Take It Outside!
Rodney Smiley
Friday, June 24, 2005
(as published on www.outinamerica.com)
The Italians define alfresco as “taking place or located in the open air.” But it’s so much more than that.
Dining outdoors is a relaxing, comfortable affair, full of balmy breezes, sunshine or starry nights.
Sandwiched between the pollen season and the nippy nights of fall, summertime is filled with many restaurants that toss open their windows, raise table umbrellas and invite patrons to take pleasure in the outside. Most restaurants have at least one option for alfresco: a patio, an open air dining room or a lush and green garden. These are the most popular alternatives for an outdoor meal.
But other options are around, if you know just where to look. In Atlanta, a summertime staple of dining en plein air is Turner.com’s Screen on the Green, a weekly nighttime showing of classic movies in the city’s largest park, Piedmont Park. Crowds congregate a few hours before dusk, layering the park with blankets, baskets of nibbles and bottles of wine. At sunset, the big screen lights up with any number of landmark movies.
Analogous to such a social event, a similar option is just a good old fashioned picnic – a gingham blanket, some fried chicken, a little Deet, and your sweetie. Picnicking is a time tested alternative to the romantic, indoor dinner. The Italians might call it “romantico alfresco,” romantic outdoor dining.
But arguably the most prevalent form of alfresco dining is restaurant style. Patios filled with vibrant umbrellas to help block the sun are peopled by diners enjoying salads, sandwiches and frozen drinks, and at nighttime tiny golden lights help set a romantic and unfussy mood for intimate suppers. Most cities have several restaurants offering alfresco dining, and it’s easy to find the best in each city. The Web is filled with online resources to help you find the “best of” each city, and outdoor dining is generally a preferred category.
Enjoy dining alfresco and remember your sunscreen!
Resources for finding some of the best outdoor (or any other) dining experience in your city:
City Pages
Digital City
City Search
About.com
GAYOT.com
Local.google.com
Friday, June 24, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
Hong Kong Harbour, 06-10-2005
Small bites = big delights
Hong Kong Harbour ranks tops for dim sum as family-run eatery on Cheshire Bridge thrives.
(as printed in The Southern Voice, www.southernvoice.com)
By RODNEY SMILEY
Friday, June 10, 2005
The small-portioned dim sum that Americans enjoy today can be traced to the Cantonese provinces, where people traditionally gathered at teahouses in the morning and early afternoon to socialize or do business over snack-sized bites.
Literally translated, dim sum means “dot-hearts,” small treats that touch the heart.
In the U.S., where Spanish tapas are trendy as well, eateries modified the dim sum tradition to fit our unique dining preferences. Dim sum is now served as a brunch meal and is becoming popular with the fickle foodsters who are out for something other than eggs, bacon, biscuits and mimosas.
A local favorite among dim sum enthusiasts in the know, Hong Kong Harbour has managed through the years to maintain an authentic kitchen that serves up some of the most delectable bites in Atlanta. The dim sum experience here, served with cup after cup of house tea, is not to be missed.
Imported Chinese art hangs on every wall, framing the basic dining room in a tapestry of colors that are typical of any number of noodle houses around the city. Focal points include a wall-sized mural of rich gold and deep blue and large fresh crab & lobster tanks that serve as part of the decor.
But the dim sum experience is not about ordering from the menu or from a fresh tank. Half the fun is picking what you want from carts that whiz by every five or 10 minutes.
The savory dishes, steamed or pan-fried dumplings filled with shrimp and pork and even shark fin, are hustled around the restaurant on fast moving metal carts wielded by some of the nicest servers in town.
Diners may experience a small language barrier with the servers, but they are willing to take time and explain exactly what each dish is and how it should be served.
One of the best dim sum dishes at Hong Kong Harbour is the sticky, glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf. A ball of rice stuffed with shrimp, chicken and pork is wrapped in an authentic lotus leaf. The server can cut it open if desired, and as soon as the first cut is made, the steam and savory scent permeates the air around the table.
Another favorite is pot stickers. Pan seared until just crisp, these pork stuffed wontons are served naked, without sauce, until they hit the table. The server then pours a wonderful soy based sauce over the little delights. Save the sauce, because it works well with any number of other dumplings for dipping.
Included in the nearly 100 dim sum menu items, Hong Kong Harbour also serves sweet pastries
and vegetables as part of this rolling feast.
Traditionally, Chinese custom does not include saving sweets for the end of the meal, so interspersed with the savory items are sesame coated sweet puff balls and tiny coconut cakes to help round out the meal, if you’re so inclined.
