Getting Lucky In the Kitchen

The Peach has dropped the countdown is over. Let’s get the New Year off to a phenomenal start by gathering friends and family together for a delicious day of foods chock - full of good fortune.

After you have rocked all night with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson ringing in the New Year on the Peach Drop main stage, nothing says New Year’s Day like Food Football and Fun! Whether you tune in for the Wisconsin Badgers versus the TCU Horned Frogs in the Rose Bowl or the Florida Gators taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Outback Bowl, create the perfect kick-off to 2011 with food your fans will think came from heaven.

Gain riches, love and an abundance of good fortune throughout the year with quick simple and delicious foods guaranteed to be true crowd pleasing creations.

The game plan – let’s get lucky in the kitchen with foods proven to bring great fortune.

Long lived traditions include recipes created within the following categories: Greens, Pork, Fish, Legumes, Noodles and round Cakes. Top that off with a fortunateness fruity beverage and true luck is certain.

Cooked Greens – kale, cabbage, collard greens and chard are consumed for their resemblance of folded money. The more you eat the larger your fortune for next year.

Create delicious creamed collard greens with garlic, onions, whipping cream and butter.

Lentils – Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and amino acids these legumes are thought to resemble coins also equaling good fortune. They plump up as they cook symbolizing growing wealth. Whip up a simple lentil side dish with bacon, chorizo, mashed garlic, onion and rice.

Noodles – Long noodles represent longevity. Eat them slowly so that you don’t break them and risk a shortened life. Prepare a pot of noodle soup with bok choy, red bell peppers, sesame seeds, peanuts and Ramen noodles.

Pork – As pigs root for food they keep their feet planted and push their snouts forward signifying progress, future wealth and prosperity. Grill a delicious beer brined chile rubbed pork tenderloin using Atlanta’s own Red Brick Brown Ale, brown sugar, honey, ancho chiles, salt and pepper.

Fish – Fish represent moving forward and symbolize abundance as they swim in schools.

Create a simple delicately flavored sesame crusted Ahi Tuna appetizer that will also bring you an abundance of raving reviews.

Round Cakes or Breads – The emphasis on these baked goods is placed on the round or ring shaped items. This signifies that the old year is complete. Bake a delicious chocolate raspberry Bundt cake or if your are not up for the challenge, pick up a variety of Dukin’ Donuts to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth cravings.

Make a toast to New Year’s Day with a Pomegranate Prosecco Cocktail. Pomegranates are associated with abundance, fertility and marriage. Now that’s a great way to start the year off on the right foot!

Keep in mind that in addition to all the lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobsters should not be eaten as they move backwards and this could lead to setbacks. Chicken should also be kept off the menu as chickens scratch backwards, which could cause regret or one to dwell in the past.

One last New Years Day tradition to remember – Don’t clean your plate! Leaving a bit of food on your plate is believed to ensure a year of plenty ahead.

Happy New Year and remember Peace Love Food!

Made with Love

Made with Love - Holiday gifts from your kitchen

We have been hearing it since St. Patty’s Day “Only 283 shopping days left until Christmas”….and counting. As we head into the home stretch this season and the hustle and the bustle of holiday shopping has taken its toll on your wallet and your sanity, whip up a few easy and affordable homemade treats from your kitchen.

Herbal Vinegars & Butters are quick, simple and delicious. Take a visit to the Cobb International Farmers Market where you will find an endless variety of fresh herbs to use as your infusing agents. Select a variety of glass jars and bottles that you can personalize with colorful ribbons and handmade gift tags at Cost Plus World Market. Unleash your creativity by selecting flavor combinations that you know appeal to each individual recipient. Once you have completed your culinary creations, head on over to Great Harvest Bread Company and select one of their freshly baked breads to compliment the flavorful gifts from your kitchen.

As you take the time to remember the true spirit of the season, have fun with food and flavor in your kitchen, creating gifts for friends and family truly made with love.

Peace Love Food!

To Make the Vinegars – Use a good quality white, red or cider vinegar. Lightly bruise the herbs first to allow them to give off their flavors.

Place the herbs in clean jars or decorative bottles.  Gently heat the vinegar, but don't boil it.  Let it cool down, and pour the warm Vinegar over the herbs in the jars.  Place the jars in a dark place, such as a cabinet or shelf away from bright windows. The vinegars can be used in 2 weeks and will last for up to 1 year.

A few herb combinations to try:

White Wine Vinegar goes well with Chive, Dill, Savory, Sage, Basil, Lavender Sprigs or Flowers, Fennel, Parsley, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, Garlic

Red Wine Vinegar goes well with Basil, Garlic, Oregano, and Thyme.

