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Pizza Making Class at Double Zero Napoletana

01/12/2012 in Events, Sandy Springs, Suburbs, What we're Cooking, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 3 comments

Need an idea for a fun date or girls night out??

On Monday, January 23, Double Zero Napoletana is hosting a pizza making class!  The Sandy Springs restaurant is offering two separate seatings – one at 6:00 p.m. and one at 8:00 p.m.

During the classes, Double Zero Napoletana staff will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to learn the art of making Neapolitan pizza in the restaurant’s beautiful, hand-crafted Stefano Ferrara ovens.  Each class is limited to 15 attendees, and the cost is $39 per person. 

Participants will learn about the unique and nuanced process of making dough at the highest level of quality.  This interactive event also includes a glass of wine and a personal pizza creation.

So much fun!  :)

And, don’t fret that Double Zero is all the way in Sandy Springs.  It’s totally worth the schlep, as it’s one of the few restaurants that the Q+DD will travel OTP for!  Read about our recent visit to Double Zero HERE!

Can’t make the 1/23 class?  No worries!  Double Zero is hosting another on February 27. 

Make sure you register ASAP! 

xx, L

 

Double Zero Napoletana
5825 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA  30328
404.991.3666
http://www.doublezeroatl.com/home/

Double Zero Napoletana on Urbanspoon

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Girls Weekend 2011/Santa Fe Soup

12/11/2011 in What we're Cooking, What we're Doing by Lauren | 2 comments

It’s been an amazing week.

I was off Monday and Tuesday and got to play house(almost)wife, I started a new j-o-b on Wednesday, and on Friday, my 3 best friends from HIGH SCHOOL traveled from near and far to visit the ATL for a little girls’ getaway.  

From left: Mary Bradley, Leslie, Lucy, and me. Baby Frank and Baby Drew are also present in this picture!

It was DIVINE.  We ate our way through the city (Noche – Murphy’s – JCT – Flying Biscuit) pausing only to shop, have our nails done, and laugh uncontrollably.

Things I learned:

  1. We canNOT drink the volume of wine we used to… but that’s probably a good thing due to the fact that as our age advanced, so did the caliber and price tag of the wine we prefer.
  2. Nobody can call you out on your own BS better than people who saw you through your braces and acne phase.
  3. I am the last person in our friend group to be clued in on the easy and delicious dinnertime miracle – Santa Fe Soup.  I made it for Greg this evening and is is DELISH and totally easy and I thought I’d share it with you!

Ok so check it – this is all you need:

1lb ground sirloin
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 large onion
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet taco seasoning mix

Then you just:

  1. Dice your onion and sauté it while you brown your meat and drain
  2. Season the meat and onion with the ranch dressing and taco seasoning packets
  3. Dump the rest of the ingredients in and bring to a boil
  4. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

D-O-N-E.  Mary Bradley told me to put a can of water in to stretch out the pot, which I will try next time – but it makes a HUGE pot of delicious and hearty soup as is.  Top it with a little sour cream and cheese and it’s AMAZING.

It’s also pretty healthy – I’d estimate it’s between 7-8 WW points before toppings.

Now back to my emotional hangover…miss you guys already!

Enjoy!

xx, L

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Visit New York Butcher Shoppe!

12/01/2011 in Holidays, Midtown, What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | No comments

An exciting new business recently opened in Midtown next door to my second home (Mint Salon).  It’s the New York Butcher Shoppe. 

I had seen it under-construction for a while, but didn’t realize that it opened until recently when Kev came home from a haircut at Mint.  He burst into our condo and raved about New York Butcher Shoppe for the following 20 minutes.  He was talking rapidly, but I caught that he walked into NYBS after his haircut and didn’t want to leave because it “smelled UNBELIEVEABLE in there.”  He was particularly impressed with their assortment of prepared dinners; “all you have to do is pop them in the oven, Linds!”  He made me promise that we could give them “a ton” of business.  (This coming from the guy who would eat a Lean Cuisine every night if I didn’t intervene.)  “Sure – absolutely we will,” I said.  Eh, it was fun seeing him so excited about a new business + the place sounded great.  So welcome, NYBS, to the neighborhood!  I hear that we’ll be signing over our paychecks to you very soon…  :)

Have you visited NYBS yet??

