// braised chicken w/dried plums //

Definitely one of those dishes that taste better than it looks. This one was done on a whim. I happened to be searching chicken thigh recipes on Martha Stewart's site and noticed I had all the ingredients for this one (leftover white wine, dried plums & onion). Paired it up with mushroom gnocchi (it was a boxed version, on sale at Target) and it was soooooo good! Amazing comfort food. You can also try it with carrots and maybe some kind of potato on the side.

// bday food //

On his birthday every year, my friend gets a huge Omaha Steaks package sent down from his mom. After watching some show on t.v. about hot dogs, I was craving some. Luckily, in the birthday package are 4 gourmet franks. After going to 3 different gas stations and a CVS (no grocery store close by to their house),  I finally got some buns and chips for our lunch. We crumpled up some potato chips and used it as one of the toppings. Definitely makes a difference and it was inspired by the Colombian style hot dog. Also, had a huge bottle of vodka someone gave me for my birthday and wanted to do something different. We ended up infusing it with fresh pineapple. Just cut it up in slivers and into the bottle it went. It's still way too strong to drink straight up, but it looks pretty in the bottle and mixes well with orange juice. Pretty creative ways to boost up some standards, eh?

// Grant's Stack @ Homegrown //

If you've never been to Homegrown, it's definitely one of those places that make you feel like you're in a scene from some movie where you're at a restaurant in the mid-west. The typical customer ranges from the following descriptions:

• hipster chicks that are wearing big shades indoors, high-waisted denim shorts and have big hair that looks like they haven't washed it in days - usually w/some grimy guy who
• a young parent (usually w/out the other parent present) who brings their toddler in and usually sits at the bar cutting up their kids pancakes
• old school folk who bring their families and everyone seems to be from another era to me

Basically, I feel like I've stepped into a Vice Magazine diner. 

The food here is pretty reasonable in price and the food is hangover friendly. Lots of grease to sop up last night's shenanigan's for sure.  A good choice would be the Grant's Stack sandwich pictured below. How can you go wrong with bacon and Texas toast? I've also had the Trix/Capt'n Crunch dessert awhile back (which is made like a Rice Krispies treat), but it wasn't around this morning. Although, I did see a huge plastic bag of the cereal mix in the kitchen on the way out. I think I subconsciously peek into the kitchens if I'm walking by (usually do that while I'm waiting for the bathroom). I like watching the chefs/cooks do their thing. Sometimes, they don't like me doing that though. That's when I scurry off.

go check 'em out: http://www.homegrownga.com/

// Star Provisions Market //

Star Provisions “Bahn Mi” with Glazed Pork Belly, Pickled Chili on Toasted Baguette $ 13.95

marinated mushrooms $ 8.95/lb.

sooooo thick & crispy!

Have you guys noticed that the Banh Mi (Vietnamese sub) has gotten a LOT of exposure w/in the past few years due to a lot of foodies bringing it to food shows and magazines? Obviously, I'm going to be biased b/c I grew up eating these (homemade) and you're never going to beat our family's recipe.  My parents used to sneak Banh Mi's into Disneyworld instead of paying for overpriced mediocre American food. I used to be embarassed, but if we could do that now, I'd be showing them off! HA! Anyway, I'm glad everyone's embraced this brilliant sandwich, but I have to admit I can be wary when restaurants throw their version of the "Banh Mi" on their menu. It always sounds interesting, but when I try it I'm always disappointed in the taste AND the price. Plus, they're like $2.50 each (buy 5 get one free) down on Buford Hwy in the Viet sub shops and then I go into that mode where I'm converting prices. "I can buy 3 banh mi's for the price of this one!"  I do that when I see the $5 hot dogs at the theater and convert it to the Ikea hot dog prices. Hehe. Ok, back to the main point of this post - Star Provisions Market actually does the Banh Mi some justice! I recently exposed my cousin (who lives  1.5 hours outside of ATL) to this sub and she was amazed at how legit it tasted (and she's SUPER picky about her Viet food) and immediately accused them (not to their face) of stealing her mom's recipe in between huge bites. Another huge plus is that their fried chicken is outta control amazing! I've never had skin so thick and crispy and the meat was juicy and flavored perfectly. I seriously went twice in one week and got the banh mi w/a side of fried chicken aka Nellie combo (only I would consider meat a side). They'll gladly heat up the chicken for you while they make your sub. If you haven't gone, please go. I know it's a splurge, but trust me....it's totally worth it!

// meatballs & spaghetti //

I wasn't planning on making this dish tonight until I was walking through the fresh meats section at the Dekalb Farmer's Market and saw some stuff that caught my eye. Ground sweet pork sausage and a turkey version as well. Got 1/2 a pound of each and picked up some of their fresh pasta, sauce and parmesan cheese in the refrigerated section to complete my meal. I love that this farmer's market makes a lot of their stuff in-house and it's incredibly affordable. Makes planning meals for the week way easier. Just found this easy meatballs recipe and simmered in the sauce for about 30 minutes on low heat. Now just turn on an episode of Jersey Shore and sit back and enjoy your plate of spaghetti & meatballs!

// UPDATE //

Soooooooooooo...I've been really, really bad about updating my posts on here. I've been thinking about changing the whole blog up a bit. It would be a lot easier if it was more about me and my everyday food experiences, whether it be me cooking at home or just eating out w/friends. So, from now on, I'm going to just post about whatever I'm in the mood for about my true love - food. I mean it's a huge tie b/t food AND music for me, but you definitely need food for survival. Although, music is necessary for survival, too. That could be a whole 'nother argument, but you know what I mean. ;]

p.s. I just turned 30. Can you believe it? I still look like I'm 22 yrs old and the young kids still hit on me, so I guess that's not too shabby. Here's a photo from the burfday shenanigans.

// crispy curry ginger-lime chicken //

Chicken thighs have got to be my favorite part of the chicken. It's always tender and juicy and is pretty cheap at the market, too. When I'm cooking for a ton of ppl, a chicken thigh recipe is my go-to. Found this one when I was just Googling crispy chicken thighs. Made it recently at FAM DINNER and it was a hit. The only thing that took the longest was grating the ginger and squeezing the lime juice. I'd say one lime makes about 1 TBS of juice. Broiling takes about 20 minutes after you flip it over in the beginning. I served mine over white rice along w/steamed carrots (just add Krazy Jane salt when you cook it).