Weekend Recap//Birthday Celebration

My Birthday was on Tuesday of last week so I decided it would be more enjoyable to wait until the weekend to celebrate.  Whit and I and 18 of our friends all got together for sushi at Zen Asian Fusion on Friday night. The outside of the restaurant may not seem like enough to lure you in, but if you are lucky enough to do so, you will be pleasantly surprised.  The dim lighting and ornate décor of the restaurant creates a calming mood (or maybe that's the wine) either way, this place is cute.

The sushi selection is huge with a menu full of unique combinations. Not only does it taste amazing, the presentation is spot on. The menu truly does cover a variety of Asian dishes. I've heard great things about some of the other items; however I always find myself ordering the sushi.

Here are few photos from the evening. Btw, I got a camera for my birthday, which I'm loving. I'm still trying to figure out how to work it, so bear with me. Hopefully the quality of my photos on here will progressively get better.

Ladies Group Photo

With a group this large, we saw quite the assortment of sushi. I had to get a picture of the beautiful rolls as they came out before anyone got a chance to dig in.

Holy Moly Roll

SC Rainbow Roll

Bagel Roll

Treasure Island



Sushi & Sashimi Combo

 

West Ashley Roll

The appetizers were just as pretty. Whit and I had the tuna dumplings which were amazing and full of flavor. These will be a must have for future visits.

Tuna Dumplings

 

Tuna Tini

So as you can see, we had a little bit of everything at the table. If you are ever in the West Ashley area of Charleston, definitely check this place out.

Thanks to all of my wonderful friends for coming out to celebrate with me!

 

 The rest of our weekend included going to an oyster roast on Saturday, this was our second one of the year. Oyster season is one of the more positive things about winter.  We were able to break out our monogrammed oyster knives that Whit's parents gave us at one of my bridal shower's last year.

 

Sunday was spent browsing home décor and antiques at  the Mt. Pleasant Mall.  If only my home (and my wallet) were large enough for this piece.

 

 



 I thought this would make a beautifully styled bar.



 

 I went home empty handed, but I have a feeling I will be back very soon.

 

Overall a nice and enjoyable weekend!

Cooking Demo with Chef Hugh Acheson

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a cooking demo at the Le Creuset L' Atelier with guest Chef Hugh Acheson. If you aren't familiar with Chef Acheson, let me catch you up real quick.

Hugh Acheson is the chef/partner of  Five & Ten, and The National in Athens, GA,  Empire State South in Atlanta, GA and The Florence in Savannah,GA. His first cookbook, A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen won the award for Best Cookbook in the field of “American Cooking” by the James Beard Foundation in 2012.

Some of his other recognition's include Best New Chef in 2002 by Food & Wine Magazine, and the award for Best Chef Southeast in 2012 by the James Beard Foundation. He has been in several publications including: Bon Appetit, the New York Times, Garden & Gun, Fine Living, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Southern Living, Saveur.  Hugh also competed in Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Season 3 and starred as a judge on Top Chef, Seasons 9, 10, and 11.

Needless to say he has quite an impressive list of accomplishments, not to mention being a husband and father of two.

On the tasting menu last night, we started with a pickled shrimp and farro salad.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I've ever eaten farro. But after tasting this, I can't wait to go home and make this dish myself.  The flavors of the fresh herb marinated shrimp mixed with the slight nutty flavor and delicate chew of the farro made for a perfect combination.

Chef Hugh was very animated and did a wonderful job of entertaining the crowd while manning the kitchen. Below are a few action shots....

Assembling the farro salad

Coating the chicken with hot sauce

We finished off our tasting menu with Nashville style crispy hot fried chicken accompanied by sorghum bread and butter pickles.  I must say that this was the best fried chicken that I've ever had. It was nice and crispy but not too greasy. The chicken was breaded, fried, topped with a homemade hot sauce and finished off in the oven.  The skin really soaked up all the flavors of the seasoning,

Chef Hugh concentrates on fresh meals full of flavor, expressing the importance of supporting the community by eating and buying local. We all had the privilege of taking home a signed copy of his beautiful cook book.

