TIN DRUM asiacafé, Roswell Marketplace, GA

Ser·en·dip·i·ty  ---finding something wonderful when and where it's least expected....

So went this evening's visit at TIN DRUM asiacafé: I didn't expect to experience good food at a chain restaurant: eateries where fare is humdrum, service hurried and you know ahead of time that what you're served never looks as good as the picture on the menu.

TIN DRUM dashed my (bad) attitude with a small cup of coconut soup. 

Hong Kong native Steven Chan is the founder and brainchild behind this Asian fusion cafe. Designed to reflect the bustling street food scene of Chan's hometown and and his training as an architect, the place is edgy-industrial and lively. 

The casual menu takes a somewhat non-traditional approach to Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese food. It's a good way to introduce these cuisines to diners who might  be intimidated by more traditional places and not willing to drop a bundle on food they aren't sure they'd enjoy. It's a good way to enjoy these cuisines if you're strapped for time, on a budget and want to eat good food Now. They do a terrific job.

We happily tasted 7 of the entrees and appetizers. All of it was very good. Some of it was wonderful.

First up: that soup. Thai Coconut Soup---a slightly salty, slightly sweet blend of coconut milk, sweet Thai chili, lemon grass & fish sauce with slivered green onion and mushroom. I could have gulped down a gallon of that stuff and called it a day.  Make this a must have.

Crab and Cheese Roll---I'm not usually a fan of cream cheese spiked sea food, but this was nicely done: light flaky pastry wrapped around a crabmeat-cream cheese stuffing. Nicely fried, not a bit oily, sweet and sour sauce for dipping. I loved the presentation: it screamed street food....a small round metal plate with a square of brown parchment and a tiny cup for the sauce. Cute.

Panko Shrimp Taco---This was my favorite and it is so representative of what this menu is all about. Steamed white rice topped with panko coated fried shrimp, slaw, cilantro, slivered scallions and cucumber-wasabi sauce nicely presented in a flour tortilla. This is truly fusion on a plate; I Ioved it. Again, my compliments to the Chef handling the deep fryer: You rock! Not a drop of oily and shrimp fried to perfection.

Pad Woon Sen [glass noodles]---I wanted to love this. I just liked it. It needed something more; green onions, crushed peanuts, some broth, sesame seed oil....I'd order this again, because I adore noodle bowls, and ask them to add stuff. 

TIN DRUM Curry---Yes, yes, yes!  Lovely, slightly spicy, slightly sweet curried chicken layered over a pile of fresh, crisp baby spinach leaves. Ask for some extra sauce. 

Tikka Masala---an Indian curry dish. If you want heat, order this. Everyone loved it. My thought: it suffered from too much cinnamon. 

Mango Stir Fry---chicken, mango, sweet chili sauce, onion, jalapenos. Hmm, I'm gonna sound picky, but here I go: Chef's knife skills need a little help. The pieces of mango and chicken were cut too large and unevenly. The beauty of Asian fare is attention to detail; precise bite size cuts are important. This reminded my of my sweet beautiful son---big clunky feet, he's like Ferdinand in a china shop. Ya wanna love him, ya gotta love him......

Some notes:
Tin Drum also offers a gluten free menu, all chicken is natural from humanely raised fowl and tofu is organic. Tin Drum is rated a "Healthy Place to Eat" and there's free WiFi.

Our dinner was a hosted event for Atlanta bloggers. We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Publicist Charles Rohling and Tin Drum Marketing Manager Elisa Gumbel. It was a delight and a pleasure to meet you both and thank you! for hosting us and Charles for your excellent service. Once a server, always...you did a great job!

Roswell Marketplace is Tin Drum's 13th location in Atlanta.

Also at the table: Ms. Sucheta Rawal --- go eat give
                              Ms. Emily Allred --- Spatialdr i f t

Read theTIN DRUM story....http://tindrumcafe.com/story

Travels with Charlie

Kennebunkport, ME is home to the (senior) Bush's and Walker Point, their family home. It is a summer destination for dining, shopping, lobster and all things Maine. Streets, shops and restaurants during those months are clogged with tourists and prices are, well, a little over the top. But down the road a piece is the "Port's" little sister, Kennebunk.

Kennebunk is not the "Port"; it is quieter, more sedate. But that does not mean boring or nothing to do. The town has undergone a resurgence of civic pride in the last decade and the place has grown lovelier and there's much to see and do. It also boasts a few terrific dining spots: 50 Local (which I reviewed here last year) and a local favorite, Duffy's Tavern.