Here’s the Q+DD on New York Butcher Shoppe:

NYBS is a unique shopping experience for customers seeking top-quality products and exceptional customer service at great prices.  We’re a high quality market with an emphasis on personal customer care.  The prices are as good or better than supermarket prices, but at the New York Butcher Shoppe, customers enjoy personal service and expert advice on cooking, grilling and meal planning.

From certified Angus beef steaks and incredibly prepared chicken cordon bleu, to fresh seasonal vegetables, pastas, sauces, wines and more, NYBS is the perfect place to experience cooking bliss.  We are way more than just a butcher shop.  We take pride in the quality of what we serve and the care in how we serve it.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you walk in the door at the selection of products we have.

NYBS

The D’Elia family established the New York Butcher Shoppe in 1999 on Ben Sawyer Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  Bill D’Elia is originally from Brooklyn, NY where he began learning the butcher trade at age eleven.  His career has been in the grocery industry since 1970, primarily in butcher and meat areas.  The store in Mount Pleasant quickly grew in popularity, and the concept began franchising in October of 2003.

The NYBS concept is founded on the principles of outstanding customer service and the highest quality product, in a clean and inviting atmosphere.  Our line of hand cut steaks using Premium Angus Beef, prepared entrées, side dishes, salads and dips are always fresh and fill a unique shopping niche for our customers.  We also offer fresh sausages, frozen pastas, vegetables, hard-to-find grocery items, and a top selection of fine wines and cheeses.

a peek inside NYBS

NYBS sounds AWESOME – it’s very clear why Kev is such a big fan!  I can’t wait to visit ASAP.  I bet they have a number of great items we could add to our holiday celebrations. 

In the meantime, here’s some more info about NYBS:

Take a NYBS store tour: Where’s the beef??
Check out their menu: What’s cooking, good lookin’?!
Oooh, they cater, too: NYSB on the move!

Welcome, welcome again!  I’m looking forward to meeting you soon, NYBS.  (I have a feeling that we’ll be your most enthusiastic customers…)

xx, L

New York Butcher Shoppe
985-C Monroe Drive
Atlanta, GA  30308
404.343.3614
www.nybutcher.com

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Thanksgiving Cran-Apple Relish {Recipe}

11/23/2011 in Holidays, What we're Cooking by Lauren | No comments

Once again, I participated in an office Thanksgiving Pot Luck with DK’s Cran-Apple relish… and once again it was a huge hit.

If you’re scrambling to figure out a dish to bring to Turkey Day tomorrow… or just want an amazing side for your personal Thanksgiving leftovers… I’d suggest making this bad boy.  It’s so easy and delish and it’s a perfect leftover - the flavors continue to synergize and it just becomes more amazing!

Check it:

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 (1lb) bag fresh cranberries
  • 1 orange, unpeeled
  • 5-6 red apples, unpeeled – DK instructs to use only FIRM apples – she likes Fuji. Per DK: “If you use mushy apples, your relish will be mushy. NO BAG APPLES!”
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (feel free to use more)

Here’s what you do:

  • Wash cranberries and drain
  • Quarter and seed orange and apples.
  • Grind cranberries, orange and apples coarsely in food processor. Per DK: “You want small pieces but not really small pieces. Grind SEPARATELY – you may have to do apples in two batches.” (I did)
  • Add sugar pineapple and pecans.
  • Mix well and refrigerate overnight.

(Yield – 2 quarts)

Viola!

I think the key is really to let it sit 24 hours if you can, or at least overnight for best results.

I hope you enjoy!  Have a GREAT Thanksgiving, everyone!

xx, L

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Watch Out Martha…

06/29/2011 in Entertaining, What we're Cooking by Lauren | 2 comments

…I’m coming for you!

Last night, I had the pleasure of hosting Dinner Club and we had the best time!


Brief DC history lesson: back when Lindsay first invited me to Dinner Club (2008?) the tradition was that the hostess would send the recipes the next day to the members and somewhere along the line that fell by the wayside.  Last night we decided to reinstate that practice, and I thought while I’m sending the recipes to my girls, I’d share some of them with you too!

Here are my top 3:
1.    Rosemary Cheese Crackers
2.    Mushroom/Artichoke Crustless Tarts
3.    Curried Couscous

Rosemary Cheese Crackers (appetizer)

I LOVE a good ol’ southern cheese straw, but these are in it for extra credit with rosemary and a punch of spice. I love them on their own, but topped with green pepper jelly and a little dollop of goat cheese….heavenly.

