Mud House Year

She Sells Seashells

When we lived in New England, we ate shellfish on a regular basis.  Some of my favorite things in the world are raw oysters and steamed clams.   Last summer we returned to our old stomping grounds to attend our sweet friend's, Lauren's, wedding on Cape Cod.  While there, we had some of the best Wellfleet oysters, steamed clams, and lobsters at Moby Dick's in Wellfleet.  If you are ever on the Cape, be sure to stop in.  Moby Dick's looks a little like a roadside tourist trap, but it has seriously good shellfish.

Living in the desert there were a few things we didn't do.  We didn't go rattlesnake hunting, we didn't hike in the blazing sun in the middle of July, and we never, ever ate shellfish.  Especially raw shellfish. Just too, too far from the ocean and too darned hot.  However, Pasadena is only 25 miles from the ocean - close enough for steamers, for sure!

Steamed Clams in White Wine, Garlic Butter, and Thyme

Here's What You Need:
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine 
2 pounds of clams (we used littlenecks), rinsed and cleaned
Small bunch of fresh thyme
4 fresh lemon wedges

Here is What to do:
Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant but not burned. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high until wine is brought to a simmering boil. Add clams and thyme.
Cooked covered for 5-10 minutes (depending on size of clams), check and stir occasionally, until clams have opened.  Add lemon wedges just before serving.  Discard any clams that don't open.Transfer clams and broth to a large serving bowl.

Serve with something to dip in the garlicy, buttery broth. We made gluten-free popovers!  Yummy!

This recipe is so easy.  Try to find a source for clams that are already soaked and cleaned, if you can.  If not, you will need to put them through several "baths" of fresh water until they release all their sand.  

Enjoy!

Chef Amanda

White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse with Lemon Crumble

I've mentioned Miss Amanda before.  She is a pastry chef who works in the most amazing pastry kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.   This unique Ritz property was designed especially for its location here in the desert and it is located about thirteen miles from the Mud House.  It is truly one of the most enchanting places I have ever been, almost spiritual in its beauty.  This week the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Montain is hosting the annual Accenture Match Play Championship featuring the top 64 players in the world including Tiger Woods.

Recently, Miss Amanda created the most exquisite Valentine's Day pastry event at the Ritz, so I thought I would share!   Although the photos make the desserts look BIG, they were actually delightfully mini sized.  That's Miss Amanda overseeing some final details.  There she is again popping into the photo of the pastry buffet!  She's a tricky one!

And here are some of the amazing works of art Miss Amanda and her staff created... Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Mocha Buttercream

Opera Cake

Oreo Cremeux

Lemon Meringue Tart

Chocolate Mango Mousse

Caramel Chocolate Tart with Caramel Krispies

Chocolate Orange Pot de Creme with a Cocoa Nib Cookie

And, one final photo bomb from Miss Amanda!

Wow!  Miss Amanda is truly an artist.  She and her staff are remarkable.  Be sure to visit this amazing place if you are ever in this part of the world.

 

And Then There is the Beaten Path

In my two previous "Favorite Nashville Things" posts I highlighted some of the lesser-known diversions I discovered in Nashville.  However, there are many, many well-known attractions that should not be missed.  I am listing some of them here with links to find out more. This is by no means a comprehensive list,  just a collection of a few things I have enjoyed.  

 

Downtown Nashville - This is where it's all happening.  Perhaps best known for the strip of Broadway between 5th Avenue and the river where the honky-tonks and boot shops abound.   

Tootsies, for example,  is the much storied bar where country music legends partied before and after performances at the Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry).  It is just one of many venues where the music never seems to stop. The shopping is a bit touristy but, what the heck,  I bought this for a special little someone who will be spending Christmas at the Mud House: So much to do and see in downtown and you can find out all about it here.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame - Located in downtown Nashville click here for their website.

 

The Grand Ole Opry - No longer located in the famed Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, but still the venue for all of the country music greats.  Click here for more information.