Duffy's occupies the lower floor of a lovely old shoe factory at the corner of Main St (Rt.1) and Water St, at the edge of town. It overlooks a gushing, picturesque water spill and there's easy parking. The place is owned by a real Duffy and he's always around to greet you and have a chat. The menu is simple American fare. I love the fish and chips and have ordered that the last 2 times I was there.  It's a huge piece of perfectly fried, perfectly crispy fresh haddock with a side of fries (regular or sweet potato) or onion rings. My friends also ordered a starter of tomato brushetta. It arrived with the tomato topping in a small dish with delicious rosemary scented soft toasts on the side. A nice change from the usual hard as a rock, crumbly crostini.

Also recommended from Duffy's menu: burgers, buttermilk battered onion rings, crab cakes, the lobster roll and Duffy's pizzas...10" of perfection!

Duffy's is clean and bright. Seating is comfortable and service is efficient and professional. Prices are very reasonable and there's a full bar. There's also a gluten free menu and a nice array of lagers and beers on tap. A fun touch: the menu is a small newspaper full of local tidbits and news.

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Airport food is usually known to be barely edible and over priced. I know if I'm hungry enough I'll end up eating the stuff and then spend the rest of my trip feeling awful from all the salt, carbs, fats and who-knows-what-else lurking under the pretense of being food.

So knock me over with a feather when I stumbled on BGR Burger tucked away in a corner of concourse B at the Baltimore airport. The smell of something grilling always gets to me and when the lady asked how I wanted my burger cooked I thought I'd swoon. Char grilled and pink! And it was. Prime, dry-aged grass fed beef tasting like a burger should taste, Delicious!!

Note: the link below will take you to a location here in Atlanta. Go to the web site (BGR) for additional locations.

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Recovery

All of us will agree that this has been a week of tragedy and loss; in Boston, Texas and the upper Midwest. Man and nature have tried our forebearance. And as we bury and mourn our dead and our horribly injured and suffer tragic loss we seek a way to understand and comfort each other. In my world food nourishes and calms the injured, grieving soul. Recovery can take many forms and a good meal can always help.

This recipe came to me as I watched our diverse people come together to help each other; making a delicious amalgam of support for the suffering. It is what I do when there is hurt and sadness. I offer a nourishing meal.

Try this for comfort and to share...It is a dense sauce, rich and thick with healthy vegetables and fresh herbs.

Vegetable Ragout with Pasta and Basil

(makes 4 cups of rich sauce)

• 2-3 TBS good olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery (green leaves also), diced
• 1 leek, white part only, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium sweet red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 large or 2 small Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1 can organic tomato paste (Muir Glen if you can)
• 1/2 cup dried mushrooms (shitake or crimini)
• 1/2 cup full bodied white wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4-5 TBS fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
• Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste 
• Shaved Parmesan
• Your favorite pasta 

Method

Heat a 3 quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, carrots, celery, leek, onion and sweet pepper. Stir and season with a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Cook the vegetables for 1 hour.

While the vegetables are cooking, put the mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1 cup of cold water and cover with cling film. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Set aside to soak. (Keep covered). After 1 hour, remove the mushrooms, squeeze our their liquid and give them a rough chop reserving the soaking water.

At the same time, raise the heat under the pot to medium high and add the tomatoes, garlic, chopped mushrooms, tomato paste, sugar and wine. Stir and gently bubble over medium for about 5-10 minutes or until everything looks thick.  Add the mushroom soaking liquid and simmer another 5 minutes or until thick again. 

Check seasonings, add S&P to taste and remove from the heat. Stir in the basil, saving a bit for garnish. Toss the sauce with your favorite paste and garnish with the reserved basil and shavings of Parmesan.

Portion me please

If history holds true,  many of us will be thinking about our waist lines right about now. Cold weather is slipping away along with the need for the bulky clothing that hides bellies and extra pounds. Bathing suit season is about to hit. Yikes, we need to DIET!

But weighing food, counting calories and dining exclusively on lettuce doesn't work for most of us. Drastic deprivation is not a solution. I've got a few better ideas....
    
Slow down. It takes a few minutes for your stomach to notice you've sent down food, relay that to your brain which in turn will tell you if you've had enough. Put your fork down between bites and chew your food well. Give the 'I'm full signal' time to travel.         

Size matters. (Well, it does). Many of us suffer not because of what we're eating but because of how much. Make a plate for yourself, put away and freeze the leftovers, then go sit down and eat. When you're shopping, you don't have to buy the package with 6 chops. Ask the market to repackage just what you need. Buy less. Less food, less temptation. Believe me, your waist line will thank you and so will your wallet.