Still, saving a little extra room for at least one sweet treat near the end is recommended. Of course, by the end of a typical dim sum experience at Hong Kong Harbour, “extra room” may be relative, and not always easy to find.
Hong Kong Harbour ranks tops for dim sum as family-run eatery on Cheshire Bridge thrives.
(as printed in The Southern Voice, www.southernvoice.com)
By RODNEY SMILEY
Friday, June 10, 2005
The small-portioned dim sum that Americans enjoy today can be traced to the Cantonese provinces, where people traditionally gathered at teahouses in the morning and early afternoon to socialize or do business over snack-sized bites.
Literally translated, dim sum means “dot-hearts,” small treats that touch the heart.
In the U.S., where Spanish tapas are trendy as well, eateries modified the dim sum tradition to fit our unique dining preferences. Dim sum is now served as a brunch meal and is becoming popular with the fickle foodsters who are out for something other than eggs, bacon, biscuits and mimosas.
A local favorite among dim sum enthusiasts in the know, Hong Kong Harbour has managed through the years to maintain an authentic kitchen that serves up some of the most delectable bites in Atlanta. The dim sum experience here, served with cup after cup of house tea, is not to be missed.
Imported Chinese art hangs on every wall, framing the basic dining room in a tapestry of colors that are typical of any number of noodle houses around the city. Focal points include a wall-sized mural of rich gold and deep blue and large fresh crab & lobster tanks that serve as part of the decor.
But the dim sum experience is not about ordering from the menu or from a fresh tank. Half the fun is picking what you want from carts that whiz by every five or 10 minutes.
The savory dishes, steamed or pan-fried dumplings filled with shrimp and pork and even shark fin, are hustled around the restaurant on fast moving metal carts wielded by some of the nicest servers in town.
Diners may experience a small language barrier with the servers, but they are willing to take time and explain exactly what each dish is and how it should be served.
One of the best dim sum dishes at Hong Kong Harbour is the sticky, glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf. A ball of rice stuffed with shrimp, chicken and pork is wrapped in an authentic lotus leaf. The server can cut it open if desired, and as soon as the first cut is made, the steam and savory scent permeates the air around the table.
Another favorite is pot stickers. Pan seared until just crisp, these pork stuffed wontons are served naked, without sauce, until they hit the table. The server then pours a wonderful soy based sauce over the little delights. Save the sauce, because it works well with any number of other dumplings for dipping.
Included in the nearly 100 dim sum menu items, Hong Kong Harbour also serves sweet pastries
and vegetables as part of this rolling feast.
Traditionally, Chinese custom does not include saving sweets for the end of the meal, so interspersed with the savory items are sesame coated sweet puff balls and tiny coconut cakes to help round out the meal, if you’re so inclined.
Still, saving a little extra room for at least one sweet treat near the end is recommended. Of course, by the end of a typical dim sum experience at Hong Kong Harbour, “extra room” may be relative, and not always easy to find.
Chic Kabobs, 06-10-2005
Chic Kabobs
Rodney Smiley
Friday, June 10, 2005
(as published on www.outinamerica.com)
You may think kabobs are a fairly modern, even North American, style of cooking. They certainly are festive – multi-colored vegetables (or fruit) skewered alongside rich cuts of chicken, beef or even sausage. Kabobs are fun to prepare and when you get creative, give a great presentation (imagine six or seven kabobs sticking straight up out of a melon as the centerpiece).
But in fact, kabobs are far, far older than you’d think. The Afghans, most of whose food derives from Persian cuisine, have been eating kabobs for generations. Typically thought of as fast food, they are a staple of Afghan life. Made from lamb, mutton or beef, kabobs are traditionally served with bread, vegetables or a salad.
Hungry yet? Well, in the next few months of summertime barbecues and outdoor events, try hosting a kabob party for your friends!
Planning is easy and prep and cook time can be shared among your guests. When sending invitations, be sure to assign a portion of the work to each guest. Some may chop vegetables while others cut meat and others prepare sides. It’s a great way to get your guests involved and keep them entertained at the same time!
Here are a few tips for a successful kabob party:
Soak the skewers
If you’re using wood skewers (and I suggest that you do), always soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to assembly and grilling. It will keep them from scorching or burning and help the individual pieces slide on easier.
Divide up the work
Put one or two guests in charge of chopping the vegetables or fruit. Have another couple or three cut the meat into small pieces. If you’re having additional side dishes (tabouli goes great with kabobs as does a field green salad or even roasted potatoes), have the remainder of your guests work on getting the side items prepared.
