Cerebral Palsy: Calories For A Cause

Sunday was a pretty good day.  The night before was spent celebrating randomness with friends and the following morning involved a pretty good Sunday School and church service.  Shortly after after being dismissed from church, we went to the 21 Chefs Fundraiser which benefited the United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid-South Association.  The United Cerebral Palsy  Association hosts this annual fundraiser with tickets selling for $50 each and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction for a plethora of great deals, including trips, flight lessons, autographed sports memorabilia and family portrait sessions.  The highlighted chefs this year were John Bragg, Chris Sherfield, Bobby Maupin and the U of M's own Edward Nowakowski.  There were a variety of appetizer, entree and dessert dishes served and it was just an all-around incredible time...there was even beer, wine and rum tasting!  We were able to enjoy the evening with one of our favorite married couples and were happy to be a part of this event.

Of course, I was all about anything involving pasta and some sort of dessert.  The first dessert dishes that we tasted were banana pudding and caramel cake provided by Oliver's Catering.  We knew immediately that this was going to be an evening paid for on the Wii and/or treadmill, but for that delectable dish to be just the beginning of our tasting, I was more than willing to don gym shoes.  Next, we sampled the Raspberry Bavarian treat prepared by Chef Bragg from Circa.  I've never been a fan of mousse-based dishes, but this was really good...  Composed of a whipped raspberry mousse atop a vanilla sponge cake and finished with a single blueberry and pink and white chocolate sliver, it was truly unlike anything I've ever tasted before.  Chef Bragg demonstrated how to make this dish for an occasion of your choosing, but unfortunately for my future party guests, I was too busy stuffing my face with the vast variety of goodies to really pay attention.  If you'd like to try this and many other dishes for yourself, Circa just hosted its grand re-opening at its new location on January 27th...please visit the Circa website for directions, menu options and more information.

We next waited in line for a serving of Italian cuisine offered by Heavenly's by Don.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a fan of anything Italian.  Offer me garlic bread with salad and I'll follow you home like a lost kitten.  The fare presented here was Italian Raviolini, which was ravioli shells filled with ricotta cheese and topped with beef and a sweet pasta sauce, and Italian Penne Pasta which was served with beef and the sweet pasta sauce.  The other members of my group were not big fans of the sweet sauce, but as I enjoyed my portion, my hips involuntarily did the happy dance.  I'm not sure if anyone who saw me realized what was going on, but by the time my brain conveyed to my subconscious what my body was doing, I was in full swing.  Any meal that gets me doing the utterly ridiculous happy dance in public gets bonus points in my book.  Heavenly's by Don is located at 4219 Riverdale Rd, Memphis, TN 38141.

Continuing on with dessert, and with no regards to eating in the proper order, we then sampled Strawberry Sorbet and Ice Cream Pizza from Maggie Moos.  I was the only person in the group that missed the Ice Cream Pizza, but it looked delicious and I have no regrets about only having the sorbet.  The calories that I missed were more than made up for with the three ensuing slices of cake that I inhaled from Memphis Works Cafe...Strawberry Cake with real strawberries, Lemon Cake and Chocolate Cake with Pecans...dear gracious, it was all I could do to get it all down, but I'm a trooper and I ate it all!  In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't brag about that...                                                                         

After that round of treats, we partook in spaghetti and mustard-based potato salad, which I don't usually enjoy, but this was actually pretty tasty.  To be honest, I was still busy stuffing myself with cake, so I didn't make it to the table myself, but that dish was also provided byMemphis Works Cafe.  Memphis Works is a group under the tutelage of the UCP Association that "...offers training for adults with and without disabilities. We coordinate the support, supervision and training that will allow students to sustain meaningful employment..."

