Arabian Night at the Sicilian

It was back to my roots for Three Friends and a Fork this week. We traveled to nearby Marshall County and the town of Arab, (rhymes with Ahab). There is a story there, which I will share in a bit. But first, a little background. My family moved to Arab in 1964, in the middle of one of the biggest snowstorms to ever hit the area. My dad worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, and my parents liked the idea of raising a family in a smaller town, so we moved, along with a lot of other folks who also worked at Redstone. My daddy tells me that there were so many Redstone Arsenal families moving to Arab at the time that the local Arabians called us by the derogatory term, "Arsenics". Funny, I never knew that then. If people don't like you and you don't know it, it must not matter too much! I guess they were concerned with how their little community might be changing with all the outsiders coming in so suddenly. But come we did and we soon learned to love the little bedroom community about 30 minutes south of Huntsville. 

I don't know if anyone knows with absolute certainty all of the exact details of how the name Arab, with the funny pronunciation, came about, but the most commonly told story, and the one that was printed in the front of all our phone books, was that the town's first postmaster, Stephen Tuttle Thompson, was the person who chose the name. He submitted three unusual names for the new town, Ink, Bird and the name of his son, Arad. Of the three, Arad was chosen,  but somehow, in the paperwork, the d got switched to a b, so Arab was born. I'm thinking Tuttle Thompson would have fit right in out in Hollywood, with his penchant for odd names.

Arab is a little town with a big personality. Even now there are only about 7,000 residents, but that smallness never shaped the opinions of the community when I was growing up. For some reason, as a group, Arabians have traditionally always had lots of optimism and confidence. Maybe it was the fact that we were perched high atop beautiful Brindlee (or Brindley) Mountain. Maybe it was the attitude of the Arabians who came before us and it just rubbed off. Maybe it was because, economically, Arab wasn't a community of great extremes, so we didn't get the feeling that anybody was better off than any of the rest of us. It might have been because Arab was a safe place to grow up and, since we didn't have to worry about our safety, we could concentrate on becoming rather than surviving. Or, perhaps, that unusual name, Arab, made us feel special. I don't know what it was, but I know I wasn't the only one of my friends who felt that kind of confidence and optimism, and from the conversations I have had with many of them in recent years, it is something we have been able to maintain. 

I have also learned, since I left Arab, that the high opinions we held of ourselves were not necessarily held by others. Let's just say, I was surprised to find that other people, in other nearby communities, were not as impressed with us as we were! Nevertheless, the confidence and generally sunny outlook I learned growing up in Arab has served me well and I think many of my classmates would say the same. As Taylor Swift would say, "Haters gonna hate!"

Arab is still finding ways to overachieve. From the school system which consistently receives high marks and the high school band which is one of the most celebrated in the southeast to the stellar productions of the high school musical theater, Arab is the little engine that could.

Speaking of the musical theater, that was the reason for this latest visit. Luanne had an appointment in Arab on the same night that the musical theater was kicking off a performance of Bye Bye, Birdie at the high school, so she asked Lavinia and me if we wanted to meet her for an evening of dinner and theater. Of course we said, "Yes!"

                          

We decided to eat at a place called, The Sicilian. Luanne had learned that the owner was from Greece and a friend of hers had said the food was authentic and delicious.  When we pulled up to the outside of the building, I will admit to being a little skeptical. The outside is not much to look at. I remembered the building as being a dry cleaners when I was growing up. We went on in, hoping that Luanne's friend was giving us good advice. We were glad we did not let the outside appearance deter us from venturing on in.

Once inside, we were warmly greeted and quickly seated, menus were delivered and our drink orders were taken. We decided to order an appetizer of flaming saganaki or, in lay terms, cheese on fire! We were as interested in the presentation as we were in actually eating the appetizer. The saganaki came with a basket of homemade bread that was delicious. Our server bravely lit the pan of cheese and the entire staff yelled, "Opa!"

After selecting our appetizer, we all ordered Greek salads which were fresh and wonderful. We loved the vinaigrette dressing. Next, we were on to the main course and we went in three different directions. Lavinia chose a chicken dish, Luanne went with lamb and beef and I, unsurprisingly, took the seafood route. (I could not help but wonder what Parker would have chosen if she had been with us!)

Lavinia ordered chicken marsala, a dish of thinly sliced chicken cutlets, grilled, covered in a buttery marsala wine sauce and served over linguini. It was delicious!  