Cider Vinegar is enhanced by Orange Peel Spirals, Raspberries, and Lavender Blossoms. 

To Make the Butters – Soften 1 stick of butter. Put the softened butter in a bowl and using a wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat until soft and creamy. Add flavorings and seasonings and blend well. Place the flavored butter in jars with a tight lid.

Parsley Butter: Add 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve over meat, fish, chicken or vegetables.

Herb Butter: Prepare as above but use tarragon, chives or cilantro to replace the parsley. Use to top meat, fish, chicken or vegetables or in soups and sauces.

Sweet Orange Butter:  Add 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and juice. Use for muffins, pancakes and breakfast breads.

The Feast Is Over

The Feast Is Over….Now What?

You have been planning your Thanksgiving adventures for months. The menu, the shopping, the table décor and more importantly, how will we ever keep all your guests fed and entertained once the Feast is over? By Friday you are exhausted and cannot imagine more time in the kitchen let alone trying to please all your guests. Creating some fun with flavorful leftover food is quick simple and delicious. Don’t let your leftovers go to waste. Thanksgiving is a day of feasting so let the feasting continue!

Each year a good majority of us that take on the major adventure (and I do mean MAJOR) of hosting Thanksgiving at our homes many of us are doing this for the very first time. The excitement, the energy and the fear of the unknown often leads us to purchase and then cook an over abundance of food. Part of the Thanksgiving Feast tradition is indeed the leftovers themselves. Often with too many cooks in the kitchen we find ourselves overwhelmed by the leftovers. Nothing beats a great turkey sandwich but with a little bit of creativity you can take your leftovers to a whole new crowd pleasing level.

Let’s talk Turkey! Take that beautiful bird and with a bit love shred the meat and create turkey and white bean chili with diced tomatoes and onions, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper and you might as well toss in the leftover corn!

Potatoes aren’t just for dinner! Take those mashed potatoes and create delicious potato pancakes for breakfast with crispy chopped bacon, green onions and cheddar cheese. Sauté them up with butter and your day is off to a great start!

Pie Oh My! Take that leftover pumpkin pie and with a bit of magic create rich and flavorful pumpkin pie parfaits with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce topped off with whipped cream and the always leftover cranberry sauce!

You’re Stuffed!  Take that leftover stuffing and create a simple and delicious stuffed meatloaf. Prepare your favorite meatloaf recipe and place half of the meatloaf mix, in a baking dish, add your stuffing and top it off with the remaining meatloaf mix and your leftover gravy!

Leftover Out of Towner’s! Nothing speaks tradition more than gathering together to celebrate everything we are thankful for each year. However after a few days lounging around the house, cleaning up after everyone and trying to keep everyone happy, even the best host needs a bit of relief. In and around Smyrna-Vinings, offer your guests many options to get out of the house and out of your hair for a few hours!

Kid Fun! Send the kids over to KangaZoom to burn off some of their energy and resolve the age old question of “What can we do for fun?” KangaZoom is a 12,000 square-foot, safe, indoor play center featuring bouncing inflatables, giant slides, obstacle courses!

Football! Nothing says Thanksgiving like lying on the couch watching all the great football games. Send your grid iron fans over to McCray’s West Village Tavern; Laseter’s Tavern or Padriac’s to catch all the action on their big screens!

Outdoor Adventure! Take advantage of the beautiful outdoors with a family adventure on the Silver Comet Trail. Just head on over to Smyrna Bicycles to rent bikes by the hour and make sure they all wear a helmet!

If you find yourself asking what to do with the leftover beer and wine….well that’s a whole other adventure we can explore together!

Peace Love Food!

La Caja China

The lucky man that I am I received a Caja China (roasting box) for our anniversary from @yellowbandchef. Tonight we christened the box. Started out with 20lbs of beef ribs and 10lbs on pork ribs along with 2 whole chickens. I thought I would be able to put all in the box but sadly no, it was just too much. The prep was easy enough pull the silver off the ribs trim the fat add the rub (homemade of course) let the meat sit for a bit and then in the box they go.

As I stated earlier there was too much meat for the box. I did my best to get it all in but to no avail I only did one of the two chickens and I cooked it on the grill.

