Does Your Kitchen Make the Grade?

If restaurant inspectors came to check out your kitchen would you get a passing grade?  Now you can take a test to find out how clean your kitchen is, based on the inspections conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. For the past ten years Los Angeles County has used a letter-based [...]

AG Pick Under $20: 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec

As the weather gets cooler, stay warm by opening up a bottle of the 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec.  This big and earthy red from Mendoza, Argentina is a great treat for a fall evening. The Antigal Uno Malbec is easy to spot in any wine shop — just look for the big “1″ on the [...]

Atlanta Cake Designers Win Food Network Challenge

Acclaimed cake designers from Atlanta’s own Highland Bakery took top prize Sunday night on the Food Network Challenge, a cooking competition where chefs compete for a cash prize and bragging rights based on a theme that changes each show. Sunday’s challenge was to create a perfect character rendition of Beauty and the Beast, in preparation [...]

Snapshots from the Great Chili Cook-Off

Saturday’s 31st annual Great Miller Light Chili Cook-Off at Stone Mountain was a celebration of all things spicy and savory as hundreds of teams cooked up their best chili, Brunswick stew or cornbread. Amateur chefs served up samples of their recipes along a tasting trail that wandered through the trees.  From sweet to spicy, beef [...]

Beer, Burgers and Beyond: A Guide to Atlanta's Upcoming Festivals

Now that the weather has finally started to cool off, it’s time to get outside and enjoy all that Atlanta has to offer!  You won’t have to look too hard to find something to do this fall, with fun events taking place almost every weekend through the beginning of November. Here is a guide to [...]

Yolk Art: Magic Egg Shaper

Why have a basic hard boiled egg when you can have one that’s shaped like a heart, square, star or flower? With the Bento Buzz Magic Egg Shaper you can turn an ordinary egg into an extraordinary (or eggs-traordinary) dish.  Hard boiling eggs has never been so fun! Though the Magic Egg Shaper is advertised [...]

AG Pick: 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah

Since returning from the south of France I’ve been craving the region’s main red varietals: Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah.  Fortunately it’s possible to find these Côtes du Rhône grapes a little closer to home, on California’s Central Coast. A wine that helped ease the transition back to the American way of life was the 2006 [...]

Wild Heaven: Georgia's Newest Craft Brewery

Dozens of beer enthusiasts packed into the upstairs bar at the Brick Store Pub in Decatur Tuesday night for the first taste of Georgia’s newest brewery: Wild Heaven Craft Beers. The Decatur-based brewery was created by Nick Purdy, founding publisher of Paste magazine, and brewmaster Eric Johnson of Athens’ Trappeze Pub.  The two lifelong Georgians [...]

Ice Cream with a View

The Amateur Gastronomer spent the month of August in Provence, France.  This is one of a series of articles on the region. I’m going to let you in on a secret: the best ice cream in western, or perhaps all of Provence.  But you have to promise not to tell anyone so it won’t get [...]

Lentils with Turmeric and Vegetables

This hearty lentil stew gets its flavor and color from turmeric, a bright yellow spice that resembles a mix of ginger and pepper in taste.  Additionally turmeric is thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, so it’s a great addition to any diet.  Combining the spice with lentils and vegetables makes this a nutrient-packed meal [...]