                                   

Luanne went with a gyro platter of thinly shaved beef and lamb topped with onions and tomatoes and served with tzatziki. It reminded me of a Middle Eastern version of fajitas. Luanne loved it. It came with pita wedges and, curiously, French fries. Luanne's condiment phobia prompted her to ask for the tzatziki to be served on the side. I was glad she did, because she shared it with Lavinia and me. We all liked the tzatziki, by the way.

I opted for a Greek style pasta called Pasta ala Greco, which was penne pasta tossed in a red tomato sauce with black olives and feta cheese. I ordered my pasta topped with grilled shrimp. It was very good and very filling. In fact, all three of us had lots of leftovers. The portions were generous. 

As stuffed as we were, we each took one for the team and ordered desserts, which are all made in house. Lavinia picked the creamy cheesecake, Lu couldn't resist baklava and I got a Greek custard encased in phyllo called galaktoboureko. Every single one of our desserts were delicious. Lavinia's cheesecake was rich and thick. Luanne's baklava was sweet and sticky. My galaktoboureko was warm and cinnamony.

Galaktoboureko

                   

Baklava

Cheesecake

Overall, our favorites were our wonderful Greek salads, the warm breadsticks, Lavinia's chicken marsala and my Galaktoboureko. But, really, it was all delicious. After we left the Sicilian we scurried over to the high school to watch a very professional presentation of Bye Bye Birdie by some super talented high school students. We were not disappointed in the night's entertainment either. When I tell you that the performance was professional, it is no understatement. Arab's Musical Theater is one of the best programs in the state. Who knew...tiny Arab with authentic Mediterranean cuisine and Tony worthy musical theater? But then, Arabians are overachievers!

Three Friends and a Fork are proud to give The Sicilian and Arab's Musical Theater 3 creative Yums UP! Opa!

Thyme for Taters

Just the other night, I got a message from my sweet niece, Haley. It came with a picture and a plea. She was sending me a picture of some oven fries that were flavored with thyme and asking if I would make her some. So, being the precious aunt I am, I got out my knife and started slicing potatoes. I have made potatoes like this many times, but thyme was a new twist. This was about six medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into thick wedges. I got eight wedges per potato.

I soaked the potatoes in salted water to remove some of the starch.

The recipe Haley sent me used dried thyme, but I braved the cold, snowy weather to find the thyme I had planted in my garden last summer. It was still growing...still green.

I brought the thyme in, stripped the leaves off the stems and chopped the leaves very finely.

Next, I removed the potato wedges from the water and dried them thoroughly.

Now the potatoes were ready to season. Haley's recipe used canola oil, but I drizzled the thick wedges with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt, freshly ground black pepper and my fresh thyme.  The potatoes were spread on my large, stone baking sheet and put in an oven preheated to 425 degrees. You have to babysit these tater wedges a bit. Check on them as they cook, stir them around and flip them so that they brown evenly and the ones on the edges don't burn. It takes about 30 minutes.

Here's the finished product. These potato wedges were delicious.

The only problem? Haley wasn't around to enjoy the recipe she inspired. She isn't thinking I am such a precious aunt right now! Sorry, Haley! I promise to make them again when you can share them with me!

Set Sail for the Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar in Chattanooga

                                            

                            

On a recent trip to Chattanooga, our family had something of a dilemma. We couldn't decide where to eat lunch. So I took to facebook and asked friends for suggestions. My friends did not disappoint. We got lots of great suggestions and after eliminating the ones that didn't serve lunch, we let the boys decide. They finally chose a seafood restaurant called the Boathouse. We set sail in two cars, since we all couldn't fit in one. 

The Boathouse sits right on the banks of the Tennessee River, so even though the restaurant is located on a busy highway, the views out of the back of the restaurant are scenic. We were warmly greeted by the staff and quickly seated. 

The boys wanted to start with a couple of appetizers, so we ordered freshly made guacamole and ceviche.  I had a hard time getting pictures of the appetizers, because the boys were much too fast. They really liked the guacamole. They had never had ceviche before. I think Rob liked it better than JD did. I thought both were good, but the guacamole was my favorite as well. 

When the server told us the trout amandine was her favorite dish, mom and Scott quickly decided to order that and they both chose a light slaw with a sesame oil vinaigrette and a baked sweet potato to accompany their fish. It was all a huge hit. In fact, Scott said it was the best trout amandine he had had in a very long time. I might have been insulted because I am sure I have made it not all that long ago. Whatever! The trout was locally caught, which might have accounted for the difference.

