Pall Malls, Puddin' and Pancakes

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***don't trust advertisers...it has been my experience that longer is not always milder

Good evening fans (hey Just Joni)!

This post is going to be short. I have been beyond busy with work and life. Not that y'all (hi again Mom) are not priority number one in my day to day. But I need to pay my bills and the street corners have been cut throat as of late.  

I spent most of last week in the fine state of North Carolina gettin' my fill of "southern cuisine". Why the quotes you ask? Because after my third trip there in three months I am pretty sure that "southern cuisine" is code for artery clogging amaze-balls food that should only be eaten with supervision of a reputable medical doctor.  

Here is where I ate - and I recommend that you try them should you find yourself in Pall Mall country.  

Milner's American Southern - try the burger and a Manhattan then race back to you hotel room with clients in the car because as good as the burger is it will cheat on you like a bad online date that lasted a few too many years. Then leave a generous tip for the housekeeping staff. Probably not a good idea to leave a box of Swiss Cake Rolls on the nightstand for emotional eating. We all love Little Debbie - if you need proof here it is (click here...right here...this is the link I want you to click) 

Firebirds - now judge kindly, but try the burger with sweet potato fries. With a Manhattan. No need to rush home though.  

And if you ever find yourself stranded at the Marriott in the Piedmont Triad Airport in Greensboro you MUST MUST MUST get the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding (see photo above). Trish, the barmaid, will weave you a magical tale of her friend shooting a car thief in the leg and not getting charged with anything because it's friggin' North Carolina people! Take a swig of Moonshine and brace for the impact of the bullet. Then laugh over it while you eat Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.  

That was North Carolina and about 600 hours of my week.  

Here are some other things I've been up to: 

Rhubarb Compotes

Upside-down Rhubarb Cake

Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough Banana Bread 

Sourdough Banana Bread French Toast - bet you wished we were dating at this point don't you? I'm single and ready to mingle...in my kitchen. 

UPDATE (04.23.2017): Rumor has it that Milner's has closed due to some unmentionable indiscretions.  

Travel Tips, Rupaul's Muff and Gifts From The Magi

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If needed, remove non essentials like clothing to make room for your brie. That's 3 lb of lovely in that duffle. 

Many of us will be traveling this holiday season. Some to hot-dishes that call from our MSG filled youth. Some to exotic locales where hot-dishes are unknown (poor fools). And still some to the bar for a Tom and Jerry's (find one and love it).  

But if you find yourself packing and already longing for a treat on your travels that will remind you of the "home" you are about to leave I suggest you consider a road-trip snack. Something that will give you comfort as you go over the river and through the woods. 

Dang. I just realized I am actually going over the river and through the woods this season.  

Anyway.

Pack a snack.  

Every holiday season I wait for my besties over at Lund's to roll out the wheels of brie at a reduced cost. Thankfully this year they hit rock bottom prices. It's the most versatile of soft cheeses. Grilled, on its own, smothered in fig jam or just looking pretty on a plate, brie is everyone's friend. I'm fairly certain it was one of the gifts from the Magi but didn't make the final edit of the good book. Go introduce yourself. But go now. Because I'm already on my way for another wheel. And watch your back. Because I once had to elbow a friend out of the way in the dairy case for some brie. She's an addict. 

As you have already figured out my snack of choice is brie. And maybe a Swiss Cake Roll.  It's a long haul once you get past the river.  

Happy Holidays and please enjoy this treat from our friend RuPaul. Check out her muff. It's so fluffy and white. 

Sweet Juicy Cow Meat

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Nacho's By Millers - Charlottesville, Virginia

Nacho's By Millers - Charlottesville, Virginia

This month has been rather busy and so I have not been in the kitchen as much as I would like.  However, I have been fully unhinging my jaw to try my share of food since my last post.  I am dedicating this post to food by others. 

The month started off by enjoying a lunch with Baby Mama.  You may recall her from such great kitchen stories as Meatloaf Football (see earlier post).  At one point in my brief near 2 decade career of working retail I found myself in downtown Minneapolis scouring the skyways (above ground and enclosed sidewalks for those of you still braving the elements of weather) for a cheap/filling/good lunch.  One day revealed to me, like the tablets to Moses, was The Burger Place.  It is literally called The Burger Place. Hidden in east downtown Minneapolis above the lightrail this very clean dive has a cornucopia of burgers, the most amazing fries, fountain soda and little to no turnover on staff (always a good sign).  My burger of choice is the Triple Cheeseburger.  Before you start chanting "two by four, can't fit through the kitchen door" it is not three patties of sweet juicy cow meat, but three tastefully chosen varieties of cheese and one pattie of bessie.  Topped off with lettuce, pickles and some secret sauce I like to call mayonnaise you too wouldn't hesitate to unhinge your jaw to consume.  Pictured above you will see Baby Mama and love of the french fry.  My apologies for not getting the camera out before we both inhaled out lunch.  We had to eat at lighting speed due to Baby of Baby Mama being ill and needing a pick up at the nanny's. 

My second venture out for food this month was to a little dive called Miller's in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Boyfriend and I braved the South this month. 

And by braved the South I mean we stayed in North Carolina for two days, got spooked and ran North to Charlottesville seeking shelter at our friends Phil and Sarah's.  Nothing against North Carolina.  Beautiful state.  We really just wanted to see Phil and Sarah. 

Back to Miller's.  According to Miller's web site if I was inclined to Hoover down a whole pan of nachos in one hour by myself said nachos would be free.  Not one to turn down a food challenge (I have a t-shirt to prove it) I made the group head straight to Miller's.  Sadly the food challenge no longer was being offered.  Thankfully the nachos were still on the menu.  Wonderfully layered in a stainless steel skillet the nachos were just enough to fill the four of us and potentially all the other bar patrons.  There was one ingredient that stood out beyond the rest in that skillet.  At one scoop of tortilla chip I was taken back to my childhood of Dortito's and shelf stable nacho cheese dip (you know the kind you buy next to the chips with the sardine like pull off top...I won't judge).  There found beneath the lettuce, jalapenos and sour cream was a layer of processed cheese.  And because this is something I would not normally buy in my sojourn to the grocery market it was like manna from Heaven.  

Other notable foods for during out trip:  Sarah's Purple Cabbage Sweet Potato Thai Soup which I am sure she will email me the recipe now that I have put the request out on the Interwebs.  Dunkin' Donuts.  That's right.  Dunkin' Donuts.  Back in the dark ages Minnesota drove all Dunkin's out of our state.  We are a donutless state and therefore Dunkin's was visited every day of our trip.  And finally Pizza Hut.  Now you can judge.