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Monday, August 29, 2011

Stop and smell the roses in your local grocery store

My family and I just returned from a weekend trip to the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Since I'm a foodaholic, one of my favorite things to do while there is go to Kroger up the street and slowly peruse every aisle. They have so many things that I can't get here in Monticello. This weekend I picked up ladyfingers and marscapone cheese. My daughter and I want to make our own Tiramisu. That'll be tomorrow night's project. Sometimes I spend the upwards of an hour just looking at all the unique items they have. I'm like a kid in a candy shop. One aisle is dedicated completely to international foods from countries like Australia, Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, and more. There are some really cool and some really strange things on that aisle.

I never do that at my local Ramey's grocery store. I'm usually in a hurry to get home and rush right through to get the necessary items and get out.

A while back, a friend of mine from Brookhaven told me that she frequently comes to Monticello to shop at Ramey's. I was like - really? Ramey's in Monticello? What ever for? Certainly there's nothing we have here that you can't get in Brookhaven. Well, it turns out there is. She likes a dip that is made in Ramey's deli. It comes in a clear box with only the store-printed label on it - no name on it. I thought to myself that if it's that good, I need to try it. Of course, the next time I was in Ramey's, I was in such a hurry, I forgot about it.

This past weekend while shopping in Ridgeland, I saw this same friend again. She proceeded to tell me she had been to Ramey's just last week - this time for Pancho's White Cheese Dip. Formally known as Queso, this is the white cheese dip like you get in a Mexican restaurant. I just couldn't believe my ears, so I made a vow right then and there that as soon as I could I'm going to Ramey's and take my time to find these items. I just had to see it to believe it.

So, today I made a special trip to Ramey's for dips. They've re-arranged the store recently so I had to look a little harder, but I found them both in the refrigerated case in the deli. They also have Pancho's Salsa. I'm trying that next time

I grabbed one of each dip, a bag of flour tortillas, and headed to the checkout. Another good friend of mine was in line behind me, so I shared my find with her and she didn't know about them either. I didn't know we had such a secret at our grocery store. Now, if you already knew about this, shame on you for not sharing with the rest of us.

The first thing I tried was the mystery dip. It's actually more like a cheese ball. I spread it on Ritz crackers and boy was it good. As best I can tell, it's a mixture of cream cheese, bacon, pimiento, green onions, and maybe black olives. It would be really good rolled in toasted pecans and served as a cheese ball. This will definitely be a staple at the tailgate this year. The best part about it was the price. I got 1/4 lb for $2.15. You can't even buy the ingredients for that.


The cheese dip required a little preparation, so I saved it for last. I'm not a big fan of bag tortilla chips, so I took flour tortillas, cut them into wedges with a pizza cutter, and deep fried them. When you go to fry them, only drop about eight pieces in the oil at a time, as they cook really fast. Any more than eight and they will burn by the time you get them dropped in and flipped over for the second side. Sprinkle with salt after removing from grease to a paper towel lined plate. Then, just put the cheese dip in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 15-30 seconds, until desired level of warmth. Stir and eat. It truly is restaurant quality Queso. One container is $3.79 and three of us ate less than half of it and were full.





Now I'm wishing my friend hadn't told me about these dips. It will be too easy to have cheese dip whenever the craving hits. A diet is just impossible for me.

Next time you're in your local grocery store, slow down a bit and, as the saying goes, take time to smell the roses (or find the secret dips). Stop to see what it has to offer. You never know what may be hiding in the deli case.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tasty summer travels, final chapter

Each summer, my son, John Taylor, spends a week at Twin Lakes Camp in Florence. After picking him up on the last day of camp, we headed up Hwy. 49 to Jackson for some family fun. It was nearing lunch time, so we asked him where he wanted to go. He didn't know, so I started suggesting places as we headed up the highway. When I spotted a DQ Grill & Chill, I asked him if he wanted to go there. He replied, "Nah, I don't feel like eating at a franchise today." That just proves he belongs to me. After a few chuckles, we decided to head to a pizza joint in Downtown Jackson that had been on my list of restaurants to try for quite a while.

