Triangle Tweet-up: Six Plates

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There’s a ton of reasons Tony and I loved the semi-monthly Triangle Tweet-up. We get to see friends, make some new ones, and get to try food at new and interesting places around the area. This month’s tweet-up was no exception, I’ve been dying to go to Six Plates (2812 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705) and the combination of food and friends made it a great night and a very much needed break from all of the holiday prep.

Adventures in Home Cooking: Steak in Red Wine Sauce

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One of the few drawbacks to living in an apartment is the fact that we don’t have regular access to a Grill. The communal Grill is a block and a half away and not conducive to private grilling sessions. I’ve had to look longingly at grilled recipes, especially when they call for steak. However, a lot of indoor cooking recipes for red meat fall in the “put in a pot, let stew for three hours,” which isn’t exactly light summer fare. But sometimes, the need for a piece of red meat knows no bounds.

Starting the New Year in style: Carolina Beach

Tony and I spent New Year’s 2009 at Downtown Raleigh’s Acorn Drop. It was fun….until the cold air sent us hailing a taxi and racing home to see the ball drop in Times Square. For 2010, we wanted to do something a little special.

“Our State Fair is a Great State Fair”

This past week has been crazy if you’re driving down Blue Ridge. Cars lined up as far as the eye can see. It can only mean one thing: State Fair!!!!!!!!!Tony and I love the N.C. state fair; there’s local culture*fried food*, the arts*more fried food*, and agriculture *did I mention fried food?* Oh yeah, and then there’s the food. I love fairs and carnivals because it’s such a great excuse to indulge and the fair always finds new ways to push the fried envelope.

Sunday Blues Wine-Pairing-The non-Bluesy Addition

A perfect pairing with Lamb curry

With this being Labor Day weekend, Tony and I are spared from another sad Monday at work. To celebrate, Tony and I made an attempt at homemade Lamb with curry/masala sauce, which he will expound upon in a later post. We also have an impromptu Wes Anderson marathon with Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. The wine is courtesy of one of my friends after a bad week at work; I guess she thought I needed a pick-me-up, which is so true. The Atalaya is a nice, smooth red, I was expecting a heavier wine and was pleasantly surprised by its lightness.  All in all, not a bad way to spend an extra night away from work.

Restaurant Week: The Duck and Dumpling

YEA! It’s finally here. Restaurant Week could not have come at a better time, I’ve been sick and down in the dumps, so a chance to have a three-course meal downtown is hard to resist. Tony and I studied all of the menus available, if I could have eaten everything on those menus, I would! Unfortunately, for our budget (and waistlines), we had to pick one and The Duck and Dumpling (222 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601) could not be missed.

Adventures in Home Cooking: Risotto Night

A couple of months ago, I made a resolution to start cooking more. I was the queen of the freezer and microwave, it was a little embarrassing that I was in my 20s and couldn’t put together a meal that consisted of more than “lift plastic cover, heat for 5 minutes.” So, a few times a week, I try my hand at putting together a meal from scratch.