My Addiction

Green tea yogurt with blackberries, strawberries and mango

For awhile now I have been addicted to the short menu available at Yoforia, an Atlanta frozen yogurt chain. Catching on to the healthy fro yo craze that already hit LA and New York, the flavors available are simply: original, green tea and pomegranate, although I believe they are making a new chocolate flavor that will be available soon - that I'll have to try. Then you choose your toppings (up to three). I usually go for the fruit, although the availability of mochi is always tempting and, surprisingly, Oreo cookie crumbles are very good with green tea yogurt! The fact that each ounce of yogurt is only 25 calories makes it even more difficult to curb the craving!

Exodus

Grandma Sarah and Amy enjoy the Festive Meal

This weekend I returned to the region of my birth to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover with a traditional Seder and dinner. It was great seeing the family and the food was as good as ever. We had matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish (from Alon's), eggs & onions and brisket with all the fixins. I am so glad my Grandma Sarah was able to host us again this year, even though it is a huge amount of work to prepare for this dinner. For dessert we had meringues and a special chocolate passover cake...Yum.

The Seder Plate

Our Seder table.

Brisket, green beans, tsimmes and salad.

Finger Lickin' Good

Catfish, tater tots and hush puppies

Chopped brisket sandwich with onion rings

Yesterday a friend and I dined at Fox Bros. BBQ. The restaurant was one of several participating in the "Dining Out for Tornado Relief" effort aimed at raising money for victims of the recent Atlanta tornado. As a result, the place was packed for a Monday night, and we waited almost an hour. Nevertheless, my brisket was tasty and my friend's catfish was good, too. I liked the large, flavorful hush puppies as well as the wonderful dessert of peach pound cake with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream on top (it was so good I forgot to take a picture!) I did feel bad, though, for the couple dining next to us who came in specifically for the catfish special only to find out they were all out - apparently they do not eat any other kind of meat so there wasn't much for them and they left after having waited for a table. So sad... motto of this story is GET THERE EARLY!

Frank Ma's (Dinho)

So today I had the chance to check out Frank Ma's Chinese restaurant, located in Atlanta's very own Chinatown, which is more like a shopping center than a neighborhood.

Fortunately, I was with a big group so we tried several wonderful dishes including the famous Shanghai soup dumplings, chive filled pancake, shrimp (basic dish), 3 cup chicken with great garlic, and a few more things... My favorites were the fish cooked in hot oil and the eggplant with garlic sauce. Shamefully I did not take any photos, but I am going to get back to blogging on a regular basis... I promise!

Afterwards a few of us went into the food court where freshly steamed ducks are for sale. I might have bought one if I hadn't been stuffed but I did save room for a snowcone from SunO.

Seafood Galore - a Cooking Class

Amy with Virginia Willis

Yesterday I took a cooking class at Cook's Warehouse in Decatur, Georgia. The instructor was Virginia Willis, who has recently published a cookbook called "Bon Apetit, Y'all." She is also soon to star in two episodes of Martha Stewart's TV cooking show. It was really fun watching Virginia cook and I hope to take another cooking class soon!

Mussels with Herbed Garlic Toasts

Trout, Scallop and Salmon

Beleza!!

Assorted chips with salsa

Finally, I was able to try Beleza with a friend of mine the other night. The food is organic, mostly veggie Brazilian (sorry you carvinores, no giant skewers of meat!), and I really enjoyed our meal. Portions are small and it's not cheap, but it was definitely unique and I enjoyed the various tastes. Their cocktails are rumored to be delicious, too, as they use a variety of exotic juices.

Papaya Salad with Tofu (instead of beef)

Best raw salmon EVER!! With a little olive oil and sea salt.

Greens with red curry sauce and Forbidden Rice

Chocolate sorbet with grilled banana - Beleza uses only natural sweeteners and does not use white sugar.

Truffles - very dark and very delicious!

I could see myself going back to Beleza again, but probably not before I try Cuerno, the new Spanish place next door under the same ownership.

Southern Sweets!

Carrot Cake

On Saturday I lined up with a bunch of soccer playing kids to get a piece of excellent cake from Southern Sweets in Decatur. Dad was visiting and we went with the cousins to try a piece before going to the DeKalb Farmer's Market - that's quite a find, too if you haven't been there. The farmer's market has foods from around the world and a clientele to prove it.

