$25 buck Prix-Fixe Menu May 27th-June 2nd

Menu A

1.
crisp sweetbreads with tarragon jus, grits custard, and succotash
St Veran, Trenel & Fils, Burgundy, France, 2007


2.
red wine braised chicken thighs, lardons, roasted button mushrooms, baby carrots, pearl onions, and leek whipped potatoes
Hautes Cotes de Nuits, Mongeard-Mugneret, Burgundy, France, 2007

3.
Ossau Iraty cheese with fresh fruit and toasted pecans

Menu B

1.
spinach salad with spiced pecans, shallot-thyme vinaigrette, blue cheese, and pear
Gruner Veltliner, Berger, Austria, 2008

2.
shrimp n grits: georgia shrimp, Anson Mills hominy grits, andouille sausage, and arugula in a spicy red pepper broth
Vermentino, Clos Teddi, Patrimonio, Corsica, France, 2008

3.
brownie with cherry chocolate chunk ice cream


$25 Food
$15 Wine (optional)

Available for 5:30 pm, 5:45 pm and 6:00 pm reservations

Oregon Wine Dinner June 1st

Join us at Five & Ten on Tuesday June 1st for an Oregon Wine Dinner featuring wines from Rex Hill Vineyards , Francis Tannahill Wine Company and A to Z Wineworks

1.

fried goat cheese with field pea, tomato and cucumber salad, pickled okra and a buttermilk dressing

Rex Hill Pinot Gris 2007

2.

corn soup with poached lobster and vanilla

A to Z Riesling 2007

3.

poached halibut with spicy tomato broth, Red Mule grits and roasted asparagus

A to Z Chardonnay 2007

4.

roasted quail breasts with walnut skordalia, heart of palm and avocado salad and a pomegranate syrup vinaigrette

Rex Hill Jacob Hart Pinot 2007

5.

gnocchi with lamb sugo, fresh mint and caramelized leeks

Francis Tannahill Syrah 2006

6.

rhubarb and berry pie with cream

$85 per person
6:30 pm at Five & Ten
call (706) 546-7300 for reservations

5 & 10 Prix Fixe May 13th-May 20th

menu a.
1.
braised and grilled pork belly with melon, citrus, and mint chimichurri
Riesling , Selbach-Oster, Bernkasteler Badstube Spätlese, Mosel, Germany, 2007

2.
roasted pork tenderloin, salsa verde, baby carrots, mashed peas with bacon and sage, and smoky ham hock broth
Côtes du Rhône, Monpertuis, 'Vignoble de la Ramiere', France, 2007

3.
Bahamian coconut rum cake with espresso whipped cream and cocoa sorbet


menu b.

1.
spicy shrimp tartine with smoked paprika aioli
Riesling, Von Hövel, Scharzhofberger Kabinett, Saar, Germany, 2007

2.
spring vegetables:
morel and porcini sformata, grilled ramps, favas with mint and pine nuts, asparagus a la plancha, and sauteed swiss chard
Saint Veran, Trenel & Fils, Burgundy, France, 2008

3.
Vanilla bean cheese cake with Mimi's green tomato marmalade and basil whipped cream


$25
available for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

*WINE PAIRINGS ARE AN ADDITIONAL $15

Prix Fixe menu changes every Thursday

bocce ball

I am no expert in Bocce ball. All I know is this, it is a game generally played outdoors (except in Brooklyn) with simple rules and I enjoy it best with a mint julep in hand. Start practicing this summer and come to Empire State South in August for a game or two of bocce.

In case you need to brush up, here are the most basic bocce rules.

The game is played with 8 bocce balls and one smaller target ball called the pallino. Bocce can be played between two players or two teams of four players per team. The object is to roll the bocce balls closer to the pallino than your opponent.

The game begins with a player chosen at random (maybe by coin toss) throwing the pallino. Each team then takes alternating turns to throw their balls toward the pallino in hopes of placing their ball closest to the pallino or moving their opponent's ball away from the pallino.

At the end of each frame (when all players have thrown their balls), points are determined by figuring out which team has the highest number of bocce balls closest to the pallino. In the event that the two balls closest to the pallino belong to opposing teams then the teams are tied and no points will be awarded. The pallino then returns to the team who threw it. Only balls which are clearly closer to the pallino will be awarded points.

The team who wins will be the first to throw in the next match. Generally, bocce rules state the first to 13 points wins.

sources:

http://www.sportsknowhow.com/bocce/rules/bocce-rules.html

http://www.centralconnector.com/GAMES/bocce.html

http://www.bocceballsets.com/bocceballrulesarticle.cfm

http://www.shelterrific.com/2009/06/16/bocce-ball-yard-games-get-hip/

Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff

Check out this new book on canning, written by author Liana Krissoff and photographed by artist Rinne Allen, both Athenians. The book will not be released until August 1st and from what I hear from Rinne it is going to be pretty rockin. Click here to pre-order.

