New Specials

Entrees:

1. Mediterranean Chicken with Greek Spices, Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Black Olives

2. Braised Swiss Steak with Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers

3. Swiss Meatballs made with Pork and Ham with a White Wine-Lemon Sauce topped with Swiss Cheese

Side Dish:
4. Bourbon and Brown Sugar Mashed Sweet Potatoes

5. Maple Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes

We had a request for sweet potatoes and we like to honor our clients' requests.

Go to order page...

Red Gnauga Booths and Spicy Salsa

***SNARK WARNING!!!***

I credit my parents with shaping me into the person I am today. It's been suggested by some that we should bottle our work ethic. The way I push myself sometimes, I'd probably go to jail for a controlled substance infraction! Watching my parents through the years, there's no doubt I got my sense of responsibility from them. You get many things from your parents. I think you certainly get your sense of taste and culinary adventurousness from your parents. For some a pinch of black pepper is too much heat! I've always enjoyed a bit more than a pinch of black pepper and I think my parents may have had something to do with that...

You see a lot of kids these days at Mexican restaurants. There's a reason Jose et al have been forced to add chicken nuggets and hamburgers to the menu at Zepe's much to their considerable consternation. It's a sign of the times when a taco or cheese enchilada is too much for Tommy's sensitive taste buds. You can't blame Zepe's, times are tough and you need every edge you can get. Sometimes I'd like to tell Tommy to have a margarita and a taco and chill out!

Back in the day, on those special occasions when we got to go out to eat (I'm dating myself there), I was a pretty adventurous kid -- for a 4 or 5 year old... I'd have probably welcomed that margarita being the uptight kid that I was. "Yes, can you make mine a 'suicide'?" Remember those? A bit of everything -- didn't taste good, but for some strange reason we all got them. At least I had the good sense to skip the Tab! Guess I had decent taste even back then! But I digress... again. I remember going to El Palacio. It had the obligatory murals, the red gnauga hide booths, and some beads covering the doorway. Obviously this place was not only a taste of Mexico, but also quite stylish and groovy. Johnny Bravo eat your heart out! Yeah Baby!

While I vaguely remember beef enchiladas with a nice red sauce, the obligatory rice with faded army green peas, and lard laden refried beans, it was the chips and salsa of all things that stuck in my mind. I've always looked up to my Dad and followed his lead on food (my Mom as well, but that's another story to follow). If Dad got a double or triple cheeseburger, I got a double or triple cheeseburger. Can you imagine a kid putting away a greasy cheeseburger the size of his head? Back in the day, hamburgers weren't these little dry hockey pucks that they are today. As you may have noticed I tend to digress quite often. Stream of consciousness, or unconsciousness as the case may be...

So the obligatory chips and salsa came out to the table and in we go. Dad told me it was going to be spicy, but what the heck. You only live once right? Besides I was tough. I could take it. That was the first time I ever sweat while eating. It was fun, Dad was sweating so it must be okay if I did, right? From the bright red tomatoes, to the jalapeno, the onion, and the cilantro, it was a cacophony, nay a symphony of flavors and colors. The chips were there, but nothing more than a vehicle to get the wonderful, spicy concoction to my waiting gullet. Yes, I could have slurped it straight from the bowl, or used a spoon, but I was a man of distinction. No pretender here. No, I conformed to the social norm of dipping the chips. Just wish I could have had my 'suicide' margarita with a beer backer! In fact bring a pitcher and one of those mugs the size of a small water tower. Ah, Zepe's... What have you done and where have you gone wrong... Burgers and chicken nuggets... BAH!!!

DINE ON!!!

Snowdrifts and Marshmallows...

I was making marshmallows the other day and started thinking about—SNOW. It's not so far-fetched. Marshmallows are soft and white and so is snow. Mom was telling me about growing up in West Virginia. In the big snow in 1950, she got to go with her daddy (my grandpa) to check on a neighbor who had a small baby. He told her to be sure to follow in his footsteps. They got about halfway across the yard when he turned around to check on her. Only the topknot on her hat was sticking out, so he quickly pulled her up, and they continued next door. That was at least 36 inches of snow with drifts up to 6 feet. They used Mom's sled to go down the road to get groceries.

When Mom was a teenager, her mom (my Granny) always cleaned the house on Saturday morning. When they finished on one Saturday, they looked out to a winter wonderland of quietly falling snow. About 6 inches of untouched snow was on the ground. “Let's walk down to the Ohio River!” So they walked up to Grand Central Avenue, across a couple of fields, across River Road, did a slippery-slide down a hill, and across another field to the banks of the swiftly flowing Ohio River. It was so quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. What a special memory for them.

Back to marshmallows: they don't have to be white, and different extracts can be used instead of vanilla to flavor them. I used peppermint, and they are yummy. How about strawberry, orange, or raspberry? Tint them pink, orange, etc. Then to top them off, dip them in a dark chocolate fondue. Now, that's a dessert for Valentine's Day!

