Felicia Suzanne's Lunch (Memphis)

Felicia Willet and I go way, way back. She's the culinary goddess of Memphis and one of the first chefs who captured my teenage attention beyond the television screen. I spent my sixteenth birthday dining in the Felicia Suzanne kitchen and remember the private meal's spacial intimacy and flavor intensity almost perfectly. I became infatuated with the restaurant's behind-the-scenes perspective and, clearly, have never turned back.

Felicia then cooked my high school graduation dinner at my home, making my favorite short rib grilled cheese and peppermint ice cream mini ice cream sandwiches like no one's business (healthy, I know).

And now, I live directly next door to Felicia's magical Memphis-meets-New Orleans restaurant and patio. Could it be more perfect? I think not.

I have dined at Felicia Suzanne's countless times without taking the appropriate photographs. I cannot stand to scroll through my Critiques page anymore without seeing her name under the "Memphis" category, so here is a taste of the Southern kitchen. I plan to step back into Felicia's fairly soon and taste/photograph some house favorites. But for now, I will discuss my favorite Friday lunch items that keep me going back. Besides the 25 cent dirty martinis.

1. SHORT RIB GRILLED CHEESE. I am not afraid to claim this sandwich as a top 10 dish I have ever and will ever taste. Tender short ribs on the inside and melted, toasted cheese on the outside. That's right; there's a generous sprinkle of cheese in between the bread, but the outside Sweetwater cheddar cheese kicks this up so many notches.

2. GUMBO. Did you know that Felicia trained under Emeril Lagasse, to whom I attribute my pretend cooking shows as a little kid? She clearly learned his gumbo secrets, because the andouille sausage and chicken roux is legitimate. Felicia's country gumbo is much more savory than a seafood gumbo, but it's well-rounded, especially with a dollup of (not too creamy) potato salad right in the middle.

3. FSR SALAD + FRIED OYSTERS. The oysters are plump and piping hot, melting blue cheese underneath. The tartness of the muscadine grapes inspired me to buy my own crate at the Memphis Farmers Market last weekend, where I ran into Felicia herself selling her precious Flo's line (homemade bread and butter pickles, you guys). Oh, and her cornbread croutons make sourdough croutons look defeated and flavorless. Hers are crispy and slightly crumbly in the center. And sweet. . .just like every touch in her Downtown Memphis restaurant.

Sweet Potato Hash (Two Ways)

Have you jumped on the #bestovers bandwagon yet? I have been following sites such as Food52 and Love & Lemons on Instagram (as should you), and the creative spins on "leftovers" truly blow me away. When I tried out a simple sweet potato hash with Zoe last week for dinner -- because, let's face it, who has the patience to watch a potato bake in the oven while your stomach is grumbling -- I also envisioned a fancied hash brown version with a crispy fried egg. I can't decide which preparation I prefer; but the good news? You can enjoy both. For breakfast. And dinner.

Any #bestovers ideas from your kitchen? Send them my way!

Makes 4 servings

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 ears of corn kernels 2 tablespoons butter Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, minced

1. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet on medium-medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes and corn.

2. Sauté until roasted and potatoes are soft yet crispy, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

3. For dinner, serve alongside your protein of choice and vegetable. For breakfast, prepare one egg over-easy and serve over hash.

ECCO on Overton Park (Memphis)

A lovely little restaurant arrived in Midtown recently; and once I read that Memphis Magazine named the tuscan bean salad a top ten dish of the year, the image would not escape my ever-growing list of cravings. I became even more captivated by the new concept when I discovered its overtaking of the once-renowned sidewalk café, Fresh Slices, the ultimate weekend hangout of my good 'ole high school days. Seriously, what a transformation! The space was 100% gutted, and the originally dark, cracked wood walls are now lined with elegant pastoral paintings by local artists.

The tuscan bean salad set a standard of rustic simplicity, taking me back to my Italian travels in every spoonful. I asked for no red onion, which (in my opinion) elevated the smooth texture and highlighted the tones of olive oil and lemon. A chilled glass of white wine is an imperative with this starter.

This short rib, tender enough to fall apart with a fork, sat atop a subtle mashed cauliflower that would outdo the traditional carb-loaded mashed potato any day of the week. The carrots were nothin' special, but the red wine sauce naturally strung every component together.

Y'all know how I feel about pasta, porcinis, and parmesan. The three, while rightfully sumptuous in their own right, create a tasteful combination that I frankly could not live without. The porcini handmade ravioli, delicate and savory, was taken up a notch by the browned butter and snowfall of parmesan shavings. Divine.

The salad special hit a home run, and I hate to spend detail on a temporary menu offering that may not be around when you visit...But I must. The proscuitto-wrapped figs (which provide the best balance between sweet and salty) and haricot verts paired nicely with a housemade balsamic drizzle and bell pepper medley. The chef here clearly knows what he's doing, and I can't wait to come back.

