Good Day Atlanta Viewer Information May 13, 2016
Local Artist Wakes The “Dead” With Coffee Mugs: Nothing takes care of those bleary eyes like a cup of coffee in the morning – and that’s especially true when the mug you’re using is staring right back at you!
Buford’s Kevin Merck – better known to fans as “Turkey Merck” – is a special education teacher at East Hall High School and a world-renowned potter, whose zombie mugs are invading kitchens everywhere. Merck says it all began when he posted a picture of his hand-crafted zombie mugs to Facebook – the picture went viral, and orders began pouring in. Now, Merck can’t keep the mugs in stock, and among his fans are makeup artist Kevin Wasner and producer/director Greg Nicotero, both of “The Walking Dead.” Merck plans to release 20 more zombie mugs at 2 p.m. EST on Friday, May 13th – click here for ordering information. Merck is also selling the coffee to go along with the mugs – called Slow Joe Coffee!
Good Day Atlanta’s Paul Milliken spent some time with “Turkey Merck” in his studio – and got to see the place where the “zombie magic” happens. WEB LINK: www.turkeymerck.com
Burgers With Buck: Sometimes one 's' just isn't enough. The first thing you that pops into your mind when you see the overhead sign at Ssam Burger on Defoors Ferry Road in NW Atlanta...darn autocorrect (Darn you ask? It's a family show, right?)
The apparent misspelling is not only intentional, but it's not a misspelling at all. Ssam is a Korean word which means wrapped, and to be honest with you, the staff at #BurgersWithBuck was more concerned with the spelling of the second word on the sign anyway...Burger.
Ssam Burger has been described as an Asian-fusion joint that blends together Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and American cuisine. While all of that is nice, they had me at Burger.
There are eight burgers on the menu with clever and creative names like the Kimcheese Burger and the Crazy Ninja Burger. All of the burgers come with a side. The Korean sweet potato chips are a nice option, but in my humble opinion, the Lotus chips are the way to go.
Owner Stacey Ke is from China, and she presented us with a pair of her favorite menu options, the Seoul Burger, and the Aloha Burger. The Seoul Burger is a Korean BBQ, Angus beef patty with sesame arugula, sliced onion and Ssam sauce. The Aloha Burger is the same Korean BBQ, Angus beef patty, bacon, carmelized pineapples, romaine lettuce, and Sriracha mayo.
So #BurgersWithBuck decided (along with a strong suggestion by Mrs. Ke) to give the Aloha Burger a try. The combination of the sweet from the carmelized pineapple and the hot from the Sriracha mayo, made for a memorable experience, and the aforementioned Lotus chips just added to the overall experience.
So the next time you're in the area, know that the spelling on the sign is not a mistake, and neither is popping for a burger.
For more information about Ssam Burger, go to their website http://www.ssamburgeratlanta.com/.
And, as always, if you have a favorite burger that you would like to see featured on, tell me about it on https://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5 or https://twitter.com/BuckFOX5, and don't forget to use the hashtag #BurgersWithBuck and/or #BWB.
Link to recall on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Website:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchCurrentMonthRecall
Food That Rocks Festival in Sandy Springs: The inaugural food festival kicks off this Saturday in Sandy Springs with over twenty of Sandy Springs' best restaurants participating. The event benefits three charities, Second Helpings, Ian's Frinds Foundation and the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Today on Good Day Chef Mimmo Alboumeh, Maya Steaks and Seafood joins us with a delicious Paella recipe. For more information on Maya restaurant click here. For more information on Food That Rocks Festival click here.
Maya Steakhouse | Seafood Paella
Prep Time 120 minutes
Servings 8-12 people
Rice
-4 cups ‘calasparra rice’ spanish short grain rice
-4 liters water
-2 tablespoons kosher salt
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 bay leaves
bring water to boil, add salt, bay leaves, oil and rice at medium heat cook for 7 minutes, remove strain and put aside
Paella
-18 inch paella pan
-1/2 cup tablespoons spanish olive oil
-1 lemon, seeded, one inch cut
-4 oz Spanish cured chorizo dice
-4 oz garlic cloves split
-6 oz sweet onion diced
-6 oz red bell pepper, deveined, one inch square cut
-6 oz green bell pepper, deveined, one inch square cut
-1/2 cup sweet tomato purée
-1/2 cup spanish fino wine
-2 ½ cups fish stock
-4 tablespoons kosher salt
-2 tablespoons spanish smoked sweet paprika
-all pre-cooked rice
at medium-low heat, add the oil and gradually sweat the vegetables for two minutes each allowing them release their natural aromas.
add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 8 minutes then spread the seafood on top and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until the seafood is completely cooked.
remove and garnich with the steamed mussels, clams and sprinkle the tarragon. serve with lemon wedges and drizzle extra virgin Spanish oil like a spaniard.
-1/2 lb Spanish octopus, thinly sliced
-1 lb cobia fish, one inch square cut
-1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined tail on
-1 lb large scallops
-1 lb king prawns, head and shell on
-4 oz shucked green peas
-1 lb mediterranean mussels if available or PEI, washed and rinsed
-2 lb little neck clams shell on, washed and rinsed
-2 table tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 cup spanish fino wine
at medium-high heat, add the olive oil, mussels, clams and cook for 8 minutes until the shells are open, add the fino, simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
-1 oz tarragon chopped
-olive oil and salt if desired