It's time to take a break from all the searching. Searching for a dentist, an eye doctor, a place to get a haircut and the occasional (although on a regular basis) highlight. After sticking with the same hair salon for 20+ years in Charlotte, I'll be searching for the third one in 5 months here in ATL.
Speaking of searches, I decided to give Angie's List a try. Of course, in order to try it you have to join ... for a price. One would think it could come in handy in a new city. Surprisingly though, I'm finding very few reviews for such basics as dentists, hair salons, movers, etc. If there are so few reviews (in the less-than-five range) in a city of this size, I can't imagine it would be useful at all in a smaller city. I would love to hear what others have experienced with it. Please let me know.
The one meal that I feel pretty confident about cooking well is one that includes fish. I'm sure that's only because I cook fish quite often. I've done a little steaming and roasting of fish, but usually I just keep it simple with a little bit of butter and olive oil in the pan on the stovetop. It's so simple, but lets the particular fish I'm cooking come through on its own -- which makes starting with a good piece of fish to begin with essential. And that statement makes me once again mourn and pine for the Clean Catch fish market in Charlotte. There is no equivalent in this city, and I can't seem to convince the guys at Clean Catch that they would be a huge hit here.
With salmon I like to play around with adding something extra, like a mixture of spices or, as in this case, a brushing of a Dijon mustard and maple syrup mixture. Farro is easy to make and goes well with salmon and, for hubby, a pork chop. I added a simple vinaigrette to boost the flavor -- a bit of Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and salt & pepper, and I think I may have even added a few drops of maple syrup. The kale salad was from Whole Foods.
