Let It Snow

For a few days now, there has been some whispers of the possibility of snowfall in Charlotte.  Based on the fact that there are been several threats of snow this year that resulted in nothing more than a cold rain, I was skeptical.  You can imagine my surprise when I'm pedaling away on the trainer and suddenly hear thunder.  A quick glance over my shoulder reveals a shockingly heavy snowfall.  Yes, we had thundersnow in Charlotte!

Here's a picture-by-picture timeline of the snowfall.

5 MINUTES

30 MINUTES

1 HOUR

1 HOUR

2.5 HOURS

The snow fell in huge clumps and heavy enough to accumulate significantly in just a short period of time.  It seems that most winter storms always come through overnight, so today's snowfall was fun to watch in the daylight.

The snow is just now tapering off to flurries, but not before it accumulated to approximately 2 inches.  I've heard lots of sirens outside and they spent the newscast discussing the interstates that are shut down due to dangerous conditions.  As much as it would be fantastic to have a lazy morning and enjoy the thaw tomorrow, I'm on call.  Should be an interesting commute at 7am.

T-minus 4 days and counting to Park City!  I'm sure that snow will quickly put Charlotte's "snow storm" to shame.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth

I'm gradually working my way through a rather lengthy list of Charlotte restaurants that I have deemed to be highlights of the local culinary scene.  Dad and Mom planned a business trip that just so happened to pass through Charlotte last week, and in exchange for a night's rent, I negotiated for a nice dinner out.  Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth is located in the Mint Museum in Uptown and opened not long after I moved to Charlotte.  They specialize in a meal that "celebrates the bounty of artisinal farms, cheese makers & wineries from our local community and beyond".  

The initial experience as you enter the restaurant is quite captivating.  It's a rather small and cozy location, with a view of the kitchen from nearly every table.  Chandeliers crafted from tree branches provide the lighting.  The tables are made from tree trunks and combine nicely with the bird seed filled candles and artsy silverware to create an upscale rustic appearance.  

After perusing the menu and being educated on the chef's specials and vegetarian options, we selected an mix of tapas style dishes to split among the three of us.

Chef's Vegetable Plate
Bok choy, mushrooms, greens, butternut squash, beet puree, and grains
The mixture of vegetables was good, but the dish seemed to lack cohesiveness and a punch of flavor 

Duck Confit Ravioli
The was the star dish for the night.  The combination of savory duck and sweet beet reduction was incredible.  The portion itself was small, and I could certainly have eaten a bowl full.

Kimchi-Fried Rice Grits with Seasonal Farm Vegetables 
The savory broth was perfectly flavorful.

Also consumed, yet not captured on film:

Buckwheat Crêpes
Roasted Mushrooms. Local Chevre. Smoked Honey.Served with Dressed Greens.

You really can't go wrong with the combination of goat cheese and honey!

Truffle Cauliflower Gratin

Truffled and smoked gouda creme and buttered crumbs

I was really looking forward to this indulgent sounding dish, but ultimately I was disappointed that it lacked depth of flavor.  It was certainly creamy, but needed a hit of garlic or spice to kick it up a notch.

Smores Brulee
Warm, gooey, marshmallow goodness.  

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondie
Served with banana ice cream and salted caramel
As you can imagine, this was all of my favorite flavors wrapped together into a single dessert.

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening, and the company was excellent as always..  Some of the vegetarian dishes could use a major flavor upgrade and the portion sizes are certainly on the very small side.  It's tough for me to return frequently to a single restaurant, given the extensive Charlotte restaurant scene. If I do go back, though, it would be to enjoy a drink and tapas on their patio overlooking Uptown.

Pizza for Dinner

Last week I had a sudden craving for pizza.  Specifically, I wanted a thin crispy crust, a hearty layer of marinara, lots of veggies, and a light sprinkling of cheese.  I thawed a Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust and made a quick trip to Whole Foods for some veggies (bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic), and got to work on my pizza.  The end result was a steaming hot mega-veggie pizza - EXACTLY what I was craving.

Do you make homemade pizza or do you opt for delivery?  For me, there's no comparison - homemade all the way!  I do need to buy a pizza stone though for the optimal crispy crust.  If you've never tried it, grilled pizzas are incredible as well.  In fact, caramelized balsamic onions and gouda grilled pizza might just hold a special spot in my heart.  

Tonight's dinner: reheated veggie pizza, roasted broccoli slaw, and avocado slices

Over the weekend - when I wasn't on call - I put on my baking apron and whipped up a batch of breakfast cookies.  When I workout in the early morning darkness, I frequently want a small snack either before or immediately following the swim or bike.  These are the perfect solution.  The batter contained oats, mashed banana, applesauce, raisins, dried cranberries, cinnamon, flax, and almond flour.  Ten minutes in the oven later, I now have a dozen "cookies" ready and waiting for consumption.

