New Orleans in Douglasville

Wowza. I don't think I have ever BEEN to Douglasville before. But I learned that I should have - and you should too, if you want wonderful Cajun and Creole food cooked by a family from New Orleans. We hopped on the bike the other day and headed west from Atlanta in search of gumbo. We found it at Gumbeaux, in downtown Douglasville. We are fans of  the spicy, saucy cuisine, so much so that we have cruised the River Rood through Louisiana up to Mississippi stopping and eating and touring historic homes. But you don't have to go that far - this authentic restaurant will take you right to the French Quarter. The care and obvious knowledge of Louisiana cooking is what makes this restaurant stand out. The unique preparation of each menu item displays this care: Roux is the basis for most Cajun and Creole dishes, and often a restaurant will use the same roux and combination of spices for everything from gumbo to red beans and rice to creole. When you taste and compare each dish at Gumbeaux, you'll find unique spices and delicious preparations for each one. You need to take a trip OTP to taste this super restaurant - in business for 14 years! http://gumbeauxs.com/

A Trip to Malaysia

Do you enjoy Malaysian food? If you're a fan of Thai food - Malay food will make you happy, too! My friend Carrie and I headed up the highway 75 corridor to Penang. Malaysian food is similar to Thai, and combines elements from Indian and Chinese cuisines. Coconut milk, (in Malaysia it is called Santan), is extensively used as are many herbs and spices you may be familiar  with: lemongrass, shallots, coriander, shallots and saffron. Here's a quick sampling of some of the best dishes we ordered. First is the Roti Canai, a light and chewy crepe-like flat bread made with whole wheat, and served with "coconutty" chicken curry sauce for dipping. Feel free to use your fingers when eating Malaysian food - the right hand is used to eat, as well as chopsticks. The chicken satays are worth the trip - tender chicken strips wrapped around sticks and served with a delicious peanut sauce. For dinner, Carrie chose the ever popular Basil Chicken, with crunchy chunks of onion and green pepper and spicy basil. I went for one of my favorites: Beef Rendang. If you haven't tried Rendang you must - it's made by slowly cooking coconut milk with spices until it creates a thick rich brown sauce enrobing the tender beef pieces. Beef Rendang is a wonderful occasional treat. We didn't have room for dessert, but next time I going to get a bigger doggie bag so I can enjoy the Peanut Roti.

We drank refreshing Asian beers with dinner - they have a good selection of beers that are perfect with the spicy food. The service was efficient. friendly and helpful but not obtrusive. The Kennesaw restaurant is an off shoot of the original Buford Highway location, and both restaurants offer the same delicious food and good service.

Pumpkinfest

We set off on a motorcycle ride to North Georgia last weekend. I am so enjoying the new motorcycle, I had forgotten how much fun it was to ride.  It was typically beautiful fall weather here - clear, crisp and in the high seventies. We stopped by Pumpkinfest, and I had to take a picture of the best pumpkin sign I've ever seen.

Caffeine and Octane

We took a drive up to East Cobb this morning for a real buzz! Here's a gathering of car enthusiasts who meet once a month, (first Sunday), to show off their beauties. And what a bunch they are - from old jalopies to state of the art Ferraris, they all sparkle and shine like you can't believe. We had lots of fun admiring the cars and chatting up the owners. And for brunch we headed to Cafe de Paris, a locally owned small French cafe specializing in simple French food. Our group indulged in authentic cappuccinos, wonderful eggs benedict and mouthwatering soups and sandwiches. One standout was the artichoke lemon soup. The service was quick and cheerful - a happy thing on a Sunday morning! Cafe de Paris is just one of the good brunch offerings on Johnson Ferry for a Sunday morning, you can also slide right into a branch of Goldberg's Deli or a outpost of the Flying Biscuit.

Chocolate Macaroons

What's a little indulgence without chocolate? And if you are looking for the ultimate, check out the Chocolate Macaroon at Nordstroms. The size of a baseball, and perfect for sharing, you can't go wrong with creamy coconut and luscious, dark chocolate. For a special treat, make sure you ask for your macaroon to be heated. Heaven! Here's a "glamor shot" close-up along with a picture of friends enjoying one together.