I tweeted my progress as things were happening and there are photos attached to the tweets. You can find me @sirjrotten

The breakdown:

The pork ribs (3 racks) were rub down with a red rub (sugar based)
The beef ribs were rubbed with a Roasted Herb and Garlic Crust. Note here the beef ribs were prepared earlier in the day and allowed to sit for 3 hours.
The chicken was a Perdue Roaster and was rubbed with a garlic peppercorn rub.

The ribs were placed on the box for an hour ribs side up then flipped. An additional 45 minutes in the box and the meat was done. The chicken was butterflied and cooked on the large Webber with indirect heat. The chicken was placed ribs down for an hour flipped and finished for 30 minutes.

Ok ok I know there are those that will say that 1hr 45mins is not enough time to cook ribs. I was in agreement with that train of thought until I roasted the ribs in the Caja China. The end product was a fall off the bone ribs. I did fail the mention that after the ribs were flipped I add the sauce (again homemade)

All in all I was amazed at how well the Caja China worked and I feel confident that when I cook the whole pig in two weeks that it too will be fall off the bone good.

Till next time Ciao

Sir J Rotten

Road to Recovery

I finally got to ride my bicycle again. This past Wednesday marked the twelfth week since my surgery. To give you a quick update I am doing excellent I mean I am really doing well. I am able to bend down and tie my shoes (which was something I was not able to do just a few short weeks ago). I am living pain free and no limp both of these things are Huge! I had been living in so much pain and discomfort it was not even funny. Now that has all changed.

I did my first ride since March 4th this past Thursday and I will admit that it was hard. I knew that I was going to lose some form, but my god I did not think that I would have lost as much as I did. The ride started innocently enough. Everyone thought that my first ride was not going to until this coming Tuesday. I purposely parked away from the other riders quietly got ready and came around in my kit ready to ride to everyone's amazement. I was asked if the doctor knew I was riding and more importantly if yellowbandchef knew.

I decided that I would call the ride and was promptly told that the ride was already called. I had to use my Director Sportif right and stated since I am the director the ride was being called by me. The ride I selected was laps in and around Capital City and Silver Lake until I had enough and then the group could what they wanted. My ride lasted for 16 1/2 miles and took 1hr 26 mins to complete. At the end of the ride my legs were jello. It was harder than I thought it would be but it felt great to be back. I am planning to ride tomorrow. The long road to get back has started and I am Ready.

Ciao

Sir Johnny Rotten

Bicycles Bicycles Bicycles

Well we made it! After an eight hour flight we had landed in Amsterdam for the beginning of Euro Tour 2010. When we landed here in AMS the pilot stated that we would be landing on the outer runway. Well we did and it was like landing at DFW. Thirty minutes from the time landed to the time it took to get to the gate. Not complaining here I am just glad to be here.

It was a short trip to the Hilton in a very clean taxi with a polite driver. The cost was 50 euros. A quick snack and then off for a power nap. The power is the best thing you can do once you are here. I have found that the power should not be more than three hours.

I have discovered that the bicycle is king around here. It seems that everyone rides a bicycle here. I have seen men in suits, women in dresses and everything in between. For the most part the bicycle of choice appears to be what I know as "The Amsterdam". This is a bicycle that is a steel frame bike that is a step-through for the ladies and a top tube for the men. There many versions of this bike as well. There is the baby carrier which can be place at front (generally there is a windshield there as well), in back or both. There is the carry all bike which is a bike that has a wooden box built at the front. The bike has been elongated to accommodate the box. The bike is still only two wheels. I have seen this bike with and without covers both solid and soft. When walking around the city it is very important that stays out of the bike lanes for they are the king of the road.

We will be exploring more and more so until then Ciao

Sir J Rotten

The greatest gift I ever had
Came from God; I call him Dad!
~Author Unknown

A father is defined as:

a. A male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child.

b. A man who adopts a child.

c. A man who raises a child.

This year I am celebrating my 23^rd Father’s Day. In contrast my father is celebrating his 51^st. I still remember the day that turned me from a mere child to a father. The birth of my first child and my second child are days that I will always remember. I remember the moment that the doctor handed me my child right then and there I went from being a kid to becoming my father. I knew what this child was going be able to do, when they had to be home from a date, how they would do in school, and how I would love him unconditionally.

What does it mean to be a father? I am sure that there are many thoughts on what it means to be a father. For me it means that I am responsible for the heath and well being of my children until they have reached a point in their lives that they can survive on their own. So far I have discovered that even when they are 23 and 21it has still not ended. As a father it not just the heath and well being of the children that you must do but also you must teach them the skills to survive. It is important to remember that children are adults that need training and as a parent it your job to make sure that they become a respectable member of society.

