A Slice of Alabama/Part 2: All Hail Pasta DePalma

First stop with Mom during my trip home to Alabama...  

To my 2nd home...T-town (Tuscaloosa)--for maybe my favorite dish that exists outside of my mother's cooking.  

The Pasta DePalma. 

 

If you have ever attended the University of Alabama, there are 3 names that are more than household...they're legend.

Paul "Bear" Bryant

Nick Saban

DePalma's

And in my book there are 3 things you absolutely have to do/have if you ever find yourself in Tuscaloosa.

An Alabama football game.  There is simply no experience like it. 

A Bloody Mary from Catch 22.  I had my first my freshman year of college and to this day I still haven't had one that can touch it.  Wish I had a photo, but I will be sure to rectify that on my next trip.

The Pasta DePalma. The namesake dish at DePalma's Italian Cafe. I have been going to this restaurant since my brother was at the University in the mid-90's.  And I am pretty sure I've never ordered anything but this dish.  

Noodles baked with mozzarella cheese until almost crisp (on top) stuffed with chicken, onions, and mushrooms. At least this is how I have always ordered it.  (The onions are my extra touch.)  My mother always orders the Italian sausage in place of the chicken.  Drenched in a cream sauce to make...in short...a plate of pasta perfection.

I can't put into words how great it is.  It's honestly my favorite pasta dish that exists.  And almost anyone who's had it can attest to that.  It's a well-known fact that if you have lived in Tuscaloosa at some point or another...this is one of your favorites. Rich, but not overwhelming.  I think that is what I love most about it.  Some alfredo/cream sauces can  be too much...but this is more subtle and mild, but still flavorful.  It really is the most perfect blend of flavors.  

And then the bread sticks...they come first, of course, but I had to talk about the pasta beforehand for formality's sake.  We've always ordered 1/2 spinach and onions...and the other 1/2 sliced Italian sausage and onions.  Of course, dipped in marinara.

Strips of folded dough with the goods tucked inside...smothered in mozzarella.  I've always wondered about the bread.  It just tastes better than any bread in the world.  It has a sweet taste that blends and contrasts perfectly with the saltiness of the sausage, onions, spinach, and cheese.  I could go on and on, but the photos speak for themselves.

My mouth is watering looking at these photos again.  If I had my way, I would have this every. single. day.  

If you are ever visiting, it's on University Boulevard in the heart of downtown.  You can't go wrong.  Of course I can't vouch for the rest of the menu--can't even tell you what is on it (specifically) since I've probably not even glanced at it in over a decade.  But I do know they have a range of great classic pasta dishes, salads, and a pizza that is pretty d*** great, as well.  

At least that's what I hear.  I will always, always stick with my usual.    

Pasta DePalma.  Bread sticks.  A good wine. Great ambiance. In the heart of Tuscaloosa.  It just doesn't get much better than that. 

Roll Tide.

A Slice of Alabama/Part 1: The Agenda.

Before beginning my new job yesterday (details to come!), I had a week free so I took advantage by spending some time home in Alabama.  By re-joining the real world (thankfully), I know that I most likely won't be going home for an extended amount of time for a while and wanted to be sure to make the most of it.

So I went armed with an agenda that looked something like this...

1) Eat whatever I d*** well pleased without a moment's thought by indulging in some of my favorite Alabama meals--basically fattening myself up before pressing re-start on my (much neglected) healthy regiment.  

2) Explore. 

 

3) Relax (something that has been impossible to do during the job hunt). 

I just followed this guy's lead...

4) Spend time with great old friends.

And, of course...

5) Get in as much time as possible with my parents and "The Gabester."

**that is definitely enough pictures of myself for now...and maybe the most you will ever find on this blog. 

All was accomplished.  And then some. 

I arrived back in Nashville happily recharged, a few (blissful) pounds heavier, sore from laughter and puppy pounces, and most important of all...excited and ready to start this new chapter of mine.  

