New Farmers Market

I visited the new farmers' market on Buford Highway. It's located near the southern end, perhaps a mile south of Clairmont---my best local reference is the bowling alley.

Most of these markets skew toward one or a few ethnicities. This one definitely serves the Hispanic market, although it has the usual selection of items from everywhere. Here are some random observations:

* A pretty good deal on organic peaches.

* A wide variety of interesting produce that I've never cooked with before.

* What I assume must be lard labeled as "pork oil," a strangely accurate description.

* Fresh chiccarones.

* A large selection of woks next to a large selection of pans with largely Spanish labeling.

* Some really huge pots and an excellent selection of tortilla presses.

* And they handed out fresh popcorn at the exit!

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Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)

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Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

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Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

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