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Do Love French Food, French Wine, and French Culture?

Then you must check out French Affaires in Dallas. They hold all kinds of French-inspired events all over town. On November 1, they are hosting a French wine and cheese pairing at Molto Fromaggio in Highland Park. On November 8, they will be at The Cultured Cup to “tour Provence its signature flavors and foods.” All the info you need is here. Berets optional.

Vacherin Mont d’Or Cheese Coming to Molto Formaggio in Dallas

This just in from Michael Perlmeter of Molto Formaggio:

Just thought I would let you know that we have found a supplier for Vacherin Mont d’Or for the holidays.  Molto Formaggio is supposed to receive 36 (1 pound) pieces the week of November 9th and 48 pieces the week of December 7.

This is the Swiss version, that is “barely” pasteurized, so as to keep the flavor in keeping with the European version of the cheese.  The price for the Vacherin Mont d’Or is $39.50, and customers can reserve (while quantities are available) for either November or December delivery.

This is one of the greatest cheeses produced in the world, and is only available 3 months out of the year.  Each cheese will come in its’ own box and will be wrapped in spruce bark.

On your mark, get set, dial: Preston Royal  214-361-9191; Highland Park Village   214-526-0700.

Let’s Tell Restaurant Stories: Spill it Servers

Have you waited tables? If so, chances are you have enough juicy tales to fill a book. Here is one of my most memorable tables.

I was working at La Cave Wine Bar on Henderson and a man called ahead to reserve a table in the back of the room near the cellar. He said he was going to have a flower arrangement sent to the restaurant and he would like it placed on a table along with a champagne bucket filled with ice and a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon. He pre-selected a cheese and pate plate. “I don’t want my wife to have to think,” he said. “No problem sir,” I said. (Whoops.)

That evening the couple showed up on time. They were dressed to the nines. I can still see her silver sequined dress. She’d had her hair done by Mr. Larry across the street. She moved through the room and perfumed the air with the strong scent of Opium. The dapper gentleman pulled out her chair. They sat side-by-side. They held hands across the table. I moved in to open the Champagne. It was then that I noticed the 4X6 note cards on his lap. Pop! went the cork. She sliced a bite of aged Mimolette.

Jump with me. (more…)

The Beauty of Burrata

I visited Ferrari’s Italian Villa the other night to enjoy dinner with featured Chef, Stefano Secchi and his fantastic parents and Ferrari’s owners, Francesco and Jane.

Stefano had been shopping at Jimmy’s when our paths crossed as I was on the way to enjoy a Saturday ritual of visiting Tom Spicer’s market on Fitzhugh.  That was the day to stop by Jimmy’s, as they had just gotten in a fresh selection of glorious Burrata, arriving fresh from Italy.

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This May Sound a Bit Cheesy, but …

On Wednesday afternoon my good friend and colleague, Nancy Nichols, called me and said “Get over here right away, I need to see you. I am making you the Big Cheese!”

I’m thinking: Promotion!

Nancy was thinking: Cheese!

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SideDish CheeseHeads Celebrate Texas Cheese and Wine at Celebration

Paula Lambert and Evan Grant. Who knew?

An emergency surgery on a torn retina kept me from attending last evening’s SideDish CheeseHead Celebration at Celebration Restaurant. My good friend and award-winning blogger, Evan Grant (way to go, Grumpy!), subbed for me. Needless to say, he and Mozzarella Company owner Paula Lambert bonded instantly. Thanks to the folks at Lucky Layla, Latte Da, and Mozzarella Company for generously supplying their cheeses. Also thanks to Kiepersol Winery for donating bottles of their award winning Cabernet and Merlot and to wine guru Whit Meyers for pouring them. Kudos to the Ozarows from Empire Baking Company for the bread. Celebration owner Ed Lowe and the great facilitator Lincoln (sorry don’t have his last name) gave us the space and plenty of set-up support. Evan is working up a report of the evening. Thanks to the 50-strong SideDish CheeseHeads who showed up. Here’s looking at you! A few R.P. Washburne photos after the jump. (more…)

Wine Dinner (And Stuff and Such and Beyond) Wednesday

I apologize for the blatant copy and paste of information below, but I had an emergency surgery on my eye yesterday for a torn retina and I only have a day or two to suck sympathy out of you and my co-workers. PLUS, I have to get ready for this afternoon’s SideDish CheeseHead’s CELEBRATION OF  TEXAS CHEESE AND WINE EVENT at Celebration. The weather is going to be fabulous and we’ll be out on the patio. I’ll be the one with the cheesehead hat and the black eye patch!

