As Seen In….Fried Green Tomatoes

For those of you that have ever seen or read Fried Green Tomatoes, you’ve probably walked away from the movie or book 1) hungry or 2) curious to try fried green tomatoes.

In fact, if you have the book, there is a recipe included in the last few pages.

This past weekend, I took a four-day break to visit Memphis, Tennessee. Known for its fried food, dry-rub BBQ and other Southern goodness, I was stoked when I saw fried green tomatoes on the menu of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken restaurant.

Side note 1: Gus’s was amazing – literally some of the best fried chicken I’ve had. And, I loved the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant – small tables, checkered tablecloths and fun signs populated the walls.

Side note 2: I think I've literally gained about ten l-b-s' on this trip since I ate nothing but fried, deep fried or greasy goodness. I think the fried green tomatoes were the only veggie I ate the entire weekend...

Anyways, these little fried wonders were great! I mean, can you really go wrong with fried food?

I think not.

Traditionally, fried green tomatoes are coated in cornmeal giving it a thicker outside fried texture. These tomatoes also had a hint of sweetness, something I wasn’t predicting since they are green = not ripe. I loved that these were super crispy, yet still oozed when you bit into them. And, what’s not to like about the side of ranch dressing it’s served with?

I’m including a recipe I found below. Summer is the ideal time to do some frying, since most chefs recommend using homemade green tomatoes from the vine (note: you’ll have trouble finding green ones at the market).

Although this clip is kinda odd, you get the picture of what FGT are...



Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

3 medium, firm green tomatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk (note: If you are feeling like being extra fatty, use buttermilk)
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I'm baaackk....Amsterdam, Take One

After suffering from jetlag, going back to the salt mines and overcoming my writers block of over two months, I'm finally able to blog :)

Today, I'm starting my few-part series on how I ate my way through Amsterdam.

Well, here we go.

Amsterdam, Take One.

Chocolate

Over 5,000 miles traveled, 10 days and approximately 30 meals later, I’m finally home, sweet home.

For two weeks I was dashing around the freezing Netherlands and its surrounding area.

The Netherlands is not only home to the tallest men and women (literally, the people are giants), but to a hodgepodge of food.

Influenced by its neighbors, you can find quality Italian, Greek, Thai and Indian food. Oh, and did I mention they have the worlds best chocolate?

Belgium, in particular, is home to over 2,000 chocolate shops and the small country produces over 172,000 tons of chocolate a year.

Let’s just say that these Belgium chocolatiers put our dear Mr. Hershey to shame.

Never before have I stumbled upon chocolate shop after chocolate shop. Most sell their chocolate per the ounce, so for a few Euros you can get a rich afternoon snack.

White? Dark? Milk? Fruit filled? You name it, they've got it.


In Belgium, it is a chocoholics dream - streets were literally crowded with chocolate shops and tourists peering into the windows to get a glimpse of the magnificent chocolate displays.

I felt like I was Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka - absolutely astonished (and hungry) by the surroundings.

You can't really compare the chocolate to anything you've bought in the US. It's fresh, rich and literally melts in your mouth. In fact, the caramel filled one's actually oozes with fresh caramel.

One of my favorite shops was actually a Rick recommendation, Dumon Chocolatier (note: Rick Steves that is. For anyone who has visited Europe, you know his books are a must-have for any trip. Rick's Christmas card is actually hanging in the shop). This quant little shop was filled with handcrafted chocolates and tons of Easter candies. And, the free samples were simply amazing.