.nashvillesquared.

...holiday in nashville...

…On my way to Nashville! Beyond excited is how I would describe my feelings this week. A few days off from work & a spontaneous trip to see one of my oldest & dearest friends was in order & I was in dire need of both. As I write this now I have gravy simmering on her stovetop, & my pizza dough hiding underneath a dishcloth, experiencing growing pains…I wanted to thank my friends, Ronee, & her fabulous husband, Bill, for their superior hospitality & what better way to do that than to open my heart & cook them one of my favorites? So as I am patiently awaiting the various components to culminate in an awesome flavor explosion, I will tell you about our culinary adventures since I arrived yesterday.
Airplane food: Besides the tiny can of carbonated goodness they offer you on the flight, airplane food is virtually nonexistent these days….I brought Jamba Juice & an oatmeal cookie as my flight food of choice with me…good times…Upon arrival in the Nashville airport I was delighted to see familiar faces of good friends..first order of business with Ronee & Bill was food! I was famished & they were sure to make sure every place they brought me to dine was simply great food….we rushed from the airport to make it in time to Gaby’s before they closed at 2:30pm…we faced detours, Nashville drivers (I thought no one could be worse that Jersey or Yonkers drivers but I was proved wrong within minutes!), & a bit of traffic….we arrived at 2:15, just barely making it before closing time….Gaby’s is a burger & fries joint located on Humphreys Street in downtown Nashville…it’s a small shack of a building with indoor & outdoor seating and a simple menu of burgers, hot dogs & fries…sometimes that all you need…Bill profusely thanked the staff at Gaby’s & apologized for us coming in so close to closing time…I followed Ronee’s lead & ordered a cheeseburger with everything & sweet potato fries….the burger was made to an almost greasy meaty perfection…the lettuce & tomato were fresh, the melted cheese dripped appropriately & tasted entirely heavenly…the sweet potato fries….I love making sweet potato fries…Gaby’s were by far the best I’ve ever had…they were golden, dark brown slabs of sweet potato goodness…paired with a wasabi mayonnaise mixture, this was reason enough to want to relocate to Nashville…this was the beginning to a great time in Tennessee…. Fabulous greasy fare to order…how can you go wrong? Simple ingredients for a simple yet tastily prepared menu….you know when something totally hits the spot & all of my spots were hit at Gaby’s….
For St Patricks Day, we had reservations at September’s in Hendersonville, TN…September’s is named after its owner who stopped by our table to make sure we were enjoying our dinner…which we definitely were…Ronee & Bill suggested their favorites, Filet Mignon, Macaroni & Cheese, Shepherd’s Pie…I went with one of Ronee’s suggestions, the Polynesian Strip Steak with a side of Mac&Cheese…I ordered it rare, and it was seared on the outside with a sweet glaze, & covered in grilled pineapple…the tenderness of the strip was appreciated…the side of Mac&Cheese was delectable…there was a hint of earthy smokiness that revealed bacon in the recipe, & I tasted sharp cheddar, gouda, & parmesan...I made sure to take note of all the flavors before the celebratory shots of whiskey clouded my culinary memory…2 awesome places fully recommended by me to sample their delicious lunch/dinner fare…Gaby’s & September’s!!!! I have yet to be impressed by any bakery items, or any dessert items here in Nashville…I had dessert at September’s and cupcakes from local famed bakery Gigi’s and would have to pass on both…I am hoping to experience cupcake greatness before I leave here! My culinary adventures today are limited to yummy homemade pizza with great friends….followed by a trip to see Johnny Cash’s home & gravesite in Hendersonville, which was an adventure in it of itself…. I <3 John R. Cash ! <3
…more adventures to follow........btw the pizza turned out delish! <3

...eating words at the Culinary Institute of America...

