Union Hill Kitchen’s phone is installed.
Not much cooking going on here today, but our new phone line at the restaurant is being installed.
Union Hill Kitchen building permit has been approved.
Since January 28th 2012, I have tried to get all the required permits approved from Dekalb county and the City of Chamblee. After many rejections and re-submittals, today I received the coveted “yellow construction paper”, aka building permit. I proudly placed it on the window and took a sigh. The path to this [...]
Mini Strawberry pies
Our kitchen garden has begun to have its first harvest of strawberries. I am making some mini strawberry pies to celebrate the arrival of our red friends. You can buy a store-bought graham cracker crust and follow my steps below. In this version I purchased the mini store-bought cracker crust. You can also purchase [...]
New life for the classic meatloaf
I have been experimenting with classic recipes and giving them a contemporary twist. I made this meatloaf in a cake pan with laminated dough balls on top to soak up the sauce. I think it’s pretty interesting.
Chive flowers are easy to use in the kitchen
I have lots of chives at our farm and in our restaurant garden. When the chives bloom is spring, the petals can be used in many applications. One of them is making a crostini with goat cheese cream and I lay one or two chive blossoms on top. The purple blossom has an explosive flavor [...]
Pear Tree in Our Kitchen Garden Has Pears
I went out early this morning and saw that our pear tree has hundreds of pears. How lucky am I to have a tree like this to pick ripe fruit from to make wonderful things with in the kitchen.
Planting a summer flower cutting garden
I decided to add a couple of extra boxes I order to have fresh cut flowers for the restaurant when it opens in a couple of months. I am so thankful for dirt and rain – and the magic they do in a garden.
Putting in booths and chairs at Union Hill Kitchen
Since I am now waiting for the the city to approve my plans, I decided to fool around with seating arrangements to see how to best place the tables.
My lecture at Purdue University
I was invited to be a guest speaker and judge for Purdue University’s Broiler Culinary Throwdown. A yearly event in which students in different academic concentrations compete in a make shift kitchen. Amazing food was made at this event. I was excited to meet all the students and especially the Agriculture and Food Science students.
Union Hill kitchen plans
I have been working feverishly trying to get all the approvals I need from the county officials to the city hall. I need approvals from the fire marshal , water management, health department and the City of Chamblee. I am still not approved by the fire department but persistence is one characteristic of success.
Union Hill Kitchen Drawings
I have been working on opening my new restaurant. It had been a very long road of approvals and re submitting of plans. My plans were rejected a third time but like my mother taught me growing up…. That anything that is worth doing takes lots of time and effort.
Make ahead quick & easy bread pudding
I am having a couple of friends over dinner tonight. My friend Debbie, David and Berna are going to enjoy one of my typical Sunday night dinners at my house. It’s very casual and very easy. This recipe resulted from using excess sliced toasted french bread that I was using for dinner a week [...]
Sweet home Alabama & bologna cake
Someone asked me if I had a good recipe for Bologna cake. I told this person that I would love to share one of my recipes with them but I had no idea nor have I ever heard of something called Bologna cake. I was not sure if it was a dessert or if it [...]
Views from the Great Wall!
One of the obligatory things one needs to do when traveling to Beijing, is to climb the Great Wall. It is truly an amazing piece of architecture and history to see with your own eyes. Some people in China say you are not a full man or a full woman unless you have climbed it [...]
Reservations at Iggy’s: the world’s 50 best restaurants
While I was in Singapore I was able to visit Iggy’s restaurant, One of the top 50 restaurants in the world. The restaurant is in the Hilton Hotel in Singapore. That night I was not able to take pictures with my regular camera because I forgot it in the hotel room. I was only [...]
Tradition, tomatoes and the beginning of fall.
Since I was a little boy, I have always loved fall. I remember when I was in my late 20′s, I enjoyed pulling all my fall scarfs, sweaters and long sleeve shirts out of storage. The pieces of clothing always looked like they were new. It was almost like having a new wardrobe. One of [...]
Man Mo temple Hong Kong
I was only in Hong Kong for a couple of days and I wanted visit places of historical significance. I visited the Man Mo Temple. It is a temple built in 1847 during the British rule of the Hong Kong and is worth a visit. The God of Literature (Man) and the God of War [...]
My portable frying pan
Today I stopped to fill my gas tank at a Pilot gas station in Tennessee. While I was buying a bottle of Fiji water and some nuts, I saw this portable 12 volt frying pan. What I like about these type of gas stations is that since this type of station caters to many [...]
Our Restaurant Garden has been planted
We have begun planting our Union Hill Kitchen gardens. I will be able to grab freshly pulled herbs, tomatoes, figs and lettuces.
Glaad Gala Atlanta
I will be cooking for the Glaad Gala in Atlanta on October 6th. It is an honor to be cooking for this event. The night promises to be a star-studded evening. Kettle One Vodka drinks will be featured that evening and the cast from the Vampire Diaries will be there as well as other celebrities. [...]