And so this is what the next few posts will be about...sharing some of my most favorite things in the world...my little slice of Alabama and some of the many reasons I love going home so much.  

Stay tuned...and Enjoy!!

Pasta, Mojitos, and Mad Men.

You may remember me mentioning in previous posts my friends, The Walters--Emily and Kevin.  I do a lot of my Nashville outings with them because...well...we have a lot of the same interests--eats, drinks, music, and pool halls. Oh, and also because they happen to be 2 of my most favorite people in the world.  

Emily is also one of my foodiest of foodie friends.  This girl can seriously cook.  I think one of my favorite things about her is the fact that she treats every meal like it's an event. We both grew up in households where our mother's cooking was a huge part of our family dynamic and I'm sure that's where she gets it from...and also why I love it so much.  There's thought and attention put into everything she cooks and it speaks so much to who she is.  I've heard her talk about going to 4 different places for ingredients for just one meal.  The right pasta, fresh vegetables, her favorite bread, the perfect cheese.  And then she makes us (and by us, I mean the internet) drool over it via Instagram--@Emoney1.  Even her presentation is pristine and inflicts a daily dose of food envy.  It's truly unreal. 

So obviously, I love eating dinner at their house.  The meals are delicious...and beautiful, of course, but also there's just nothing better than sharing drinks, laughs, and great food with even better company.  

We're big Mad Men fans and planned to watch last week's finale at their house with a home-cooked meal and cocktails.  In true Emily form, she had the menu picked and approved by Monday.  Bucatini all'Ameritriciana  (I wasn't familiar, but she mentioned something about bacon and I was already all in.) "A traditional Roman pasta dish," she told me.  And then came the very important follow up text, "You like onions, right?"  Yes.  Yes, I do.  Very much.  And so it was set.

She wanted me to come a bit early so she could teach me how to make the dish.  Perfecto!  I've wanted to do a post about Emily's cooking for a while now, so I couldn't think of a better time to do so.

And so I present...Bucatini all' Ameritriciana via Emoney.

Of course, first there must be a little explanation.

Traditionally, this pasta dish is almost always made with bucatini pasta, bacon, tomatoes, and onions.   Or, Guanciale or Pancetta may be used in place of the bacon.  In this case, we used Benton's Bacon.  One of my most favorite of favorite things.

She began by cooking the bacon...my kind of meal already. 

Cook chopped until browned--in same pot that will be used to saute the onions and tomatoes. 

Remove bacon from pot.  Place on towel to dry.  Add chopped red onion and salt and pepper to pot and let cook in bacon grease.   

By this time, I'm pretty much already dying because what is better than the smell of bacon cooking??!  Onions cooking in bacon grease. No joke.

A bit of red pepper flakes to taste. 

Let the onions and spices cook until almost translucent and then add the tomatoes.  Really any tomatoes will work--fresh or canned.  For this dish, Emily prefers Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes because, she explained, they add a richer flavor to the dish.

Add cooked bacon to veggies.  Deglaze with a bit of red wine and let cook for 15 minutes or so. 

Side note:  I can't think of any dishes that I make in which I cook tomatoes and bacon together.  Ironic considering I cook (with) both of those things almost daily.  There is just something about that combination.  The aroma of the flavors together is like no other.

This meal has been a favorite of Emily's for years now because it is a good "pantry dish."  Meaning, she almost always has some form of each ingredient in her kitchen at all times. Making it an easy throw-together meal.  Pastas and frittatas are favorites of mine for this same reason.  You can add almost anything you have available (veggies, cheese, etc) and almost never go wrong.  

Surprisingly, I don't think I've had Bucatini pasta before this night.  It's a long, hollow pasta that puffs up and becomes springy when cooked.  It isn't at all grocery stores but can be found at Fresh Market and places more along that avenue.  Almost any type of pasta would be good with this dish, most likely, but for this dish Bucatini is preferred.

Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. 

There is no way you can possibly eat a great pasta without the necessaries...

Arugala salad with cucumbers tossed in a light vinaigrette.  