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

We all learn from our parents and as children we marveled at what they can do. As adults we see the role that they play. Some of us may not know our parents, some may loathe them and some may want to be them when we grow up. I took many things from my parents and have passed it on to my children. There many things that I did not take and my children have no idea they even exist.

On this Fathers Day I plan to do a little internal reflection on how I am as a father and spend some time with the ones I love. Happy Fathers Day.

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland

Ciao,

Sir J Rotten

6.14.2010

Road to Recovery

I know it has been awhile since I last blogged there has been many things that have happened. The first thing I should tell you about is that I have not been on the bicycle since the beginning of March 2010. The root cause of this is I suffered from AVN, not the Adult Video Network, but Avascular necrosis. The short version of this is a disease where there is cellular death (necrosis) of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply. Without blood, the bone tissue dies and the bone collapses. I my case it caused bone on bone in my right hip. There was a lot of pain and made things very uncomfortable for the day to day life.

In early March I join the group for a ride 40 mile ride on the Silver Comet here in the greater Atlanta area. The Comet (aka The Vomit) is a Rail to Trails trail. The pace was to be winter pace 15-17 MPH but when you get a lot of testosterone in one location the original plan is thrown to the side. The pace for that day was 20 MPH. It was not that I could not handle the pace that ended my riding season it was the increased amount pain that followed for the next five days.

At that point I decided to have a conversation with Dr Rollins, my family doctor, about the increase in pain. After that conversation I decided to get the surgery. I selected Dr. Kress to be my surgeon and the surgery was promptly set up for March 12^th 2010. On June 17^th it will be 5 weeks since surgery and I must tell I feel a hell of a lot better.

It was decided that total hip replacement was what was needed. The surgery itself was pretty straight forward. An incision was made the femoral head was removed and a titanium hip prosthesis, with a ceramic head and polyethylene acetabular cup were installed. There are two things that amaze me, one I was out of the hospital in less than 28 hours and I was walking within 4 hours after the surgery.

I am still not allowed to ride my bicycle. I have been advised to wait the full 6 weeks before I start. If you are a cyclist then you can understand the insanity I am going through.

In a few short weeks Yellow band chef and I will be headed to Europe for our EuroTour 2010. This year we will be headed to Rotterdam, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Again this year we will be following a few stages of the Tour De France. The stages we are planning to see are the Prologue in Rotterdam, the departure from Rotterdam, the arrival in Brussels and then the departure from Brussels. We will then be watching the tour on the television like everyone else.

This year on Euro Tour we will be do our best to keep you update on our adventures.

Ciao,

Sir J Rotten

food & fun in the cold

I cannot seem to remember when it has been this cold in all my years of living in the south. Growing up in Syracuse, New York winter seemed to have lasted forever and memories of the long cold days without sunshine certainly makes me cherish the warm sunny days winter here in Atlanta, however those have been very few and far between of late.

SJR and I have been doing our best to keep ourselves busy with warm foods, warm blankets and warm inside events!  Our kitchen has been the ground zero for many of my work projects including several batches of new cheesecakes; delicious cookies; savory breads and experiments with sweet & salty combination.
Much of my inspiration comes from many of the new food trends for 2010. The true winner of the not so great economic state of our country is without a doubt....FOOD!
SJR has taken comfort from the cold by taking part in his 14 year of Wind Training class with Coach Will and several of the B&S cycling team members. It may not be as fun as cycling on the road but keeps him focused on the bike and mind off work for several hours a couple of times a week.

Both SJR and I are anxious to get back outside on the Piazza but will make the most out of being forced inside. We will work on new culinary creations to tackle on the grill once the weather cooperates and certainly share with everyone our new found favorites.

Comfort food, butchers and bakers are the center of our plate this winter and we are delighted to share in the great concoctions that many of our favorite and new found restaurants are stirring up in their kitchens.

Catch up with us next time when we blog about food in West Midtown and all our new favorites finds!

Peace, Love, Food
YBC

Warm Sunny Days In the Republica Dominicana

We could not have picked a better time to get away from Atlanta and celebrate SJR's birthday! We boarded our Delta flight the morning of January 29th with the local temperature in the low 30's and expected to get even colder over the weekend.
With a rather uneventful and reasonably short flight we landed in Santa Domingo as probably the only American tourists. Everyone else was then heading over to Haiti to offer their hands; expertise; spirit and tools to assist with the horrible aftermath of the earthquake. Honestly I felt a bit guilty but our trip was booked well before the devastating event.