Back to business:

Maquire’s. Has a new “Chef’s Seasonal Tasting Menu.” Three courses for $30; four courses for $37. Upgrade to wine pairing is $40 or $49. Details below. 972.818.0068

TJ’s Seafood. They don’t want you to get bored with seafood so they have new recipes, ideas, and sauces and marinades.  Fish Taco Sauce – so many of you have come in making fish tacos we decided to get a great fish taco sauce.  Fish Tacos are a fun (and kid friendly) way to get the family eating healthy fish. Tilapia is great and cost effective. Honey & Jalapeno Grill Glaze – perfect on salmon, swordfish, sea bass or anything else on the grill. If you can’t stand the heat, get away from the grill….this one is a little spicy! Japanese-Style House Marinade – if you like the Citrus Wasabi & Honey Ginger House Marinades, you’ll love this one. Lots of soy, sesame oil, ginger and cilantro.  Justs marinate shrimp, scallops and tuna for 20-30 min before grill or saute.

Cibus Ristorante. Has Bocce in the Park brought to you by NorthPark Center and The Italian Club of Dallas. Sunday, September 27th from noon to 4pm in CenterPark at NorthPark. Join us for a fun-filled afternoon for the entire family. Learn to play Bocce Ball if you never have or join the pros from the Italian Club for a lively game. Cibus will be grilling in the garden as well as offering selections from their regular menu plus refreshing cocktails and specialty coffee drinks. 214-692-0001.

Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen. Will host first beer dinner with Rahr & Sons Brewery.
Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen will debut its first ever beer dinner hosted by world-renowned Rahr & Sons Brewery, Fort Worth’s German award-winning brewery. Melissa “Mel” Simmons, Rahr & Sons Brewery Representative, will introduce their most famous beers accompanied with Rathbun’s extraordinary plates. For the first time at Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, guests will experience their very own “Oktoberfest” tradition in their seats. The dinner menu and beer pairings detailed below. Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

The 500, Inc.’s WineFest 2009. The 500, Inc. announces the spectacular 7th Annual WineFest featuring an exciting selection of wine and delicious cuisine from over 20 of the area’s top eateries, a large silent auction, live music and the pleasurable company of friends and family in the hundreds. WineFest 2009 will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 6:30pm – 10pm at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison.  Advance tickets are $35 per person before October 23 and may be purchased online at www.winefest500.com.  Tickets at the door cost $40.  Proceeds of the event benefit the beneficiaries of The 500, Inc., a volunteer organization that has donated over $12 million to more than 35 local arts organizations over the past 40 years.  For more information about The 500, Inc., call 214.565.0200 or visit www.the500inc.org. Details below. (more…)

SideDish CheeseHeads: Let’s Celebrate Local Cheeses at Celebration in Dallas

Don’t forger: tomorrow, September 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m, at Celebration Restaurant we will celebrate local cheese makers Latte Da, Lucky Layla, and the Mozzarella Company. They all won national awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin. They will be there passing out samples of their cheese and we’ll be pouring some nice red wine from Kiepersol Estates in East Texas. Free! Come early and stay late.  If you would like to stay for dinner (on your own dime), contact Lincoln at 214-351-5681 and mention that you are a SideDish CheeseHead.

Ruth Reichl Book Signing at Williams Sonoma Northpark in Dallas

Hey Ruth, I’ll come to your Gourmet Today book signing at Williams Sonoma in Northpark on Wednesday, September 23 at 3:00 p.m. if you will come to SideDish’s Celebration of Texas Wine and Cheese from 5:00 to 7:00pm the same day. You will get to meet fellow author Paula Lambert of the award-winning Mozzarella Company and the folks from Latte Da and Lucky Layla. All three local cheese makers just picked up multiple awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition. You will also get to sample some fine red wine from Kiepersol Estates in East Texas. It’s all happening at Celebration Restaurant on West Lovers in Dallas. Have your handlers arrange it. Gourmet magazine needs to taste this cheese and drink this wine. ( I Twittered this post to Reichl.)