And then, of course, my kryptonite...BREAD. 

Fresh sourdough bread from the Farmer's Market. 

Dipped in olive oil with fresh rosemary...

After the pasta was cooked and drained, Emily tossed it with the cooked vegetables and topped it off with a bit of Pecorino Romano.  You can also use Parmesan, but she prefers this because she says, "It is saltier and 'more assertive' than parmesan."  

Seriously, how much do you love that she uses terms like "more assertive" when referring to cheese?!?  

As with all her meals...it was even tastier than it looked.  Tomatoes, bacon, onions, and pasta.  Some of the simplest--and most commonly ingredients--when cooked together give a dish like this a distinctively rich, yet at the same time--light flavor. 

Plus, the whole meal took maybe 15-20 minutes at the most--preparation and all.  Quick, easy, and so delicious.  Right up my alley.  So much so that I have cooked it twice since--I even had it for dinner tonight.  It's perfect for me since I almost always have some form of all of these ingredients on hand.  Bacon...cooked in pasta.  Somehow, to my shock, that has escaped my repertoire until now. 

Dinner at the Walter's also always ensures something else...good drinks.  Emily tailors her drinks almost as much as her meals.  Yet another trait I highly respect.

Plus...I'd like to shake hands with the person who can watch Mad Men without a cocktail.  I'm pretty sure that's impossible.  

Drink of choice for this night...Pineapple Mojitos.

As necessary to a Mojito as the Rum...the fresh mint. 

Pineapple, mint, and lime. 

Muddled, of course. 

Makes for one beautiful concoction. 

I asked the photog for the night--Kevin--to get some shots of their kitchen.  I love how functional and open it is. 

Also a big part of the kitchen--Kevin's chalkboard...here is his (cartoon) rendition of his first time at Bonnaroo--there as a journalist this year.  Kills me.  Click on the photo--hopefully you can see the details.  Seriously hilarious.

And then there's Dottie dog.  She's a country-turned-city dog--we have a lot in common. 

Oh yes. Mad Men was on that night.  I'm just going to assume you are an addict like myself (as I should) and ask, "How great was that finale?"  Two words:  final scene.  That show is unreasonably good.  I can't get enough.  So I leave you with this photo my friend Kate sent me via text a few days ago.  That's right...not only do I have friends that cook up insanely good meals, but I also have ones that randomly send me pics of Don Draper...frying eggs...in a plaid shirt...with a cigarette.  Clearly I've chosen well.

 

To the best dinner party hosts on the planet.  Thank you, Emily, for the meal...and the recipe/tutorial.  You're amazing.  And Kevin for being a great stand-in photographer so that I could sit back and take it all in.  And Dottie...for not running off this time.  Oh, and Don Draper...for being you.  

Neighbors

Yesterday my friend Courtney and I went for a walk in my neighborhood then wanted to grab a (laid back) bite--since we were in our sweat...eh...I mean work out clothes.  We were both in the mood for some home-style cooking--maybe a meat and 3--and didn't want to make the drive to Loveless knowing we'd probably be waiting a very long time with it being CMA fest weekend.  We made the trek around the area only to discover that most all of these are closed on Sundays.  Somehow this has escaped my attention until now.  

Our last (sad) attempt was McCabe's Pub (in Sylvan Park) which was also closed, so we gave up on our meat and 3 dream and decided to stay in the area and try something new.  People were sitting on the Neighbor's patio eating and since neither of us had ever tried it, so we decided to go there.  

I've only been there for drinks.  To tell the truth, I didn't even know they had a food menu...or hadn't thought about it until then, anyway.  Turns out, they do--BBQ.  It's a small, but good bar food meets BBQ joint menu. 

I got the stuffed baked potato appetizer and added the pulled pork for a little extra.  

Baked potato.  Pulled pork.  Melted mixed cheeses.  Chopped bacon.  Chives.  Sides of sour cream, butter, and BBQ sauce. Yeah. That's about as messy and good as it gets.  