Daddy picked the fried catfish with olive fries. I had to ask what olive fries were. Our server explained they were just french fries fried in olive oil. They were really good and Daddy liked his catfish, too.

                                   

Rob settled on a rotisserie brisket with au jus and horseradish sauce. The brisket came with slaw and olive fries. Rob said it was all very good and he ate every bite.

JD was very happy with the wood grilled salmon he chose. The salmon came with two sauces for dipping. One was a ginger sauce and the other was a hot chili pepper sauce. His sides were the slaw and olive fries. He said the sauces were so good, he was looking for things to dip into them after all his salmon was gone.

                               

I ended up with an overstuffed oyster poboy, also with olive fries and slaw. My sandwich was wonderful and I thought the fries were delicious.

                           

View of the Tennessee River from the Boathouse porch.

If your party doesn't include more than four people, ask to be seated outside...even in winter! Seriously, the side porch is enclosed and there are huge heaters that keep the place toasty. We had too many people or we would have moved to the porch. You can sit and watch the boats go by and enjoy the views of the river.

Notice the empty bowl of guacamole. Those two ate nearly the entire bowl by themselves.

Love this bunch!

The inside is huge...lots of tables! We were seated in a corner table near the porch. You didn't feel like you were right up against other diners. It was private and spacious. 

They were actually burning real wood for grilling in the kitchen! We loved the old postcards which were enlarged and used to decorate the walls. You can't see it here, but ice for bar drinks dropped down from an ice maker in the ceiling into a bucket at the bar. It was really cool. We were so mesmerized by the falling ice that JD took a video, but I couldn't get it to upload.

For the wine lovers in your group, there is a Sips Bar for sampling the wines! Boathouse is fun and delicious. We are happy to recommend it to our friends.

Three Friends and a Fork sends our thanks to our friend, Will, for the heads up about the Boathouse and we give Boathouse 3 splashy Yums UP!

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Yum

I'm pretty sure every family has a favorite meatloaf recipe. This one is ours. It has been in the family for years and it is the one we like best. While not fancy, it is reliable and always delicious. You can add other ingredients, such as diced green pepper, jalapeño peppers or even pine nuts, if you like. It can totally be adjusted to suit the tastes of your family. We like to serve the sweet glaze on the side so that people can add as much or as little as they like, but you can certainly spread the glaze over the top of the entire meatloaf and serve it that way.

Here's what you need:

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 slices white bread

1/2 c. milk

1 egg

1 t. salt

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

2 T. worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. catsup

Start by soaking the two pieces of bread in the milk. Then add the bread to the other ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until bread and egg are thoroughly incorporated, but do not over mix.

Place in baking dish or loaf pan which has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake for one hour in 350 degree oven. Serve with glaze.

Glaze:

1 c. catsup

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. ground mustard

Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat while stirring until heated through.

Leftover meatloaf makes great sandwiches. Give our old fashioned meatloaf a try and let us know what you think.

Printable Recipe 

Pickled Grapes? Thanks Ollie Irene!

Yum

One of my sister's friends, Angie, asked me a while back if Three Friends and a Fork had been to Ollie Irene in Mountain Brook. We had not and Angie urged us to check it out when we got a chance. Well, we had a chance this past weekend. Scott had a dental meeting in Birmingham, so I planned to meet him for dinner. When he asked where I wanted to go, I quickly said, Ollie Irene! Hey, Angie...we loved it!

First, do not depend on google to get you to Ollie Irene. Google cannot do it. So, listen to me when I tell you, take Cahaba Road to the Mountain Brook Shopping Center, which is just before Cahaba Road takes you to the entrance to the Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Mountain Brook Shopping Center is where you will also find the fabulous Western Supermarket and the equally fabulous Smith's Variety store. Ever since I moved from Birmingham, one of the things I missed most was buying my groceries at Western. It is an old timey grocery store with a wonderful meat market. I haven't been in years, but I assume they are still just as wonderful. Smith's Variety is like an old fashioned five and dime and you will find everything there. It is a treasure hunt every time you darken the doors of Smith's. When my boys were small, they always had a blast when we took them shopping at the old variety store. Anyway, tucked right in between the Rite Aid Pharmacy and Smith's is Ollie Irene's. It is a tiny little snippet of a restaurant, relaxed and natural with framed botanicals and objects found in nature, and seating for no more than eighty including the bar seats (I'm guessing here). The name Ollie Irene was the name of owner/chef Chris Newsome's grandmother. Chef Newsome has an impressive resume having worked with both Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings. His talent was obvious. We had a wonderful meal at Ollie Irene's. Hint: Get there early or make reservations. The place filled up pretty quickly around 6:00 pm. After that folks were waiting.

