Jell-O Shots

Yesterday, after the longest time, we had a 'Girls Night In'. My contribution was Jello-Shots. I think I had as much fun making them as we had eating 'em!

Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
1 6 oz. package of gelatin
6 ounces cold water
10 ounces Vodka

Method:

Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat.
Stir together boiling water and powdered gelatin in a medium mixing bowl. Stir constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Stir in water and Vodka.

I did this three times with different colored gelatin. Pour mixture into shot glasses or an ice-cube tray.

TIP: Make sure the vodka is really chilled before adding it to the gelatin.

We had an amazing time. Chit-chat, Chinese food, chick-flicks; the makings of a perfect night-in.

Via

Via was our V-Day destination. Located off Piedmont road, Via with its large bar is as much a cocktail lounge as it is a full service restaurant. The interiors are done in a midnight blue and the mezzanine floor adds to the ample seating. As is with most restaurants on Valentine’s Day, the menu was pre-decided and the tab at a fixed rate per person. The dinner was really very good and the presentations were perfect. The four course meal began with succulent lamb chops and ended with a scrumptious Zeppoli platter. Zeppoli, I learnt, are little Italian donuts! The cherry on the cake though was the complimentary champagne with unlimited refills. More than the restaurant, kudos to SK for choosing a perfect place and making it memorable.

Food Stock

For want of something interesting to write, I decided to delve into my pantry for inspiration. As is with anyone's pantry, I found a weird assortment of food, from very different parts of the world, some just begging to be cooked and some way past the expiration date; some healthy and some definitely not. Here are some of the many pictures of my food stock.

'Fuse' is a Vitamin enriched water. Fuse Slenderize has just 10 calories, perhaps one of the reasons I really like it! The picture right above is some of the food I got back from my trip to India. The jackfruit papad and 'rice sevai' or semai are pure Mangalorean, Mum perhaps even bought it from the Mangalore store on Hill road. The semai goes really well with chicken or mutton curry, a substitute for rice. The 'Miracle Blend' is a seasoning I use most on fish. It isn't all that miraculous but when you're in a hurry, it will definitely serve your purpose. Finally, the picture below is what G junior bought me from Italy. A kind of penne pasta with natural vegetable dye and a corn pesto sauce to go with it. If I wasn't on my agonizing low carb diet, I would've cooked it a long time ago. Well, one of these days ......

Strip

Strip is yet another trendy restaurant prominently located in the heart of Atlantic Station. It belongs to the immensely successful heretoserve chain of restaurants and is just as popular as Twist, Shout or any of the others.

Strip primarily serves steaks and sushi so unless you enjoy one of these foods I would not recommend this restaurant to you. In spite of the expansive salon, the open patio and the rooftop, this restaurant is always teeming with Atlanta’s hippest looking for the perfect weekend hotspot. A reservation is therefore absolutely necessary. I think it’s a perfect place to lounge around with friends, especially if you’re not overly concerned about spending too much! I’ve been here just once, more than a year ago, and had an absolutely swell time.

The picture alongside at Strip is definitely one that goes down memory lane.

Green Beans and Mushroom

This is a quick and delicious way to cook green beans. It’s a Chinese preparation and obviously pairs really well haka noodles.

Ingredients:
½ lb green beans
¼ lb chopped mushrooms
5 Tbs soy sauce
5 Tbs cooking wine
2 Tbs chinese red chili sauce
2 Tbs chopped garlic
2 Tbs olive oil

Method:
Blanch the green beans under slightly tender and keep aside. In a wok, sauté the chopped garlic in some olive oil. Add the soysauce and the red chili sauce. Once the mixture begins sputtering, add the chopped mushrooms and the cooking wine. Let this cook for a while. Finally add the green beans, cover the wok and let it simmer on a slow flame.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes.

Love It.

Risotto

If ever there was a pretty picture, it was this. That's G junior and friends enjoying plates of fine risotto in Venice. Risotto is the Italian answer to pulao. While it may not be as popular as the conventional pasta and pizza, I believe it's just as delicious. It's traditionally made with short-grained rounded rice.

I just had to look up the Internet and see if Rachel Ray had any easy recipes and found one that seems simple enough:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt

Method:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. 2. Add the rice and cook, stirring continuously for a few minutes, until the grains are glistening. Increase the heat to high and add the broth and 1 cup of boiling water. Bring the rice to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the risotto from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan and season with salt.

This is definatelty on my "Must Try" list.

Apres Diem

Apres Diem is a coffee house tucked away in the little known parts of Midtown. Their tag line states 'International coffee house and bistro' and that is exactly what they are. Just like the more famous Cafe Intermezzo, they boast an assorted variety of coffee with accompanying desserts. I'm not a big coffee person and therefore cannot make a recommendation. An overwhelming variety always prompts me to stick to the traditional 'Cafe Au Lait', you can't really go wrong with that! The desserts are all very scrumptious and you have to walk over to the bar to make your selection. Words will never be able to do justice to them.

I like Apres Diem because it has the dark, cosy, romantic feel to it. Candles, curios on the wall, tiny vases, tables wedged close together, the lazy European undertone, the mid-towners and the constant chatter make this place a perfect after-dinner hangout.