When I was four years old, we moved from the Washington, D.C. snowy suburbs in January, to Jackson, Mississippi. On the way, we drove through Atlanta where it had snowed overnight. Dad still had the snow tires on, and we drove straight through Atlanta wondering where all the cars and people were. After moving to the South, we learned that wasn't such a good thing to do. After crossing into Alabama, the weather suddenly changed, and it was warm. On January 24, 1974, all of us worked in the yard in shorts and got sunburned.

One week-end in February, Dad said “Let's go to Mardi Gras!” We went on a day trip (better for little kids) and Suzanne, Rich, and I especially liked the floats, and catching beads, candy, and trinkets. Mardi Gras King Cake and beignets were a special treat.

February has at least 3 celebrations—Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and Shrove Tuesday. Any, or all of these occasions would be ideal to celebrate at the Castella Room. So whether it's a steak dinner with a dessert of marshmallows, fruit and a chocolate fountain, gumbo and King Cake, or huge hot syrupy pancakes, call and reserve the Castella Room for your special day.

Phone: (678) 455-6275
Fax: (678)648-3169
Address: 65354 Shiloh Rd, Suite 700
Alpharetta, GA 30005
E-mail: info@adairepc.com

Stoplights and Curly Fries

You ever have one of those Mondays that just, well, for want of a better word... bites? Waking up late for work, got a ton to get done, traffic is a nightmare, "can't do a thing with my hair", blah, blah, blah... Stress is building and not a friend to the human condition. Sometimes you just have to find little bits of happiness where you can. That's where Stoplights and Curly Fries come into play.

A 20 mile drive down Highway 400 ahead of me, an empty gas tank, gas is 30 cents more per gallon at the only station nearby, and it's nearing five p.m. Just lovely. "Splash" $11 dollars into the tank just to get the delivery done and get back to the "cheap" gas station. Remember those carefree bygone days of yesteryear when gas was actually under $2 per gallon? Ahhh... the memories...

Anywho, I get back on the road and pull up to the stoplight at the on-ramp to 400 anticipating the "lovely", "leisurely" drive ahead of me. Stomach is tight. Tension headache coming on...

Have you ever heard that dogs relieve tension? Even just watching a dog sleep can relieve tension. No! Seriously! I've actually heard that. "They" say it's a scientific fact. Who are "they" anyway? Though whoever "they" are, "they" are correct. So where am I going with this ramble about sleeping dogs? How could this possibly have anything to do with Stoplights and Curly Fries?

Stomach is tight. Tension headache is coming on. I look to my left as I sit at the stoplight. There's a woman in a gray Jeep Cherokee sitting next to me. I can't hear what she's listening to. There's no one else in the car but her. She has a box of curly fries in her hand and the most pleasant and contented smile on her face. For a few moments before getting on with my ride through hell, I take a deep breath, stomach feels better, headache eases for just a bit... and smile. Still wondering about my "sleeping dog ramble"? You have to get a little peace of mind where you can in this crazy world. Most people would have just seen a woman eating curly fries, but to a chef food is happiness and to whoever that was, you're curly fries brought TWO people a little happiness on this crazy planet hurtling through space. And I didn't even have to eat one! Bon Appetit!

New Section: A Chef's Journey: From Birth to Now

In A Chef's Journey, I will relate memories of food and fun from my earliest days (and some stories told to me). I'll be skipping around as memories come to me, so don't hold it against me if one day I write about my childhood and the next what I had for dinner last night! I hope you enjoy and check back often!

Happy New Year! Glückliches Neues Jahr! Bonne Année! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Everyone needs something fun, interesting, and exciting to look forward to in 2010. How about getting a “look forward to” 12 times a year? Form a group of your neighbors, a Sunday School class, your work colleagues, etc., and come to our Castella Room once a month, and let us serve you a “mini-vacation” of the foods of a different country each time. Everyone loves Italian food, with their pasta, gelato, and wine. But how about Germany, which Lynda and I visited? A smooth trout soup makes a delicious first course, followed by sauerbraten, kartoffelklösse (big round potato dumplings), lingonberries, which are something like cranberries, but smaller, and fabulous pastries. The meal was ended with an assortment of delicious cheeses and fruits. One interesting thing we noticed, as we walked the streets of German towns, is that the people take their dogs for walks in the afternoon – about 3 P.M. – and have a pastry and coffee, sitting at outdoor tables with umbrellas. Their were also crepe carts on the streets . I especially liked the apple crepes. Maybe that was because we were there during Octoberfest, and many different kinds of apples were ripe. On Saturday, the open-air market lined both sides of the street. German bands played, cheeses, bratwurst on buns with sauerkraut and mustard were just a few of the many tempting foods offered.

