to my mouth in your honor soon! - jmd
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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Tickets Now on Sale

/PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (AF&WF) tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Southern epicurean showcase, set to take place in Atlanta on May 19-22, 2011. Founders Dominique Love and Elizabeth Feichter, together with a council of 60 top chefs, sommeliers and tastemakers from 13 states in the region will celebrate the rich food and drink traditions of the South, highlighting culinary personalities ranging from barbecue pit masters and bourbon distillers to local farmers and award-winning chefs such as chef John Besh from Restaurant August in New Orleans and Tim Love from The Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth, TX.

"Guests can sip, savor and learn about Southern food and drink culture from the most talented industry leaders south of the Mason-Dixon," says Feichter. "Not only will the Atlanta Food &Wine Festival honor the region's diverse heritage, but we are proud to share the new and emerging flavors and traditions that make the South simply the most dynamic culinary region in the U.S.," added Love.

The AF&WF will feature more than 200 activities over four days, including tasting tents, seminars, chef demonstrations, theme dinners and special events featuring whole animal roasts, regional craft beer tastings, a variety of Southern barbecue, and fine wines and cocktails from some of the country's top talents. All activities are connected to the festival's three themes: old traditions, new traditions, and imports and inspirations (aka "other Southern").

A sampling of festival events includes: Traditional Southern Supper with Matt Lee & Ted Lee at Miller Union; White Lightnin'— The Story of 'Shine from Distilling Legend and NASCAR Superstar Junior Johnson ; Dry v. Wet Grill Off with Kevin and Kent Rathbun ; Farmer Hall of Fame gala to recognize outstanding regional growers, and a variety of Southern 101 seminars exploring topics from the highly politicized street cart movement to the future of dining in the South. Kevin Gillespie of Atlanta's Woodfire Grill and a Top Chef alum will be curating a special Whole Pig Tent, in which festival-goers will be able to learn roasting techniques and sample all things pork.

The Festival will also boast a number of wine and spirits tastings, featuring products from the region and from other Southern regions around the globe, such as Southern Europe, South Africa, South America and Australia. Beverage seminars include tastings of Chateauneuf-du-Pape by Marc Perrin and a reserve bourbon tasting with Julian Van Winkle of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillers. In addition, Van Winkle will be curating the Festival's landmark Bourbon Tent, which will feature top bourbons from throughout the South.

To ensure that authentic Southern food and traditions are represented, Love and Feichter have created the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Founders Council, a committee of some of the South's best culinary talent, including such notable chefs John Currence from City Grocery in Oxford, MS; Michael Paley from Proof on Main in Louisville, KY; Sean Brock from McCrady's in Charleston, SC; Hugh Acheson from Five & Ten in Athens, GA; and Frank Stitt from Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, AL.

In addition, Southern chef stalwarts, such as Christopher and Idie Hastings from Hot &Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, AL , Kevin Maxey from Craft in Atlanta, GA; Pano Karatassos Jr. from Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in Atlanta, GA; Andrea Reusing from Lantern in Chapel Hill, NC; Kelly English from Restaurant Iris in Memphis, TN; and Duane Nutter from One Flew South in Atlanta, GA, are all part of the Festival's prestigious Founder's Council, the goal of which is to create authentic and compelling experiences for all Festival guests.

Tickets for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival are now on sale and range from $75 for select tastings and events to the $2500 Connoisseur Package, which includes access to the exclusive Connoisseur Track, Connoisseur Lounge and Events, Opening Reception, Tasting Tents, and even early access to all seminars and demos. For more information or to buy tickets, please visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com and follow us on Facebook.com/AtlantaFoodandWineFestival and Twitter.com/ATLFoodandWine.

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Monday, October 18, 2010

Customer Appreciation Week at Truett's Grill, Morrow

Customer Appreciation Week is here! Join Truett's Grill in Morrow October 18-23, 2010 for Customer Appreciation Week for great give-aways, specials and events.