There wasn't even a shred of cheese or sliver of potato skin left when I was through with it. You would've thought I was in some sort of eating contest. 

Courtney got the brisket sandwich and potato salad.  

She said both were really great.  I would have asked her more about hers, but I was too busy with the devouring to pay much attention to another plate. True story. I do remember a slightly ecstatic statement about buttered bread.  But that's...um...all I got.   

All in all, a pretty excellent way to completely negate a work out. Gladly. And perfect atmosphere to sit with a great friend who is moving far away and talk for hours before saying (a regretful) goodbye. 

Tasty. Messy. Oh so good.  

Mad Donna's Brunch

So...after two recent visits to Mad Donna's on the East Side (I had never been before), I have decided to officially declare it (possibly) my favorite brunch spot in town.  Ok, Ok...I'm not going to lie...I am a tiny bit swayed by the fact that they have this...

A Bloody Mary bar.  

Fact:  Bloody Mary's are one of my favorite indulgences...especially for Sunday brunch.  However...I do not like most that are made for me...therefore I rarely order them. I'll admit I am pretty picky when it comes to this, but I like what I like.  Which is my own Bloody Mary.  Lots of hot sauce, Worcestershire, and horse radish.  In short--spicy with a lot of flavor.  So if you have a bloody mary bar, I'm pretty much sold from the start.  I'll worry about the food after I have had one of these...

So good.  And beautiful, right?!  A good Bloody Mary is a colorful one IMHO. 

And then there's the food...

What I've ordered...

The Big Don.

Grilled Provence Tuscan bread stuffed with eggs, bacon, pepper jack cheese, tomato, and dijon mayo.

Let's be honest, you can't really go wrong with these ingredients on buttered toast...so, naturally, it's seriously good.  But I especially like this bread.  I don't eat a lot of sandwiches because I always feel weighed down afterwards, but this bread is really light.  Balances nicely with the other heavy additions to the sandwich.  And the grits are just grits.  With melted cheese.  Pretty basic...but completely fine with me.  I don't need my grits too fancy. 

AND...

The Maltese Omelette.

Spinach, caramelized onions, tomatoes, artichoke hearts with rosemary potatoes and grits.  **I actually left off the artichoke hearts (not a fan).

As I have mentioned before, this girl loves an omelette.  A lot. And I give this one a thumbs up.  Just a good old fashioned omelette.  Nice egg consistency with a good veggie mix.  Also, it's huge.  I actually ate 1/2 for lunch and the rest for my dinner.  I was a little skeptical about the potatoes at first.  I usually like messy hashbrowns (whatever that means)--these were perfectly sliced bits of new potatoes with rosemary.  But, they were pretty tasty.  Tip: order a side of the gravy (or do like I did--steal from someone who ordered some) and dip them in it...unreal.  But they are pretty good without, as well.  Certainly healthier, that's for sure.  

Other plates found on the table...

Quiche of the day. 

Sausage, onion, and cheese quiche with a side salad and...gravy.  Woah, the sausage gravy.  It was one of my favorite things on the table.  After reaching over for 1/2 the meal to steal bites, I eventually just took it into my possession.  Pretty sure I was just using the potatoes as a vessel for the gravy.  Or, I was dipping everything in it, actually.  It's unreal.  I will order it as a side every time from here on out. No matter what I order.

Overheard at the table...

Ben: "Real men don't eat quiche.  You've heard that before, right?!"  They apparently eat this one, though.  Both guys at the table ordered it, in fact.  It was huge.  And really, really good...like a rich, eggy, sausagy cake.  The gravy was to top it, but he wasn't into it.  Worked out well for me and my potatoes, though.  

The Captain's French Toast.

Why The Captain's?  Because it's crusted with Cap'n Crunch.  This needs no explanation.  It's obviously amazing...unless you are that one person on this planet who doesn't like Cap'n Crunch (and I shame you).  It's definitely interesting and worth trying.  But really sweet--I'd also order a salty side to bring it down a notch.

I. Love. Brunch.