Louisa's Pita Calzones

          Today I had literally 10 minutes to feed myself lunch before running off to go babysit. I'm so sick of sandwiches I could die, and unfortunately our Easy Mac supply is dithering. So, I got creative. I decided to make mini calzone pita bite... things.          We have these mini pita rounds that we use with hummus, but I wanted to stuff it and make a mini calzone.  I started by cutting a slit in the pita so I could stuff it with what I wanted. We didn't have any pizza sauce, but we had a little spaghetti sauce in the fridge. I spooned about two tablespoons of marinara sauce into the pita, and then I stuffed them with mozzarella and pressed them shut. I could've put pepperoni or ham or some other topping in them, but I was low on time, so I stuck with just cheese.  I put them in the oven for about 7 minutes on 375 degrees until the cheese was melted and gooey.  
          I had no idea how these were going to turn out. I just threw them together as a random experiment, and I didn't expect much. For a pretty sad attempt at a garnish, I tossed on a little fresh parmesan. They really didn't look like the most appetizing thing in the world, but I popped one into my mouth, and they were great! I successfully made my own little pizza bites, and they were a wonderful experiment. I will definitely make these again.

                                     

Colbeh Persian Kitchen and Bar

           I feel a little weird reviewing a restaurant that hasn’t quite gotten itself established yet.  Colbeh Persian Kitchen has the potential to be a great Decatur restaurant.  They just haven’t gotten the hang of being a restaurant yet.  They specialize in authentic Persian food.  My family and I love international foods, so that’s why we wanted to give it a shot.

          The restaurant is trying very hard to have their customers try many different types of Persian food.  The moment we sat down, we were given a three-dish starter, as well as an authentic type of bread.  This won my mom’s heart, because they made sure she had food right away.  The decoration and feeling in the room was very pleasant.  The tables were a good distance apart, the lighting wasn’t too harsh or too nonexistent, and the brick wall across the side added tons of cool character.  The only negative parts of the atmosphere were the frantic waiters.  They had probably five waiters on staff, and there were only about four tables.  They were trying very hard to get everyone served and seated quickly, but they were a little too fast and determined to make you feel comfortable.  The waiters were constantly running around, like they might at a hectic full restaurant, but that night was neither hectic nor full.

My mom's Plate

My plate

My dad's plate

          The menu has a series of deconstructed plate options; there are all different choices for meat skewers, vegetables, and rice.   Then, they have the more completed, all-in-one plates focused around the meat.  They also have an assortment of intricate Persian stews.  My mom ordered the lamb, which was a small portion, but the meat was flavorful and cooked well.  My dad and I were going to order the same thing, but the waiter gave us a choice of a half or a whole order.  My dad wasn’t extremely hungry, so he got the half order while I got the whole.  Little did we know that portion size wouldn’t be the only difference.  When mine got out, it came with a long cut of well seasoned chicken, fragrant, delicious, rice, and a roasted tomato.  When my dad’s plate came out, it had half the chicken, no rice, and no tomato.  His chicken wasn’t nearly as good as mine, and we thought we’d receive the same thing.  His was the consistency of being ground and then overcooked, because it was extremely dry.  Mine, however, was moist and string-like, and it was very delicious.

          As always, we ordered two kinds of dessert.  We ordered the red velvet cake and the cream puff.  I have no idea if either of these is authentic and Persian, but they were tasty.  The red velvet cake was moist and thick, and it had a fantastic cream cheese frosting.  The cream puff was even better.  It was crispy, but also doughy, and it had a wonderful creamy filling.  The presentation for both desserts was impressive.

Red Velvet Cake

Cream Puff

           In time, I think that Colbeh Persian Kitchen will be a great addition to Decatur.  They just have a few flaws that they need to sort out, and then they will be very successful.  If you’re in the mood for something international but still simple, give the restaurant a try.  You’ll have a nice meal.

Thanks for reading,

The Teenage Foodie

THE Salad

          I've realized many hip restaurants I’ve visited have their own interpretation of this one salad.  Some create it well, some create it terribly.  The successful version of this salad plays off of different acidities, bitterness, and sweets.  There are five main components.

 1) Some fancy lettuce, maybe a bitter arugula or a simple romaine

 2) Fresh, sweet fruit, like craisins, apples, pears, or strawberries

 3) Blue cheese (the most common), sometimes feta.

 4) Nuts.  My favorite is when they put candied pecans or candied walnuts.

 5) A simple, sweet vinaigrette

Here are some pictures I found off of google that are like the salad I'm talking about.