 

Belle Meade Plantation - This may be my favorite place in Nashville.  A truly beautiful old home with a remarkable history.  It is well worth a tour to learn the history of the house and grounds.   I especially enjoyed the authentic furnishings and lovely old carriages in the carriage house.  However, the highlight of my entire visit was learning about this man, Bob Green.                                                                                                                               
For more information about Belle Meade Plantation and all who lived there, click here.    As a bonus, the tour includes a wine tasting from the Belle Meade Winery.  Read more about the winery here.

 

Loveless Cafe -  This cafe has been serving authentic and delicious southern food since 1951.  It is famous for their biscuits and peach jam.  It is well worth the short and scenic trip down Tennessee Highway 100.   More information here.        
                           
 

 

                                                                          The Civil War in Tennessee

                                           
Although this trip focused on the fun and frivolous (and the food), no visit to the southern United States is complete without acknowledging the somber subject of the American Civil War.  There are many historic sites in and around Nashville where battles were fought and many, many lives were lost. I visited the battleground of the 1864 Battle of Franklin and was struck by the solemnity and tragedy of the lives lost and families devastated.  It is haunting to walk the land and to enter the buildings and homes that still stand.  On my next visit, I plan to spend more time visiting these sites and to learn more about the history of Tennessee.  Here are some helpful links:

http://www.bonps.org/tour/tour.htm

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/franklin.html 

I have absolutely loved my time in Nashville and I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my stay. Thank you for joining me on my brief trip away from the Mud House! I am on my way back and I am looking forward to spending Christmas in our little adobe house with all those I love. 

A Few of My Favorite Things - Part I

                                                  

I am so fortunate to have spent almost three wonderful weeks in Nashville!  As my visit comes to an end, I am thinking about a few of my favorite Nashville things.  Some I have already told you about, but I am including them again because I love them so much!

 

                                                             Vicki Sawyer                                                    
                                                    

First of all,  there is Vicky Sawyer and her amazing birds (and other animals).  If you haven't yet, please check out her website - so wonderful!

 

                                                                                     Davis Cookware "Well, Ma'am you can't sell from an empty cart."  Mr. Davis replied when I commented on how much there was to see in his store.  

Davis Cookware has been in Hillsboro Village for 43 years.  It is stuffed to the rafters with everything you could ever need for your kitchen.  It also carries over 50 types of coffee beans and I don't know how many types of loose tea.  They also sharpen knives and bill themselves as, "Home Of the Knife Whisperer."  Designed and staged - definitely not.  Original, charming, whimsical, complete, and reliable - yes.    If I lived in Nashville, this would be my "go-to" place for everything kitchen related and for the wisdom, history, and lore of Hillsboro Village. 

 

                                        Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company 

Voted America's Best Chocolate by Southern Living Magazine, Olive and Sinclair make small batch, slow roasted, and stone ground chocolate right here in Nashville.  These lovely bars are already packed and ready for the trip home to the Mud House where they will find themselves snuggled into a few lucky stockings on Christmas Eve.  Here is their website:  Olive and Sinclair.  

 

                                                                  Midtown Wine and Spirits
I love little bottles of anything.  I think little bottles of liquor are especially enticing, for obvious reasons.  I  also love how their shapes exactly mimic much larger bottles.  My first few days in Nashville I popped into a couple of grocery stores looking for a bottle of wine.  I found beer, but no wine.  I soon learned that Tennessee liquor laws vary by county and are complicated - wet counties, dry counties and everything in-between.  You can read more about it here, if you are interested.  Anyway, I discovered that in Nashville, liquor and wine are sold only in liquor stores.  Beer may be purchased in grocery stores.  Midtown Wine and Spirits not only has an amazing selection of everything you can imagine containing alcohol, they also have a wonderful selection of mini-bottles.  I bought some for a few of the adult stockings I will be stuffing. For more info please click here. 