Hot Dogs in Dallas: Double Dip Frozen Custard in Frisco

Bad picture of a bad Spicy Dog.

On September 3rd, I asked you guys an innocent question: What’s for lunch? I was jonsing for a hot dog. You all chimed in with suggestions and I headed out to try a few. First stop was Dog Stop. Then came Eddie’s Deli, Zinsky’s Delicatessen, and Wild About Harry’s. I ate two dogs in each place and even after eight, I was still happy to look for more.

Yesterday I drove to Main Street in old Frisco to try the dogs at Double Dip Frozen Custard. The sign our front claims: “Double Dip Famous Dogs. Large, Lean All-Beef Hot Dogs on a Wheat Bun!” The list of selections is rated by the number of napkins it takes to eat each dog. You’ll need two for the Spicy Dog with green chili relish and honey dill mustard. It takes at least three to handle the Chili Dog made with “Texas-style chili.” Four napkins will get you through their Super Dog “piled high with green chili relish, Texas-style chili, and chopped onions.”

What they desperately need on the menu are barf bags. (more…)

What To Do Wednesday, September 9: An Evening of Wine Tastings & Pleasure

La Duni NorthPark and Cibus are hosting a special evening of wine tastings (from more than 16 wineries), Scardello cheese samples, and live music tomorrow, September 9. Check in at 6 for the festivities that begin at 6:30 pm. Cost is $15 in advance or $20 at the door; call 214-987-2260 to reserve a spot. Should you choose to stay for dinner, it’s $30 per person, and you can get a bottle of one of the featured wines for just $19 a bottle.

SideDish CheeseHeads: Let’s Celebrate Local Cheeses at Celebration in Dallas

Art by Bob Dob.

Join me on Wednesday, September 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m at Celebration Restaurant to celebrate our victorious local cheese makers. Last month, Latte Da, Lucky Layla, and the Mozzarella Company won national awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin. All three cheese makers will be there passing out samples of their cheese and we’ll be pairing the selections with Texas wines. Free! Come early and stay late.  If you would like to stay for dinner (on your own dime), contact Lincoln at 214-351-5681 and mention that you are a SideDish CheeseHead. [Don't forget, you can buy local cheese, honey, and other products at Celebration's Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.-Noon.]

If you plan to attend, leave a “yes” or “yes plus 1″ below so we can plan to have enough cheese. And wine. And call Lincoln.

Paul From Jimmy’s Food Store: You Want Olive Oil? I’ve Got Olive Oil.

Paul DiCarlo of Jimmy’s Food Store in Dallas was buying wine from “2 Italian Dudes that came by to sell some Sagrantino from Umbria.” Short story shorter, they ended up making a deal to import Borgese Olive Oil, a “great finishing oil” that is “perfect for your next burrata.” Wise guy. Paul says there is always a bottle open in the store and it sells for $15.99 Jump for details of upcoming wine tastings. (more…)

Pegasus News is Desperate for Comments: Develops “Outbursts”

Mike Orren needs your help. Keep your comments on SideDish.

I thought I was desperate for attention! Mike Orren, the wizard behind the Oz over at Pegasus News, has found another outlet for his ADHD—it’s called Outbursts. The feature is designed especially for your prefrontal cortex and encourages “verified users” to “post news and links on any local topic you like. All you have to do is click the “Post an Outburst” link on the Outbursts page.”  According to this “complete guide to ADHD site” symptoms of the disorder include “blurting out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences.” Check out Outbursts and leave your scathing comments here. Remember, we have prizes and they don’t!

Celebrating Texas Cheese With the Winners of the American Cheese Society Competition

Art by Bob Dob.

In early August, I reported on the Dallas area cheesemakers who won big time national awards at the 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin. I’ll wait while you read the post…

…Okay, so now you know Latte Da, Lucky Layla, and Mozzarella Company made our region proud. In a follow-up post, I printed a 2,500 word document detailing the complete list of winners and judges. At the bottom of the lengthy post,  I typed: IF YOU ARE STILL WITH ME, YOU ARE AN OFFICIAL SIDEDISH CHEESEHEAD AND IF YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL YOU WILL BE INVITED TO A VERY SPECIAL CHEESE EVENT. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Please use this form rather than sending an email.]

