An Evening in the Kitchen at Gourmet & Company

Have you ever been the guest of the chef in the kitchen at a fine dining restaurant? Until this night, neither had we. It was the treat of a lifetime!

 

"Wear something cool. It gets sweltering in the kitchen", they told us.

I chose a high low black top and slim leg black pants from Chico's with earrings from Stein Mart, very old beaded copper evening shoes, and a bag from T.J.Maxx.

Gourmet & Company is celebrating 25 years in business.

This evening they opened their kitchen to us for the evening. A special table was set up in an area where we could watch Chef Jacob and his team create the magic on our plates.

Below is Todd, the most awesome bar manager ever! We have been visiting with him for more than eight years, and he is always charming and professional. His ability to pair the best wine with your food is always spot on.

Below is Chef Jacob. He is an amazingly talented chef, but he also has a keen eye for business and has taught his staff to "be" him. It was like watching a dance performance as they quickly prepared seventy-five fabulous meals on this evening.

Chef Jacob prepared each of our seven courses, and Todd paired each with the perfect wine to complement the flavors.

This pasta dish was one of the best ever!

The Sockeye Salmon was also perfect.

The sweet corn pudding was a delightful dessert course.

The team in action at the busiest time.

Jason, Jacob, Mr. Mickey and I, John and Chance

Our splendid menu for the evening.

Thank you, Chef Jacob and Gourmet & Company, for an evening we will never forget.

Jazz Night

At the end of a tough day, the best reward is a relaxing evening with your best friend.

Mr. Mickey and I stopped at the Memorial Hall Theater at the Veterans Administration for a few quick photos on our way to dinner.

  

The theater is supposedly haunted by an old projectionist and actors moving about on the stage. I am happy to report no such ghosts were seen on this visit.

Established in 1901, the Mountain Home VA Medical Center is located here in Johnson City.

We had dinner at Wellington's, where a jazz band was playing. They often have live entertainment, including professors and students from ETSU.

As is often the case, we struck up a conversation with someone because we liked her shoes. Can you believe this woman is 55?

White Shirt and Jeans

It's a classic combination... a white shirt with blue jeans.

This fabulous white San Francisco Shirt from Cali and York has gold trim buttons and three-quarter length sleeves.

The jeans are old from NYDJ. The bag is from Coach. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx. The silver, gold, and gunmetal chain necklace is from Chico's.

Wear It Wednesday: Routine

Many of you have asked about my daily routine and what I eat. About three years ago I lost forty pounds. If I stray from the routine outlined below, I immediately start to see the weight creep back on.

A long walk every day is an essential part of my physical and mental health. The earlier, the better! I normally walk/run/jog three miles at about six o'clock every morning in the warmer months. In the colder months, I walk in the warmest part of the day. I move around as much as possible during the day and never take the parking spot closest to my destination. That's it for exercise.

Two cups of tea before my walk is part of every morning—no cream or sugar.

During the day, I sip bottled water with either fresh lime or lemon juice squeezed into it. No ice or sugar. (The bottled water is distributed by Mr. Mickey's company.)

I often make a green smoothie using frozen peas, kale (Russian Kale shown here is my favorite), a banana, yeast flakes (for B12), almond milk, yogurt, and a teaspoon of some flavor of All Fruit by Polaner for sweetness.

I use this plain yogurt as if it were mayonnaise, sour cream, or ice cream, depending upon what I am adding it to.

I have half of the smoothie with breakfast and the other half at lunch. I just put the blender in the fridge until lunch and then give it another whirl on the blender base to remix it.

I have some version of this hot cereal every morning with whatever fruit is in season. The recipe is here.

I sometimes crave a bite of dark chocolate, so I will have one truffle occasionally.

Dates with yogurt are one of my favorite desserts!

Lunch is normally more kale cut up in small ribbons (julienned) with whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. Heirloom tomatoes from my parent's garden are the centerpiece of every lunch right now. I eat vegetables raw whenever possible. Purple Japanese sweet potatoes or quinoa are often part of my lunch. Here is another version of lunch.

A little olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the only condiments I add to salads. Fresh herbs and garlic also give some added flavor. Eating whatever is in season and local as often as possible is my goal. I also buy organic if it is available. On rare occasions, I may eat a piece of chicken or fish if I am at a restaurant I know serves free-range or wild-caught.

Lunch is at about two in the afternoon. I try to eat nothing after three in the afternoon. If it is date night or some other social occasion in the evening, I will order a salad and a glass of wine. I am mindful of portions at all meals, but I eat the least amount of food possible in the evenings.

Food is nourishment, not entertainment, not therapy, not reward. If I eat high nutrient foods during the earlier part of the day, I rarely feel hungry in the evening. I sleep much better when I go to bed with an empty stomach. I also feel less hungry the whole next day.

For more information about healthy eating, read these books:

'Eat to Live' by Doctor Joel Furhman

'Clean' by Doctor Alejandro Junger

More Cali and York!

I am wearing the tunic over a plain white tank and old Levis. The DVF shoes are old and they are from Nordstrom. The Alberta di Canio handbag is from T.J.Maxx.

You can find many more high-quality classic pieces like this tunic at Cali and York.

The Sky Bar

Thank goodness for the weekend and a break from all the to-do lists!

Mr. Mickey and I enjoy Asheville, North Carolina, for the wide variety of events that are always happening, international dining adventures, shopping, art galleries, and the general festive atmosphere, which seems to prevail on summer weekends.

The red umbrellas above mark the Sky Bar. We will visit there later to watch the sun slip behind the distant mountain ranges.

In midsummer, the flowers in planters throughout the city are simply breathtaking!

This street performer absolutely defies gravity.

These fellows found a shady entry from which to serenade the passing tourists. As we walked past, they sang, "I like your shoes." We will never know if they meant mine or Mr. Mickey's.

Wall Street has many unique shops and restaurants. It remains one of our favorites.

You never know what you might find around the next corner, from a crochet covered tricycle to the famous Spoon Lady.

We were captivated by the haunting sound of this performer's electronic "violin." We listened for a long while and even bought a CD from him. His twin brother performs on the same type of instrument in Greenville, South Carolina. The handsome brothers are Stephen and Jeff Neil.

I have wanted to visit the Southern Highlands Craft Gallery in the old Biltmore Oteen Bank building for months. It was great to see all the works of art there. The building has been beautifully restored.

New to the Biltmore Village is the Well-Bred Bakery of Weaverville.

The weather was hot, but it was a beautiful day to be in the city.

Mr. Mickey is a happy man!

As the sun starts to slide down toward the horizon, we make our way to the Sky Bar.

We shared a table with the most delightful beautiful young couple. This is Drew and Blaine. We fell in love with them. It was instant best friends! I felt so sad when it was time for us to leave for our drive home.

Watching the sun slip behind the mountains marked the end of a perfect day.

My top is from Chico's. The white jeans are from Kut from the Kloth at Dillard's. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx. The bracelet is old from a gallery in Highlands, North Carolina.