We began to round out the evening with a sampling of a Seafood Martini (I didn't eat it.  Although it looked appetizing, I have a bias against pretty much anything that is uncooked, but the Mr. seemed to enjoy it thoroughly).  The entree was described as a ceviche consisting of Panama Bay scallops and shrimp marinated in citrus juice, diced peppers, olives and spices, with avocado and toasted tortillas served in a martini glass.  This was served by The Medallion Restaurant at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn.  I found my way to the booth next to the Seafood Martinis...with the Twice Dipped Chocolate Strawberries!  Chef Edward Nowakowski from The Medallion Restaurant provided this dish, gave a demonstration on how to prepare it...and provided a recipe for everyone to take home... White, Milk or Dark, you can never go wrong with chocolate!  So whenever we host another shindig, there's a pretty good chance that the guests will be in for an oh-so-sweet treat!  That eagle sculpture next to Chef Nowakowski was pretty amazing, and more so because it is made completely of salt.  I suppose in his spare time, he enjoys sculpting things that might be otherwise impossible for normal members of society to master and, upon inquisition, I was informed that I could find myself in some serious trouble if I yielded to the temptation to test the content of the sculpture by licking or otherwise touching the artwork.  After considering the pros and cons, I stuck to devouring my strawberries.  Not to be thirsty after eating all of those samples, there were beer tastings, wine tastings and rum tastings.  I can honestly say that I learned a lot in the few minutes of beer tasting and received some valuable information: the Memphis Brewfest is coming up soon! 

Easily, my favorite tasting was the Rum Chatta.  We consider ourselves to be avid liqueur tasters, as in we're not afraid to try something new, but this was something of which I'd previously not been aware.  Victor L. Robilio, Inc. brought this rum that was described as having a hazelnut and chocolate undertone and tasted a bit like Bailey's.  I was of the personal opinion that it tasted absolutely incredible and was even more intrigued when told that someone knew someone who put it in their coffee in the morning.  Morals aside, I couldn't agree with them more that it was just that smooth as to be used for a creamer in coffee.  My conscious won't let me do that Monday through Friday, but I have seriously pondered the concept...I suppose a special weekend breakfast among friends could be arranged just to test that particular smoothness theory. 

So who was my favorite?  All of the food was delicious.  Of the eateries that I didn't describe, there were supplemental dishes from Oliver's Catering, Erling Jensen's and Memphis Pizza Cafe.  It's not that they were unworthy of the blog, please don't jump to that conclusion...I just wasn't fast enough to get my hands on the grub.  My mistake was that I thought I would have time and opportunity to go back for round two...and I suppose I was more distracted by the sweets that I wanted to let on. 

Alas, my personal favorites of the evening were the BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Medium-Well Prime Rib (there was also rare-to-medium well, but you know, uncooked...) offered by Billings Bald Butcher Restaurant in Covington, TN.   This was the first thing that I sampled when we entered the ballroom.  From the way that my eyes closed and my mouth salivated on the first bite, I should have filled my plate up right then and there.  To be fair to the other guests, I had a small sample and figured that I would just come back for more once I'd made my rounds.  I went back.  There was no more BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp.  I was sad.  Apparently the puppy dog face in no way makes more shrimp magically appear, but I tried.  On the plus side, I've found one of the items to be served at my wedding, whenever that may be, but I've got a head start!  Chef Chris Sherfield prepared this dish for the guests, but over the sound of chewing in my brain, all that I can share is "wrap the bacon around the shrimp and cook for 25 min, remove, season and bake for another 5 min."  I firmly believe that there is more information needed to make that work, so with either sweet regret or sincere gratitude, I will leave it to the pros.  But in the interim, road trip anyone?

Overall, I (and I shall take the liberty to speak for everyone) sincerely enjoyed this fundraiser.  All of the organizers and volunteers went above and beyond to accommodate each of the guests and the head of the UCP even made rounds and interacted with us.  This was our first year attending this particular function, and I have all confidence that we will attend and support again next year.  Please visit the UCP website to find more information about volunteering and community activities they are spear-heading...it's truly for a great cause.

Chicago...Home Sweet Makes Me Want to Visit Often...

So, this weekend was a busy one, but that is not unusual for the Spontaneous'...  This Saturday consisted of shopping for pageant/prom dresses for my niece, meeting up with friends, a house party and a birthday party...all the while trying to squeeze in various homework assignments that were coming due.  On the way to the house party, Mr. Spontaneous decides that he's hungry and that we should probably get something to eat before we hit the town.  Driving down Stage Road, we perused the many options that were available to us, but nothing really stood out.  In the immediate vicinity of Stage Road and Summer Avenue, Mrs. Spontaneous yells out "Hey!  There's that place you were telling me about!"  Mr. Spontaneous found a safe place to bust a u-turn and we pull up to 6773 Stage Road.

It's Jimmy's Hot Dogs!  My significant other had previously informed me about this establishment, but we had no idea where it was located.  He hails from Chicago and I suspect that it was a personal mission to find this restaurant and eat everything that his tummy could handle.  Jimmy was on deck, still serving with joy and excitement, and I was summarily informed that the gorgeous lady waiting on us was not, in fact, Ms. Helen Waite.  

