Recipes & Reviews

Tantric Tasting with Dyana Valentine

20 Nov

by shelley, posted in Events, Recipes | 1 Comments

I’m still celebrating the launch of Tantric Taste: Dessert for Lovers last Thursday.

I’m an Amazon Best Seller ranking #4 in both Desserts and Vegan/Vegetarian Kindle books!

Pretty awesome huh? Even more awesome are the responses, praise and interviews that have followed.

I got a chance to play with Dyana Valentine and talk about the book.

We discussed everything from

Why CRAVEings are useful and the dangers of ignoring them
How you can tap into your body’s “Intelligent Ecology”
Booty + Buddha™ Food: The sensual and spiritual nature of how and what we eat
Love Ketchup: The spiritual condiments that are a must to add to our foods

Have you purchased your copy of Tantric Tastes: Dessert for Lover yet? If not, buy it here and get your free Kindle Reading App with it.

Tweetables : Copy and Tweet!

What does your Booty + Buddha have to do with food? Find out in @eatrelatelove book http://amzn.to/u8rwLv

Guess who puts Love Ketchup on their food? @DyanaValentine + @eatrelatelove. Learn to make your spiritual condiments http://amzn.to/u8rwLv

When was the last time you woke up and ATE sexy for breakfast? @DyanaValentine + @eatrelatelove did recently with this http://amzn.to/u8rwLv

Dinner at Red Rooster with Marcus Samuelson

01 Sep

by shelley, posted in Restaurant Reviews | 2 Comments

Ever since I heard about Red Rooster’s Sweet Potato doughnuts, I knew that this new Harlem restaurant was on my list to enjoy. In typical Shelley fashion, I scoured google for their menu and reviews. It looked like my type of restaurant, a potpourri of all that the Ethiopian born, Swedish raised Marcus Samuelson could create. So of course when a friend offered to take me to dinner (my choice), Red Rooster was at the top of my list.

I was instantly turned on by their Mac & Greens, a meld of Gouda and comte cheese baked with fresh greens. That sounded splendid, however I’m still to be the judge of that as I didn’t get a chance to taste it. The lady next to me ordered it, and it struck me as a light pasta dish, much like an alfredo cheese sauce and wilted greens, with melted cheese on top. Womp, womp. I like mine Southern style, baked with cheese oozing from the sides.

So after perusing the menu, I decided to start with cornbread served with honey butter and tomato jam. The honey butter was an easy sell, because I used to make honey butter as a child. There’s nothing like it on hot biscuits in the morning! The tomato jam, tasted more like homemade tomato soup which I would have savored warm by itself.

I love how the cornbread reminds me of pound cake!

The first course was so satisfying that I literally could have eaten this and stopped. Psyche! But it really was delicious, it reminded me of two of my favorite things :cake and bread with fresh butter. I was feeling light and wanted something to compliment the mood. I zoned in on their Chickpea Dumplings served with fresh peas, lightly stewed tomatoes, wilted spinach, shaved asparagus, currants and farm cheese. It was like Italian gnocchi met the Moroccan spice isle!

My friend who was a little more skeptical wasn’t sure what to order, so of course he turned to me for help. Curious about the lemon dill slaw that came with the Blackened Catfish and Black Eye Peas, I was pleased and ready to sample when his plate arrived.

We were too full for dessert, but I did get a chance to witness the Sweet Potato Doughnuts live and direct with their oozing sweet potato puree center. The table next to us ordered them and I was instantly inspired to create my own batter. Although I haven’t put my skills to the test, between my sweet potato pancakes and sweet potato bread pudding, I think I can handle it. Since Marcus was readily available that night, speaking with patrons, I should have asked him for his secret during our brief encounter.

So clearly, you’ve seen that the food is nothing to play with, but even if you just want to drink in one of the swankiest places in Harlem, the decor at Red Rooster evokes comfort and class in one fell swoop of red, black and white.

The mini market in front of Red Rooster

Our table is empty now, dinner was on point. It's ready for you now.

Beet, Citrus, Fennel and Pickled Ginger Onion Salad

31 Jul

by shelley, posted in Recipes | No Comments

An experience at Eataly led me on a mission to scour the streets of New York for the freshest ingredients I could find. I was so inspired by the plethora of delicious from scratch offerings that they offered that I instantly created a list of creative salads that to make for this summer.