We started with an appetizer of Stone Hollow goat cheese topped with a red pepper relish and accompanied by homemade crackers, pickled okra and pickled grapes. Wait, did I just say pickled grapes? Yes, I did and they were wonderful, especially with the goat cheese. In fact, we were so intrigued we asked our waiter how on earth one would pickle grapes and have them retain their structural integrity. These grapes were still firm and crunchy. Our waiter was precious and had one of the cooks come out and explain how the grapes at Ollie Irene are pickled. We were told that the pickling brine had only three ingredients: red wine vinegar, star anise and cloves.  You just know I was going to go home and try my hand at pickling. More about that later.

Along with the cheese and crackers, I also had a refreshing little drink called Buck Up, Buttercup. This little libation was made with Sailor Jerry rum, fresh grapefruit juice, lime and ginger-infused vanilla bean syrup. It was light and refreshing. Ollie Irene also makes a drink called a Pickled Rickey which is made with the pickled grapes. I would have tried it, but it was made with gin, which is not a favorite of mine. 

Our dinner selections were, unsurprisingly, both fish. I enjoyed a beautiful piece of red snapper, which happens to be one of my favorite kinds of fish. It was perched on top of a bed of celery root puree and served with a citrusy salad of frisee and fruit. The fish was perfectly cooked and delicious and the cool, tart, crisp salad was a wonderful counter point to the warm, savory fish.

Scott chose the cornmeal dusted and sautéed catfish served with sweet potatoes, cajun ham, lemon butter and scallions. That rich, hammy sauce was amazing and the fish was superbly cooked.

We shouldn't have, but since everything else we had chosen was so wonderful, we jumped right into dessert. I was intrigued with a bacon brownie sundae, which consisted of a bittersweet fudge bar sitting on a bed of pecan caramel and topped with candied bacon ice cream and a citrus cookie. The fudge bar was dense and rich...almost too rich, but the ice cream, the pecan caramel and the citrus cookie were, well, let's just say, GONE! I loved it.

Scott finished up with a very English dessert of sticky toffee pudding made with dates, rum toffee sauce, pecan tuile and cap of mascarpone cream. It was sticky, sweet and rich. The mascarpone cream was just the right finishing touch.

All in it was a very fine meal and we will definitely be back to Ollie Irene, but until we do, I just had to come home and try my hand at pickling grapes. Mine weren't exactly like Ollie Irene's, but I was very pleased at how they turned out. Here's what I did. 

I started with large black grapes and a mix of three vinegars: red wine, red wine pomegranate, and apple cider. Since I couldn't find star anise at my grocery store, I decided to use Chinese five spice powder, cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, a bay leaf and coriander. It seemed a little tart, so I added a little brown sugar to mellow things out. I threw all the ingredients into a saucepan and brought it to a boil, just to dissolve the sugar. The washed grapes went into a glass jar.Then I poured the vinegar mixture over them and put the jar into the refrigerator to marinate overnight. Here they are. They look like black olives!

I served them with tangy goat cheese and crunchy toasted crostini. It was a hit...even with my teenage son! So what are you waiting for?

Go visit Ollie Irene and, in between visits, go pickle some grapes! Here's my version of the recipe.

Ollie Irene Inspired Pickled Grapes

1 quart of black beauty grapes

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 cup pomegranate infused red wine vinegar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar (Depending on the sweetness of your grapes, you may need to adjust the amount of brown sugar. More sweet grapes might need less sugar.)

1/4 t. Chinese Five Spice powder

2 sticks cinnamon

1/4 t. coriander

1 bay leaf

1 inch chunk of peeled ginger root

Place the grapes in a glass jar with a lid. Put all remaining ingredients into a medium saucepan, while stirring bring to a boil, making sure sugar is dissolved.  Pour over grapes, put the lid on it and put the covered jar into the refrigerator for 24 hours. Serve with cheese and crackers or crostini. 

 Three Friends and a Fork is proud of the homegrown chefs who are helping to make Alabama a food lover's destination and we proudly give Ollie Irene three perfectly pickled Yums UP!