They are relatively easy, too!

Ingredients:
2 cups (8oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp. sea salt (coarse) and more for sprinkling on top
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Cream the cheese and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer (I used my hand mixer and brute strength) until smooth and well combined.   Stir together the flour, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes and cayenne in a separate bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Turn the dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper.  Roll into a log shape and wrap the dough in the paper and refrigerate for several hours (I think overnight is best) until the dough is firm and slice-able.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the log into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange them on a baking sheet.  Prick the center of each cracker several times with a fork and sprinkle your coarse sea salt on them.  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until they are golden brown around the edges.

You can serve them room temp or slightly warm, but let them cool a good amount before serving them.  Top ‘em off with your green pepper jelly and your goat cheese and voila!

Tips:
1. I know I said it before, but you HAVE to use COARSE SEA SALT.  Otherwise they won’t come out the same.
2.  You can store them for up to 3 days in an airtight container once they’re made or frozen and re-heated in the oven for a few minutes before serving
3. The dough can actually be made a day or TWO in advance!

Mushroom Artichoke Crustless Tarts

This recipe comes from my mom’s bestie (and excellent cook!) Caren –and they are delicious and SO SUPER EASY. They were a BIG time crowd pleaser and took absolutely NO time.

Ingredients:
1 c mushroom (chopped)
1 can artichoke hearts (chopped)
12 oz cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1 egg
2 c cheese (I mixed asiago, parmesan, romano, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar, but I think anything would work)

Mix everything together in a big ol’ bowl.  Overspray mini-muffin tins with Pam, sprinkle parmesan on top and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or room temp.

Tips:
1. None.  This was ridiculously easy.

Curried Couscous

This is a DK specialty that we ate every day at the beach so I wanted to make it for my girls!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tb butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts
1/2 cup small diced red onion

Place couscous in a medium bowl.   Melt butter in the boiling water and pour over couscous.  Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper.  Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix with a fork.  Add the carrots, parsley, dried cranberries almonds scallions and red onions.  Mix well and taste for seasonings (sometimes I like more pepper in mine).

Serve at room temp (or cold!)

Tips:
1. I made a double recipe (it makes a TON) but if you’re going to do that, be sure to make each batch separately.
2. This needs to sit about a day for the flavors to be fully “synergized” so make it a day ahead

And there you have it!  I hope you enjoy!

xx, L

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Strawberry Pimm’s Cup for Summer

05/31/2011 in Appetizers, Cocktails, Guilty Pleasures, Highlands, What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Slick + I met Rosh + Z for dinner at Floataway Cafe on Friday night.  We ordered cocktails + Rosh and I both jumped at the Strawberry Pimm’s Cup.  (Neither of us had tried a Pimm’s Cup before, but we were feeling a little adventurous.)  I finished it WAY too fast – but with purpose.  It was so unbelievably delicious!  A perfect match for my summer fruit lovin’ palate…

We loved.  Look how pretty, too:

floataway cafe's strawberry pimm's cup

It would take some work, but this is a drink that would be a hit at a dinner party.  Definitely a crowd pleaser. 

Impress Your Friends w/ a Strawberry Pimm’s Cup:
Two ounces of Pimm’s
Two large strawberries (use a third if strawberries are not enormo)
Five mint leaves

Muddle all of that together and either strain (if you don’t like chunk) or pour directly into the glass (if you are chunk-friendly).

Top it off with homemade lemonade soda.  For every ounce of lemon juice add 3/4 an ounce of sweetener.  To the lemon concoction, add an equal amount of soda water on top.  Pour into muddled ingredients.

Drink + enjoy!  :)

You guys.  It is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  No lie.

And, so was the rest of our meal.  All was splendid!  Here’s what we ate:

First
Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna Crudo, Blood Orange, Chili (my fav.)
Crispy Young Squid, Sweet Onions, Asparagus, Lemon
Wood Grilled Chicken Livers, Red Onion Jam, Sourdough (decided I don’t care for chix livers…to put it nicely)

Second
Wood Grilled Hanger Steak, Pommes Frites (x2)
Wood Grilled Georgia Quail, Caramelized Sweet Onions, Shallot Mostardo, Champagne Gastrique
Margherita Pizza with Chorizo + Farm Egg

Dolci
Toffee Cake w/ Vanilla Gelato (SUPER delish!)

