Know Thy Neighbors

The strata recipe (below) comes by way of my next door neighbor, Reshma.  We live in a townhome community and our houses are joined together.   For the first few years, we would have conversations from our driveways.  Our earliest conversations were easy as we both work in the same field.  Then, gradually we got to know each other on a more personal level.  We've even compared notes on the dating situation in the ATL and agree that we might just need to get the hell on up on out of here if we wanted a real relationship or wanted to get married.

A couple of years ago, Reshma invited me over for my birthday and fixed me some of the Indian foods she grew up eating.  I raved about the food.   Reshma didn't think it was a big deal.   A couple of months ago, I was standing outside her door on my way to walk Brandi and chatting about nothing but then ended up telling her about a tribulation I was working my way through.  She fully understood.  We parted and I felt better.  I had walked almost a house length away and she called out to me Karen, I really am very sorry that you are having to go through this.  Even from that distance away, I could sense her deep concern.  I forgot my exact response but I do remember having tears in my eyes. 

For almost 6 years, we've watched our community grow.  We moved into a brand new community when some of the townhomes were still being built.  I found it strange being among the first set of settlers living amongst unfinished 3 story houses and the eery quietness.   It was nice when all of the homes were finally completed and occupied.  To this day, I remember when our community came to life with the sound of children playing in the street.  I've been here long enough to watch some of these kids graduate from high school.  And now there are still a good number of kids around, some whom we wish would grow up a little faster and quit all of that crying and hollering. 

We've been talking about getting a few neighbors together for a long time.  Well...Reshma would talk about it and I would agree that she should have something at her house.  One day Reshma sent out an invitation to her home for a Sunday brunch which included three other homeowners. We all happen to live side by side.  Nitesh and Jaimini are newlyweds and moved into the community within the last year.  Then there's Rhonda who has lived here as long as Reshma and I.  We all accepted.  It was a wonderful.  Reshma is an exceptional hostess for all of the right reasons one might expect.  She's also a great cook and that is my preference when invited over for a meal. 

She fixed breakfast strata (recipe to follow), rosemary potatoes, orange-cranberry scones (store-bought), fresh berries with vanilla, honey, and cinnamon yogurt, and vanilla almond granola.  There was also tea, coffee and OJ.

Unfortunately, the photos from the brunch did not come out very well but I thought I would include them anyway. 

Reshma’s Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Strata

(adapted from several strata recipes from food.com and Epicurious.com)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
9 eggs
3 links of chicken sausage (no casing), diced
1 large onion, cut into 2 inch long thin strips
1 large bell pepper, cut into 2 inch long thin strips
3 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cumin
1 clove garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tbs butter, softened (to grease baking dish)
Approximately one loaf of ciabatta bread
1 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.

2. Add peppers, onions, sausage and sauté until tender and onions have sweated a bit, about 6-10 minutes. Then add garlic. Press all liquid out of thawed spinach and add to skillet. Add the artichoke hearts.

3. Add nutmeg and cumin. Cook for another minute and then remove from heat.

4. Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy and add milk, salt, pepper.

5. Grease a 13x9 baking dish with a small amount of the butter.

6. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. (8-9 cups of cubed bread should result)

7. Layer half the bread cubes, then half the sautéed vegetable mixture, and half the cheddar cheese.

8. Repeat layers in order, ending with cheddar cheese.

9. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight. (It needs 8 hours in the refrigerator)

10. Remove from refrigerator and uncover 30 minutes prior to baking.

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown on top and firm in center, a knife inserted in center will come out clean.

13. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Stone Soup Kitchen Review

Stone Soup Kitchen is a nice neighborhood restaurant located in East Atlanta.  We arrived at 9 a.m. which is always a good time to get breakfast on a Saturday.  Usually most good places are full around 10 a.m.  

I had the  farm scramble which had eggs, chicken sausage, roasted potatoes, arugula, cheese and a spicy red sauce on top.  I had it with cheese grits and a wheat biscuit.  The egg scramble was delicious and the spicy red sauce added a nice kick.  The biscuits were homeade and fluffy.   Thumbs down on the cheese grits. 

I kept eating the cheese grits in an effort to understand them and how they were made. Halfway in I gave up.  I asked my breakfast companions to try them. Karen (not me) asked, Where's the cheese?  Her husband Michael didn't like them either. He ordered the plain grits and his had less flavoring and was grainier than mine.  We concluded...nawww...these grits ain't right.  Mama says grits should be creamy.

My breakfast compadres, Karen and Michael.  Ain't they cute? 

 
Anyway, Karen ordered the huevos rancheros with egg whites.  She enjoyed her meal.  Above her meal, to the right is a side of smoked salmon that Michael ordered and enjoyed.

Michael had a scramble that was similar to mine except that instead of chicken sausage and arugula, his had chicken and avocado.  He really enjoyed his meal.  He liked his biscuit although he had not expected to maybe because they seemed a little dense.   