I can't wait to take a shot at some of these recipes myself. I think I feel a dinner party coming on!

Gift Giving Series//Mind Your Manners

The holidays are right around the corner and with that comes gift giving. I'm guilty of scrambling around at the last minute to find that perfect gift that's enjoyable yet different. I later find myself coming across great ideas after it's too late. So, I thought it would be fun (and helpful) to do a "Gift Giving Series here on the blog." Each week I will be sharing a gift giving guide tailored to specific occasions from now through the holidays. Hopefully the suggestions will inspire others to get a head  start...including myself.

The house has been cleaned from top to bottom, places have been set at the table, and  savory scents are lingering in the kitchen...the stage has been set for the perfect dinner party and you're invited! How will you thank the hostess, or maybe a family member who has prepared a wonderful Thanksgiving meal?!?!

Below are some gift giving ideas for the hostess with the mostess.

ONE

TWO

   

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

EIGHT

SEVEN

1. Kate Spade: Two of a Kind 2 Piece Bar Set
This is a great gift for the couple in the kitchen.

2. Crate & Barrel: Set of 4 Blanco Sandstone Coasters
Everyone can use a set of coasters, and these are the perfect neutral color.

3. Pure Home: Words Cheese Knives Set
Who wouldn't love a set of cheese knives, the French wording is just a bonus!

4. Belk: Mud Pie Santa Claus Crab Tea Towel
A cute mix of coastal and holiday on a tea towel.

5.  Crate & Barrel: Butcher Salt
Gourmet salts make cooking so much more fun.

6. Anthropologie: Boulangerie Jar Oatmeal Cookie
Just because you don't have time to bake cookies, doesn't mean your house can't smell like them.

7.  King Bean Coffee: Sullivan's Blend
Coffee....enough said.

8. Emily McCarthy: "Cheers" Holiday Cocktail Napkins
Cocktail napkins never get old, especially if they are festive.

Monday Must Haves: All Wrapped Up

Scarves...the fun and functional accessory!  I just love scarves and I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many. I own several that are warm and also many that are lightweight, adding just the perfect touch to an outfit.

This season I have been on the hunt for the perfect plaid scarf.  There are so many ways to wear them. I am really liking the blanket scarf look. They act as a great statement addition to a winter coat and can double as a wrap around your shoulders for a night out.

I just can't seem to choose, they are all so pretty.  Below are my top plaid choices on my favorites list.



Sole Society Plaid Scarf Red



Sole Society Wool Plaid Scarf

ASOS Scarf in Grey Plaid Check

J. Crew Plaid Wool Scarf

Madewell Nightglen Plaid Scarf

Shopbop Franco Ferrari

Etsy Blanket Scarf Tartan Plaid

Express Plaid Blanket Scarf

The great thing about these scarves are the unexpected pops of color. You can pair them with any solids from black, brown, and white, to cream, green, and navy, the list goes on. It's so tough to choose just one. Decisions, decisions!

Holiday Party

It's November and that means 'tis the season for holiday parties, gatherings around food, festive drinks, and even better, in-store sales and events!  Thursday night my girlfriend and I went to a Holiday in-store event at a high end shop in town called Jeffrey Bannon, (featured in Charleston Style & Design Magazine this past summer.)  I stumbled upon this store last year when planning my wedding. Here you can find unique home accessories, fine tableware, stationary, and beautiful gifts. It's pretty much a one stop shop for brides. Last year I registered for some beautiful Vera Wang china  (the selection is plentiful) and I also had my engagement party and wedding invitations designed there as well.

The two middle invitations are from Jeffrey Bannon. Photo credit Amy Daring Photography

Everything in the store was 20% off for one day only.  The moment I walked in I fell in love with the holiday scents that were lingering in the festive filled room. There were so many pretty things to feast your eyes on.  Beautifully decorated Christmas trees were located throughout the store just begging to be recreated in my home.

I was drooling over these gorgeous neutral colored linen chairs. I love the high back style and the studded detail trim.

Then there are shelves on shelves of formal china and everyday dinnerware

And how pretty is this delicate oyster chandelier?!?