An Apartment Tour

The apartment, at last, feels like a home. And I'm ready to share it with you. Thank goodness for my interior design expert of a mother, because I struggled to transition my dish presentation and food lifestyle shots to a bare floor plan. I guess my defeated attempts at decision-making are to blame, but enterting a furniture store overwhelmed my innocent self, whose only line to verbalize was, "Everything is just so pretty!" With a foundation of rustic neutrals and added modern pops of mirrored and lucite materials, my and Zoe's apartment has finally come together. Scroll through the photo tour, and feel free to click on the links of my decor details!

paper straws | jigger | strainer | decanter | bar cart

rose bottle stopper | martini shaker | bar cart | rabbit wine opener | cocktail book

sisal rug | x-stools | lucite table | fur throw | wood tray

yellow kitchenaid

drop-leaf table

mirrored nightstand | linen duvet | terai folding chair (not pictured)

Gazpacho (Featured on The Everyday Adventurer)

Last week, the Cuisinart was calling my name. . .or maybe it was the "five days left of summer" alarm going off in the back of my mind. Alas, such a calling inspired an entire day in my new kitchen with Haim Pandora station in the background and bowls and spoons in every direction.

Coincidentally, I had just been in touch with sisters Lindsey and Haley of The Everyday Adventurer, a new Austin-based lifestyle blog with a focus similar to that of Caramelized -- celebrating everyday experiences, whether a new destination or a new stylish outfit. I couldn't have been more excited to be on their blog to share my latest gazpacho recipe, which is super simple and summer-ific. Please do not let the fact that the tomatoes are pureed intimidate you -- it's a faster process than standing and dicing one at a time.

Click here for the recipe instructions and a little Q&A. Thanks for having me, Lindsey & Haley!

A Caramelized Conversation with Elizabeth Chambers

Elizabeth Chambers may wear many hats -- television personality, model, wife of The Social Network's Armie Hammer, and journalist, to name a few -- but owner of San Antonio's most beloved sweet shop is the icing on the cake, in my book. BIRD Bakery, Chambers' precious confectioners paradise that will soon ship nationwide, reflects Elizabeth's roots in every made-from-scratch recipe. I admire her ability to juggle so many career moves (including entrepreneurial ones) at once with the utmost poise and passion. As a fellow UT-Austin College of Communication alum, I only hope to model one of her successful ventures! Please join me and Elizabeth in the latest Caramelized Conversation. . .

YOUR MOST UNFORGETTABLE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE?

I think my most unforgettable restaurant experience has to be a dinner at Le Bremner in Montreal. It wasn't a special occasion and we didn't have any particular reason to celebrate, but my husband and I were filming in Montreal at the time and several of our friends flew in for the weekend. It was the first Friday night everyone was in town, we dined outside on a perfect summer night and the food and drinks were epic. It's Chuck Hughes’ second in Montreal and one of my most favorite restaurants of all time.

HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER YOUR LOVE OF BAKING?                      

In my family, you come out of the womb being a cook, a baker or both. My grandmother owned an incredibly successful catering company and for as long as I can remember, I would try to help her bake. I like to cook, but love to make desserts and have always loved to eat them. *Below is a photo of me (scantily clad) baking in my grandmother's commercial kitchen when I was young.

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SAN ANTONIO?

The people in San Antonio are incredible. They are not only wonderfully loyal customers, but they are genuinely lovely people. If someone says, "it's nice to know you" in San Antonio, they don't mean, "it's nice to know what you can do for me," they genuinely mean it's nice to know you for who you are. There's something incredibly refreshing about that.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT LA?

I love every single thing about Los Angeles. There's truly nothing I don't love. I love the people here and the creative vibe of the city.

WHAT, IN YOUR WORDS, IS THE VISION OF BIRD BAKERY? We're so excited it's spreading nationwide soon!

Our mission is to create the freshest, finest, from-scratch, most delicious nostalgic American desserts each and every day (with the exception of Sunday). Almost all of our recipes are family recipes and I love that people are instantly brought back to their childhood when they take that first bite.

EVERY HOME COOK NEEDS. . .

Passion. And someone to share their creations with. When I've had a particularly stressful day, you know it because there will be stacks and stacks of cookies in the kitchen.  I love packaging them and giving them to people because everyone loves cookies. Baked goods are like currency--no one's going to turn them down.

HOW DO YOU ADD SWEET TOUCHES TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES?

By always focusing on the details. It's the little things that people notice and the little things that matter.

LET US IN TO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE.

My daily routine changes incredibly each day. Whether I'm in a foreign country on assignment for the Human Rights Foundation, on a plane, working in LA or in San Antonio at the bakery, it's always a balancing act. I think it's incredibly helpful to compartmentalize priorities, which is one of the reasons that I don't plan on opening a location in LA--I like the geographic delineation of the two worlds.  With the expansion of our San Antonio store, future opening of our Dallas location and a baby on the way, there are a lot of balls in the air, but with technology and an amazing staff, all things are possible.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL FAVE BITE FROM THE BIRD BAKERY MENU?

My favorite BIRD bite usually changes every 4 to 6 months. Lately, I'm absolutely obsessed with our Lemon Squares. I cannot get enough and when I'm not in San Antonio, I crave them immensely. I think I've tried every single lemon bar, square and tart in LA and none of them achieve the perfect tartness and texture that ours do. In fact, I would put our Lemon Squares up against any--they're truly the best.