Here’s a few more images from the rest of the week. What a blast! Thank you everyone for being so supportive.
Had a fun and productive day today in New York promoting the new cookbook. Had stops at the Today Show, Sirius/XM, and the Joy Behar show on HLN.
This past summer we took a break while on the “100 Miles From Memphis” tour to do a photo shoot for the cookbook out in CA. It was an amazing experience. This was the first time we were able to see Victoria’s creative process and how she makes such beautiful images.
Check out the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLt8i7iZzyQ
Behind the Scenes- Victoria Pearson Photo Shoot
We recently made a trip out to LA with one of my clients. It was a great visit, and as always the produce and market selections were wonderful. We left the day after Christmas and returned home to Franklin New Year’s Day. We had an afternoon free and decided to head down to the beach. We found a great little spot on the pier, picked our crab, and in about 25 minutes had it presented in front of us ready to eat.
On New Years Eve for lunch, we headed down to Koreatown and had BBQ…what a spread…simply awesome. Squid, Pork Belly and Kimchee!
Last week I decided to prepare a brine for an organic turkey breast that was on sale…the brine creates a lot of flavor and also helps it become more tender and juicy. I used Water, Bay Leaf, Thyme, Chopped Garlic, Kosher Salt, Cider Vinegar, Peppercorns, and Brown Sugar.
After preparing the brine, section the turkey creating two large breasts and leave in the brine for a minimum of 12 hours. Sear the breasts on the grill to get some nice color and finish in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes. Then, allow to cool and slice for some good sandwiches. 
I would say that 2009 was a good year. Lets see…sold the house, moved to a fantastic neighborhood in Historic Franklin, met amazing friends, traveled with a new gig, celebrated our anniversary, rocked a KING costume and I am now working on my first cookbook to be released in 2011. Here is a quick preview…to be cont.
Summer Tour ’09- Power Shopping
This is just a glimpse of my shopping trips on the road. This is pretty much how I start and end every day. Although it doesn’t appear this way, I have a very systematic way of shopping…from my list, to the products I search for first, and my system of checking out. This sumer I was in Nashville, New Jersey, Dallas, and California. It was a great opportunity and couldn’t have spent my time with a better group of people.
Noble Springs Dairy Tour
Corrie and I had the opportunity to tour Noble Springs Dairy and were so impressed by the hospitality that we received from Dustin and Justyne, the owners of the dairy. They took the time to show us the entire farm and the process they use for producing wonderful cheeses. The tour ended in a chat on the front porch, tasting the cheese and sampling wine from the Winery at Belle Meade Plantation. It was great!
I had an opportunity lately to do a dinner party for a friend from high school that I haven’t seen in years. One of the members of her party was from Guatemala, so we decided to do a Latin American inspired menu. The coolest part is that I got to make papusas for the first time. They turned out AMAZING. My new best friend is Maseca(see pic below). Papusas are usually stuffed with ground beef, cheese, and beans. We did a play on this dish by using smoked pork instead. It was paired with a Guava BBQ sauce and Curtido, which is an slaw from El Salvador. The combination turned out great….think: Pork, Cornmeal, BBQ sauce, and slaw….this also a Southern American staple. We had a great night and enjoyed some very tasty wine too. Sorry there’s not many pics, but here’s a copy of the menu as well….
