Today is the day that the three wise men FINALLY showed up to bring baby Jesus some sweet swag. In various parts of the world this is celebrated by eating a cake that has a trinket baked inside of it. The person that finds the trinket, without eating/choking on it, is dubbed king, given a paper crown and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
This year I spent Christmas in France with my husband and in-laws so so we celebrated Epiphany a bit early with Galette des rois (King Cake).
The french version of King Cake is lovely, with a buttery, flakey phyllo housing sweet frangipane. The trinket or fève is of a nicer caliber than the misshapen plastic Jesus that typically adorns the American versions and can come in a variety of shapes and themes.
My mother-in-law has collected fèves most of her life and has a impressive collection tucked away in a coffee tin. Over the years people have added to her collection and she now has hundreds of miniatures. There are nativity sets, Disney Characters, monuments, barn yard animals, 1920’s actors, books, etc. I love looking at the every Christmas when we visit.
I ate my slice fastidiously, confident that THIS year I had the fève. No fève. But no one got it, so we had to try again later than night at dinner.
I carefully ate tiny bits, not wanting to break or swallow the ceramic prize. And the Queen was…
My husband. Every freakin year!
The prize was an adorable ceramic book: Le Diamant de la Couronne (The Crown Diamonds.
But it wasn’t a totally loss for me. After careful consideration and dagger looks from his wife, my husband dubbed me Queen of the King Cake and I got to wear the crown for a bit.
Ignore the look of extreme jet lag and exhaustion.
It’s good to be Queen!
If you want to make your own King Cake you can get my recipe from last year. It is simple and easy because I am a lazy chef, but it was pretty tasty if I do say so myself.
On a trip to one of my favorite produce markets, Garden Cove, my husband and I came across pints of fresh dates. Neither of us had ever encountered fresh dates, though we are fans of the dried variety, so we were standing in the aisle debating how to eat them when an employee walked by.
“Excuse me,” said my husband to the employee. “How do you eat fresh dates?”
“Just raw,” the worker said. “But they are not for everyone. I love them, but there are many people who don’t like the taste.”
“What do they taste like?” asked Olivier.
After some pondering the employee said, “They taste like shirt.”
Olivier and I stared blankly trying to figure out what he really said, because surely shirt wasn’t what he meant.
Then the man pulled up the neck of his cotton t-shirt and pantomimes eating it.
“Yes, yes, shirt,” said the employee enthusiastically.
So, of course, we bought some to taste this shirt-flavored fruit for ourselves.
When we got home I washed and dried the dates anxious to give them a try.
Olivier and I bit into our fruit at the same time and damn it if it didn’t taste just like shirt! I mean seriously, it tasted like freshly laundered cotton and the texture was a bit mealy like a pear giving your mouth a drying affect, just like you shoved the corner of tee-shirt into your mouth. Very weird.
I was going to make an arugula salad with sliced raw dates and pine nuts, but decided to go with something more desserty. Plus I had just impulsively bought a lot of honey. The dates do have pits, so Step 1, halve 25 dates and remove the pits. Preheat oven to 400°. Put date halves in a plastic bag (or bowl if you’re not lazy and don’t mind stirring) and add 3 tbs honey, 2 tbs olive oil, and 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar. Shake or stir (good for you for not being lazy) vigorously. Place the coated dates on a cooking sheet and place in the oven.I roasted the dates for 10 minutes and then flipped them. Then I forgot to set my timer, got distracted and frantically pulled them out of the oven after another 20 minutes in the oven. This seemed to work out nicely for me and added a candied, honey-burnt edge to the dates. They were quite tasty. Combine 2 oz of chèvre (goat cheese) with 3 tbs of heavy whipping cream, a splash of vanilla extract (I was going for half a tsp, but knocked my hand on the edge of the bowl and added a splash instead). I also added a half a teaspoon of confectioner sugar, not sure if this did anything, but I added it.
Then remove the yummy dates, top the whipped cheese on top and enjoy!
It is said that the goddess Aphrodite aka Venus was born after Cronus castrated his father Uranus and threw his … um … er… ‘member’ into the sea. (ouch!) Sea-foam formed where Uranus’s genitals fell into the water and from this foam Venus sprang forth, fully formed and a goddess to be reckoned with.
I don’t believe the craft beer, Heady Topper, has quite as dramatic of an origin story, but the beer is as revered, loved, and sought-after as the great Venus herself. I recently had the pleasure of encountering this highly ranked, elusive beer while on a trip to see my family in upstate New York.
While in New York, I was posting various photographs of local brews to my Instagram account and a friend jokingly commented that if I wanted to bring her back a souvenir, she would love some craft beer.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Heady Topper if it’s available! Never had it.. only heard the folklore,” she said.
Sure, why not, I thought. Little did I know the journey she was sending me on. The ‘folklore’ comment should have been my tipoff.
Over the next couple of days, I glanced at the grocery store’s beer selection but didn’t see anything, so I decided to research it. It was then that I learned how complicated it was to get this beer.