          Almost every time I order a salad at any restaurant, I pinpoint their variation of this just to try it and see how it compares to other restaurants’.  I love the balance of flavors between bitter and sweet that comes from every bite.  The bitter lettuce balances out the sweet fruit, the bitter sourness of the blue cheese is balanced by the sugary nuts, and then the vinaigrette ties everything together.  The trick to mastering this salad is fresh, quality ingredients, and well thought out proportions.  The lettuce has to be at the peak of freshness, or else it doesn’t hold it’s own weight as a component rather than a base.  The fruit has to be ripe, but not mushy or else it takes away from the freshness of the salad.  The blue cheese has to be good quality and strong, or else the salad is too sweet, like eating candy.  In my opinion the nuts really should be candied or sweetened, or else they don't hold their own weight as a flavor component rather than just a component.  The vinaigrette is important too.  It has to be sweet and sour, but it has to be subtle enough to let the other ingredients stand out.  It also has to be light and acidic, to keep the salad fresh and airy.  If done right, this salad can be my favorite aspect of the entire meal.  I have yet to find the best variation, but I look forward to letting you all know when I do. I also might try and duplicate it myself once I can get my hands on the ingredients.


Keep eatin'!
The Teenage Foodie

Taqueria del Sol

          Taqueria del Sol is an icon for Decatur.  There are two other locations, but in Decatur it is the place to go.  My family and I like it so much that for about two years now, we’ve gone to Taqueria every single Saturday for lunch. 

          The atmosphere at Taqueria is awesome.  No matter what time of year, it always makes being outdoors feel nice.  The majority of the restaurant is a long covered patio, but there’s indoor seating also.  The patio is nice because in the winter, they close up the plastic sides and turn on the overhead heaters, making it warm but open.  Then, in the summer, they open up the sides and turn on the fans.  Taqueria emotes the fun feeling of breezy summertime.  Unfortunately, all of the restaurant’s customers must wait in one very long line to get to the one cash register.  The line usually moves quick, but sometimes it can feel like forever before you finally reach the front.  Sitting at the bar is the easy way to avoid the intimidating line. 

My usual plate (Two fish tacos and the shrimp corn chowder)

          Taqueria’s menu consists of tacos, enchiladas, sides, soups, and dips.  To start the meal, we get the cheese dip and the guacamole dip every time.  The cheese dip is great because it’s got just the right amount of jalapeno spiciness, but still the gooey creaminess everyone loves.  The guacamole is hands-down the best I’ve ever had, and my mom goes on and on about it when we bring people with us to eat.  The avocados are chunky, as are the tomatoes, and there’s tons of lime and cilantro in the dip.  It most definitely is NOT just mushy green gunk.  The tacos on the menu are all delicious, and honestly I wouldn’t bother with the enchiladas.  My favorite tacos are the Memphis, the Fried Chicken, and the Fish.  The Memphis is an entire barbeque meal put into one tortilla.  The fried chicken is good for picky eaters because it’s kind of like chicken fingers in a taco.  The fish taco is probably what Taqueria is most known for.  It’s simple fried tilapia with a delicious jalapeno tartar sauce, but the flavors that come out of it are incomparable.  I like to dip mine in the leftover cheese dip.  The other item that most Taqueria fanatics gab about is the shrimp corn chowder.  That chowder is truly food for the soul; that’s really all I can say.  Meal portions are a little difficult to determine, but two tacos and a side or chowder is a safe amount to order, especially if you’re getting chips and a dip.  What better thing to wash down a meal than a heaping glass of sweet tea? Taqueria has the best sweet tea in Decatur, and I know good sweet tea.  I’m Southern.

          Now, since my blog is The Teenage Foodie, I do have to stand up for my peers.  Taqueria hates teenagers, and they aren’t subtle about showing it.  Maybe it’s because we don’t tip well enough, maybe it’s because they think we make a mess, maybe it’s because we aren’t the crowd they want to target, but this is my only negative comment about the restaurant.  I’ve been there with my friends, and the waiters will snatch up my plate as I’m taking my last bite just to get us out of there fast enough.  They’ve never done anything like that when I go with my parents, so I can only think that there’s some age bias going on.  So, teenagers, y’all need to tip better, and Taqueria, y’all need to lighten up.  There.  Problem solved.

          To conclude, if you haven’t been to Taqueria del Sol you need to go.  It’s just a Decatur experience that you should have.  You’ll leave feeling much happier than when you arrived, and I guarantee you’ll want to return.