The Pizza Shack
If you're looking for ordinary pizza, try the chains. If you're looking for extraordinary pizza, look no further than The Pizza Shack in Jackson. I had heard how awesome the pizza is from several sources, so I had to see, or should I say taste, for myself.
 
If you want the normal flavor pizzas, i.e. pepperoni, beef, etc., you'll have to build your own from the variety of toppings they offer. Their specialty menu boasts combinations inspired by all parts of the globe. Choices include Chicken Curry Delight, Cajun Joe, Hawaiian, Shrimp Alfredo, Thai Chicken, The Greek, Mexican Fiesta, and more. After several minutes of poring over the menu, we finally settled on Buffalo Chicken.
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Once it was delivered to the table, my husband grabbed the first piece. "Dang, that's a heavy piece of pizza," he exclaimed. He wasn't lying, either. I have never had a pizza so heavily laden with toppings. It was wall to wall chicken and was by far the best Buffalo Chicken Pizza I've ever eaten. I'll have to go back and try something different to see if it's overall the best. It was full of the buffalo chicken flavor without being overly spicy. It was so loaded that we each only ate one piece. Normally, we devour the whole thing.
 
We also ordered the cheese sticks with marinara sauce. They were delicious as well. There's more on the menu than just pizza. Choices include salads, deli sandwiches, subs, and buffalo wings. There are 11 flavors of buffalo wings to choose from, including Southwest Garlic Ranch, Lemon Pepper, and Spicy Thai.
Cheese Sticks
We boxed up the leftovers and took them home for supper. Before I reheated my slice, curiosity got the best of me. So, I pulled out the kitchen scale to weigh it. One slice weighed 1/2 pound, making a medium size pizza weigh 8-9 pounds. Now that's one heckuva pie.
 
Next time you're in Jackson and hungry for pizza, try one of their two locations. The original is located on State Street across from Baptist Hospital and their newest location is on Old Canton Road across from Colonial Country Club.
 
Madison Cupcake Company
Most folks  who know me know that I'm crazy about cupcakes. So crazy that I'm on a constant quest to find a cupcake that's better, in my opinion, than Sprinkles. I just need to live closer to a Sprinkles so I wouldn't have to do this.
 
After filling up at The Pizza Shack, I trekked up to Madison to check out Madison Cupcake Company. It is located in the section of Colony Crossing Shopping Center that faces Bozeman Road.
 
Like most cupcake joints, they have their daily usuals and several specials that rotate. On this particular day, they had Banana Split cupcakes. It was a good cupcake, but just couldn't top Sprinkles. My favorite thing about it was the frosting. I asked what kind it was since it didn't taste like the usual buttercream. It was extra light and fluffy. The lady in the kitchen told me it's called bettercream and has marshmallow cream in it. I'm going to have to find a recipe for that to use on my own cupcake creations.
Madison Cupcake Company
 Chilly Willy's Grill
A quick trip to McComb around lunchtime one Friday had my daughter and me searching for somewhere to eat. Since I like to try new or new to me places, I consulted the Urbanspoon app on my iPad for suggestions. I stumbled upon Chilly Willy's Grill and decided to drive a little out of the way to try it. It's just off the Fernwood exit South of McComb near the airport.
 
We were quite impressed when we finally found it. The building resembles a beach house, and the beach theme is carried out inside.
 
Sadly, we got off to a rough start there. When you enter, you seat yourself and someone is supposed to take your order. Well, we sat there, and sat there, and sat there and no one stopped to take our order. One waitress passed our table at least five times and never even looked at us. Just as I was about to get up and embarrass my daughter, I'm sure, another waitress came over and waited on us. I was so glad because I really wanted to be able to write a good review. Hopefully, next time I go, they will be more prompt.
 
