Getting My Blog On:

What a fabulous time I had last weekend attending my first Foodblog South conference, in Birmingham, AL.  My partners in crime for the weekend were Chef Nancy Waldeck and Chef Stacy Maple.  The three of us are at various stages of our blogging careers, raging from years of experience, not much at all and somewhere in between.  Each of us came with different expectations of what we wanted to get out of the weekend.  Personally my goals were to work on my networking skills, and find some new motivation and inspiration, since I had slacked off on my blog postings in recent months.  So, while my networking skills, are still a major work in progress, my motivation and inspiration are abundant.



Stacy, Nancy and me at Foodbloog South 2013

 



I attended a variety of sessions, ranging from blogging strategies and recipe writing to advanced photography and food styling, to name a few.  While each session focused on a specific element of blogging, there was an underlying theme, or buzzwords as I like to call them, running through the entire conference.  These buzzwords were: passion, community, journey and personal.  When I came home and looked at the homepage of my blog, I realized that two of these words were right there in front of me.  Passionate, as in "Passionate Plate" was front and center, my name and identifier.  I must be on the right track.  Follow my culinary "journey", is written in my bio.  "Personal", well this is all personal.  They are my words, my ideas, my experiences.  And while my current "community" may be small, it is my intention for it to expand as I move forward.

I also learned that each blogger defines his or her own success and that your definition of success can change as you progress.  This is a concept I can live with.  Additionally, I was taught the importance of keeping to a schedule.  So, now that I have ownership of my own blog, rather than guest posting on www.tasteandsavor.com, I'm going to have to step up my game.  My goal for now is to post once a week on Thursdays and work up from there.

There are so many food bloggers out there, and being in a room with close to two hundred people who share the same enthusiasm for food is exciting to me. Building relationships with like-minded people is a privilege.  It was a great weekend and I hope the creative steam that was generated will last indefinitely.

Finally, I learned from keynote speaker, Kenji Alt-Lopez of Serious Eats, that recipes for Chili, are the most searched recipes on the internet.  So what kind of blogging student would I be, if I did not post my chili recipe this week?  It is super bowl weekend after all. 

Enjoy a bowl of my healthy chili, this cold super bowl weekend and remember to make every thing on your plate (or in your bowl) something to be passionate about.

 

Comforting Vegetarian Chili:

1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
1 12 oz package of Soyrizo, removed from casing
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
4 TB Chili Powder
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
2 15 oz cans, Red Kidney Beans,drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans, Pinto Beans,drained and rinsed
1 28oz can, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, diced
1 12 oz bottle of Light Beer, I used Miller Lite
Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, optional
Shredded 2% Cheddar Cheese, optional
Chopped Cilantro, optional
Chopped Scallions,optional

Hot Sauce, optional

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add onion and peppers. Stir until softened, but not browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add Soyrizo to pan and stir to break up the mixture into crumbles. Add spices and stir to combine, before adding the beans, tomatoes and beer. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about and hour or until thicked to desired consistency. Serve in individual bowls with desired garnishes. Serves 4-6.

 

 

Welcome to The Passionate Plate:

For the past two years I have been writing guest posts on Chef Nancy Waldeck's Taste and Savor blog.  But, with the start of a new year and trip the the Food Blog South conference next week, I thought it was time to set up my very own blog.  So it is with great excitement that I launch thepassionateplate.blogspot.com.

I have spent the last couple of days transfering my Taste and Savor guest posts onto my new blog.  This was the first time I had re-read many of these blogs since they were originally posted.  What a wonderful walk down memory lane.  Seeing how my photographs, recipes and food styling has evolved is extremely satisfying.  I plan to continue sharing my passion for all things culinary and hope that the next two years will bring as much growth, adventure and deliciousness as the previous two have.

So, bear with me as I iron out the kinks of my blog's layout, since technology is not my forte.  I leave you with photos of some of my latest creations.  Enjoy!

My new favorite breakfast

Homemade Papardelle

Scallops and Spaghetti with a Lemon-Wine Sauce

 

Roasted Radish Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

 

Here's to a great new year and my hope that every day brings you something on your plate to be passionate about!  



Savoring Summer:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on on August 13, 2012

Though the official end of summer is still a few weeks off, summer as I know it has come to an end. Vacations are now cherished memories, my workload has picked up and the kids are back in school. As many of you know, I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska last month with my parents and nine year old son. My parents generously offered to take both of my children on a special trip. Last year was a tour of Italy with my daughter and this year the Alaska trip with my son, Zach. Although, not officially invited on either one of these trips, I could not help but tag along as they were both places I had not yet been in my travels. The sad thing is, is that I only have two kids and have no wonderful trip to look forward to next summer. Perhaps I can convince the parents, that my new furry, four-legged child Charlie needs a trip to Paris, after all, he is small enough to fit into a Louis Vuitton bag for convenient and chic travel and I know the French love taking their "petit chiens" out to the cafes. I will certainly get working on that, but in the meantime will fill you in on my trip to Alaska.