Three of you, drum roll please: Worzel (shocker, I know), Meaders, and Douglas replied. They are now official SideDish CheeseHeads. But here is the even better news: I am putting together a small FREE event to celebrate Texas cheese and Texas wine. It will be in late September. So let’s start a list below so I can get an idea of how big to blow this out. Lists, I love lists. Go. Sign up. Be a SideDish CheeseHead. We will make Wisconsin blush with envy.

Dallas Restaurant News and Notes

From the Copy, Paste, and Read Me Press Release files:

Sacred Cellars. Next tasting is tomorrow night (8/27) at 7:00 p.m. “We will be featuring K Vitners as well as their other label Charles Smith Wines.  K Vitners is known for their Syrahs made in Washington State. They have a very obvious Black and White label and are very artistically done.  A Representative from the winery will be hosting the event at Sacred, hence the Thursday date instead of the normal Friday evening tasting. Deets and other wine stuff from SC below.

Sevy’s Scotch Club. Amy Severson loves a good cocktail! Looks like she has started a Scotch Club! Hear her roar: “Join us Monday, August 31, 2009 from 5:00- 7:00 p.m. for our premier Scotch Club event. Enjoy five courses of delicious food paired with some premium malt scotches, $44.95 per person (plus tax and gratuity).  Seating for this event is limited, reservations required.  Contact Jimmy, Stefaan or Amy M. at (214)265-7389 or SevysCatering@aol.com.  Menu detailed below.

Scardello. Save 20 percent on all wines during the Scardello
End of Summer Wine Sale August 28-30. “For three days only, Scardello will be blowing through the wine on its shelves, and every bottle will be 20 percent off! There will be a number of wines to taste Saturday, August 29 from 2 p.m. until 5, all at the discounted price. There also will be great specials on other items in the shop. Say goodbye to summer in style and stop in to grab a bottle or two while supplies last! 3511 Oak Lawn. 214-219-1300.

Taste of Europe. “Like all previous years due to participation at the State Fair of Texas our store and restaurant Taste of Europe will be closed from September 15 to October 26, 2009. Because of that all food items (no exceptions) will be on sale from 20% to 50% off beginning from August 27 until supply lasts. We will be glad to see you again after re-opening on Tuesday, October 27 at our normal working hours. Our regular schedule you can see at our website. You are welcome to visit us during State Fair event at Embarcadero Building, booth #70.”

Nana. “Will host its monthly wine and food flight trio, Friday Night Flights, on September 4th between 6pm – 8pm.  For a mere $20 (plus tax and gratuity), guests may savor three food samplings created by acclaimed Executive Chef Anthony Bombaci accompanied by Italian wines.  Seats are limited, and reservations are highly recommended by calling 214.761.7470.  Visit www.nanarestaurant.com for complete details.  Friday Night Flights is available the first Friday of every month.” Details below.

Road Trip to Fall Creek Vineyards! Fall Creek Vineyards 20th Annual Grape Stomp will take place on August 29th. Enjoy  Lunch & Wine Pairing Classes and the culinary talents of Great Texas Chefs David Garrido & Brian Hay at the Grape Stomp Cooking Demo/Luncheon,. (Saturday, August 29th – 11:30 & 1:30. $22/person by reservation – 325-379-5361. See chef’s menus at www.fcv.com. Also, lots of family fun…enjoy winery tours, live local music on the vineyard patio, Castle Bounce, a play house, hayrides, and, of course, the excitement of your own “bare” feet grape stomping, “I Love Lucy”-style with the video playing, in wine barrels, all free of charge! Receive a free souvenir wine glass with $4 wine tasting. No wonder Fall Creek’s 20th Grape Stomp & Harvest Festival is where YOU want to toast the harvest in the Texas Hill Country!”

BTW: I got the photo from Tom Foremski of SiliconValleyWatcher. Good stuff.

