Eat, Pray, Love (which by the way is a pretty good book)...then eat some more! In the last two weeks I've been enjoying the sinfulness of autumn gluttony. All I want to do on these chilly days is cozy up en mi casa and eat-eat-eat. The weekend before last, Ellie accompanied me to my first venture to Texas Roadhouse--a steak joint where I had the most amazing chili--and I hosted a little dinner party in which everyone enjoyed my awesome tortilla soup (I'm sorry if that sounds arrogant, but that soup was DEELiSH!!!), chicken adobo, P.F. Chang-inspired turkey lettuce wraps, tofu and turkey stir-fry (and lots of wine). Halloween was celebrated by nosching "fun-size" Twix bars (and please tell me why the hell something so ridiculously small is called "fun") and mini M&Ms. And with my mom's visit to see the fall foliage in the Carolinas this past weekend, she took the initiative to fatten me up by treating me to wonderful meals at local BBQ joints, Southern bistros and grills, and the super elegant restaurant, Devereaux's. YumYum!!! During her visit, she also treated me (and a good number of my friends) to some Paella Valenciana, Filipino egg-rolls, and Super Sashimi! Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I do not have a scale to determine the weight I've gained in the past weeks... but who cares?!?!? I got the metabolism to burn it off and the guts to poop it all out; bring on Thanksgiving!!! So in memory of all those things that partied in mouth and rumbled my tummy, I give to you an alphabet of this recent culinary cacophony.


Amuse-bouche of Shrimp Bisque - To get our palette's going at Devereaux's, Chef Stephen gave us a complimentary taste of a rich shrimp stock accompanied with a grapefruit-cumin whipped cream.



Butternut Squash Soup - My appetizer at the aforementioned five-star restaurant was this savory soup that seemed to capture the essence of autumn.




Curried Chicken - During my dinner party, my friend Ria prepared one hell of an Indian curry, marinated in a cilantro-garlic paste. And it was perfectly spicy!




Duck Breast - I can't resist duck. If I see it on the menu, I have to have it. I never fail to order the moist and fatty poultry. And this entree at Devereaux's rocked!



Empanadas - One of the snacks my mom brought to me from home were these Filipino delights, a slightly sweetened pastry filled with grilled chicken, peas, carrots, raisins, and potatoes. WoOt!!!



Fromage de Chevre Cheesecake - This was actually called "Cheese and Wine" on the dessert menu, but this goat cheese cheesecake was velvety and creamy and served with a wine reduction... and a nice little scoop of black-pepper ice cream!


Gelato of Pineapple Cheesecake - Greenville just opened their first gelato cafe, Luna Rosa, and this is definitely the place to get dessert. The pineapple cheesecake gelato was so light, with an interesting combination of the sweet tang of pineapple and subtle milk of the cheesecake.



Huckleberry-Black Muscat Reduction - This was the sauce that accompanied my duck. Though the word "muscat" resembles "muskrat," I was not the least bit afraid!



Iced Sweet Tea - So mom and I had a glasses of this Sonny's BBQ joint and Copper River Grill. Ever since I arrived in South Carolina, this is my drink of choice. The best sweet tea I've had was like drinking honey. MmmMmm!



Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese - Another gift mom brought me from home was this "white gold" from Washington State University. This cheese goes perfectly with homemade oven-baked corn tortilla chips!



King Crab Legs - Mom "decorated" the top of her paella with these monstrous legs of the sea spiders. The meat from these babies are so sweet and go perfectly with the hints of chorizo within the paella!



Lumpia Shanghai - Enough said!





Mourvedre Wine - This wine accompanied our fine-dining meal. Not too sweet, not to tart, not to dry, not to juicy. Perfect!




Noodle Soup - Mom made Filipino-style chicken noodle soup, complete with the vermicelli noodles that go down your throat like slugs!




Oysters - Imported from the Puget Sound to Clemson, these were especially hand picked directly from the beach by mom and dad! Coated with panko crumbs and then fried, absolutely AMAZING!



Paella Valenciana - Mom spent most of her Monday working on this, from preparing the saffron broth in the morning to cleaning all the shellfish in the afternoon and then baking it right before the guests arrived. Want some?



Quail Prepared Two Ways - To be perfectly honest, Mom's appetizer at Devereaux's was better than mine. One roasted quail leg and then one baked and coated in panko... all served atop a marscapone cheese risotto. Jealous!



Rutabaga Puree - After savouring this root, I think I will never go back to simple mashed potatoes ever again!




She-Crab Soup - Probably one of the best soups I've ever had! I had a wonderful bowl of this at Soby's mini-bistro. Creamy, spicy, sweet, crabby... and the splash of sherry makes it alcoholic, too!



Tiramisu - My friend Monica prepared this wonderful dessert for our dinner party, with lady fingers super soaked in rum and espresso. WooHoo!!!!




Unsweetened Cocoa - The secret to my red velvet cupcakes is adding a lot of this stuff! More than all recipes call for.




Veal Loin - Mom's meal at Devereaux's was this chef's special. Served atop a bed of parsnip risotto. Again, jealous!




White Tuna Sashimi - Make that Super White Tuna. This fish is so buttery and rich and light. I must admit it exceeds super salmon!




Xanthan Gum - Okay, so this was the most difficult one. But it is contained in the gummi bears that I "stole" from the dessert spread at a local Southern buffet joint!



Yeast Rolls - These appetizer rolls from Texas Roadhouse are perfect! And they are served with cinnamon butter!?!?!? C'mon!!!!




Zephyr Squash - These little autumn fruits accompanied my duck entree. I felt like I was eating mini-UFOs.