Otherlands Coffee Bar- Memphis, TN

Congratulations to The Otherlands Coffee Bar for being the Action News 5 Andy Wise, Project Green Fork Restaurant of the Month!!!!  My husband & I had the pleasure of visiting them for the first time.  You can cozy up at a table or on a comfy couch, which makes you feel right at home.  Add some warm lighting, local artwork and it's the perfect place to relax in an eclectic atmosphere.  And did I mention that our entire meal with less than $20?  You must see what all we got for that.  I bet you won't find a better deal, anywhere in Memphis & they are PGF certified!!!

Lox with Bagel & Cream Cheese 

This actually brought me back to the good ole days, Sunday Brunch at The Ridgeway Inn.  No one has been able to duplicate that, until now.  The smoky salmon, on a toasted onion H&H Bagel (New York's famous H&H will ship to your home), with their house made, fluffy cheddar & olive cream cheese, served with a side of capers & a tomato...it was heaven on a plate. 

Breakfast Burrito

Savory eggs, lightly seasoned potatoes with cheese & all wrapped up on a warm tortilla. Then served alongside a tangy salsa, oh yeah!!!  You could opt for Turkey Sausage for those meat lovers.  

Chips & Hummus

We love the fact that none of the items we picked, came with a side item.  It gave us the freedom to pick something we both love & could share!!!  Other options include, spicy cheese grits, scoop of pimento cheese/egg salad & best cinnamon toast in the south (that's what they call it).  Can't wait to try them all.

Any questions?

For more information, please visit them on Urbanspoon. 

Russo's New York Pizzeria - Memphis, TN

Russo's New York Pizzeria is not your ordinary pizzeria, they provide traditional Northern and Southern Italian favorites but they also feature classic New York style pizzas.  Plus, their menu options include gluten free pizza's, pastas, organic items & local produce from our farmers markets. They are a very ingredient oriented establishment, with an entire menu page, dedicated to explaining all about the type of ingredients that go into their classic Italian dishes.  On a side note, they could be a great candidate for becoming Project Green Fork certified.  Which you all know is huge, right now, in Memphis & will be for years to come!!  

Spinach & Artichoke Dip
This dip comes together with a creamy roasted garlic Alfredo, served with 
toasted Foccacia bread, lightly sprinkled with parmesan cheese

Prosciutto Wrapped Buffalo Mozzarella 
Like a crazy Caprese Salad, with it's creamy Buffalo mozzarella, wrapped in basil & grilled crispy prosciutto & resting on a bed a crunchy romaine (this dish received top billing from everyone at the table, a must try)

Ravioli Pomodoro
These gorgeous pillows are filled with savory cheeses, then topped with a delightfully chunky & hearty pomodoro sauce

Chicken Portabella Pizzotto
This unique dish, it's the offspring of a quesadilla & a pizza.  A pizza crust on top & on bottom stuffed with meaty Portabella mushroom, chicken, creamy mozzarella cheese & spinach.  Might I suggest serving it with a side of marinara for dipping?  Oh yeah baby!!!

Speaking of offspring, meet Caleigh (ain't she precious?!).  She found out that a knife is not only good for cutting your food but also helps soothe when those pesky teeth are starting to come in.  I promise she was using the dull end of that knife & being supervised the entire time.  Too funny not to share...  


Thank you to entire staff for your stellar service & tasty cuisine.  Especially to the owner, Brett, who ensured our dining experience, surpassed our greatest expectations.  We had a great time & will definitively be returning.  

Sweet & Spicy Coconut Curry

Looking for an easy weeknight meal that's packed with tons of great flavor?  Well, look no further you just found it!  Would you believe that this meal only takes about 30 mins to whip up?  You could even add some shredded chicken to this, if you wanted to.  So, this recipe came to life when I tested it the second time.  The sweet onion flavor from the leeks, raisins & the coconut milk, perfectly compliments the earthy shiitake mushrooms.  Then add in the bold flavors of the  curry powder & garam masala.  And finally, I added just the right amount of the heat from the sriracha, which really makes this dish one that I know you will love!!  It's not overly spicy just a nice balance.  As I am trying to find the balance between my day job & cooking great meals, we are finding more & more ways to cook up quick & easy meals like this one, so I can't wait to hear what you think.    

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 leek, sliced & soaked in bowl of water to remove dirt

2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

6-8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup raisins (golden or Thompson)

1 1/2 tsp maharajah curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

8 oz organic coconut milk

1 tsp sriracha

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water

zest of 1/2 lime

season to taste with salt & pepper

garnish with cilantro 

In a skillet, over medium high heat, add butter & oil.  Stir in leeks, season lightly with salt & cook til tender.  Add garlic, ginger & shiitake mushrooms, season lightly again.  As the mushrooms begin to cook down, add raisins, curry powder, garam masala & coconut milk, stir til everything is incorporated.  Stir in sriracha, a little broth if you prefer a thinner sauce (optional), the lime zest, finally seasoning of salt & pepper.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serve of rice or egg noodles.  

Makes 3-4 servings

Open Letter To Fellow Food Bloggers

Dear Food Bloggers,
I praise God everyday for each of you. I have met some really great folks along the way, we have formed fantastic friendships & yet we have never even met face to face.  But it seems like there is a slight misconception about who we are. We are our brands.  I, Angie Stewart Forester am Angie's Big Love of Food.  There is no difference between me & the food I post on my food page.  And what we create in the kitchen, means to love the person behind that creation. Years ago, when this journey began, I accepted that my personal & profession self would morph into being, one in the same.  And there are many culinary professionals out there, that will tell you the same thing, like Virginia Willis, whom I met back in October 2011.  So, when we go out into our communities & attend local events, we are our own individualistic brands.  We have built something very unique & we should be very proud of that.

We are a community of support but lately, something has been happening & I feel that it needs to be addressed.  Some of you have decided that being friends with personal FB pages, is not your thing, well that's ok.  I respect that.  But de-friending a personal page & still wanting to keep up with that person's food page, is essentially saying, they are 2 different things & they are not.  It's like hearing someone say, "it's not your food, I want to de-friend, it's just you."  Sounds pretty funny, doesn't it?! Plus, it means that you are walking away from those who have given their support to you.  And if that's the image, you want to put across that fine but that's not what our foodie community was founded on.  It was founded on love, support & appreciation for the special gifts, we share.  And Facebook, has been the foundation that allowed us to forms these connections in the first place.  Especially since we all live in different parts of the country.  Also, we do not need to hold each other accountable for how many times we "like" posts/comments.  And then use that as a measuring tool for who our closest friends are.  That is not your, who gets de-friended today tool, that's just silly folks, we are adults.  A lot of changes have occurred in the last 6 months on Facebook & chances are, what showed up in our news feeds 6 months ago, is just not showing up today.  We all know there's a science that is behind our news feeds & most certainly a lot we don't even know.

In conclusion, my hope is that by sharing this, it will help us show love and support for each other, the very best way we know how.  Our doors are always open, a welcome mat is always out & freshly baked cookies are always waiting.  In the beginning, it took some time to find all of you but we now have a solid circle of foodie friends, for which I am truly thankful.  Many of you are on my personal page because I love you, want to keep up with you (and your family) & how you are doing. Even if we don't get an opportunity to talk much, I am still here, reading as many of your posts as possible.  And I hope that we will be able to continue this community of support for years to come.

Blessings & love,
Angie