Tuesday, May 29, 2012

BACCHANALIA: THE EXPERIENCE

Restaurant 
Bacchanalia
Atlanta, GA

Cuisine
Modern American

The Occasion
This wife's 27th Birthday

The Menu
5-course Prix Fixe

The Price 
Eighty Five dollars per person

Main Topic of Conversation
How wonderful, amazing this wife is

Events
Ooh-ing and aah-ing and mmm-ing
&
Pretending that the final bill of $230 was completely inexpensive and negligible


Upon entering, we discovered a surprisingly elegant, vintage, rustic shop (Star Provisions) 
with cute (and expensive) trinkets



The cozy and shabby chic restaurant was nestled in the back of the shop
We could view the kitchen through the restaurant's charming windows



We were promptly seated, and ordered leisurely from the prix fixe menu


Like a tourist

First gift from the Chef
Gruyere Cheese Pastry Puff

Ooey gooey. Salty
Second gift from the Chef
Broccoli Soup

Bland.
Third gift from the Chef
Turnips

Bitter. Unappetizing. A bit puzzling
House Offering
Sourdough Bread and Butter

Warm and chewy
1st Course
Kumamoto Oysters
Lobster Cauliflower Panna Cotta
Chervil, Caviar, Sourdough

Light and luxurious
Confit Foie Gras Torchon
Local pear, Georgia peaches

Sumptuous.
Lovely sweet peach sauce
House Offering
Brioche

Warm and crunchy
2nd Course
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Morel Mushrooms, English Peas, Parmesan
Black Truffle Vinaigrette

Most exquisite risotto experience
Flavorful. Creamy. Perfect consistency. Noticeably fresh ingredients
Gulf Crab Fritter
Thai Pepper, Avocado
Asian Pear, Grapefruit

Awe-inspiring. Moan-inducing. Plenty of enticing, soft, crab meat
An extraordinary thai pepper sauce with a divine combination of heat and flavor
3rd Course
Jamison Farm Lamb prepared five ways
Summerland Farm Onion
Natural Jus

Incredibly moist & tender. Well-seasoned
Delectable creamy pile of sliced onions
Wood Grilled Dry Aged Prime NY Strip
Summerland Farm Carrots, Hakurei Turnips
Spring Onion, Summerland Farm Lacinato Kale

Also moist, tender, and perfectly cooked/seasoned
4th Course
Selection of Cheese from Star Provisions
Accompanied by a Fig bar, Nuts, Olives, and Bread

The delicious nutty, gouda cheese from Holland. Off the chain.
Capra Gia Goat's Milk Cheese, Carrollton, GA
Roasted, Raw & Pickled Beets
Pine Nuts, Wild Leaves

Pleasing and pleasant lemon sorbet. Otherwise an unexciting dish
Pretty flower
 Gift from the Pastry Chef
Lemon Milk

Light. Airy. Mildly sweet. Delightful
Hubby's favorite dessert of the night
5th Course
Valrhona Chocolate Cake
Mint Ice Cream

Decadent chocolate cake
Refreshing mint ice cream (that actually tasted like real mint)
Goat Cheese Cake
Dulce de Leche
Coffee Ice Cream

Overly rich and creamy
Fragrant coffee-flavored ice cream
Gift from the Bakery Chef
3-Tiered Brown Sugar Cupcake

Not too sweet. Light, with a good bite.


Gifts from the Pastry Chef
Dark Chocolate Bonbons, Marshmallow, Lemon Jelly Candy

Sweetness overload
Warm Butter Madeleines

At this point, stomachs are too full to appreciate

Impeccable service. Romantic ambience. Some of the most delicious delicacies I've ever consumed. Not everything was perfect, but I will agree that it was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Happy dining.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

SO YOU WANT TO JUICE

Step 1:
Watch the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead 
Supplement with the video Forks over Knives,
and be brainwashed inspired to drink pure vegetable-fruit juice

Step 2:
Buy a juicer that costs you a small fortune but is built like a jet engine,
(sounds like one too)
and gets the job done, fast

Breville Juice Fountain Elite
Step 3:
Buy fruits and vegetables in bulk and prepare yourself to receive comments like-
"you must really like carrots" as you pile bags of them into your cart



Step 4:
Again, prepare yourself to receive wide-eyed stares from the cashier as you check out with
bags of celery, carrots, kale, apples, pears, lemons, spinach, cucumbers, some ginger,
and nothing else


Step 5:
Go home and wash fruits and vegetables


Step 6:
Washing fruits and vegetables takes a long time

Step 7:
Prepare your workstation with-
a cutting board, knife, and juicer
2-3 Large apples (preferably Fuji) and/or pears 
1 Lemon (optional to remove skin)
5-8 Carrots
1 Celery stalk 
1 Cucumber
1 Bunch of kale and/or spinach 
Half-of-a-half of a thumb-sized piece of ginger


Step 8:
Prepare your fruits and vegetables
Slice apples into quarters, pears into halves, cut off tops of carrots

Step 9:
Place small plastic bag into the juicer's waste container
Enjoy shoving fruits and vegetables down the chute
Observe juice coming out the other end (makes about 3-6 cups)


Step 10:
Color should be a puke brown/orange/green color with foam on top
Discard foam
Taste-test and find it much more agreeable than what you thought

Step 11:
If hubby should choose to do a 2-week juice fast,
make juice in bulk (lasts in refrigerator for 72 hours)

Step 12:
For the next 2 weeks DO NOT MENTION FOOD
Do not microwave nor cook anything you cannot completely ventilate out,
or mask the scent of with candles and air fresheners

Step 13:
When eating anything, cower in the corner of the room, 
stuff face quickly, glance around for signs of hubby

Do the Scrat
Step 14:
Be prepared to endure hubby's early bedtimes and bad moods as he approaches day 2 & 3
This does not go away until after oh... day 14

Step 15:
Be surprised at end results 
Happy juicing


End.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

WHEN HANDWRITING FAILS, STENCIL

A sheet of small letter stencils, blank trading cards (didn't know these existed), a fine point black pen.
(Shop Hobby Lobby for these craft goods)