–30–

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Deadline Procrastination Brain Game: Itemize Your Last Supper

Last July, I wrote a post and asked you to itemize your last supper. (I’ll wait here while you read the link.) Okay, so you got the idea, right. What I loved about that post was that our old buddy, Bill “Freckle Face” Addison, chimed in with this:

•  Bill Addison @ July 11th, 2008 at 4:54 pm _

Darn you, N2. This is a question I’ve been meaning to post on our blog. Love this subject. Just for today, here’s my answer:
– Maryland jumbo lump crab salad with blood orange and avocado
– A thali of South Indian curries, mostly vegetables and seafood, like served here.
– A modest plate of Ed Mitchell’s barbecue. A plate of barbecue from City Market in Luling would substitute nicely.
– A small dish of blood orange sorbet
–    A big bowl of peach crisp (with vanilla-bean brown butter poured over the fruit) with vanilla-bourbon ice cream melting atop. Then, curtains.

Sadly, not long after I listed my extensive and expensive requests, my relationship with Bill went, well, curtains. In honor of Bill, who I miss dearly, let us relive the idea of ordering your last meal on earth. What would be on your list? Who would be with you? How do I make my voice do this? (Obviously, I am on deadline and need a distraction.)

Dallas & Fort Worth Food Events

Warwick Melrose’s Library Bar will host a FREE free wine tasting from 7 – 9 p.m tonight. This month will be a Sauvignon Blanc tasting of the following: Chateau de Sancerre, Loire Valley; Casa Lapostolle, Chilean; Cape Mentelle, Australian.

Also, Tuesday night’s happy hour special is Jazz & Classics Tuesdays, now from 5 – 9 p.m. The Library Bar offers some of Dallas’ best live jazz six nights a week, and on Tuesdays it gets even better, when you pair smooth sounds with smooth sips of five classic cocktails or a glass of wine for $6.

Bonnell’s Restaurant in Fort Worth. Chef Bonnell will be on The Early Show on Saturday, August 22nd  from 6:00a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Chef Bonnell is also repeating his popular “Wine 101” on both September 15th and the 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Taste twenty-six different types of wine, everything from the inexpensive to the rare “cult” wines, while exploring the basics of wine tasting.  Heavy appetizers will also be provided as Chef Bonnell shares the basics of wine and food pairings. $120 per person. Deets.

Jimmy’s Food Store: The cheese truck has just arrived with Burrata, Strachino, Caprino and Robiola.  They also received smoked Scamorza, Tomini, Mulino Bianco Cookies, Kinder Candies, Nutella, Crodino and Pavesi Crackers. Note: “We will hold cheese pre-orders until Friday.  I ordered a few extra for those who missed the deadline.  The extras will be sold on a first come basis.” They’re also holding a FREE sparkling wine tasting on Thursday the 13th from 5:00 to 7:00.  There will be about 10 wines to try with some meats and cheeses.

State & Allen Lounge: “We’ve recently updated our wine list with vintages that are perfect for summer. Come sit on the patio and enjoy a glass tonight!” (list below.)

Milestone Farmers Market Next Sunday. Hand crafted, eco-friendly hats, headwear and accessories from The Millenarium, one of the newest members of EatGreenDFW.com, will be available at the next Milestone Farmers Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Milestone Culinary Arts Center, 4531 McKinney Ave. (vendor list below.)

Market Street Plano: Road to Riches Summer Game Road Rally on Saturday, August 22, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (details below)
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Full Results From The American Cheese Society Competiton In Austin

David Brawley, chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Art Institute’s Culinary School was a judge at the American Society of Cheese competition in Austin. He sends the final results. They are posted below. (Let’s go to Quebec!) (more…)

Dallas Wins Big Cheese Awards At 25th Annual American Cheese Society Competition In Austin

Paula Lambert of Dallas’ Mozzarella Company is in Austin for the 25th Annual The American Cheese Society Conference and Competition. Last night was the international competition. Here’s a text from Paula:

We had BIG Dallas winners last night! Anne Jones from Latte Da won 1st for marinated Feta, Edgar Diaz (Lucky Layla) won 1st for plain drinkable yogurt, 2nd place for flavor-added cultured product (Tropical Passion Fruit Drinkable yogurt), 2nd for their Yogurt cheese, and 2nd place for Boyaca, AND we (Mozzarella Company) won 1st for Queso Oaxaca and 2nd for Queso Blanco with Chiles and Epazote!!!