The color of your dishes matter. Studies show that food presented on a plate of contrasting color will cut your eating by nearly 20%. The higher contrast between food and plate makes you more aware of your portion size. If you're having a steak use a white plate. If you're having pasta with tomato sauce use a white bowl. Mashed potatoes...think about red or green or blue. Salad? Unless it's drowning in dressing, doesn't matter. Eat all the raw veg you want.

Your Mother was wrong. You do not have to clean your plate. Parisians are notorious for their long time at table drinking wine and dining on all kinds of rich buttery food. When they were asked how they stayed so slim with that kind of diet, they answered that they stopped eating when they began to feel full.

Water yourself. Drink a full glass of water before you eat. Water is filling and also aids in proper digestion. Another glass during and after is better. But if you do only one, before meal is best.

Eat from a plate. Never eat from a package. Always present your food to yourself from a dish so you can see how much you're eating. We'll consume 20% or 30% more when eating straight from a package. And, the bigger the package, the more we'll eat. 

Live by the movie-munchie rule. Movie goers who ate popcorn from a larger bucket ate more of the popcorn than those who bought a medium size. Choosing the smaller bucket means you'll eat 50% less. Less popcorn, on average, than a person who chooses large. Give yourself a lot to eat and you'll eat a lot. 

Get in the habit of being Portion-Aware. Chose and serve yourself just a little less. If you can cut back by just 20% a day, by the end of the year you could be 30 pounds lighter.



Source credits: Cooking Light Magazine, October 2012

Warm Comfort...Rice Pudding

Inspiration for blogging left me months ago and I expected that would be it. But life is funny and stuff happens and today I found motivation in a bubbly pot of cold rice, cream and a bunch of sugar. I was cooking rice pudding. Who'd a thought?

There's something comforting in these old fashioned recipes. I like the sentimentality of them. They conjure memories of Mother and Aunts and dishes of creamy sweets with raisins served up after dinner. This is not for the waist watchers or those opposed to cooking foods that need a little attention. But if you want to turn out something to warm your soul, here's a recipe you'll enjoy.

Rice Pudding with Raisins

• 3-4 cups cold cooked rice (Basmati, Jasmine or long grained)
• 1 quart of half and half (or 2 cups whole milk & 2 cups of cream)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup raisins plumped in hot water
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Use a deep heavy pot. Add rice, 1/2 and 1/2 (or cream and milk) sugar, salt and nutmeg. Stir and set over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir 1/4 cup hot liquid (from the pot) to the beaten egg to temper it (so it won't curdle) and return everything to the pot. Cook, stirring, for another minute.

Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon, drained raisins and vanilla. Stir well.

Turn into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap that is pressed directly onto the pudding. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate, covered.

May be served warm or chilled. I sprinkle a little cinnamon on top for color. Enjoy!

Cibo e Beve

101 Concepts, the group behind behind Food 101 and Meehan's Public House, opened their newest venture, Cibo e Beve (pronounced Chee-boh e Bevay---Italian for Food and Drink) one year ago. To celebrate the anniversary, they invited a bunch of us blogger and media folk to a special 5-course dinner featuring some of Chef Linda Harrell's signature dishes and her newest creations.

The menu, much like any good Trattoria, is not terribly formal or stuffy. Cibo e Beve polishes familiar Italian cuisine by using local, seasonal ingredients as well as many specialty foods imported from Italy.

There is an intense attention to detail in the food and drink offered at Cibo e Beve. The bar uses only pristine block ice for drinks. No cloudy ice cubes here. Just one perfect piece of ice in every cocktail. Less melting; less diluting.

Mixologist Justin preparing his signature cocktail: gin, bitters, home made lemonade, orange zest....simple and delicious

The food is equally special, carefully executed, simply and beautifully plated and happily devoid of all unnecessary garnish (which makes me crazy...if I can't eat it, don't put it on the plate!).

Our first course was a delicate goat cheese panna cotta, set on a perfect, crispy slice of fried green tomato. Pancetta syrup (amazing!), Marcona almonds and lovely, lightly bitter, micro greens finished the plate. Now, I've got to say, I always admire a Chef who can pull off a successful panna cotta. It's not an easy task. I know that from several of my own disasters. But Chef is a panna cotta rock star. This was a beautiful dish; silky smooth goat cheese custard, perfect fried tomato, a sweet drizzle and smoky almonds. I'd eat that again, and again, and again.....

Goat Cheese Panna Cotta

Caramelized black figs with Burrata mozzarella and artisan prosciutto. A simple dish? Yes. Not too unusual? Yes. I've had this before? Yes, several times. But under Chef Harrell's hand this combination turns into something magical. Why? I can't answer. This was just sweet-savory perfection on a plate. Try to get a little of everything on your fork as you eat this and you will understand what I'm trying (and failing) to communicate. I'd also eat this one again, and again....

