Charlotte, NC

This weekend we took a little trip to Charlotte, NC.  Sadly, when we arrive a cold front came through and we were there during their coldest day of the year thus far.  We weren't so lucky with the temperatures but the sun was shining brightly.  We were able to get out and see a lot.

Our first night in town we ate at The King's Kitchen.  They are a not for profit restaurant that serves a variety of classic Southern cuisine.  It was good.  We started with an appetizer of fried oysters.  Very rich, and very good.  They basically just melted in your mouth and there was no need for the two sauces that came with the dish. 

I ended up with fried catfish.  I think I had more fried food in this meal than I ate in the last year. I would not say I am expert in fried catfish but this was great stuff.  I ate it right up.   The best part of the meal was the sides.dishes.  Mr. J and I both ordered in the section Meat + Three.  You picked your meat then got to pick 3 sides from a great list.  Let me tell you about a hard choice.  I could have had one of each.  Well maybe not the black eyed peas; they creep me out a bit but the rest all seemed like marvelously delicious options.  I got the stewed tomatoes, mac n cheese, and green beans.  Yum, yum, and double yum.  Everyone laughs about Southern food adding on the weight but now I can see why.

Mr. J got the pan fried chicken with potatoes and gravy, collard greens, and cabbage.  He had the same reaction I did.  It was all delicious and we wiped our plates clean.  Everything was very reasonably priced and it went to a good cause.   

I was surprised to learn that Davidson, NC was so close to Charlotte.  Sunday morning we decided to take a little trip to visit.  The campus was gorgeous and the town was so quaint.  I could see myself growing old there.  My favorite thing was the health food store just around the corner from Main Street.  There was a great selection of foods, the largest bulk bin selection I have ever seen and they had frozen herbs.  Have you ever seen such a thing...you could buy little ice cubs of parsley, basil, garlic, ginger, peppers...the list goes on.  Love it!

Roasted: A photo study

There are some sights in the kitchen I would rather not see...ever...like a sink full of dishes or a spot on the floor of something gooey and gross that you don't know what it is. 

Other sights could happen over and over again and never get old.  Sunday's dinner was full of wonderful things that I couldn't help but snap away.  

Note to self: If Mr. J is making dinner, try not to get in the way with the camera.  Ops!

Dark Chocolate Walnut Cookies

There is nothing like a good cookie to make a bad week end on the right note.  This week wasn't really bad it just dragged on....and on.  Each time something got crossed off my list ten more things were added.  I couldn't seem to get ahead.  On top of the busyness, I was incredibly tired.  It was just one of those weeks.

I find these weeks can be easily remedied with two things...coffee and cookies.  Tuesday began my 3pm coffee break.  A mug of flavored coffee with skim milk is like a mini latte.  Once those babies started going down I was no longer needing to go to bed at 8:30pm.   This method is not the best fix but it certainly got me through this week.  My second cure was a chocolaty cookie goodness that not only gave me a sugar kick but also put me in the best, BEST mood.  I think there is something magically in these suckers.

Dark Chocolate Walnut Cookies
adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder2 cups dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts, broken into small pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.  With the mixer on low, add the cocoa powder and mix until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and briefly mix by hand to incorporate any crumbly bits left at the bottom of the bowl.

Using a medium cookie scoop divide dough into equal pieces.  Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart.  Gently flatten the tops (don’t press down too much).  Bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately.  (Tops should no longer be glossy, but do not over bake.)  Let cookies cool(finish baking) on pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made 1/2 the batch and froze the rest. Even though there wasn't too many cookie I had to watch myself. I made them fairly small.  Two per sitting was not over the top, but after the two you definitely are left wanting two more.  We are going away this weekend so the remaining cookies went into the office.  People were happy.  Nothing like a chocolate cookie to get you through the hour long meeting at the end of the day.  

The moral of today's post: Coffee + Chocolate Cookies = Cure All Aliments