Jimmy's was founded by a true native Chicagoan, and believe me, if you claim to be from Chicago, they will test you on that theory.  I wasn't brave enough to even tell them that I'd visited the city often...I like what I like and I had no idea what all the food codes were to ordering a hot dog.  I personally love ketchup on my hot dogs, but apparently that's a Southern thing and in Chicago, es ist verboten!

Upon entering the restaurant, there were so many options for what we could have in the form of our hot dog and we weren't sure where to start.  I personally wanted to try a hot dog, but because time was of the essence (as in we didn't have all night for me to make a decision), we collectively decided that we would just have a 12" beef pizza and be on our full and merry way.  The caveat to the pizza selection is that when ordering a deep dish pizza, it has to be ordered no less that one hour prior to the close of business because it takes approximately that long for it to cook.  We ordered a regular pizza and only had to wait 25 minutes.  Normally I think I would be in a tiff over having to wait that long for my meal, but it was entirely worth the wait, and I would have contenly waited longer if necessary.  In the interim, we had time to reminisce over the food in which we'd partaken in Chicago, why there is "no ketchup allowed" on the hot dogs and what it means to have wet versus dry meat...I'm from the South and was sincerely confused...wet, by the way, means that your meat is served with its juices on the sandwich.  There were so many clever signs, historically significant news stories from the Windy City and even a Ms. Pac Man arcade game!



Beef Pizza Before



Other patrons entered who were making their maiden visit to the eatery as were we, and it was awesome to see the look on their faces when trying to figure out the proper and precise way to order their dogs; I grabbed a take-home menu so that the next time we dine there, I could be prepared and well-versed in the ways of the Jimmy's Hot Dog.  They offer a variety of specialty hot dogs to satiate any want and I'm going to jump in with both feet and try the "Southside Coney" with chili, cheese, mustard and onions.  The variety of toppings include, but are not limited to, cream cheese, sport peppers, taco sauce, relish, Giardinaire peppers and bacon  bits.   I would venture out and say this place could be a pregnant woman's Shangri-La.

What Beef Pizza??

  In addition to hot dogs and pizza, they offer burgers, sandwiches, gyros, fries and cheesecake... mmmm...

Jimmy's has a Facebook page, so "Like" it for more information and to be added to their VIP list.  I promised Jimmy that we would be back and we intend to keep that promise and to bring others with us when we return.  It was a fine dinner experience, no complaints at all.  Mr. Spontaneous has repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to convince me to relocate to Chicago and I considered it for the food alone, but now that we've found this place, I'm staying in the South!   Certainly our winter thus far is as close as I would choose to living any further north than I already reside. 

So please, roll through Bartlett and stop in to see the crew at Jimmy's Hot Dogs.  They've won lots of awards for their cuisine, and justly so.  But if for whatever reason you are of the misfortune to want to complain about anything, I send you with warnings that all complaints can go to Helen Waite.



China Dolls

This past weekend, I got together with a few of my friends with whom I journeyed to China some time ago.  We traveled to 6 different cities in the country over a period of 16 days, spent time bonding with students at a university in Wuhan province, sampled a variety of foods from various regions and cultures and mastered the art of the chopsticks.  I, at the time being one of the older participants, affectionately became known as Momma Hen.  Not that I'm much of a chicken about things, but I'm definitely a nurturer, sometimes to the point of annoyance. 

So some of the members of the extended family got together for another reunion dinner and ended up at Pei Wei.  Located at 2257 N Germantown Pkwy, Suite 110 in Cordova, TN, Pei Wei is the "to-go" subsidary of the P.F. Chang franchise.  The menu is not nearly as extensive as its parent company, but the food is just as awesome. 

I was craving a salad, the Asian Chopped Chicken Salad to be exact (I love vinagrettes and they put a mouth-watering sesame ginger vinagrette on this particular dish) but I observed that there was a limited-time only menu item available.  Despite knowing the next time I was able to dine in Pei Wei that I may not be able to choose this fare, I had to make a life decision and I decided to try the new offering, only after convincing myself that the salad would always be there for me in my time of need...