I had no idea what to expect of this last frontier. I knew there would be salmon, (Because, what else is there to think about on a trip other than what you are going to eat?) and mountains and maybe a moose sighting. Quite frankly, I was a bit hesitant about the whole trip. I have never been the rugged outdoor type, and felt like a complete fraud when I stepped into the R.E.I store for the first time in search of waterproof hiking boots and rain gear. So, with my bags now appropriately packed, we headed to Anchorage and the start of ten glorious days of discovery.

We arrived to a dreary cold scene, which was actually a pleasant change from the 105 degrees we hit in Atlanta the week prior. Our tour started with a bang. The first night at dinner, we had the pleasure of meeting Petra the eighteen year old bald eagle. She was regal and beautiful and just the beginning of the spectacular natural beauty we would see on this trip.

Everyone, I met before my trip, who had already been to Alaska, assured me that I would be awed by the beauty. Blah, blah blah.....I really just wanted to eat good food and come back with some delicious culinary inspirations, as I had on last summer's trip to Italy. That did not happen, while I did have several interesting meals, I had to put my love of food photography on hold. It was really not that hard to find something amazing to take a picture of. Iditarod sled dogs, Mt. McKinley, glaciers, running rivers, icy lakes, colorful flowers and the animals at the wildlife preserve. It was amazing!

There were many firsts for me on this trip. Kayaking, a five mile mountain hike, a jet boat ride and a trip up in a small plane to view Denali, just to name a few. But perhaps the most breath taking thing that I witnessed, was watching my son have the time of his life. To see the grandure of Alaska through his eyes and personal experience was wonderous.

So, I did not come back from Alaska with an inspired recipe, but instead, a new love of nature, the great outdoors and of course, my new waterproof hiking boots. The Alaskan's are passionate about their state and are the most resourceful group of people I have ever encountered.

Now, as I plunge head first into the new school year and my busy fall work schedule, I will reflect fondly on the tranquility and beauty I found in Alaska and try to carry some of that with me in the hectic weeks ahead.

A New Mouth to Feed:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on June 14, 2012

With a lighter than normal work schedule this week, I had great aspirations of productivity. I had hoped that lots of planned cooking and recipe testing, would produce some great meals for my family and of course a wonderful new recipe for my blog. Well, not too much cooking happened this week and as a matter of fact, I had a hard time even getting to the grocery store. Happily, I can say that my lack of accomplishment in the cooking department was not a result of anything bad, but rather something wonderful. And unexpected and welcome distraction in the form of a small, fuzzy bundle of love who needed a home. My home.

We welcomed this precious creature, "Charlie" into our home on Tuesday of this week and have spent the past couple of days getting acclimated to each other. I wanted to share the story that lead me to this dog in need.

Exactly one week ago, Chef Nancy and I facilitated a hands on cooking class at the Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont West. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of our regular participants better, learn from each other and share stories. As the evening wound down, and our guests were saying their good-byes, Chef Nancy called me over to see a picture of a dog that had recently been rescued by a lovely couple called Cedric and Amanda, who frequent Cancer Wellness. Nancy knew that I had started looking for a new dog, and also knew that my main criteria was fluffy, fuzzy, floppy eared, with a big black nose. The dog in the snapshot was the perfect specimen, in my opinion.

Cedric and Amanda, directed me to atlantapetrescue.org, where my kids and I poured over the pictures of many cuties who needed homes. Several of the dogs we were initially interested in were adopted before we could make it over to the facility in Smyrna on Tuesday morning. I was very impressed with the Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption center. Friendly staff, immaculately clean, and many adorable animals who were waiting to find their forever homes. Charlie (formerly known as Willis) caught our eye, as he looked remarkably similar to our wheaton terrier, who we lost at the end of last year. The adoption process was easy, and within an hour, we were on the way home with the newest memeber of our family.

So as you can see, I have been happily distracted this week and mainly trying to mix up the perfect batch of kibbles for the new mouth that I have to feed.

I feel extremely grateful to have been a part of the wonderful class at Cancer Wellness last week, which was a fun and fullfilling evening in and of itself, but even more happy that being in the right place at the right time led us to Charlie.