Heady Topper was ranked by Beer Advocate as the # 1 beer starting in 2013. It is currently ranked # 2 on the list, but could move back to the number 1 spot at anytime. It is hard to get because it is a world-class beer that is only distributed in Vermont. Heady Topper often sells out within the hour and people wait in long lines to get it. There are even a story of 1 can of beer selling for as much as $42. After learning all of this, I was ready to throw in the towel and just send my friend a post card, but my Dad got quite inspired about getting his hands on some. We had a trip planned to Burlington, so he started watching the brewery’s website to see where Heady would be distributed.
He learned that it would arrive at City Market on Tuesday.On the big day, we got a late start and didn’t get into Burlington until 12:30 pm. I figured we had missed out, but then we saw this sign.The most important part of the sign was that the beer wouldn’t be brought out until 2pm, so we hadn’t missed out! My father was very excited and after a visit to customer service to inquire about the appropriate Heady purchasing protocol, he promptly got in line. I kept on asking if he was sure he wanted to wait for an hour for a beer we’d never even heard of a week earlier, but he was adamant that he was in it for the long haul.
My mother and I went across the street to a local bookstore as my father bonded with his line-mates. Some were newbies like himself, but others were Heady fanatics that raved about how much they LOVED this beer.
At one point, a woman came by and observed the growing line of Heady shoppers.
“You know, there is perfectly good beer that you don’t have to wait in line for!” she exclaimed. She shook her head at their ridiculous fanaticism.
As she walked away the man behind my father said, “That used to be me, wondering why someone would stand in line for beer. Then I had Heady and now here I am, standing in line.”
By 2pm, over 50 were waiting for the beer. There was no limit on how much a customer could purchase, so everyone had to hope the person in front of them didn’t buy everything. My father was 5th in line, so he was able to get his prize quickly: a case of Heady Topper.
My mother and I met with him at a nearby restaurant to celebrate his victory. I noticed that the menu featured another beer from The Alchemist brewery so I ordered it.
“I’m sorry,” said the waitress. “We’re all out, but we do have Heady Topper.”
“Perfect!” I said, and my mother, father and I all ordered some.
We toasted to my father’s vigilance and to Heady Topper’s excellence. We drank it out of the can, as recommended, and then walked around Burlington with a pleasant buzz.
On the ride home to New York, a double rainbow smiled down upon us. Heady Topper IS magical!!
I sent my friend, who initiated this adventure, a picture of the magical brew.
I carefully wrapped two hoppy gems in bubble wrap and tucked them in my checked luggage for the flight back to Alabama.
Despite my trepidation, they made it home unscathed and still cold!
On day 2 of the blog tour I found myself at Odette, an elegant restaurant that prides itself in serving elevated American cuisine, created with local and sustainably sourced ingredients. The restaurant is the brainchild of Owner Celeste Pillow, who wanted a place that embodied her love of food and art and would be a location she herself would like to frequent.
Odette, which is named after Celeste’s paternal great-grandmother, definitely combines delicious cuisine with an artistic spirit.Odette is a lovely place that I have been to before and will go to again. The ambience is great, with exposed brick walls and an assortment of eclectic, yet complimentary details. When you first walk in to the restaurant there is a little shop that sells artisan culinary ware.
I become a kid in a candy shop wanting to buy everything that I never knew I absolutely needed. How have I survived this many years without a leather-wrapped cocktail shaker or an adorable pastel bento box?! Alas, my husband is usually able to talk me out of buying anything, but I always look.
My husband and I arrived at the restaurant at 11:00 just as they are opening. UNA had its graduation that morning and I wanted to beat the crowds of elated college students and their families.
As I had not yet had caffeine that morning, I ordered coffee and Olivier ordered an orange juice. My coffee was served in a french press (how European!) and Olivier’s juice was fresh pressed at the bar. We actually watched them do it. Now that is quality!
I wanted to photograph pretty food, so I was being super indecisive about what to order. The server and his manager steered me in the right direction and Olivier got the Sugar Snap Pea Salad and I got the Oil-cured Tuna and Avocado Salad. Oh my goodness, both were gorgeous, which is usually a top priority for me!Olivier patiently waited as I photographed his food first. It can be a giant pain to be married to a food photographer. You’d think it would be all about delicious free food, but really it is about never eating a warm meal (food photography takes time), not getting to order what you want because it’s ‘been done‘ or it’s ‘not colorful enough‘, both things that I’ve said. Thankfully we both got salads which started out cold. Next I photographed my meal and by the time I got finished Olivier was almost done eating his. So I finally got to start eating mine. The food was a delicious as it was beautiful.
Our server, who was immensely patient with my numerous questions about how things were plated and the color composition of dishes, not to mention my photographing of … well everything, highly recommended dessert. He has steered us in the right direction so far so we ordered the Lemon Meringue Pie sprinkled with strawberry powder. It was hands down the best Lemon Meringue Pie I had ever had!Odette is a great restaurant that plays close attention to ever detail and I can’t wait to go back!
Make sure you read about the other restaurants participated in Restaurant Week by visiting: DirtPlate and FridayDateNight.