 

                                                             Pralines by LeonNo visit to this part of the world is complete without sampling some pralines and Leon's is the place to try them.  Pralines by Leon is located in downtown Nashville on 2nd Avenue.  It has been in it's current location since 1994 but its history can be traced back to 1888 when Leon's Greek grandfather Constantine moved to New Orleans and began making candy.   You can read much more about Pralines by Leon and the other wonderful candy they make by checking out their website.  You can also order on-line.  If you are in Nashville it is absolutely worth a visit.

 

 ... Stay tuned for Part II of a Few of my Favorite Things...

 

 

Food Trucks, Finally!

The very thing that makes food trucks so charming also makes them somewhat elusive.  They are trucks, or they are pulled by trucks, and they move around, a lot.  I've been hearing about Nashville food trucks for some time now, especially the Grilled Cheeserie, which happens to be my Nashville friend's absolute favorite! Everyday I've checked the Grilled Cheeserie's website for their location. Everyday, they've been far away. However, on Thursdays, food trucks gather in Centennial Park, the Grilled Cheeserie among them!
Yay!
I patiently waited in line then ordered the "B & B of Tennessee".  It was a tough decision because my friend seriously recommends the "Pimento Mac & Cheese," which is an actual grilled mac and cheese sandwich. I also ordered the tomato soup and the tater-tots because I wanted to try the "tot sauce."
I usually find tater-tots disappointing but these were crispy and hot, with a touch of spice.  The tot sauce was a blend of ketchup and "something smokey."  It tastes almost like cocktail sauce with smokey undertones - very nice.
The" B&B of Tennessee" is Sweetwater Valley Buttermilk Cheddar, Benton's bacon, house-made caramelized onion, and apple jam on multigrain bread.  It was simply delicious.  The bread was perfectly grilled with a caramelized crust.  I think my favorite, though, was the tomato soup.  It was warm and steamy and offered a little something extra - tarragon I think. 

Not only is the Grilled Cheeserie my friend's favorite food truck, it is a favorite of all of Nashville!

However, to mix things up a bit, my friend ordered from Yayos OMG which offers original Mexican gourmet food by Chef B "Yayo" Jimenez.
We sampled the Albondigas soup.
It was full of fresh vegetables, mini meatballs, and noodles in a nice tomato base.  Fresh cilantro is added at the last minute.  We also tried the Legend tacos which offers brisket, chorizo, and chicharron.
Very tasty!  I requested the hot sauce which was flavorful with a nice kick of crushed pepper.  

If you visit Nashville I highly recommend the food truck scene.  It's a bit of an adventure to find them but that's part of the fun.  Most trucks post their locations on twitter and many have websites that list their weekly schedules.  On Thursdays, many trucks gather in Centennial Park on West End Avenue, behind the train.

Pinterest Wednesday

Now, I know y'all are thinking that I am living in a hotel and eating nothing but fried chicken and cupcakes.   And, I know y'all are probably worried about how many seats I will need on the airplane ride home.  So, to put your minds at ease (and because cooking in my little kitchenette has its own set of challenges) I have selected a delicious caprese salad for this week's Pinterest Wednesday.
This recipe comes to use from The Party Dress and it is pretty self-explanatory.  I splurged and bought heirloom tomatoes, a little basil plant, and some really good mozzarella at Whole Foods.
I also bought some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and decided to make a balsamic reduction on my portable induction cook-top.
I combined some vinegar and some sugar, which fortunately I found next to the mini-coffee pot in my room because I didn't buy any.   I know, resourceful. 
I simmered the vinegar and sugar for about five minutes and then allowed it to come to room temperature. 
It was thick and syrupy and delicious.

I sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled them generously with sea salt.  Then I assembled the caprese salads with the cheese and basil.  Lastly, I drizzled them with olive oil and the balsamic reduction and gave them another sprinkle of salt.  These are so pretty and I think the color makes them especially nice for the holidays.