Here is a breakdown of the results:

Out of 314 ribbons awarded, the state of Wisconsin scored the most ribbons with 92, California came in second with 45, cheesemakers in the state of Vermont captured 32 ribbons. More than 700 attended this year’s conference, participating in educational seminars on subjects from cheesemaking to the art of maturing cheese.

I haven’t received the complete rundown of winners, but will add to this post ASAP.

Quick Lunch Review: The Chocolate Angel In Dallas

Watch your back, Celebrity Bakery. Here comes The Chocolate Angel. Two sisters, Sherrie McCall and Marcia Clingon, have turned their wholesale fudge operation into four locations of The Chocolate Angel, a bakery, café, and tearoom.

I was shocked to open the door of the location in Preston Forest–the room was full of women. The only men in the space were behind the counter. The menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, a quiche of the day, and baked goods. (The Richardson location serves afternoon tea from 3:30-5:30 p.m.) The Chocolate Angel feels a lot like Celebrity Bakery except when you are stand over the cookie case waiting to order, you don’t faint from sticker shock: lemon bars are $1.00, Neiman-Marcus recipe chocolate chip cookies are 85 cents, and cupcakes are $2.75.

JC and I were jonsing for cheese and cheese we did find. She went for the four-cheese sandwich sprinkled with garlic salt and grilled between two thin slices of sourdough. We were so hungry we forgot to ask which four cheeses were melted together. (more…)

The Grape In Dallas: The Best Burger in Texas Now Available Mondays

You all know that other monthly magazine in Austin named the burger at The Grape the Best In Texas. Many of you were not happy to find out that the burger is only available on Sundays (11:30am-10pm). Not so, now you can sample the 10-ounce patty covered with Vermont white cheddar, peppered bacon, and Nathan’s horseradish half-sour pickles and Dijonaise on Mondays (4:30pm-10pm) as well. Anybody tried? Spill it.

Jimmy’s Food Store: It’s Time To Pre-Order Burrata

You have until Thursday (August 6) at 3:00 p.m. to pre-order burrata ($8.99 each), Crescenza Stracchino ($6.99 each), Robiola ($4.99) each, and caprino ($3.99 each) from Jimmy’s Food Store. Email Paul at paul@jimmysfoodstore.com and he will email you when it arrives. Better yet, hit the store and look for red dots on the wine bottles—they’re all 30% off.

Comfort Food In Dallas: What Comforts You

I am getting a little uncomfortable with the direction comfort food is taking. Can I blame it on the Gen Y population? Sure, why not. They don’t read SideDish. Gen Y’ers are more Britney than Julia.

While the overall trend in dining today is to eat sloooowly, the Gen Y’ers I know are more content to snack quickly. What happened to the good old days of turning on The Thorn Birds (before you knew Richard Chamberlain was gay), grabbing a spoon and a half gallon of ice cream, and eating the whole thing? Once, after I got turned down for what I thought was my dream job, I went back to my apartment, made a three-layer German chocolate cake, and ate every last crumb. Did I feel better? You betcha.

What is comfort food? At home it is one thing, but now restaurants are trying to comfort us in public. Take Kent Rathbun. (beat, beat…) He has gourmet comfort food. He isn’t alone; there are lots of folks making their mortgage payments by selling upscale mac and cheese. Isn’t gourmet comfort food an oxymoron? If you agree, then WTF is healthy comfort food? A lie? You betcha.

I was curious to see if there were any distinctive differences between generations when it came to constant cravings. I didn’t have to Google far to find this little salty tidbit. Jump with me. (more…)

SideDish Movie Screening In Dallas: Julie & Julia

Last night, the Dallas Museum of Art and Arts & Letters Live hosted a private screening of Julie & Julia. If I have to write even one sentence to describe what this movie is about, you might as well skip this post and go here.

Several Dishers attended, and I await their reviews below. I am not a movie reviewer, but the following is my Sybil-esque recap. (I say Sybil-esque because I had two strong and separate reactions to the film.)

Full disclosure: I have not read Julie Powell’s book or blog. I am extremely jealous of her rags-to-riches-by-blogging success. Also, other than Lions for Lambs, the movie she did with Tom Cruise, I have enjoyed watching every film Meryl Streep has ever made. (“I haaad a faaaarm in Aaaafricaaa…..” slays me every time.) Okay, here goes: (more…)