Caramelized figs, burrata, prosciutto

Lobster spaghetti. Who calls perfectly cooked al dente pasta sporting huge chunks of sweet lobster dressed with a lovely briny broth spaghetti? This dish was too lovely to be tagged just spaghetti. Couldn't we call it perciatelli con brodo di aragoste e pesce? I'd guess no. That would be too pretentious and this is not a pretentious place. This was wonderful. The server offered freshly grated cheese. I'm glad I said no. The flavors were so well balanced; the cheese would have ruined it. Another star.

Spaghetti with lobster...look at all that lobster!

Gulf Coast Pan Seared Black Grouper with Cauliflower Puree, Sea Beans, Citrus Olive Oil.

This was not my favorite but before I go any further I need to qualify my remarks: everyone else loved it. My fish was too long in the pan. It lacked seasoning. The sea beans were delicious, all salty and sea-weedy. The cauliflower puree was satiny smooth and rich with cauliflower flavor. But, nothing seemed to go together. For me anyway. Maybe next time just the beans or just the puree?

Grouper, sea beans, cauliflower puree

Our last course was a rich, chocolaty, liqueur soaked tiramisu. And, as I was beginning to discover, this dish is classic Cibo e Beve. Nothing unusual until Chef Harrell gets involved. The tiramisu was so light and so airy, almost like chocolate mousse. But it had all the wonderful tiramisu flavors---coffee, chocolate, mascarpone, liqueur, lady fingers. Our server offered espresso with this. It was the perfect match and perfect ending to a delicious meal.

Chef Harrell's Tiramisu

Notes:

Cibo e Beve will begin serving brunch on August 5th. Based on our dinner, I expect the food will be amazing

Brunch Menu

The interior of the restaurant is comfortable and unpretentious and the wait staff is beyond professional. Be prepared to find them anticipating what you want before you know it. Well done staff! The kitchen is open and there's a counter in front of it where you can dine and watch your food being prepared.



 

Pizza, Pizza

A big fat slice of New York style pizza is the stuff of my dreams. I just can't find it here in Atlanta, even with Antico and Double Zero.

I just crave those giant slices of crispy crust pizza dripping with oil and topped with gobs of melting, mouth burning cheese. The kind you fold in half that over hangs the plate it comes on. The kind that comes from those tiny 100-year-old joints where you can step up to a window that opens to the street. Am I homesick for that kind of pie? You bet!

I tried to reproduce it in my own kitchen. Didn't come close. My oven isn't hot enough. I couldn't make the pie big enough. The dough didn't have NY City water. I didn't have cheap paper plates.

However. I did turn out a pretty decent home-made pizza. (I added anchovies to one and there was no one there to make a face at me for eating those salty little fish).

How to Make Pretty Decent Pizza at Home

(makes 4 personal size pizzas)

Ingredients for the dough:

Unbleached flour makes a lovely crispy light crust

3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast---1 pkg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 cup of tepid water
1 cup room temp water
3 tablespoons of good olive oil

The ingredients

• Add the yeast and the sugar to the 1/4 cup of water, stir gently and set aside, uncovered, until the mix is foamy and double in volume
• Lightly (olive) oil a large mixing bowl and set it aside
• Add the flour and the salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times.
• When the yeast has doubled, add it to the 1 cup of water along with the olive oil.
• With the processor running, slowly pour in all of the liquids.
• Continue processing until the dough comes together into a ball. Process one minute more.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour (1 tablespoon at a time); if it's too dry sprinkle on a little tepid water (1 teaspoon at a time). Knead for 1 minute after adding extra flour or water.
• Put the dough into the oiled bowl, turning it so all the dough is slicked with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a draft free place to rise. The inside of your oven is perfect (heat off!).
• When the dough has doubled in volume (1 to 2 hours) turn it out onto an unfloured board, punch it down and cut into four equal parts. 
• The dough can now be used, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen.
• Bring the dough to room temp before using.

Baking your pie:

•  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Lightly sprinkle a cookie sheet or pizza pan with corn meal. If you're lucky enough to own a pizza stone, set it in the oven while it's pre-heating and toss some corn meal onto the stone right before adding the pizza.
• Stretch or roll out the dough to form a rough 10-12" round. Don't worry if it's not exactly round. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil, S&P to taste and add your toppings. Do not over load the pie. Less is better.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden. Eat!

The pie...I used fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and topped it all with lots of grated parmesan and a light sprinkle of Maldon salt