Their logo touts that they're the home of the Big Willy Burger. That's not the only burger they offer, though. There are 16 burgers on the menu. Names like The Comeback Burger, The Lava Burger, The Volcano Burger and The Malibu Sunset Burger draw your attention. If you're not in the mood for a burger, there's plenty more to choose from. They have tons of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, grilled chicken platters, seafood platters, po boys, loaded potatoes, and grilled entrees to choose from. If you can't find something to eat here, you are just too hard to please.
 
Like most everyone else in the universe, I love Fridays. But, there is one thing I hate about Fridays in Mississippi. Virtually every restaurant's special is fried catfish. It must be some law that you have to serve fried catfish on Fridays in Mississippi. If there is, Chilly Willy's is a law abiding establishment. Luckily, they do it with a twist. Their Friday feature is Catfish Willy, which is a fried catfish fillet topped with a crawfish cream sauce over a bed of cajun rice. That's what I chose and it was delicious. Anne Morgan chose The Comeback Burger, which was loaded with comeback sauce, bacon, and cheese. She said it was delicious as well. They also had a glass pastry case full of tempting desserts, but we were too full to try one.
Catfish Willy
The Comeback Burger
Chilly Willy's is a fun place to visit. They offer karaoke on Saturday nights to make it even more fun. It has been open for three years and I don't know why I haven't heard of it before now. Plus, they opened a second location in Hammond, La. last year. I'm ready to go back and take the rest of my family for a fun night out. I think I'll pass on the karaoke, though.
 
As the old English proverb goes, "All good things must come to an end." School break is now over and so are our impromptu culinary adventures. We'll just have to make do on the weekends until next year. Oh wait, I just remembered, we have a holiday coming up. There's no telling where our taste buds will take us.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Tasty summer travels, part two