Saturday featured 25 glorious hours at the big house on call.  Fun times.  I was hoping for a few hours of sleep on a cold winter night, but consults kept me moving until 4:15am.  Despite the lack of sleep, when I arrived home I was motivated to tackle 90 minutes on the trainer thanks to the season one finale of Homeland.  Who else is completely captivated by this show?  I am so close to adding Showtime to me cable package, yet my student loans are sucking away my every last penny.  

Sunday afternoon was spent trying to keep my eyes open and study.  For some reason, pedicle screw fixation for scoliosis just wasn't winning in the battle for sleep.  I attempted to energize with breakfast for lunch - a veggie egg scramble (broccoli slaw, mushrooms, onion), hummus on toast, and avocado.  It was the perfect fuel for an hour long nap next to the fireplace.  

And on that note - my bed is calling.  Actually it's the toasty warm heated blanket that is beckoning me.

Tickets for Taste

I can hardly control my excitement for this event!  Remember last year when I attended Taste of the Nation here in Charlotte?  You can relive my incredible evening and endless eats here.  Well, believe it or not, a whole entire year has passed and it's time to prepare for Taste of the Nation 2013.  I encourage you to visit their website to read all of the details for the event, but here are the basics.

TASTE OF THE NATION - CHARLOTTE

April 17, 2013

Two Wells Fargo Center Atrium

VIP/Preview Admission   6-10pm  $100

General Admission         7-10pm  $85

Proceeds benefit Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry campaign

There are sure to be many of Charlotte's finest chefs and their respective restaurants showcasing their delicacies.  Here are some that have already committed to the event.

• BLT Steak
• Central Piedmont Community College

• e2 emeril's eatery
• Electrolux Professional
• Gallery at Ballantyne Hotel
• Harper's Restaurant
• Mimosa Grill
• Queen City Q

• Savannah Red at Marriott City Center

• Upstream
• The Westin Charlotte - Ember Grill
• Vivace

• Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Bar

Have I convinced you that this is a not-to-be-missed event?  Well, if you need some additional convincing, here's a great deal.  For the month of February, the great folks at Taste of the Nation are offering a special promotional ticket discount.  Visit the link below and enter the promo code and you're evening of indulgence will be $20 cheaper!

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET

Promo code: LOVE20 (case sensitive)

Valid February 1-28

$20 off VIP/Preview and General Admission tickets

I hope you see you all there!

Thanksgiving in January

 

My belly is in a very happy place right now.  I just finished eating that incredible plate of Thanksgiving favorites - and yes, it is the end of January.  Let me explain . . . Since I was at the big house fixing bones on Thanksgiving, I missed the the delicious family Thanksgiving feast.  When my parents made a trip to revive my flu-ridden soul in December, much to my delight they brought a frozen container of Thanksgiving dinner.  I've been treasuring that meal in the back of my freezer for just the right night, and tonight it was!

Big Green Egg smoked turkey (you did good, Dad!), sweet potato casserole, mashed rutabagas, and green bean casserole combined for a feast absolutely worth serving on a random January night.  There's just one problem - a single serving portion means I was a bit disappointed when I walked back to the kitchen for a second serving, only to discover I had already eaten it all.  Bummer!  Anyways, huge thanks to my parents for providing me with that incredibly delicious slice of Thanksgiving.

In other news, Charlotte survived the "big" ice storm of 2013.  And by big, I mean quite little.  Friday afternoon we received an hour or so of sleet followed by a few hours of freezing rain.  It never amounted to the same beauty that is snow, yet travel was dangerous.  My deck had about a quarter inch layer of ice by the late afternoon.  

Fortunately, I was home before the weather arrived and kept warm in my favorite fleece pants and sweatshirt by the fireplace.  I even whipped up a homemade batch of vegetable rice soup.  Somewhere along the course of the past week a virus has taken up residence in my head, and soup sounded comforting and healing.

And last, but not least, what Sunday post would be complete without pictures of breakfast - my favorite weekend meal.  Saturday was pancake day - topped with almond butter, apple sauce, bananas, cinnamon, chia seeds, trail mix, and maple syrup.  Mmmmm - endless combinations and always delicious!

This morning I started with a saute of lacinato kale, garlic, and onion in a bit of olive oil.  Then I added a mix of eggs, mustard, pepper, and a little nutritional yeast to create a veggie egg scramble.  Accompaniments included almond butter and blueberry jam on Great Harvest toast (I love the end pieces!) and a kiwi.

Do you have traditional weekend meals that you spend all week looking forward to?