There was a reoccurring holiday deer theme throughout the store.

 There were so many great things in the store, I couldn't go home empty handed. I had to purchase one of the candles that I smelled burning in the store....it's the smell of holidays in the home in the form of a beautifully packaged candle.

Holiday Classic Toile Pagoda Box Candle

How beautiful is this window display...the photo just doesn't do it justice. We had a great time sipping on chocolate martinis, having hors d'oeuvres and doing some shopping! The owner Jeffrey is so welcoming and very helpful.  If you live in the area or are driving through, I highly recommend that you stop in and check it out.

Our last stop of the night was Pearlz Oyster Bar in West Ashley to get a quick bite to eat and a glass of wine. We had the mussels and the house potato chips....yum!

Fair Share

I consider myself a kid a heart...well most of the time anyway.  So when we made plans with some friends to go to the Coastal Carolina Fair I was pretty excited. I haven't been to one in quite some time and I've actually never been to this one in particular.  It has been around since 1957 and takes place in Ladson, SC.

Now I have to say, I am not a big fan of the rides. I'm not crazy about heights or getting that "lose your stomach" feeling. I do enjoy the food, people watching and the money sucking games that draw you in all for an over sized stuffed animal. On Monday night we were off to check out the scene!

First on the agenda was something fried....and at the fair, the choices are endless.  There was fried cheese, fried pickles, fried kool-aid, fried okra, fried avocado, fried green beans, fried well you get the point.  We went straight for the fried pickles.

And then we sampled the fried Mozzarella Fingers

Oh I almost forgot, there were deep fried gummy bears too! We passed on those....

We did give the fried oreos a try, and I have to say they were pretty good.

Coat similar (here and here) It was freezing!

We basically ate a lot of greasy food, played a few games, the boys rode some rides and we caught the end of the fireworks show..not a bad way to spend a Monday night. 

Until next year....

Pizza Problems// Weekend Recap

Ask anyone that knows me well what my favorite food is and their answers will all be the same....PIZZA!  If I had to choose one food to eat the rest of my life, this would be it.  Luckily for me, my husband shares the same deep love for those cheesy triangles.

In high school I would order a slice of pepperoni pizza every day...now unfortunately just one slice doesn't do it for me. In college we adopted the phrase "pizza Sunday's" and we have kept up the tradition. I try not to eat it as often as I did once before because let's face it, my metabolism isn't like it used to be. But this past Sunday when Whit asked if I wanted to get pizza for dinner, the answer was yes!  We typically just order take out pizza to keep it simple, but this time we decided to make a date night out of it.

Whit and I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston, Indaco. If you haven't been, you must! New restaurants in Charleston seem to pop up every other week and as much as I love trying new places, I can't stop going back to this one. Indaco is located on Upper King Street and has valet parking (which is huge plus in Charleston). Inside is quite charming with their exposed ceilings, white brick walls and perfectly styled book shelves. Their food is considered rustic Italian and is nothing less than amazing. From the house-cured meats to the pizza and pasta, Chef Michael Perez doesn't disappoint.

On to the good stuff.... I ordered the brussels sprout pizza which consists of Honey Crisp apple slices, fontina cheese and Pecorino Romano.  This seasonal pizza may sound strange at first but the flavors go ridiculously well together.

The sweetness of the apples paired with the salty brussels sprouts and savory cheese topping the thin crust finished with a wood fire flavor...you can't go wrong.
Whit ordered the prosciutto pizza which consisted of ricotta, salsa verde, arugula and Pecorino Romano.

The warm, creamy ricotta topped with the salty prosciutto and crisp arugula made for a savory slice.
And what meal is complete without wine.....We sipped on this merlot blend recommended by our waitress.

Gran Passione Rosso

Everything was delicious and we satisfied our pizza craving for the week.

And as for the first the first half of my weekend, well it was spent cooking dinner with another couple and giving out candy on Friday, catching up with two of my good girlfriends over Mexican Food at this restaurant, and PB&J Beer at Edmund's Oast.....yes you read that right, and it tasted just like the sandwich!