The Teenage Foodie

Leon's Full Service

          Leon’s Full Service is one of the number one hipster-pub restaurants in Decatur.  Built in an old gas station, Leon’s features an elegant bar, indoor dining, outdoor patio seating, and also a sort of half and half room that’s inside but the windows are always open (creating a kind of roomy summer porch feeling).  Leon’s also has a bocce playing area right outside the restaurant on the corner of Church Street and East Ponce.  My parents and I went to Leon’s in a mood for stuffing ourselves with really good food without thinking about the consequences.  When we’re in the mood to eat “good,” we don’t hold back.

          We started with a three cheese plate.  The names of the cheeses were so hard to pronounce that we had no actual idea what we were ordering, so our (very friendly) waitress picked her three favorites.  We had a really hard, sharp gouda, a softer brie, and a creamy rich goat cheese. (Again, I have no idea of the cheeses’ actual names.)  The cheeses themselves were nice, but the really mouthwatering part was the warm, crisp, freshly baked bread and the homemade whipped butter and fruit compote that went along.  With our cheese board we had a bucket of Leon’s signature “frites,” which are just well made fancy French fries.  The best part about getting the frites is the mile long list of amazing dipping sauces they have on the menu.  We picked the three most interesting on the list: massaman curry (a creamy sauce that perfectly mimics the Indian curry), goat cheese fondue (a rich sauce with a bitter hint of goat’s milk), and then the bacon herb mayonnaise. (The name says it all.  It’s a thick, fatty bacon dip.)

          For Leon’s entrées, they have a selection of fancy sandwiches, and then they have the more expensive, more formal main dishes.  I’ve seen the main dishes change over time on the menu depending on seasonal vegetables and fruits as well as market availability, but it usually stays about the same.  On this particular visit, my Dad ordered the scallops, my mom ordered the less expensive beef brisket sandwich, and I had the trout.  My mom’s came out styled sort of pub food-like.  The sweet pulled beef sopped into her thickly sliced bread.  My dad got four huge scallops served over a rice polenta, that he enjoyed.  Four scallops were just enough, and the texture of the polenta was impressive.  Now, my entrée.  My entrée… I’ll start with the best part: the greens.  I had the most flavorful local kale.  I’m pretty sure it had been cooked in steak drippings and white wine, and it was heavily salted and peppered, but that kale was the best vegetable I had ever had.  It wasn’t overcooked and flavorless, but it wasn’t undercooked and raw either.  It still had a beautiful crunch, and tons of bitter kale flavor was balanced out by the steak flavor and salt.  Along with the kale I had fingerling potatoes that were simply boiled and covered in butter, salt, and herbs.  They were a little bland, but they were a nice base starch that balanced out the dish and toned down the other intricate flavors.  They too had a nice texture, so that when I bit into them the skin popped. And now about my fish.  It was a fresh trout filet that was butchered so that there wasn’t a single bone, and so that I got a tasty skin that held in the juicy goodness of the trout.  They cooked the fish in a way that I cannot.  It was flaky and tender, but it didn’t fall apart when your fork touched it.  The greatest part was that the trout didn’t have that slimy, almost grassy, fish taste that trout can have.  A forkful of kale and fish was so crunchy, salty, flavorful, and enjoyable that I made sure to ration out the plate so I had the perfect ratio of each element for my last bite. 

          After the main course my parents and I were stuffed and content, so obviously the only logical way to proceed would be to order dessert.  I must admit that while I could hardly choose my entrée because there were so many appealing options, the dessert menu didn’t quite match up. Nevertheless, we ordered two desserts to share.  Our first was the bread pudding with an “earl grey crème anglaise.”  I really only ordered it because I’m obsessed with earl grey tea.  We also ordered the strawberry, rhubarb cobbler.  My family likes cobblers; that was the only appeal.  While we waited for the desserts to come out our stomachs settled and we realized we weren’t still hungry at all, but we devoured our desserts anyway.  The bread pudding was okay, but it just kind of tasted like sweet soggy bread in a fancy cup.  The earl grey crème anglaise that I was so excited about turned out to just be whipped cream.  The cobbler, however, was magnificent.  I’d never had rhubarb before because I’d heard it was bitter and sharp tasting, but the rhubarb in the cobbler was sweet.  It didn’t just taste like warm jelly under some dough.  Atop the fruit was a soft, buttery crust, and atop that was their homemade whipped crème that was really good. 

          Unfortunately, at the end of the meal our bill had to come.  It definitely wasn't cheap, but I was so full and happy that I didn’t care. (Not that it was my money anyway…) After this visit to Leon’s, I’ve realized that it is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Decatur.  So take your date, some friends, or treat your family to a nice dinner and a drunken game of Bocce at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur.  