We were graciously welcomed outside the airport by the transportation coordinator for the Barcello Cappella Beach Resort and made a quick 45 minute journey to the hotel. I had flash backs of our trip to Panama driving through some pretty rough spots mixed right in with all the resorts; modern high rise condos and surprisingly a lot of car dealerships!

Upon our arrival at the resort we headed to our lovely corner room changed out of our winter clothes and headed over the the Ocean Grill snack bar for a rock solid and cold hamburger and a couple of cervezas! We did not care about the food we were on our way to having a fantastic weekend in the DR.

We walked the beach a bit; checked out a couple of the other bars, enjoyed the sights and shared a few laughs with the great bartenders. Dinner that night in the main restaurant was a typical Caribbean fare which was well done for a buffet. Following dinner we took in the nights entertainment show in the Tropical lounge and had a great time chatting with Juan Sosa the bartender. We were both amazed at what a great performance all the singers and dancer provided. The women were absolutely beautiful in their elaborate costumes.

Saturday was a lovely sunny day with a bit of an ocean breeze. Breakfast with wonderful tropical fruits; pastries; ham; eggs and fish. We walked around the resort checking all the venues; the south end of the beach and played several games of dominos. Later in the afternoon we played 18 holes of mini golf where SJR made a statement and kicked my butt 64 to 100!  The rest of the evening we ate, drank and laughed with the comedians at the evening's entertainment show. SJR bought a ton of mamjuana root at the local fair and we bought several Dominican leather wrapped bottles for gifts for some of our friends. Needless to say SJR has a way with negotiating for the best price!

Sunday was by far the hottest day but we had a great time! We walked to the north end of the beach over to the Costal Caribe Resort and wouldn't you know it we got roped into a time share sales pitch; complete with a tour and fortunately we were able to get out of the 15 minute video telling the nice man that we had to catch a bus into the city...hated to fib but certainly did not want to waste anymore time away from the sunshine.
The beach in Juan Dolio is very pretty; water is very clean and although we read there were many seashells we did not find that to be the case. We had a great lunch at the buffet restaurant off the pool bar and loved the grilled to order pork chops; lovely salads; sauteed pastas and wonderful ice cream!
Our afternoon was filled with several games of scrabble and dominos and several flavorful Dominican beverages...my personal favorite were the banana daiquiris!
Dinner at the a la carte restaurant Bohio was very disappointing. We were both craving a steak and I am not too sure what type of animal our "steak" came from. It was nice to be waited on but we did not linger very long. Our last stop of the evening was at the Tropical Bar where we tried our hand at Dominican Bingo which proved to provide many laughs trying to follow along with our limited Spanish.

Our last day in the DR was again a beautiful day and we hated to say goodbye to all the wonderful people that we met. One of our favorite bartenders Juan, the "other" Juan gave us a beautiful departing gift of two bottles of Ron Barcelo Anejo Rum...what a nice surprise. Once we arrived back at the airport we had a great little lunch of prosciutto bocadillos and empanadas. The perfect way to end a great long weekend of fun in the sun with my main man.

Until our next adventure....
Peace, Love, Food

Yellow Band Chef

Sir Johnny's Birthday

Last Friday, January 22nd Sir Johnny and I shared an early nice little bite at Abbatoir located in our great neighborhood in the up and coming West Buckhead...yes Buckhead!  Now that our side of the city has become the fun hip place to work; live; EAT  -  all the old money in Buckhead wants us to join in on their campaign to make Buckhead its own city.  I am okay with breaking off from all the challenges that the city of Atlanta has burden those of us that do pay taxes with but come now it is still the West Side of the city and we are proud to call it home.

If you have not been to Abbatoir make a point of putting it on your calendar. One of SJR's and my favorites is the to die for, ground to order no less, Steak Tartar. Absolute best we have had anywhere in the world. Make sure you order a Moscow Mule from the bar and feel free to sit and eat at the bar. All the bartenders; bar chefs or mixologists (not sure what they are calling themselves these days) are great and really fun to watch as they create interesting libations and serve them with a cute little flair. It was the perfect setting for the two of us to catch up and celebrate his birthday after both traveling solo for work all week.