My favorite town in Mississippi to visit is, without a doubt, Oxford. Not only is it home to my beloved Ole Miss Rebels, it has tons of great places to eat.
As much as I love Ole Miss football, I really enjoy visiting Oxford when there's not a football game being played. Summer usually takes us to Ole Miss and Oxford for camps at least twice, and this year was no exception.
Old Venice Pizza
One of my favorite places to eat in Oxford is Old Venice Pizza. We eat there almost every time we go to Oxford, mainly because of the Tiramisu. It is outstanding! If we don't go sit down to eat there, we at least swing by and get just Tiramisu to go.
Tiramisu
Their savory dishes are excellent as well. Their menu offers several appealing appetizers, soups, sandwiches, classic Italian pastas and entrees, as well as a unique selection of homemade pizzas. My family's favorites include the trio appetizer - a combination of Dynamite Shrimp, Crawfish Roll, and Hand-breaded Mozzarella Sticks; Ranchero Pizza - ranch base, chicken breast slices, bacon, roasted garlic, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and a drizzle of ranch dressing; and Chicken Tuscany Pizza - garlic cream sauce, chicken, roasted red pepper, Roma tomatoes, sweet red onion, oregano, and a sweet balsamic glaze.
Trio Appetizer
Chicken Tuscany Pizza
My husband is a brownie and ice cream fanatic, so his dessert of choice at Old Venice is the Chocolate Explosion. Look at the photo below and you'll see why they call it that.
Brownie Explosion
Now, before you Bulldog fans get bent out of shape thinking you'll miss out since you're NEVER going to Oxford, there's an Old Venice in Starkville, too, as well as Tupelo and Memphis.
Old Venice Pizza Co on Urbanspoon
Snackbar
Chef John Currence made a name for himself in Mississippi with his first Oxford restaurant, City Grocery. In recent years, he has added additional restaurants to the Oxford dining scene and has put Mississippi on the culinary map.
Tucked away in a strip mall off North Lamar Avenue, right next door to a yoga studio, is Snackbar. As soon as you step into the dining area, you feel like you've stepped into an English hunt club.
The cozy bistro features a raw oyster bar with fresh oysters from all over the country arriving daily. In addition, their charcuterie menu is serviced from the smokehouse out back. Charcuterie offerings include pates, hard sausages, and ham, to name a few.
The menu changes with the seasons. Fortunately for me the menu changed after I dined there in June. When I returned in July, they had switched to the summer menu, so I got to partake of the new options.
The most popular item in the menu is the Truffle/Parmesan Frites. One bite of these fancy fries and you'll see why. Daily specials are offered as well as small plate and not so small plate entrees. Dishes we've tried include Lobster Mac and Cheese, Royal Red Shrimp Fricassee, Steak Frites, and Sliders.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Royal Red Shrimp Fricassee
Steak Frites
Sliders
Desserts at Snackbar are exquisite. The Opera Cake is a layered chocolate and vanilla cake with coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce. During blueberry season, a Frozen Blueberry Souffle was a light, refreshing treat.
Opera Cake
Frozen Blueberry Souffle
Snackbar on Urbanspoon
Big Bad Breakfast
Next door to Snackbar is Currence-owned Big Bad Breakfast. Lard have mercy, they dish out a mean breakfast.
Most ingredients are fresh and local. All their bacon and sausage is smoked out back in the Big Bad Smokehouse. Eggs are from cage free suppliers. Dairy products are from a family run dairy in nearby Yocona. Jellies, jams, and preserves are made fresh daily. When possible, herbs and produce come from the chef's own garden.
The bacon is like no other I've ever tasted. It's tied on my list with ABE's. Cured with Tabasco and brown sugar, it's available for purchase by the pound to enjoy at home.
If you're really hungry, go for the Big Bad Breakfast Plate. Two eggs are cooked to order with a side of meat, home fries or local stone ground grits, choice of gravy, and toast or biscuit. There are leaner options as well as fancier options.
My favorite is the Pain Perdue, a brandy-spiked French toast with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. It's an entree and dessert all-in-one.
Pain Perdue
Lunch is also also available with offerings of burgers, BLT sandwich, and the Elvis sandwich - peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and mayo griddle fried between white or wheat bread. This combination may get you all shook up.
Big Bad Breakfast on Urbanspoon
Bottletree Bakery
I first heard of Bottletree Bakery on The Oprah Winfrey Show many years ago. She featured their Apple Ruffle Tart as the best pie in America. Several years passed and I never stopped by to check it out until a Mississippi State friend of mine told me I could bring him a croissant from there any time. Well, I figured that if a State fan liked it, I had to try it out. So, the next time I was in Oxford, I did just that. It was love at first sight. Now I have to go EVERY time I'm in town.
When you walk in the door, if you can get in the door, you're greeted by a big glass case of freshly baked pastries - croissants, chocolate croissants, focaccia, danishes, humble pie, muffins, brioche, scones, and the list goes on. They also have open racks of homemade breads, including baguettes, sourdough, bagels, and more. Every time I go, I feel like I'm getting a glimpse of Paris. I just imagine what it's like there with all the delectable pastries and breads on every corner, and grabbing a croissant for breakfast and a loaf of bread on your way home from work every day.
Bottletree Bakery pastry case
The funny thing is that I've been Bottletree Bakery numerous times and have yet to see the infamous apple tart. The pastry that made them famous keeps evading me. I'm just going to have to ask about that next time I go.
My order is pretty much the same every time I go - chocolate croissant, humble pie, focaccia, and a couple loaves of bread to take home. The chocolate croissant is best eaten there since they warm it and drizzle more chocolate on top. The humble pie is usually strawberry or blueberry or both. It consists of a shortbread cookie with fruit in the middle. My favorite thing is a particular focaccia they make. It's basically like a mini pizza. They take focaccia bread and top it with chicken, applewood bacon, red onions, apples, cheese, and I don't know what else, and bake it to make it crispy on the bottom. It is to die for. And my daughter, Anne Morgan, is ready to kill somebody if they don't have it when we go there. Next time, I'm bringing extras home for the freezer.
Chocolate Croissant