Disclosure: I was invited to participate in Florence Restaurant Week by Florence Main Street. My hotel was paid for by them to make it easier for me to participate and I received a $20 gift card from Odette. I paid the remaining balance out of my own pocket and all thoughts and opinions about the restaurant are my own.
Bridge Street Town Centre (in Huntsville, AL) has a pizza place! And it is delicious! I was cordially invited to Pieology’s Media Event (Thank-you Tim!) and got a sneak peek at the restaurant, met the talented staff, and, best of all, got to sample their delectable pizza.
Pieology Pizzeria at Bridge Street Town Centre
Pieology Pizzeria originally started out west with the goal of creating fresh, customizable pizzas at a good price. Finally they’ve come to the south and we too can enjoy great ingredients, friendly service, and a fun experience.
Happy people waiting for pie!
I attended the event with my husband. I took a photograph of him waiting in line with me as evidence, but he got annoyed that I was taken too long to take the picture and made a stupid expression at the last second. I should have posted the photo anyway (serves him right) but being the loving and benevolent wife that I am, I deleted it.
The line was long, as everyone was excited to sample the fare, but we got through quickly. Plus there is a giant quote wall along the line path, so you are entertained/inspired while you wait.
After several minutes of inspirational quote reading we were ready to order. A super friendly employee (I’m so sorry I forgot your name) explained our different crust options and put the fresh dough in a pizza press for a nice thin crust. He was very nice so I feel terrible that I can’t remember his name. I guess I was just too excited about the pizza.
You can see my husband’s reflection in the bottom left of the photo. Sadly, that is the only decent shot I got of him at the lunch.
We then picked from one of seven different sauces. You an even mix and match them! I was completely uncreative and just went with the pre-designed Alfredo’s Alfredo pizza, but it was delicious, so I was happy with my decision. My hubby chose the Rustic Veggie. We planned to swap a couple of slices so we could try both, but we forgot. Oops! Guess we’ll just have to go back.
Then we picked our your cheeses and toppings. Again, I just defaulted to the menu item, but I think I’ll get creative the next time. The great thing is that every pizza is only $7.95 no matter how many toppings you get on it.
Everything is fresh as well. I was told they don’t even have freezers so you know you’re getting fresh food that is produced on site.
This is inside the oven where all the magic happens!
Manager Tim is on the right. Say hey to him when you go in for a visit. He is very helpful and nice.
After we picked out our toppings the pizza went into the oven to cook for 3 minutes.
We got our drinks. There were 4 sweet tea choices so southerners will be happy. And the tea was good, none of that canned nonsense which will remain nameless. True southerners will know what I’m talking about.
Drink Station at Pieology
We waited in the patio area for a very short time and Volia! yummy pizza goodness.
Looking at the photo I just realized that I did not follow the instructions of the number sign and place the sign at the edge of the table. It was pretty much in the middle, which is the opposite of the directions. Oops! I’ll know for next time.
I am looking forward to my next visit. Thank-you Tim and the staff of Pieology for inviting me for the sneak peek. Congratulations on your grand opening today (April 23rd). Make sure y’all like them on Facebook to keep updated on any upcoming events!
Yesterday I saw a long line of people waiting for pizza at Pieology. I would have jumped in line with the excited patrons (who can pass up free pizza!) if I wasn’t already planning on going on Wednesday for lunch. Where the magic happens! I’ll let you all know how it is on Thursday.
My husband recently visited his family in France, but unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts I didn’t get to go with him. To make matters worse he sent me daily updates of the amazing cathedrals, vineyards, and museums that he had visited, as well as photographs of each decadent pastry and dessert he ate. Jerk.
As a small consolation to missing out on the fun, he brought me back a bottle of Champagne and a tin of Biscuits Roses de Reims. American Translation: Pink cookies from the city Reims.
Reims is a city located in the Champagne region of France. The region of Champagne, unsurprisingly, is where true Champagne comes from, as opposed to sparkling wine which is essentially Champagne (though my husband would disagree) that is produced in a different area of the world. Technically, sparkling wine should not be called Champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region of France. It makes sense.
Always hold the cork when opening Champagne or you could put an eye out!
The biscuits roses are delicate, sweet cookies, dusted with sugar and are meant to be dipped in a glass of Champagne, hence their popularity in Reims. They are made with very basic ingredients: sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, a raising agent and the pink coloring cochineal (which is made from insects), but they are delicious! Any dessert that is to be enjoyed with Champagne is alright by me.I had the Fossier brand of the biscuits roses. Fossier has been producing these pink treats since 1756! In 1756 America was still under British rule. France was 37 years away from beheading Marie Antoinette. It was also the year Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and the year that the British and the French formally started the 7 Years’ War. Amazing, the french were engaged in war, but still had time to invent an amazing cookie. The biscuits are pink because original the baker added vanilla to the recipes for taste, but it caused the white cookies to have unappealing brown spots on them. To remedy this problem the baker added pink coloring to mask the brown and a lovely dessert was born.