I definitely want to go back to Southern Sweets - great looking desserts and their lunch menu looks delicious, too.

Update: I've been back here several times and enjoyed a piece of red velvet cake over the weekend (3-28-09).

Red Velvet Cake - very tasty - I love the cream cheese frosting.

Queen of Sheba

Look at my hand compared to that plate!

Yesterday I went out with a group of friends to Queen of Sheba, one of the better Ethiopian restaurants in Atlanta. Luckily we had enough people to order the GIANT platter of food, getting tastes of beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian dishes. Ethiopian cuisine is one that I cannot eat often, but when I get a craving for it I can't stop myself. You use your fingers to hold pieces of injera (sourdough-like flat bread made from a grain called teff), which you use to eat the various stews that come on the platter. Afterwards, you eat the injera soaked with all the yummy juices.

My favorite is usually the lamb, especially with the red awaze sauce that you can get mixed in or on the side. The collards are also notably good as are the potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

On Thursday evenings, Queen of Sheba has live jazz beginning at 8 PM.

The plate was HUGE!

Zaytinya in DC

Hummus, Baba Ganooj and Fattoosh

I had some lovely mezze with my cousins and my mom in DC. We were able to get the restaurant week menu so we tried lots for a low price.

Falafel, Calamari and Sauteed Shrimp

Lamb kabob, chicken kabob and salmon

Dessert!

My Honda, Forever Memorialized

My reliable 1998 Honda Accord is gone but she will forever live on this blog. Sold her through Craigslist in preparation for buying a new car in Atlanta. Fare thee well, old friend, fare thee well!

Seize the Day!

Three Generations, Mom, Amy and Grandma Sarah

On Mother's Day I ventured home to Charlotte and had a lovely dinner with my mom, stepdad, Grandma Sarah and Aunt Anne (step-grandmother). We went to Carpe Diem in Charlotte. I had a wonderful dish of BBQ Shrimp and polenta and my mom's pan seared coriander and orange rubbed duck breast was to die for. Once we got Aunt Anne her crabcake all was good with the world and we enjoyed a sumptuous meal.
BBQ Shrimp with Polenta


Duck Breast - mom's favorite!

Our Last Mexican Fiesta as Law Students

Amy, Ryan and Nathalie: Forever a Trio

As usual, some friends and I headed to have our traditional post-finals Mexican meal. First we had drinks at Tequila Rose and then we went over to my favorite spot, South of the Border, for dinner. The photo says it all... Tacos Carne Asada with extra hot sauce. I'm sure going to miss these guys... and I don't just mean the tacos.

My favorite Williamsburg tacos

My buddy Chris

Blue Talon Birthday

Katie - the birthday girl!

The Katies, Will and I had a lovely dinner at the Blue Talon in celebration of one Katie's birthday. I had some tasty mussels and fries. The broth was nice and garlicky - wonderful for sopping the nice French bread they serve. This might be my last time here for awhile...

Les Moules Frites - that's mussels and fries for all of you
non-French speaking people.

The Queen, the Queen!!

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II - see the pink hat!?

Being in Williamsburg during the Jamestown Anniversary festivities has been a slight pain but I was happy that I got to witness THE QUEEN riding in a carriage down the famous Duke of Gloucester Street right after my Trusts and Estates exam.

QC Quick Trip

So I went to visit my family in Charlotte over the weekend after I found an E-Saver ticket from Norfolk to Charlotte. While I was there I had some stellar Vietnamese food at Saigon Palace - the yellow pancake and fresh spring rolls.
I also had brunch at the Charleston House on the Plaza, which was very tasty after we finally got to order brunch. Apparently this place used to offer brunch every Sunday (it was even written up as one of the best brunch places in Charlotte) but because business was slow in the morning they had converted brunch into a Sunday dinner buffet. Since we arrived at 11 AM and really wanted some brunch food, we talked to the owner and he said they could make us brunch food. It is really a shame that the brunch menu, which I finally got to see, is no longer being served, but it seemed like if you got to know the owner you could call and request anything from the menu. We tried a wonderful shrimp and crabmeat omelet with a Creole sauce and smooth yellow grits. The lunch buffet was also excellent, with fried chicken, macaroni & cheese and desserts like banana pudding and peach cobbler. Unfortunately I left my camera back in Williamsburg.
It was a great trip, albeit a quick one!