Everyone skewer!
In lieu of having just a couple of your guests assemble the kabobs, let everyone skewer their own. Some may want more beef, others may want chicken only and your vegetarian friends will be able to have a meatless kabob.
Chill and grill
While this cutting, preparation and skewering is going on, you as the host should be doing three things – making sure everyone is happy, pre-heating the grill and preparing cocktails for your guests. When all the kabobs are ready, have your guests wash up and chill with a cocktail or two while you grill.
Serve
Once cooked, either plate the kabobs according to the individual preferences or, if no one made their own, a great way to plate is to pile high on a serving platter in a log cabin fashion. You could even put your salad in the space in the middle and serve with a pair of long handled tongs. Make sure you serve salad at the same time as kabobs or your salad will spill over the side!
Your guests will love the group participation and you’ll save yourself quite a bit of hustle and be able to enjoy your guests, as well as your kabobs!
Basic kabobs
This is a basic kabob recipe. Feel free to add your own tastes and style – cut potatoes work great as do whole small onions and pineapple.
Meat, chicken or both, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
Mushrooms, either whole small mushrooms or halved large mushrooms
Green onions, cut into 1 inch segments
Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch segments
Olive Oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Grated ginger
Brushing glaze
Mix ½ cup olive oil with thyme leaves, pepper and grated ginger. Let sit for at least 30 minutes prior to brushing. Prepare the kabobs, threading each skewer with alternating ingredients. When ready to put on the grill, give each kabob a brushing of the glaze just before they hit the heat.
Rodney Smiley
Friday, June 10, 2005
(as published on www.outinamerica.com)
You may think kabobs are a fairly modern, even North American, style of cooking. They certainly are festive – multi-colored vegetables (or fruit) skewered alongside rich cuts of chicken, beef or even sausage. Kabobs are fun to prepare and when you get creative, give a great presentation (imagine six or seven kabobs sticking straight up out of a melon as the centerpiece).
But in fact, kabobs are far, far older than you’d think. The Afghans, most of whose food derives from Persian cuisine, have been eating kabobs for generations. Typically thought of as fast food, they are a staple of Afghan life. Made from lamb, mutton or beef, kabobs are traditionally served with bread, vegetables or a salad.
Hungry yet? Well, in the next few months of summertime barbecues and outdoor events, try hosting a kabob party for your friends!
Planning is easy and prep and cook time can be shared among your guests. When sending invitations, be sure to assign a portion of the work to each guest. Some may chop vegetables while others cut meat and others prepare sides. It’s a great way to get your guests involved and keep them entertained at the same time!
Here are a few tips for a successful kabob party:
Soak the skewers
If you’re using wood skewers (and I suggest that you do), always soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to assembly and grilling. It will keep them from scorching or burning and help the individual pieces slide on easier.
Divide up the work
Put one or two guests in charge of chopping the vegetables or fruit. Have another couple or three cut the meat into small pieces. If you’re having additional side dishes (tabouli goes great with kabobs as does a field green salad or even roasted potatoes), have the remainder of your guests work on getting the side items prepared.
Everyone skewer!
In lieu of having just a couple of your guests assemble the kabobs, let everyone skewer their own. Some may want more beef, others may want chicken only and your vegetarian friends will be able to have a meatless kabob.
Chill and grill
While this cutting, preparation and skewering is going on, you as the host should be doing three things – making sure everyone is happy, pre-heating the grill and preparing cocktails for your guests. When all the kabobs are ready, have your guests wash up and chill with a cocktail or two while you grill.
Serve
Once cooked, either plate the kabobs according to the individual preferences or, if no one made their own, a great way to plate is to pile high on a serving platter in a log cabin fashion. You could even put your salad in the space in the middle and serve with a pair of long handled tongs. Make sure you serve salad at the same time as kabobs or your salad will spill over the side!
Your guests will love the group participation and you’ll save yourself quite a bit of hustle and be able to enjoy your guests, as well as your kabobs!
Basic kabobs
This is a basic kabob recipe. Feel free to add your own tastes and style – cut potatoes work great as do whole small onions and pineapple.
Meat, chicken or both, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
Mushrooms, either whole small mushrooms or halved large mushrooms
Green onions, cut into 1 inch segments
Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch segments
Olive Oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Grated ginger
Brushing glaze
Mix ½ cup olive oil with thyme leaves, pepper and grated ginger. Let sit for at least 30 minutes prior to brushing. Prepare the kabobs, threading each skewer with alternating ingredients. When ready to put on the grill, give each kabob a brushing of the glaze just before they hit the heat.
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