Truly a delightful meal.  Recommend Floataway from top to bottom!

xx, L

Floataway Cafe
1123 Zonolite Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.892.1414
www.starprovisions.com

Floataway Cafe on Urbanspoon

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More on Spaghetti Squash…

02/04/2011 in Health, Tricks of the Trade, What we're Cooking by Lindsay | No comments

I’ve been thrilled to hear that my post a few months ago about spaghetti squash has inspired many of you to try it out for yourselves! 

S. squash is still one of my favorite healthy items, but I’ve recently changed up my very plain preparation of it to something a bit fancier, thanks to Bethenny Frankel.

love you. mean it.

Seriously – thank you, BF(F?)!

So here it goes, s. squash lovers…

Bethenny Frankel’s Delicious Spaghetti Squash

bethenny's squash

Ingredients:
1 medium to large spaghetti squash
3 T C store-bought pesto
1 T toasted pine nuts (quickly warm in pan until golden)
3 T shredded parmesan, asiago or grana padana cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T shredded fresh basil

Directions:
Fill a Pyrex with salted water. Cut squash in half with serrated knife, remove seed portion and place face down in water.  Microwave for 12 – 14 minutes.  Allow to cool enough to handle.

Using a fork going lengthwise, scrape entire squash until only left with skin.  Discard skin.  While still warm, add pesto, 2 T of the cheese and salt and pepper and toss.  Warm pine nuts in saute pan.  Sprinkle the squash with nuts, remaining cheese and basil.  Serve + enjoy!

Super simple, right?  Here’s the best part…

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 148.4
Fat: 9.5 g
Carbs: 12.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 4.6 g

Now that is something to celebrate!  It’s so yummy, too, and looks much fancier than it actually is (which is always nice)!  The pesto is a great compliment to the crunchy spaghetti squash strands + the pine nuts are a perfect final touch to the dish.  Slick eats almost an entire squash by himself when I make it Bethenny’s way.  It’s definitely a pleaser!

Enjoy, budding chefs!  :)

xx, L

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Cooking w/ L+L: Picture Perfect Pizza Bagels

01/25/2011 in What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

My favorite Roberts family comfort food is, without a doubt, my mom’s Picture Perfect Pizza Bagels.  (Please witness in all their delicious glory below.)

I have to admit that they are my mom’s specialty, but I attempted to help her make them watched her make them when I was in Dallas over the holidays + they’re surprisingly much easier to put together than I’d anticipated.  Here’s how you you do it:

Ingredients
1 package of plain sliced bagels
1 package of sliced mozzarella
1 jar of Ragu Pizza Quick traditional sauce
Italian herbs + red pepper flakes

Directions
Take as many bagels as you need, separate + place cut side up on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  Toast for only a couple of minutes.  (Try to not over-bake.  This step just prevents a soggy crust.)  Separate your cheese, using one slice per half bagel.  You can use a large plastic cup to cut out the rounds of cheese like a cookie cutter to put on each half bagel if you are into precision.  (I get my anal retentiveness from my mom…)  Spread about a tablespoon or more of sauce on each bagel half, top with a cheese round + sprinkle the top with Italian herbs.  Repeat with remaining bagels.  Toast in the oven on broil until the cheese starts to turn a little brown.  Remove, add red peppers to taste + ENJOY!

You can make this recipe heathier if you use low-fat cheese + whole wheat bagels.  Also, you meat lovers out there are welcome to add turkey bacon, chorizo or cooked chicken cubes.

Picture Perfect Pizza Bagels are a nice addition to a hearty homemade brunch or paired with fruit or a green salad to balance them out for lunch or dinner.  Just beware of these little guys – they may be picture perfect, but they are so incredibly delicious we often look like THIS after scarfing them down! 

(Except I usually try to keep my shirt on.)

xx, L

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Fake It w/ Fiber One.

01/12/2011 in Health, Tricks of the Trade, What we're Cooking by Lindsay | No comments

One of my favorite “culinary” tricks of the trade comes in this box:

I make these all of the time.  They are super duper easy to put together (add egg + oil + water + mix) and yield 12 yummy fiber-packed muffins.  I really have no interest in taking the time + energy to make bluberry muffins from scratch, and these aren’t 1/2-bad for you, either.