Activities:

TODAY- receive one FREE Homestyle Side from 11 am-9 pm. (one per person, dine-in only)

Tuesday - BOGO Day! Buy one Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich get one FREE from 11 am-9 pm. (limit 2 per person) Costume Contest at 5:30 & 6:30 pm. Each contestant will receive a prize! Ages 12 and under can participate. No scary costumes please.

Wednesday - FREE Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit from 6-10:30 am! Limit one per person. BOGO Breakfast Platters from 5-9pm!

Thursday - FREE Spicy Chicken Sandwich from 11 am-3 pm. Limit one per person. Costume Contest at 5:30 & 6:30 pm. Each contestant will receive a prize! Ages 12 and under can participate. No scary costumes please.

Friday - Free Chocolate Chunk Granola Cookies! Receive a FREE order of Chocolate Chunk Granola Cookies with any purchase from 11 am -9 pm.

Saturday - Receipt Day! Step 1 - Eat Truett’s Grill in Morrow anytime on Saturday, October 23 - Step 2 - Bring your receipt back anytime November 1-30, 2010 for that same meal FREE! Includes Chick-fil-A® Trays and Box Meals. This offer excludes discounted/free items, calendars, plush cows and gift cards.

Due to events for Customer Appreciation Week, there will be no Bingo on Wednesday, October 20th. Bingo will resume next Wednesday, October 27th at 9 am.

For a list of all events for October, visit the website’s Events Calendar at www.truettsgrillmorrow.com.
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Alton Brown, Good Eats 2, to sign books at Buckhead Borders

Thursday, October 21, 2010 • 7:30 PM
>>Borders – Atlanta - Buckhead
3637 Peachtree Rd. NE, Ste. C | Atlanta, GA | 404.237.0707

Alton Brown
Good Eats 2

Event dates and times subject to change. Capacity may be limited. Please arrive early.
See store for details.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Kick Off Game Day With Grilled Avocados

(NAPSI)-Whether enjoying the game in front of the TV or at the stadium, food is always a big part of game day gatherings.

Tyler Florence, chef, cook book author and host of Food Network’s “Tyler’s Ultimate,” is known for developing ultimate versions of traditional dishes. For quick and delicious game day offerings, he recommends incorporating Hass avocados into the menu.

“Hass avocados are my go-to ingredient for game day dishes,” says Florence. “They add a great flavor and creamy texture to everything I make—without a lot of work.”

Hass avocados can add a new dimension of flavor to freshly grilled meats, top off fresh salads and sandwiches or serve as the star ingredient in guacamole. In addition to delectable flavor, Hass avocados also contribute good fats to one’s diet, along with nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

To help fans plan their own “ultimate” game day menu, Florence shares this unique grilling recipe:

Chili Grilled Hass Avocados With Toasted Jalapeño Breadcrumbs

Serves: 8

4 ripe, fresh Hass avocados, cut in half and seeded

Tyler’s Ultimate Chili (recipe follows)

Toasted Jalapeño Breadcrumbs (recipe follows)

1. Fill the avocados with a ¼ cup of hot chili, and place on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the avocados start to feel soft. Carefully remove avocados from the grill, transfer to a platter, and garnish with the Toasted Jalapeño Breadcrumbs.

Tyler’s Ultimate Chili

1 ancho chile, seeded and hand-torn into pieces

1 lb. beef shoulder, cut into large cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

¾ Tbsp. chili powder

¾ Tbsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. sugar

1 (14.5-oz.) can whole tomatoes

¾ Tbsp. tomato paste

1 (15.5-oz.) can kidney beans, drained

2 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 tsp. grated unsweetened chocolate

1. Preheat a grill to medium heat.

2. Toast the ancho chile pieces over low heat in a dry skillet until fragrant, shaking the pan, so they don’t scorch. Put the chiles in a mini food processor and pulse to a powder.

3. Season the beef with salt and pepper and place in a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover the beef by 1 inch, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Mix in the onion, garlic, chipotle and jalapeño. Stir in the chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and powdered ancho chiles.

4. Pour the entire can of tomatoes with their liquid into a bowl and hand-crush until chunky; add it to the pot along with the tomato paste. Simmer until the meat is fork-tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water, if necessary. When done, take a wooden spoon and beat the chili vigorously, so the meat comes apart in shreds.