The dish that they had on the menu was the Korean BBQ and it was listed as one of their spicy entrees.  As much as I enjoy spicy dishes, the reality of the situation is that they make me cry and wreak havoc upon my sinuses.  Logic would make one avoid such delectables, but they also say that curiosity killed the cat.  I obviously survived, but not without a generous portion of water and a side of embarassment.  

The Korean BBQ offers you a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables/tofu (I chose beef) and is served in spicy Gogi BBQ sauce that is served with carrots, onions, scallions, Korean pepper and topped with a salad that is composed of thinly sliced green apples, sliced red bell peppers, mizuna (Japanese greens) and bean sprouts.  The picture on the menu, which influenced my decision, boasted sauteed sesame seeds.  I didn't receive any of those in my order and was a little sad.  A member of our party ordered this same dish with chicken and received the sesame seeds.  Albeit very good and provisional of a different texture, the absence of my sesame seeds in no way detracted from the incredible flavor and contrasting palates of this dish.  I supplemented my meal with brown rice...FYI, if you have reservations about the spiciness of this dish, don't eat the scallions.  I don't know if it was the amount served with my meal, but that's where the kick factor is.  After eating 2 whole pieces for flavor and sheer good measure, I pushed them aside to find the rest of the meat and let the restaurant have those back.

While I sincerely coveted the salad for the sake of satiating my craving for vinagrette, I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.  As far as the staff is concerned, they were incredibly friendly, efficient and accomodating, considering the fact that they were considerably busier that night than they usually are...anytime you can find good service under pressure is a plus in my book, and that's one of the many things that keep me coming back to this restaurant.  If you've never eaten here and are not used to eating anything other than American cuisine, it's a nice place to start venturing out. 

And as far as my China Dolls are concerned, "wa ai ne!" and I can't wait until we get together again.  That's "I love you" in Chinese.  Please forgive me for any misspellings just this once...

To find a restaurant near you, just visit http://www.peiwei.com/ and happy eating and remember to grab a handful of fortunes cookies!  They don't have those in China by the way.  Whodathunkit?

Gittin' er done!

Ok, so in the midst of my work, school and other varying crises, I'm finally building up some momentum and getting back to eating some good food!  I guess I've been slacking a bit, you know with that whole trying to successfully finish Graduate School thing...but I just wanted to let you know that there are more blogs coming very, very soon... 

So get your appetites ready and I hope that you enjoy it!

Mmmm, veggies...

So last night, we scoured the city for a vegetarian establishment that was open after 9 pm.  It's a bit complicated to find anything in this city with Good Grub open after dark, let alone something vegetarian.  After battling the cold and the suggestions of the Urban Spoon app, we happened upon Zinnie's East in Midtown.  Located at 1718 Madison Ave, we were a little confused on how to get into the establishment; there are 3 buildings right next to each other all bearing the same moniker.  We walked into a door, under the name of Full Moon, and found that we were at the back of the restaurant.  And this is where it gets interesting...

Clearly we bore the expression of confusion, so we were greeted by a young man fixing a drink to go behind the bar.  He asked if we wanted to eat, whether our preference was to dine in smoking or non-smoking and sat us in a booth, the whole time informing us that he didn't work there...yay for regular regulars...

We went in seeking the vegetable plate dinner, only to find that it was only served during lunch, but not ones to be dismayed, we scanned the menu for other options... He chose the broccoli cheese soup (cheese and broccoli cheese soup, as more accurately described) and I got *drumroll* the VegHead Potato!

The VegHead potato consists of a considerably generously sized baked potato topped with grilled green beans, corn, red and green bell peppers, topped with shredded mozarella cheese and served with a hot roll topped with Parmesan cheese...ahh-mazing! 

I was eating so fast that I kept getting cheese on my chin, much to the amusement of my date.  Just to keep the night interesting, there was a club at the back and upstairs of the establishment.  Things were a bit hopping in that place, so much so that it shook the restaurant.  Great food and music to accompany your dinner, even if that's not what you went in for...

Zinnie's East

$-$$

Open for lunch and dinner

It Has Only Just Begun...

Hello world!  Just a true foodie here...happy to share my culinary experiences with you.  I love to eat and don't really have such a discriminatory palate...either it's good to me or not so much.  There are a lot of eateries in Memphis and in the many locales that I may visit, and I would love to share these spots and experiences with others.  I hope that this blog can introduce you to new places brimming with culinary dishes that are waiting to grace your palate!  Bon appetit!