I’m not usually a fan of beets, well actually I’m not a fan at all. But I LOVE their color and I find them aesthetically pleasing. That alone makes me want to indulge. They were the perfect accompaniment to this sweet inspired salad. Layered with sweet oranges, bitter grapefruit, roasted fennel and red onion pickled in ginger and orange blossom honey balsamic vinegar.

Recipe: Beet Orange Salad with Grapefruit, Fennel and Pickled Onion

Summary: a beautiful medley of summer cooling vegetables and fruits spiced with ginger and honey balsamic vinegar

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey balsamic vinegar
2 TB sugar
1 TB brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 beet
1 grapefruit, segmented
1 orange, segmented
drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

Combine honey balsamic vinegar and sugar in an airtight jar and add onions. Refrigerate overnight
Toss fennel, olive oil, brown sugar and salt and spread in even layer on cookie sheet
Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes
Boil beet until tender, slice thinly
Plate
Layer in order: beets, oranges/grapefruits, fennel and pickled onion

Quick notes

The pickled onion is also great on sandwiches or as a garnish for meat and fish.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 40 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan

Recipe by Eat Consciously. Relate Honestly. Love Abundantly.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

Salt Fish in the Jamaican Countryside

22 Jul

by shelley, posted in Recipes | 9 Comments

Country living. That’s what my dear grandfather keeps repeating as I maneuver my way through my grandparent’s cottage in Jamaica. A subtle reminder that this city girl has to make minor/major adjustments to the simplicity and life innovation that the country brings. The kitchen is quaint, the dishes are charmingly mismatched and the gas stove requires a match to light. The bathroom has a running shower with a switch for heated water. Air conditioning is known as fresh air that flows through open shutters and doorways and cools my dampened skin. The sun seems to rise earlier than what I’m accustomed to reminding me that breakfast is begging to be prepared.

Salt fish also known as salted cod or bacalao, is a popular dried fish that is prepared by salting the fresh fish and setting it out to dry. It’s commonly used in Latin, Caribbean and African cooking. I grew up eating ackee and saltfish for breakfast. Admittedly, I didn’t have it as often as I would have liked because fresh ackee wasn’t readily available in Atlanta. Being spoiled and having no interest in food other than eating it as a child, I never took the time to learn.

So here I am in the country side of Jamaica, staring at salt fish as if for the first time in thirty years. My grandparents have different ideas of whether to boil it first or soak it, eitherways, both are necessary to get rid of the heavy salt preservative. While they sort it out, I resort to chopping tomatoes, dicing onion and garlic and picking fresh thyme. My grandmother shows me how to break up the fish and pick out the bones. For the first time I manage to light the stove with a simple match and feel somewhat accomplished.

An actual slice of wood serves as the cutting board! How cool is that?

I heat oilive oil and add onion. The aroma is enough to fill my belly but my tastebuds know better and eagerly await the finished product. Next I add the garlic and then the tomatoes, crushing them more so their liquid releases and helps soften my fish. Last I add the fish, fresh thyme and a little water. I have no idea what the order of things should be, because my grandparents have left me to work it out myself.

So like with most things, I let intuition, the spirit of my tastebuds and the wisdom of the ancestral kitchen in which I cook, guide my hand so that it can taste good.

There was boiled green banana left over so I added them to the pan to heat. Filled with pride and having met a satiation that only DIYers are certain to know, I dished out half and saved the rest for later. Breakfast was served.

Recipe: Jamaican Saltfish

Summary: A delicious Caribbean breakfast stapled that can be eaten with ackee, bread, bakes, green banana and yam.

Ingredients

8 oz saltfish, soaked overnight
1 tomato, diced
½ small onion, diced
1 garlic clove
2-3 sprigs of thyme
olive oil

Instructions

Boil saltfish, until fish flakes easily, drain water
Break up saltfish, discard skin and bones
Heat oil in pan and sautee onion and garlic over medium heat until slightly translucent and fragrant
Add tomatoes and sautee (~1 min)
Lower heat and add saltfish pieces with thyme. May add a little water or ketchup if mixture is too dry.
Heat through and serve.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 40 minute(s)

Diet type: Pescatarian

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: Jamaican

Recipe by Eat Consciously. Relate Honestly. Love Abundantly.
Microformatting by hRecipe.

*Blogged May 27, 2011

Why I Love Park 75 Brunch at Four Seasons Hotel!

22 May

by shelley, posted in Restaurant Reviews | No Comments

You know how much I love to talk. Anyone who has spent enough time with me has inevitably endured one of my passionate play by plays of some meal that rocked my soul.