Til next time!

The Teenage Foodie

Morning Breakfast with Will

          My brother, Will, spent the night at home the other night just to visit with the family.  The next day was an early summer rainy day, and my parents had already left for work.  I woke up and went downstairs to my (21 year old) brother watching cartoons.  After a couple reruns of Spongebob and Dexter's Labratory, I decided to make a huge, Southern, comfort food breakfast for the two of us.  The menu I made consisted of cheesy scrambled eggs, link sausage, hash browns, and homemade waffles.  It was nice to know that I had the whole day to do whatever I wanted because IT'S SUMMER, so why not make a huge breakfast and spend time with my brother?

          I started with the sausage, because I knew the meat would take a while to cook through.  My mom taught me how to make link sausage the best.  First, I turned the heat up high and put a splash of olive oil in the pan.  I charred the outside of the sausage so that it was crispy and brown, but the inside, I knew, would still be underdone.  Then I did what my mom taught me.  I put a little water in the pan, so that about a third of the sausage was submerged.  This would cook the sausage all the way through.  Then I turned the heat way down and let it sit.  

          Next, I began to make the batter for my waffles.  I googled waffle batter recipe, and clicked on the very first link.  Allrecipes.com gave me a straight-forward recipe that I had all the ingredients for.  I didn't want to cook the waffles until the eggs and hash browns were cooked because I wanted everything to be done and hot at exactly the same time.  So, I put the batter in the fridge for later. 

          My hash browns were next because they would take time for the onions to caramelize and the potatoes to soften.  I only wanted to make enough for Will and me, so I chopped up half an onion and a tiny potato to relatively the same size cut.  I put the onions on the skillet first and allowed them to soften up a little before putting the potatoes on.  Once both were in the pan, I threw in about two tablespoons of butter and stirred everything around.  The aroma that filled the kitchen was incomparable.  The familiar smell of onions and butter in a skillet filled my whole house.  I put the hash browns on one of the back burners to keep cooking, moved my sausage around in their pan so that they would cook evenly, and got out another pan for my eggs.  

          I felt like a real cook with three pans and three burners going at once.  Now, the trick to the scrambled eggs that I make is a product called "Palmetto Cheese."  Throughout my earlier childhood, my family would stay at the same inn at the same beach every single summer.  The inn serves three (ginormous) meals a day, and the food is spectacular.  One of the cooks at the inn came up with a recipe for homemade pimento cheese that tastes delicious.  Bigger and bigger companies began to buy the recipe, and now it's sold in grocery stores across the country.  For my scrambled eggs, I used the "jalapeno" version of the Palmetto Cheese to add a little spiciness to our breakfast.  I broke two eggs, and added two heaping spoonfuls of Palmetto Cheese in a bowl.  I whisked it until the cheese broke up and the eggs were scrambled.  Then I put it on a greased hot pan.  I had to constantly break up and stir the eggs because they cooked really fast.  I like my eggs to be almost a little gooey, because I think if they're cooked and browned too much, they taste dry and have an unenjoyable texture.  

          While the eggs were cooking, I turned on my waffle iron so it would heat up.  I greased it heavily with Pam and put a little more than a cup of batter on and closed the top.  I heard the crackle and hiss of the hot plates against the batter.  I set the iron to a low setting, because I like my waffle to be crispy on the outside but caky on the inside.  Then I gave my sausage a spin (most of the water had burned off by now), my hash browns a toss, and my eggs a chop and a stir.  My first waffle was done, so I took it off and put on the second.  

          Then, I began to plate.  I took this meal as a perfect time to practice my food styling skills. Good presentation always makes food better; it's almost as important as the food itself.  I put the eggs down first, right in the center of the plate.  Then I plated the hash browns like an avalanche falling off one side of the eggs.  I gave each plate two links of sausage, and finished off with three drops of hot sauce on the side.  We're young'ns, so no food goes without a little bit of hot sauce.  I put the waffles on their own plate and served them alongside some maple syrup that our Dad made with his friend in Vermont.  

          Everything tasted amazing, and it was just the right amount for a full, yummy breakfast.  It was so simple to make, but this meal still added to my list of memorable cooking experiences.  My brother approved :)

The Teenage Foodie

The Beginning

Everything has a beginning.  This post is the start to The Teenage Foodie blog.  I want to learn about food.  I want to experience, cook, and enjoy all kinds of food.  This blog will reflect on the experiences I have and my opinions on restaurants and food.  This summer, the summer after my freshman year in high school, the summer of 2012 is the beginning.  I hope to have some food posts up soon, enjoy!