Here is the editorial review from Amazon.com:

"“When I was growing up canning was for old folks and cranks and separatists,” writes Liana Krissoff in her introduction to Canning for a New Generation. But not anymore. With soaring food prices and the increasing popularity of all things domestic and DIY, there’s never been a better time to revisit the centuries-old techniques of preserving food at home.

This hip, modern handbook is filled with fresh and new ways to preserve nature’s bounty throughout the year. Organized by season and illustrated with beautiful photographs, it offers detailed instructions and recipes for making more than 150 canned, pickled, dried, and frozen foods, as well as 50 inventive recipes for dishes using these foods. Basic information on canning techniques and lively sidebars round out this refreshing take on a classic cooking tradition."

For more from these two talented women, check out Liana's blog titled Pie & Beer and Rinne 's website or her collaborative blog Beauty Everyday.

Prix Fixe May 6th-12th

menu a.

1. roasted tomatoes, marinated oyster mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, and crisp sage

Grillo, Feudo Disisa, Sicily, Italy, 2008

2. lamb bolognese with housemade pappardelle and pecorino

Sangiovese/Syrah, Fattoria Paradiso, 'Bellablu', Emilia-Romagna, Italy, 2003

3. Rhubarb brulee with local strawberries and linzer cookie

menu b.

1. white salad of endive, frisee, fennel, cucumber, celery and shaved parmesan with white truffle vinaigrette

Cava, Conde de Subirats, Spain, NV

2. roasted arctic char with clams, mussels, shrimp, and tomatoes in a fennel-orange broth with grilled sourdough and aioli

Vouvray Sec, Huet, 'Le Mont', Loire, France 2006

3. Sweetgrass Georgia Gouda with green tomato chutney, spiced pecans and fresh pear

$25 per person, wine pairings are an additional $15

Prix Fixe menu is available 5:30, 5:45 & 6:00 Reservations

Five & Ten

1653 South Lumpkin Street

Athens, GA 30606

706-546-7300

Drink a Margarita at The National

The staff of the Athens Banner Herald went in search of the perfect margarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with. They found The Margarita at The National to be a 9 out of 10! Stop by today and try for yourself.

Here is an excerpt from their piece...to read the full article, click here.

"Like everything I've ever eaten at The National, this margarita was fresh and delicious. And by fresh, I mean house-made triple sec, with the limes, oranges and lemons squeezed right in front of me by the lovely bartender, Emily. Emily explained the recipe for the triple sec comes from Chuck Ramsey over at sister restaurant 5 & 10 in Five Points. Ramsey shared it with National co-owner Chris Luken, who adapted it and made it his own. Emily used Cuervo Gold. And let me just say, this was the finest margarita I've ever sipped. With most margaritas, you get that little synthetic-flavored twang on the back of the tongue as it goes down. Not so here. And being someone who likes to avoid fructose-corn-syrup sweeteners anyway, I hate to drink the bottled stuff (though I will, of course, make an exception). You could even say this is a "healthy" margarita if you wanted to. At any rate, National, I think you spoiled me for good. This earns a 9." JULIE PHILLIPS

The National, 232 W. Hancock Ave.

strawberry soup

Beatrice & Clementine went out to Moon Farms on Sunday afternoon and picked three gallons of strawberries. With all our berries, we are doing to make strawberry soup. This recipe is eye appealing, delicious and refreshing. A great addition to a Mothers Day meal.

strawberries and strawberry soup with crisp meringue, black pepper and sabayon
serves 6

strawberry soup
½ cup white sugar
½ cup cold water
4 cups hulled strawberries
1 cup champagne
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely minced

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, you made simple syrup.

Place strawberries in a blender and add the simple syrup. Puree until smooth. Pass through coarse strainer into a bowl.

With a spoon fold in the champagne and the mint into the strawberry puree.

Reserve.

meringues
6 egg whites
pinch of salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups white granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 200°F.

With whisk attachment on mixer beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt, tartar and vanilla. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the eggwhites are lofty, stiff but smooth, about six to eight minutes.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place meringue base into a pastry bag and pipe into sixteen 3-inch diameter circles onto the foil.

Bake for 1 ½ hours or until they are dry to the touch and crisp.

sabayon
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
¼ cup white granulated sugar
1 vanilla pod scrapped
zest of two lemons, juice of one
1 teaspoon freshly ground black tellicherry peppercorn
3/4 cup champagne

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks and keep in fridge.

In a large SS bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and champagne. Place over water bath (double boiler) and carefully whisk, but vigorously, until foamy and thicker. Remove from heat and continue whisking until thick and COOL.

Fold sabayon base into whipped cream.

Set aside.

strawberries
1 teaspoon cointreau
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups strawberries

toss together and let sit at room temp for one hour.

Assembly
Lay out six nice bowls and pour even amounts of the strawberry soup in each. Place a nice little piles of macerated berries in each, place a tablespoon of sabayon, one meringue more sabayon and then the final meringue. Garnish with fresh mint.