Heather sips her first hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s Bar in New Orleans. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)
Happy Bartender Appreciation Day! Although we’re stuck at home in the midst of a pandemic, it’s a great day to meander down memory lane and remember all those great watering holes we’ve discovered over the years as we travelled from one coast to the other. Each one of them holds wonderful memories for us, always punctuated by yummy drinks and a bartender with a liberal pour. Read on to find out if your favorites made the list.
While traveling cross-country for any reason, even moving, we’re always looking for new dining establishments to try. Sure, Bowling Green isn’t that far from Cincinnati, but when your moving truck only moves at 35 mph through the hills of Kentucky, it is easy to get hungry in a hurry. Besides, by the time we got there, we’d been on the road a while. Read more of this post
A staple in German cuisine, our Simple Sauerkraut puts a quick and delicious spin on a cultural classic.
When I lived in Dallas, I used to frequent a little German restaurant called Henk’s European Deli and Black Forest Bakery, because I loved their sauerkraut and sausages. When I moved to Ohio, I quickly discovered that the buckeye state’s culture and geography resemble certain places in Germany. Communities like MainStrasse Village in Covington and German Village in Columbus are steeped in a rich Germanic heritage and still hold many ties to the Rhineland. Here in Porkopolis, aka Cincinnati, German cuisine is easily accessible, and numerous festivals celebrate Germanic culture, like Oktoberfest downtown, the GoettaFest in Newport, Kentucky and the Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville, Ohio. But you don’t have to wait for a festival or even go out to eat at one of our German restaurants to satisfy your sauerkraut cravings. It is quite simple to prepare at home, and it delivers health benefits like vitamins A and C, is high in phytonutrient antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which some studies indicate may help combat some cancers.
PREP: 15 minutes COOK: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, 5 minutes.
Add cabbage, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, and 1/2 cup water to a saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender, 30 – 35 minutes.
TIPS: Serve over hot dogs, on Reuben sandwiches, or with bratwurst and mashed potatoes for a German-inspired meal.
Potted plants welcome visitors to the west entrance of Findlay Market.
One of our favorite Cincinnati landmarks, Findlay Market is a foodie’s paradise featuring the freshest meats and produce in town. If you’ve never been, our first photo essay gives you a sneak peak of what to expect.
Heather grew up going to Findlay Market, where her mom stocked up on fresh meat, fish, veggies and more to feed her family of eight. Now we visit at least once a month, rubbing elbows with some of the best chefs and home cooks in the region, as we all seek great deals on top quality cuts of beef, pork, poultry, seafood and more. Read more of this post
Huge pumpkins and beautiful mums announce the arrival of fall with big, bold color.
October 2011
Dear Friends,
Recently we dropped in on one of our favorite people and caught up on life, sharing our challenges, triumphs, and dreams. It was one of those philosophical conversations we all have at times that was filled with what Oprah always calls, “Aha!” moments. By the end of the afternoon, we walked away with a pocketful of little epiphanies, but one stood out more than all the rest: If we put aside judgments and live with an open heart, we rise toward greatness and make great strides toward finding peace and ultimately, happiness.
We loved that thought, for it was so profound, and yet really quite simple. Leave judgments in God’s hands, and simply love one another. Perhaps British novelist C.S. Lewis put it best when he said, “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.”
With that thought in mind, we decided to make a concerted effort to simply enjoy the people that populate our lives and demonstrate affection for them in whatever way we can. For an elderly housebound couple, we baked a cake and delivered it to their home. When we accepted a last-minute invitation to share a garden-fresh meal with friends and neighbors at their tiny cottage, we prepared our favorite Bread with Herb Butter and a tossed salad to share with everyone there.
Yesterday, we hosted our Fall Fiesta and served some of our signature Mexican and Tex-Mex inspired dishes like Toasted Flautas, Janet’s Chilaquiles, Spanish Rice, Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde, Seven-Layer Dip, Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers, and more. The addition of libations like Margaritas, Strawberry Daiquiris and Pina Coladas rounded out the meal. But it wasn’t just the food and alcohol that everyone enjoyed, for all of us embraced the opportunity to gather together, make new friends and laugh with old ones. Happiness ricocheted through our house like a lightning bolt in a thunderstorm, striking all of us to the point that we thought folks were going to spend the night. We love parties like that! Nothing makes us happier than when everyone has a good time and asks to be invited again soon.
This month, we’re also taking pleasure in the tasks of the season, like planting mums, buying pumpkins, going to college football games, and canning and freezing the last of summer’s veggies. We also begin planning our big parties for later in the year, including our annual Fall Feast, Winter Brunch and Game Day, and a new celebration, our First Feast. It is a lot to do, but we love this time of year with cooler, crisper weather, tons of color, and reasons to indulge in seasonal treats like caramel apples, hot cider and yummy pumpkin pie.
We hope you have the opportunity to make special memories with good friends this month too. Take a group of your best pals to a local festival like the 42nd Annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville, Ohio or meet some of your favorite authors at Books by the Bank, a local book festival here in Cincinnati. (If you go, be sure to visit our friends Brock Clarke and Michael Griffith and pick up one of their latest books!) Or you can simply host your own little soirée or movie night and hang out with good friends. Whatever you do, great people make for special memories and many more chances to add a little more happiness to your life. Live well!
With love, Jathan & Heather
p.s. We love Dolly Parton‘s new song, “Together You and I.” We feel that it really embodies the epiphany we talked about earlier. Watch the fun video for this tune below.
Jathan & Heather 