Here's the biscuit close up with blueberry preserves.  Oh yeah!

I would like to give a standing ovation to the blueberry preserves.

The inside of the restaurant was relatively contemporary.  There is an outdoor area in the back which I did not check out.

Obviously, the outside is not contemporary but a good reflection of older Atlanta.  The staff was friendly and we didn't have to wait long for the food.  The coffee was good and hot.  There was street parking available on both sides of the street.  There is additional parking behind the restaurant although I parked on the street.  I would highly recommend this neighborhood restaurant. 

Breakfast Tacos

One morning before work, I opened up the refrigerator in search of something quick and tasty to eat. I felt a little flustered. What to eat? I started to close the door and just go to one of the many fast food restaurants, strategically and evilly placed, along my route to work. I wouldn’t even need to get out of the car. Yet, it is never that easy. It is usually a nightmare getting into the parking lot, going through the drive thru and back onto the major thoroughfare. And when it is all over, after I’ve gobbled it down in the car or at my desk I often wonder…why did I eat that? I’m not even going to go into my concerns about the processing of fast food and food handling practices in spite of the restaurant scores.

However, if you have any abilities in the kitchen, you know that you can create something healthier and tastier than what you’ll find in any fast food restaurant. The key is to linger a little longer at the fridge, take a deep breath and allow yourself time to come up with something. Of course, it helps if you keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with a variety of items. Of course, this means that you have to spend some time at least once a week creating a grocery list and shopping. I find grocery shopping to be cumbersome and annoying, however, it is much better to be annoyed once a week instead of repeatedly throughout the week.

On this particular day, as I lingered at the fridge, my eyes came across the smoked salmon (pastrami style). I remembered that earlier in the week I had bought a bag of spinach, corn tortillas and egg whites. Breakfast tacos! Along with a small cup of orange juice, I had come up with a cheap, tasty, filling and healthy meal. Later that morning, I enjoyed a cup of coffee at my desk and patted myself on the back.

Breakfast Tacos
2 Corn Tortillas
Smoked salmon (palm full)
Egg whites (enough to cover the pan)
Spinach (handful)
Olive oil, margarine or cooking spray

Add enough oil to lightly coat a non-stick cooking pan. Heat the pan to medium heat as you would when making an omelet. Add the spinach and salmon and stir. Once the spinach is wilted, add the egg whites. When the egg whites have firmed up, stir the ingredients in the pan until done. I usually like to warm up my tortillas by either heating them in a pan or in the microwave. Divide the mixture in half and place it in the center of your two tacos.

***Additional seasonings were not included because the pastrami style smoked salmon has enough flavoring for the entire recipe.

*** I tried this with a little salsa on top and didn’t like it. It was one too many ingredients. I had gone too far.

Egg Scramble (Spinach & Smoked Salmon)
1 cup of spinach
1/4 cup smoked salmon
1/8 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 tsp of dried onion
2 eggs
Splash of milk
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter/margarine

Add the olive oil to a skillet (nonstick) and bring to medium –high heat. Add the spinach and smoked salmon to the pan and cook until spinach is wilted.

In a bowl, beat eggs with milk. Add dried onion to the egg mixture. Using salt and pepper, season the egg mixture to your liking. In this recipe, I only add course ground pepper because of the saltiness and flavor of the smoked salmon.

Add butter in the pan with the spinach and salmon. Once it has melted, add egg mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. At this point, it looks just like an omelette. Once the edge of the “omelette” begins to form, take your spatula and push the sides of the egg to the center of the pan. Flip over to be sure that the egg scramble is done.

Fried Plantain

On this particular day, I realized that I had a very dark, almost completely black plantain on my counter. Plantains are always a nice side dish – morning, noon or night. Peel the plantain and slice the plantain crosswise so that each piece is about ½ inch thick. In a pan, heat the cooking oil hot enough for frying. I use just enough oil to cover the pan. Add the plantains to the hot oil. Plantains cook very fast so once you get them in you probably need to start flipping them over. Remove the plantains and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Plantains may be salted after frying or sprinkled with cinnamon/and or sugar. When plantains are very ripe, I usually don't add any additional seasonings.

I started making scrambles out of my impatience in trying to make the perfect omelette. If you have ever tried to make an omelette before, you know the challenges - having enough egg mixture to cover your pan, the inside not being done to the right consistency, the ratio of egg to ingredients and of course…the flip! I also can’t stand the feeling of uncooked egg in my mouth so on top of everything else, for me, a digestible omelette is a cooked omelette. I might as well push the egg and ingredients around in the pan until they are done.

I don’t remember the exact date I gave up on the perfect omelette, but I do remember the feeling of knowing that I was more interested in the ingredients and how they came together, and not just the overall appearance. Instead of the plain-ness of uniformity, there were vibrant colors and flavors in unexpected places creating beauty and character - accomplishing the same goal.