Pecan Sticky Bun
Bottletree is more than just a bakery. They have a gourmet coffee bar and offer sandwiches for lunch. The walls are covered in funky art, making it an art gallery, too.
I've never been to Paris, but I hope to go there one day. For now, I'll just have to settle for frequent trips to the Bottletree, which is fine by me. I think that's why I'm so excited about football season kicking off soon - more pastries and bread.
Bottletree Bakery on Urbanspoon
Next time you're ready for a culinary getaway, look no further than Oxford. With a wide variety of cuisines to choose from, you won't be sorry. (Even if you are a bulldog.)
Stay tuned for the final chapter in my summer travels. Up next are some more dives within a short driving distance you'll want to give a try.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Tasty summer travels, part one

Summer and I have a love-hate relationship. I'm not talking about a person. I'm talking about the season.


What I hate about summer is the South Mississippi heat and humidity. Sometimes it's so stifling, I can barely breathe.

What I love about summer is not being on a schedule and the flexibility that comes with it. It frees me and my family to make small road trips and visit restaurants I've been wanting to try. This summer has been a busy one, and we have managed to do some good eating along the way.

Another Broken Egg
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that Another Broken Egg is one of my very favorite restaurants. The original is located in Mandeville, La. with franchise locations across the South, mostly in the Florida Panhandle. In fact, I ate at my first one while in Destin for a cheer competition. I was instantly hooked. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out someone was opening one at the Renaissance at Colony Park shopping center in Ridgeland. Since its opening this spring, it has been a hit among diners from all over the state.

I've patronized the restaurant several times and was able to kick the summer off to a good start by meeting a friend there the day after school recessed.
Open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, ABE has an extensive menu with many mouthwatering dishes to choose from. I always have difficulty deciding.

Some of my favorites include the appetizer of Baked Brie with apples, pecans, and raisins in a Grand Marnier butter sauce served with toasted French bread rounds, Bananas Foster French Toast, and the Southern Crab Stack - a grit cake topped with a crab cake, smothered with a shrimp and Andouille saute. Other family favorites include Pancakes - which are as big as a frisbee, Cinnamon Roll French Toast, and Lobster et Fromage - a cream cheese laced omelette topped with brie cheese, garlic sauteed lobster, tomatoes and champagne cream sauce. And the list goes on and on. Their country potatoes and bacon are some of the best I've ever eaten. I'm told the bacon is smoked and then baked over corn cobs. It's thick, crisp and so flavorful. There's also a long list of sandwiches on the menu, but I love their breakfast so much I've never even ventured over to the lunch menu. Maybe I will on my next visit.
Baked Brie 
Southern Crab Stack
Bananas Foster French Toast
Pancake
Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Roca
I never have been thrilled with the restaurant scene in Vicksburg. There just aren't that many local places to dine there. And then I found Roca. It ranks high on my list of Mississippi restaurants. It's located off Indiana Avenue at the Vicksburg Country Club and is open to the public, not just club members. 

My first visit there was for dinner and I ordered their most popular dish, an appetizer of Benton's Prosciutto and Smoked Gouda Fritters. Resembling a hushpuppy, these fritters are anything but. Imagine Allan Benton's prosciutto and smoked Gouda cheese, formed into a ball, deep fried, and served with rosemary honey mustard dipping sauce. They're ooey gooey balls of cheesy love. Words can't describe their deliciousness. One must try them for themselves.