A Visit to Lee's Bakery:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on June 6, 2012

How could I not be intrigued by a bakery bearing my name? Of course we will overlook the fact that their spelling of "Lea" is incorrect. All jokes aside, I had been looking forward to trying Lee's Bakery for several weeks. Lee's is a Vietnamese bakery specializing in the noodle soup, pho as well as traditional ban mi sandwiches.

A plastic tray filled with an array of spicy condiments certainly peaked my interest as we sat down at our table to order. I ordered a lunch special which included a grilled pork banh min and a copious bowl of beef noodle pho. The banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich, which translated, means "bread". The bread they are referring to is a small baguette. The sandwiches can be filled with tofu, fried eggs, chicken or more typically, pork. The sandwiches are garnished with fresh cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber slices, jalapenos and Vietnamese mayonnaise. The condiments were so delicious that I could have eaten them as a sandwich on their own, no meat necessary. I am somewhat remiss to admit that this was my first ever banh mi sandwich. Not quite sure how I have gone all these years with out tasting one of these, but rest assured, I will be trying my best to make up for lost time.

The second item in my lunch combo was a piping hot bowl of beef noodle soup called pho. This may have been hands down, one of the best soups I have ever had. The depth of flavor in the broth was amazing. The soup had the effect of a warm elixer going down. I immediately felt better after having a few spoonfuls, and mind you, I did not even feel bad prior.

I left Lee's this afternoon with the warmth of hot chilis still tingling on my lips, and feeling exited about the new flavors I had discovered. The next time a make a sandwich for lunch, I will be skipping my usual pickles, lettuce and tomato, and adding a little Vietnamese flair with sliced cucumbers, pickled veggies, fresh jalapeno and cilantro.

Lee's Bakery is located at 4500 Buford Highway NE, Altanta, GA 30345.

A New Twist on A Southern Summertime Classic:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on May 31, 2012

I have a bit of an obsession with chicken salad. It is a a dish that has many variations. Chef Nancy, Intern, Mary Rob and I were discussing the virtues of chicken salad a couple of weeks ago while making a batch of curried chicken salad for an event. We all agreed that the curried chicken salad was delicious, but each had an opinion about certain likes and dislikes. Mary Rob likes the addition of apples, Chef Nancy, grapes. I admitted my dislike for the addition of fresh fruit in my chicken salad, thus sparking a fun debate about the best ingredients for the perfect chicken salad.

So, it was with chicken salad on the brain and a continuing abundance of fresh basil from my garden, that I decided to venture way off the traditional track and come up with an recipe using some of my favorite Mediterranean ingredients instead.

Sun dried tomatoes took the place of the dried fruit, fennel instead of celery and pine nuts rather than pecans. This fun little experiment yielded a tasty and decidedly non-traditional chicken salad. I love the challenge of taken a tried and true dish and making it into something unexpected. This is a simple recipe, that with a little bit of chopping and a large mixing bowl, comes together quite easily.

Serve this cool salad on a bed of leafy greens or as a hearty sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread as shown below.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped scallions (green parts only)
1/2 cup chopped fennel
3/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup light olive oil mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons toasted Pine Nuts
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to and hour to allow flavors to meld.

Kale Takes a Dip:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on May 25, 2012

The school year is winding down, Memorial Day weekend is on the horizon and the weather is sunny and warm. It's time for a cookout and a dip in the pool. I am planning all of the above for my holiday weekend. And certain to make numerous appearances at events this summer, is my new Creamy Kale and Artichoke Dip.

I brought this dip to a family gathering earlier in the week and they went through it so quickly, that I did not even have time to get a photo of the finished product for my blog. Not a problem, I had the opportunity to make up a batch later in the week. I tweaked the recipe just a bit, based on the family's feedback.

I love experimenting with new ways to showcase some of the Taste and Savor kitchen's favorite healthy ingredients, such as kale and roasted red peppers. This hot and gooey dip can be enjoyed with your favorite multi-grain chips and crackers or vegetable crudite.

Here's to a fun, happy and healthy summer!

Creamy Kale and Artichoke Dip:

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups kale, ribs removed and cut into thin ribbons
Salt and pepper to taste
1 roasted red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 box frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup light olive oil mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup cotija cheese

Step One:
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add kale and toss continuously for 1-2 minutes, until kale has softened slightly and is bright green in color. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Step Two:
Add the cooled kale, roasted pepper, artichoke hearts, grated garlic, mayonnaise, Parmesan and 1/2 cup of cotija in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Step Three:
Spread kale mixture evenly in the bottom of a small baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until heated through and brown and bubbly around the edges.