Just don’t eat more than one at a time or they’ll give you a bit of a tummy ache.  (Take my word for it…)

You can pick up Fiber One premium blueberry muffin mix @ any local grocery store.  Happy fake-bakin’!  :)

xx, L

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Cooking w/ L+L: Ooey Gooey Chess Squares

01/11/2011 in Chocolate, What we're Cooking by Lindsay | No comments

Before the SNOWMAGEDDON befell us, Slick + I went to a dinner party this weekend and we promised to bring along a dessert with us.  I wasn’t in the mood to make any of the chocolate-y recipes I’d committed to memory, so instead I consulted my recipe book and decided to make one of my colleague’s specialties – Ooey Gooey Chess Squares.  Not only are they delicious, but their name is pretty fun to say!  :)

Here’s how you make ‘em:

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of All-Butter Cake mix
4 eggs
1 stick of butter (not margarine), melted
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1 (16 ounce) of powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1 – Mix cake mix with 1 egg, butter + vanilla and spread in greased 9×13″ pan.

2 – Beat 3 eggs, cream cheese + sugar together and pour over cake mixture.

3 – Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.  (Mine browned a lot around the sides, but much like w/ brownies, the ends + chewy part are my favorite!)

4 – Cool + cut into bars.

They are super yummy, sooooooo easy to make, always a hit + a fun alternative to making brownies all the time.  However, you can still easily cook them in the Perfect Brownie pan!  And best of all, they are a great treat to keep you cozy inside during the SNOWPOCALYPSE we’re still experiencing in Atlanta!  Stay warm!

xx, L

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The Perfect Brownie

12/11/2010 in Chocolate, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Cooking by Lindsay | 9 comments

I did it!  On Wednesday night, I made the PERFECT brownie!

viola!

Thanks to the As Seen on TV Perfect Brownie!

Seriously, it was perfect.  Each individual brownie had edges like an end piece + they were perfectly symmetrical. Slick brought them to work + two of his coworkers separately called me to tell me how good they were!  I’m just sayin’…they were the bomb.

xx, L

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Caramelized Onion Pizza Victory!

11/28/2010 in Guilty Pleasures, Holidays, What we're Cooking by Lauren | 2 comments

Thanksgiving week and weekend was, predictably, FULL of food. (including unBELIEVEable red velvet and pumpkin spice cake balls by none other than Sugar Sugar, versions of the regular Turkey Day fare powered-up and fit for Top Chef, homemade apple pie, and some of the best Matzo Ball soup of my LIFE)  culminating with….a Saturday Night pizza-off.

Now, pizza is my all-time favorite food and both Greg and I have been known to be a teensy bit on the competitive side, so we were in it to win it, my friends.

Unfortunately and fortunately, all the pizzas were so delicious that we decided to call it a draw – but I just had to share our recipe with you!

Introducing Greg + Lauren’s (almost) Award-Winning Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Fig Pizza!

Here’s what you need:
1 large Spanish onion
5 pieces of thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
Pizza dough (we were lucky enough to have fresh pizza dough made for us…but I’m sure the freezer kind will be a-ok)
12 dried mission figs, sans stems, cut into quarters or small pieces
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
A few handfuls of shredded mozzarella
Butter, olive oil, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper

Here’s what you do:
1.   Caramelize the onions. Now, I admit, my part of this pizza partnership was more conception while Greg’s was more execution – but I watched him from behind my red wine glass and it looked like all there was to it was slicing the onion, sautéing it in butter and olive oil and finishing it with a few teaspoons of sugar at the end, but please find exact instructions for how to caramelize onions by clicking HERE.
2.    Take the pizza dough and, on a highly floured surface – stretch, pull, and throw it around until its pizza-shaped.  (We went with square) Then transfer onto a lightly floured baking sheet or pizza round or whatever.
3.    Brush the dough with butter and chopped garlic and lightly cover with the mozzerella.
4.   Layer on the toppings – but be careful not to press on the dough.  We did onions first, then figs, then bacon then gorgonzola.
5.    Cook at 550 degrees until the crust is golden brown and the top is bubbling (7-8 minutes – watch it carefully!)

I may have been the only rookie in the kitchen, but frankly…I’m scrappy (and I had superchef Greg on my team – no big whoop).  Watch out, Jeff Varasano, we’re coming for you…

Enjoy!

xx, L

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