This Sunday my friends, I bring you the brunch of Brunches honey! Four Seasons Hotel treated me and my Spelman Sister / Foodie Friend Andrea (@atlfoodwriter) to one of the most heavenly 3 hours of our lives.

In this rare case, I can show you better than I can tell you! Allow me….

Warning: Staring at these pictures, may cause stomach grumbling, mouth salivating, phone dialing, reservation making, car starting, Four Seasons arriving for brunch….#imjustsayin

This is what the Obama’s must feel every time they enter a restaurant. Or perhaps the cast of Cheers where everybody knows your name! The minute I walked in, everyone….and I mean EVERYONE called me Mrs. Chapman (how lovely). I was seated with my girl and we feasted our eyes on the menu.

: Park 75 Menu

The waitress then inspired our drink orders by telling us the Special of the day was a fresh Cantaloupe Apple medley. Sold! The best part, they kept our glasses full without us ever having to ask.

: Canteloupe Apple Juice

We decided on the buffet and paced ourselves. I mean, where does one start with 9 different stations to satisfy your palates desires? I chose my sweet tooth and indulged on a glazed waffle with berries. I dubbed them with my (Sir Lancelot sword) aka knife Waffle Doughnuts!

: Waffle Doughnuts with Berries & Fresh Cream

Slow and steady wins the race. I only had one of those babies but I needed to plan my love fest on the rest. Next I opted for savory. The crepe station was near and the crepe man confessed his love for my natural hair. One crepe was coming right up.

: crepe

Goat Cheese Green Onion Mushroom Crepe

Andrea returned with a seafood platter that made me drool. The crepe was tasty but I didn’t finish it. Again, slow and steady wins the race. We took a detour and one of our hosts gave us a personal guided tour of their edible shop. I marveled at their pickled okra, spiced pecans and Salted Honey Caramels which they leave on their guests pillows! AND they source the honey right from their rooftop! That’s right, they have their own beehive y’all! Talk about local and sustainable. I love Park 75 at Four Seasons Hotel!

Finally it was time for Round 3. I was proud of myself at this point, pacing and portioning was the name of the game. On to the seafood! Their Crab Macaroni & Cheese is to LIVE FOR! If not for anything else, make sure you take your next breaths for this dish!

Crab Shooter, Crab Mac & Cheese, Stuffed Clams, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Admittedly, I took a long break after this round. Unlike other popular Atlanta brunch spots, the staff at Park 75 isn’t in a rush to seat as many tables as possible. We had our food and conversation to indulge in, time to let it nourish our souls and bellies and an incredible wait staff to serve our desires. It doesn’t get much better than this! Next was the Omelette Station with every filling in the book served alongside your choice of cured bacon, fresh sausage, grits, pulled pork, hash browns and biscuits that melted..Mmmmm. I prefer scrambled eggs and the chef obliged while Andrea had a Smoked Salmon Benedict.

Smoked salmon benedict

Omelette Station at Park 75- Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

Wowzers! Can I tell you how much I love my job! My mom always said I would be a traveling food writer. I never took her seriously. I’d wonder, who gets paid to travel and eat? Now I know. I do Thanks Mom for speaking it into existence before I really knew. Next was the Salad Bar which really was a pimped out Exotic Vegetable Station that would turn anyone into a vegetarian! Their purple potato salad was just one Ridiculous OMG! Whaaaaat!?!?!? Let it be known that if there was a Noah’s Ark Pt. 2, I would ensure that purple potatoes and the chef who made this are on board!

Purple Potato Salad from The Pimped out Salad Bar at Park 75

I remember the first time I heard of Lox…it was a hip hop group from New York with one of my faves JadaKiss. While this may make you dance it’s no song. A NY Breakfast staple of bagels, cream cheese, red onion, tomato if you like and smoked salmon or other smoked fish. Yummmm! This was Round??? Wait what number are we on?

Lox Bagel

Lox Bagel Bar at Park 75

At this point, my mantra of slow and steady wins the race is out the door. I am FULL! I hadn’t even touched the dessert and you know my sweet tooth was yearning. I barely even finished all the food that I had before, nibbling here, noshing there and only devouring it if it truly spoke to my heart. So I made a pact with myself. One more Waffle Doughnut for the road because those proved themselves to be necessary in life and a smorgasbord of desserts to taste. Bam! That’s how you handle Park 75 Brunch!