These salads are easy, beautiful, delicious, reasonably healthy, and not fried or frosted.  Aaaand, you can make them in a hotel kitchenette!  I think we have a winner.  This one gets 5/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas.
    

No worries, I'll be back to my Nashville food adventure tomorrow.  I think we may stake out some food trucks!!  Stay tuned!

Cupcakes, Seriously.

Ok, so we all know cupcakes have been around for a while, and, believe me, no one knows that better than I do.  I've sampled them from Pasadena to Portland, Maine and I can say with no hesitation that I've found the best.  You know you are in trouble when you keep the cupcake daily menu next to your bed and the last thing you do at night is check the next day's baking schedule.  Seriously.
Gigi's Cupcakes can now be found around the country (unfortunately not near the Mud House) but the original, the very first one, opened in Nashville in 2008 and it is two blocks away from my hotel. 
I love Gigi's story as much as I love her cupcakes and you can read about it here.  It's tough to pick my favorite, but I think it might be the Caramel Turtle Cupcake pictured at the top of this post.  But, they are all absolutely delicious...Gigi also makes yummy mini-cheesecakes.  The pumpkin cheesecake is at the bottom left above.

If you would like to find out more about Gigi's cupcakes check out her website, gigiscupcakesusa.com/home.

 

Music City

I am taking a little trip away from the Mud House to spend some time in Nashville before the holidays. I've fallen in love with this place.   It may sound a bit "new-agey," but there is an energy here.  There is a southern light and natural warmth.  People are simply nice and there is live music everywhere you go - literally in the air.  You hear it in shoe stores, book stores, honky-tonks, and coffee shops.  You feel that deep and genuine history of country music - Patsy, Tammy, Loretta, Dolly, Elvis, George, Scotty Moore (look him up - he's who Keith Richards aspired to be).  There is that Nashville Sound.
I feel a connection here.  Maybe it's the similarities to my southwest home - the cowboy boots, jeans, country music, horses -  but there are also some differences that are drawing me in.   For one thing, the seasons actually change here.  There are trees with leaves that fall.  It's cold, without being freezing. The air is crisp.  

I'm staying in a little hotel with a little kitchenette.  Not quite sure how to bake in the micro-convection oven.  I asked at the front desk, they don't know either.  So, my food blogging will be, let's just say "creative," for a little while.  Pinterest Wednesday may be a challenge but, hey, a little "Pinterest Wednesday Kitchenette Style" might be fun (I'm being optimistic here).  Or, maybe we will substitute "Food Truck Wednesday" for "Pinterset Wednesday."  We will see...

The good news is, the food traditions in Nashville are as deep-rooted as the music.  It will be fun to share some of my food experiences, if for no other reason than to give me an excuse to eat.  I will share some places that may not be on the usual travel guide radar, but are worth a visit none-the-less. Today I am going to one of my favorite places.  We are not talking health-food here, but we are talking delicious. The first time I heard about McDougal's, I said, "I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am."  Actually I said, "I do NOT like chicken fingers, never have, never will.  I will not eat them in a boat, I will not eat them with a goat!" (Thanks Dr. Seuss.)
I was wrong.  I love chicken fingers.  But only if they are from McDougal's. My favorites are fried, tossed in buffalo sauce, and served with a side of blue cheese.  You can choose fried or grilled; tossed in sauce or sauce on the side; or both.  The sauces include original buffalo, tearjerker, honeybee, gold, ole smoky, citrus chipotle, blue cheese.  Click here if you want to know more.   I am serious when I say these are the only chicken fingers I will eat and I crave them like crazy when I go home to the Mud House.  

Could someone please explain the whole Texas toast thing, though?  What's with the fat piece of buttered white toasted bread?

Anyway, if you make it to Nashville and you do or you do not like chicken fingers, give McDougal's a try. Let me know what you think.

Please stay tuned for more posts from Music City and I will be back at the Mud House before you know it.