...its been a long time!...this girl has been working hard...my mind & heart are overfilling with thoughts, recipes, & experiences I am desperate to share on here...but alas my time management skills are not to be envied...i wish there was a recipe for that...
tonight i prepared a filling dinner of grilled cheese&turkey with oven baked sweet potato fries...the first time i ever experienced sweet potato fries was at tempations cafe in nyack...ive been a follower ever since! besides tasting fabulous they are healthy for you too! i will never forget my mother always telling me how great they are for you (i think she would always say they were beneficial to your skin?)...& I can still hear her now admonishing me to eat the sweet potato skin...sorry mom i didn't leave the skin on tonight :(...my roommate jenny & i just discussed the shortcomings of boys...which always leads to fabulous baking..so thank you boys for inspiring this girl to bake! I am just now enveloped in the aroma of fresh homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies...<3<3<3
this past week has been ridiculously full of excitement, & this upcoming week will be even more amazing...I'm headed to Nashville on Wednesday to spend time with one of my bestest, Ronee! I cannot wait for he culinary adventures that await me there...especially excited to go to the Loveless Cafe!...there will be plenty to write about on here when I get back...
this past Wednesday (it seems like Wednesdays are my special day lately!) I was fortunate enough to visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY...wow...what can I possibly say to begin with...the hour and a half drive passed by relatively quick...when I turned on campus I was totally impressed by the beautiful campus...with roads named "thyme terrace" & "parsley avenue" I wasn't in Kansas anymore, I mean Yonkers...From the second I stepped onto campus I did not want to leave...As I passed the students in their chef's uniforms I just wanted to be one of them so badly. I stopped myself from walking up to each of them & inquiring what they had cooked that day & if they wanted to hang out with me & cook together..I walked with purpose to the Conrad Hilton Library...I was there to interview the Reference Librarian and take a tour of the library for a class assingment....as a library science student, one of my classes focuses on librarians in specialized settings, such as medical or law libraries...I chose to visit a culinary library. yeah go figure, big surprise, I know. all i can say i was seriously smiling uncontrollably the entire time i was there...the lovely Christine was my host, my librarian, my hero...to me she had the perfect job...i entered the llibrary building...the upstairs filled with thousands & thousands of culinary books...cookbooks, history books, magazines...MENUS....yes menus...they have boxes&boxes overflowing (well not overflowing, this is a library, so they were neatly organized but overflowing just sounds much more fitting) with thousands of menus from restaurants & cities all over the world...so I could see what was served at a bistro in France in 1912 if i wanted to, & yes i want to ...to say I was entranced by the wealth of information at the library would be a sad understatement...very sad...so I won't say it, but yes I was entranced/overwhelmed/excited/enamored...thats it! i was ENAMORED with my surroundings...any culinary question or concern I could ever have possibly had was within my reach...forget the internet for a second, there were hundred years old manuscripts that had been studied & followed faithfully, & brand new publications with innovative techniques all there with me...Christine was passionate about her role & you could see the contentment & love she had for her job...it was definitely inspiring...& made me long for that feeling...
thank you Christine!!!!!!!
...next up was a visit to the Apple Bakery Cafe! the CIA has impressive restaurants available for visitors, but reservations are required...the Cafe was an informal reservation-free way to experience the student's cooking fare...the Cafe was heaven...the air was thick with the mingling scents of freshly baked bread & pastries, french pressed coffee & grilled cheeses & pomme frittes...i was beyond satisfied with my ginormous grilled cheese...thick&toasty slices of crunchy french bread stuffed with cheddar&gouda, bacon&apple slices...again, still grinning like a complete&total food nerd...good times...
next stop...the Bookstore! while a small store in size, every available space was packed with foodie addictions: yes the prerequisite cookbooks were present, but it was the whisks, cake decorating tips, cheese slicers, spice jars, & aprons that caused my eyes to widen & heart to fill...I walked the store repeatedly carefully, strategically deciding what to purchase...I picked up objects of interest, things I did not need, things I definitely wanted, overpriced items, & objects of great desire...i settled on a CIA apron, a spice jar with a space where you could scribe what spice you lovingly filled the jar with, a shot glass that actually served as a measuring device for teaspoons/tablespoons, a coffee guide, and a poulty/fish guide...the guides are laminated pages that provide basic, but necessary information on these oh so important subjects...i was greatly pleased with my finds, & yes I am wearing my apron as I type away on this blog...its true...my visit was a smashing success...I am planning to go there again very soon & spend the day walking the campus, savoring the views, & imagining my future.
& seeing Julia Child's handprints just sent me over the moon...