We also went to Belgium and loved their frites (french fries served in paper cones with mayonnaise (try it—you might like it). High school students got an hour lunch break, so many of them walked along eating frites. You can also get frites Americain—that means served with ketchup. Moules (mussels) are also a specialty of Belgium. Cooked with white wine, parsley, and other herbs, they are delicious with frites. Chocolate is another Belgian specialty—Leonidas and Neuhaus-- were two that we sampled. We can order Leonidas here in the U.S. Our sister-in-law likes to get some for her birthday every year. Their little boy calls it “Mama Chocolate.”Belgium also has open-air markets on Saturday. They offer fresh produce, cheeses, rotisserie chicken and potatoes, and tarts of many flavors—cherry is especially good. Flowers are everywhere and are sold for amazingly low prices. Fresh flowers on all tables is just taken for granted.

Lynda and I also went to Paris. A French meal is “magnifique!” At Christmas, there are little white lights everywhere and on everything. How about some boeuf Bourguignon, followed by wild rice l'orange and many more typically French dishes. Do you know that a traditional Christmas Eve dinner has 12 desserts? Buche de Noel (Yule Log), Croquembouche ( a tower of cream puff balls, strewn with spun sugar), and crème brulée are just 3 that are usually offered.

How about an English tea party with an assortment of fantastic teas, scones, and cucumber and watercress finger sandwiches? Spain could be represented by a Tapas party. Ireland, Sweden, China, Thailand, Cuba, Mexico, South American countries, and even some of our U.S. offerings—like Alaska, with fresh salmon and halibut or an Hawaiian luau or a New Orleans gumbo fest—and don't forget muffalettas and beignets!

Maybe you'll like some of the foods you have so much that you would like to learn how to make them. Sign up for cooking classes at the Castella Room to learn how to become a gourmet chef—at least for some fabulous recipes.

So get excited, it's a brand new year. Have something to look forward to each month, and join us at Adaire Chef Services and The Castella Room, 6535 Shiloh Road, Suite 700, Alpharetta, Georgia 30005.

Phone: 678-445-6275 for dinners that are memorable outings.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas is almost here!

Time to make all the candy, cakes, and cookies that make us smile and remember other Christmases that had the same assortment of tempting morsels year after year.

Even though maybe our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents aren't with us anymore, we are still held together as a family through food—recipes—many of them hand-written—that are passed down from generation to generation.

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Hyland had a restaurant (the American Restaurant) on Market Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Great Grandpa Hyland's fudge recipe is framed and hangs on the wall at my home. It is in Grandpa's handwriting and keeps him with us. His fudge is the best! It stays soft and literally melts in your mouth. He also included walnuts or black walnuts. Mom always got a box of fudge from Grandpa, and of course, it was enough to share with everybody.

Great Grandma Fankhauser's “Day after Thanksgiving Tradition” was to make three delicious fruitcakes, to be brought out for Christmas dinner and have plenty to last till New Year. Mom tried to make a dark fruitcake like Grandma's because that recipe wasn't written down. The closest she could come was a recipe from “Sphere” magazine, one of the first and best gourmet magazines ever. It was dark like Grandma's, not terribly sweet, and included tart apricot halves that she chopped. The tart apricots are getting harder to find. The “new” apricots are whole, gooey, and virtually tasteless, at least for a fruitcake. She found a good source for the “old” kind of apricots, so the fruitcake tradition can continue.

We always drove to Vienna, West Virginia, every Christmas because that's where both sets of my grandparents lived, Hylands and Phillips. It was seventeen and a half hours one-way of driving, sometimes through ice and snow. Granny's Hot Spiced Tea, made with tea, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and tinted pink warmed us on many cozy holiday afternoons. It was loving and soothing. Grandma Phillips always had a bowl of nuts, fruit, especially tangerines, peppermint candy canes, and a box of chocolate-covered cherries on the coffee table for us to nibble on.

When we got back home on the day after New Year, Lynda, who graciously took care of our big blue Doberman Wolf while we were gone, always had one of her mom and dad's (Cecile and Wallace Doss's) scrumptious stollen wreaths waiting for us. We all looked forward to getting to have some right after we got home and again for breakfast the next day.

Suzanne, my sister, said she always liked Mom's Holly Cake. Just make a white cake, cupcakes, or a red velvet cake iced in shiny white. Cut the tops off candy spearmint leaves—it looks like holly. Arrange three leaves with three red drops (to look like holly berries) around the cake or on top of each cupcake. Festive—and easy.

Adaire Chef Services has an old tradition made new in its Fudgie Scotch Ring. It's chocolate and butterscotch on a walnut base. It's YUMMY! Order a Fudgie Scotch Ring at 678-445-6275 and begin a new tradition at your house.

Need a gift that costs nothing? Write down some favorite recipes and make copies of some hand-written ones to give to friends and family. Include a personal story that goes with a couple of the recipes. That's giving from your heart.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Adaire Chef Services