Dinner entrees include Pepperd Ahi Tuna, Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Hand-cut Steaks, and more. Their brick oven pizzas feature flavors such as Blacken Pepper Chicken Pesto, Seared Steak, and Crawfish. They serve an outstanding bread basket as well, one of the best I've ever eaten.
Grilled Atlantic Salmon
This summer, when I had a chance, I took my daughter there for lunch. They offer a Blue Plate Special daily as well as salads, sandwiches, and brick oven pizzas, and pastas. I had the Seared Sushi Grade Tuna Salad which consisted of mixed field greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, sesame seeds, crispy wontons, tossed in Ginger Soy Vinaigrette, and topped with slices of fresh tuna. Anne Morgan tried the Chicken Alfredo Pasta. Both dishes got two thumbs up.
Seared Sushi Grade Tuna Salad
I have an Eat Jackson discount card which got us a free Bread Pudding for dessert. It was tasty, but didn't supersede the dessert I had on my previous visit, the Pecan Lace Cookie Cup. Pecan lace cookies are shaped into serving cups and filled with vanilla pastry cream and fresh seasonal berries. This decadent dessert is divine in both appearance and taste.
Bread Pudding
Pecan Lace Cookie Cup
We went to so many places this summer that I'm making this a series of blogs so I won't take too much of your time. Check back soon for part two.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Twenty years, ten thousand meals, and counting

20 years? That's what I keep asking myself. It's hard to believe that John and I have been married for 20 years. They say opposites attract and for the most part that's true with us. However, there is one thing we both have in common - we love to eat. According to my calculations, we've shared more than 10,000 meals together through the years. We have done some good eating.

To celebrate our milestone, we ventured north to The Parker House. It's located in the "Old Towne" part of Ridgeland in an English cottage style house.
It had been a long, long time since we had been there. And to be quite honest, I thought to myself after we got there that it'd probably be a long time before I came back. That was until the food started coming and I quickly changed my mind.
We called ahead and reserved one of their four private dining booths since it was a special occasion. The booths are quite cozy and are outfitted with curtains that can be closed for complete privacy. At first, John didn't want to close them, which made me flash back to our honeymoon. We left the church in a limo and he didn't want to raise the privacy window for fear that the driver's feelings would be hurt. "You have got to be kidding me," I thought. Twenty years later and here we go again. So, when our dinner arrived, I took it upon myself to close the curtains and he was glad I did. Oh yeah, after about 10 minutes, the driver finally raised the window.
A welcomed addition to our private dining area was the painting above the table. I was elated to see longtime friend Sarah McTaggart's name at the bottom. She is a fantastic artist.
Sarah McTaggart's painting
We started off with an appetizer of Grit Fries. Grits were formed into cakes, battered, and deep fried. They were then drizzled with honey chipotle aioli, balsamic glaze, and garnished with pickled onions. The spiciness of the aioli and the coolness of the onions complemented each other very well. Crab Mac 'n Cheese and Pimento Cheese Fritters were among other choices for starters.
Grit Fries
For our entrees, I had the Redfish Parker House. Redfish, encrusted with Parmesan and herbs, was topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and a lemon beurre blanc, and served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.
Redfish Parker House
John ordered the filet, which was served with a side of the garlic mashed potatoes. We always share bites of each other's entrees. One bite of his steak made me wish I had ordered it instead. The tenderness and flavor rivaled that of Shapley's, which we consider tops for steaks in Mississippi. You could almost cut it with a fork it was so tender. Normally one shared bite is enough for me, but this warranted a second bite.
Filet
Entrees range in price from $12-40 and include other selections like Shrimp and Grits, and Bacon Wrapped Salmon. They also offer a prix fixe menu for $39.95, which includes a selection of an appetizer, entree, and dessert.
To satisfy my sweet tooth, I chose Peanut Butter Cheesecake for dessert. Normally, we share a dessert, but since it was a special occasion we each got our own. John went for his traditional brownie with ice cream, which was anything but the traditional version. It was topped with fudge, caramel, and candied pecans. The cheesecake wasn't what I was expecting, either. A graham cracker crust was covered with a thin layer of chocolate before it was topped with a thick layer of mousse-like, peanutty goodness. But that's not all - it was garnished with fudge and caramel sauces, and morsels of peanut brittle. My cheeks quiver just thinking about it. It was a truly sweet ending to a perfect meal.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Brownie with Ice Cream
They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I'm almost positive that's how I hooked him. I can't wait to see what we eat for the next 10,000 meals.