Before we headed to our favorite local watering hole we decided to check out Ormsby's also in the new White Provisions center. SJR did not realize that I had invited several of his closest friends to meet us for a game of bocce and a few beers. To say that we were disappointed in this new addition to the West Side may be an understatement. The minute we walked in the door the place was packed, dark and loud. Getting near the bocce ball court which is artificial turf, was not going to happen and he wanted to leave. Thanks to our dear friend Aaron from the Arizona Pub for calling SJR from his bar stool upstairs as SRJ was headed for the door. We had a nice time catching up with friends but the space is just too crowded to manage a group of 15 or so. We ate the cake that I picked up from Metrotainment Bakery, a delicious Chocloate Mousse and headed on over to Mr. C's to finish up the night in a relaxed, friendly and always welcoming dive bar!

Yellow Band Chef

fancy food food food

I spent the majority of this week out on the left coast in the great state of California.
My adventures in food this week were primarily for work,  but boy what a fun work week it was!
Arriving into San Francisco for the Fancy Foods Show on Monday proved a bit of a challenge given the lack luster weather both getting out of Atlanta and arriving into the bay area. It was great to be greeted at the airport by William my driver from Ace Limosuine SF, what a fine warm welcome.
Once I hit the show floor all the excitement of the vast amount of fancy foods was like Christmas morning wrapped up under the Moscone Center with a big red bow!
The show provided me with exactly everything I was looking for in current trends for food enthusiasts. Chocolate in every imaginable format; flavor and combination.  Even Willy Wonka would never have dreamed about. Dark Chocolate appears to be the new star....but the combination's of chocolate with sea salt; chiles; nuts;citrus; creams and burnt flavors are outstanding. I was a bit taken a back by enormous variety of cheese and olives showcased but again it was all about food heaven! Some of my favorite discoveries were the new  Vosges Hautes-Glaces (exotic ice creams) including the Red Fire with Mexican Ancho & Chipolte Chillies; cinnamon and dark chocolate and surprisingly the chocolate bacon flavors....YUM!!!!
After 3 hours on the show floor and feeling a chocolate overload coming on, I headed over to the Grand Hyatt for a bit of recovery before meeting colleagues for a glass of wine at the W Hotel.
Dinner at Perbacco was the perfect finish to a long SWEET filled day.
The restaurant setting is lovely and the service is outstanding. Armando our waiter was so gracious. The Salumi Mista was the perfect beginning to our meal accompanied by a lovely Barolo. As I often do I selected two appetizers. The Bresaola with Celery Root Salad and the Roasted Beets with Dandelion greens and Grapefruit exceeded my expectations.
“Perbacco” is an Italian word to accentuate positive comments....they are spot on with that!
Day one complete....stay tuned for the continued fancy food adventures of day two!
Peace Love Food,
Yellow Band Chef

....yellowbandchef's addition to the first blog

Sir Johnny (SJR) did a great job of launching our blog!

Food and A Wheel was born out of an idea on a whim.....what great recipe has not 
been created on a whim?

From the beginning, our life together has always been spontaneous. Our blog will most likely be an extension of all that fun; winging it; craziness and love.
Our blogs whether together or solo will be for the most simple, sweet and from the heart. At times we may get so excited about something we may blog a bit more. How can you not be excited about food and cycling?

One thing SJR did not mention was that I am often affectionately called Lala, so there may be times that there is a reference to Lala, the Yellow Band Chef.
Stay tuned for our adventures in food and cycling.

Peace Love Food,

Yellow Band Chef

The first Blog

Well Yellow Band Chef (YBC) and I have decided to create this Blog. It will be about a few things. First it will be about the food. Not only will it be about the food we eat but the food we create as well. We will include the restaurants that we eat at and what we had. We will strive to give a balanced review of the restaurant, the service and the food.

Our kitchen is one of the craziest and most creative places that I know. YBC is an executive chef and is involved in development of of new ideas in the food service industry. Now just because she is the executive do not count me out I also am a damn good cook ( I can't call myself a chef for am not trained).

We enjoy traveling, we visit places in the US and abroad. YBC travels extensively for her work so look for reviews and comments from around the US. We have travel through Italy, Spain, and some of France. We are planning to travel to Europe later this year.

As for me I am a builder and I have been doing this for 25+ years. I am not planning to post about construction (if it is really cool I just might) however if you have a question about construction I will do my best to answer it. One of my passions is cycling and I am a recreational rider. I follow professional road cycling and you will see posts about cycling (I know YBC has a few thoughts on it as well). YBC and I have seen the TDF (Tour De France) in various stages and plan to see it again this year.

I hope that you enjoy our blog. you can follow us on Twitter @yellowbandchef and @sirjrotten We are on Twitter a lot so check with. Please feel free to ask any questions related to our passions. If you have a suggestion for a place to eat send that to we are always up for a new adventure.

Ciao,

Sir J Rotten