5. Stir the beans and cornmeal into meat mixture. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot only partially, to allow the steam to escape. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the grated chocolate.

Toasted Jalapeño

Breadcrumbs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp. diced jalapeño pepper

¾ Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lime, juiced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the breadcrumbs, jalapeño, olive oil and lime juice. Toast the breadcrumbs, mixing every 20 seconds to prevent burning, until golden brown, about 12−15 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in chopped cilantro.

For more game day recipes, visit Sports.AvocadoCentral.com.



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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Char-Broil Asks Consumers to Share Their Trade Secrets

Editor Note:  Come on all the Peachtree City, Fayetteville and Tyrone cooking gurus.  We know you've got the right stuff for this grilling contest.  After all, the delightful aromas from all the grills fill the Fayette County air with tantalizing smells most nights!

/PRNewswire/ -- Char-Broil knows that everyone has an area of expertise. Now, the leading marketer in outdoor cooking is giving consumers the chance to share their know-how in an online contest inspired by Char-Broil® Infrared technology, the juicy secret to perfect outdoor cooking.

"The Trade Secrets contest is a direct way for us to connect with our consumers. We're excited for the chance to give away our own insider information for perfect outdoor cooking, and to learn some great secrets ourselves," says Michelle Zeller, vice president of marketing for Char-Broil.

Through October 29, 2010, consumers can visit Facebook.com/trade_secrets, and share their trade secret for a chance to win the latest in Char-Broil® Infrared grills just in time for tailgating season.

Whether it's the secret to perfectly marinated steaks or the right technique for a salon-quality home haircut, the post, photo or video with the most "likes" will win one of three Char-Broil prize packs:

* 1st Place – THE Juiciest Secret: Your choice of a Char-Broil® Quantum® Infrared Urban Grill or the Ultimate Infrared Fall Combo – a Char-Broil® Grill2Go Ice® and The Big Easy® Oil-less Turkey Fryer package.
* 2nd Place – Second-Juiciest Secret: The Grill2Go Ice® Portable Infrared Grill
* 3rd Place – Third-Juiciest Secret: The Big Easy® Infrared Oil-less Turkey Fryer


Submissions are due by Friday of each week, with winners announced every Monday through October 29, 2010. "Likes" are cumulative, so each secret has multiple chances to win. At the conclusion of the contest, Char-Broil will select three entries to be awarded additional prizes, including a Four-Burner Quantum® Infrared Grill.

Visit Char-Broil Trade Secrets on Facebook or www.charbroil.com to enter.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Some Secrets are too Good to Keep Says Georgia’s Ag Commissioner

Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin is urging Georgia cooks to submit a favorite “secret” family recipe for the opportunity to appear in a Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) television special and be featured in the show’s accompanying cookbook.

“Some secrets are too good to keep,” said Commissioner Irvin. “Using and sharing recipes is what keeps them alive. They should not be gathering dust in a box and known only to a select few. This show and its cookbook are a good opportunity to showcase some family cooks and their recipes.”

The show, “Georgia Cooks: Secret Family Recipes,” will be hosted by chef Marvin Woods. Known for his inventive twists on foods, and for his popular show, “Home Plate,” Woods has spent many years in kitchens across Georgia and the Southeast.

Carolyn O’Neil, a registered dietitian, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, and Mary S. Moore, the founder and CEO of The Cooks Warehouse, will review the recipes for inclusion in the cookbook and help select three cooks who will be invited to prepare their recipe submissions for the television special.

Interested cooks should include their favorite secret family recipe, a brief background about their selected dish in 25 words or less, their full name, address and daytime telephone number. Information must be typed and may be emailed to GPB at recipes@gpb.org or mailed to ATTN: GPB Recipes, P.O. Box 77128, Atlanta, GA 30309-9998. Submission deadline is October 15.

GPB will notify those whose recipes have been selected. For information about Georgia Grown products, visit www.gpb.org/georgiacooks.
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