My apologies to those of you who were expecting this post to drop on our normal Tuesday morning release schedule.

I honestly tried, but we were also hosting the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Championships at Mercedes Benz Stadium for the past 2 days and I just completed 2 grueling 18 hour shifts! 

6:30am – 1:30am on day one immediately followed by 6:30am – 12:30am the following day! 

Ouch.

It was literally busload after busload of screaming teens.  I must have seen that Fortnite dance at least 3,672 times over the last 2 days…

Here are a few shots of me and GPB TV “hostess with the mostess” Chelsea Phillips Tafoya working our angles on the sideline!

It was a great time but yeah, I’m tired.  

Hopefully this all makes sense since I’m currently high on cold meds!  I now have a deeper understanding of Jimi Hendrix’s songwriting process…

Anyway, welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza!

As we closed out last post, sickness was overtaking my body as I slowly faded off like the end of the Avengers movie.  I’m still dealing with cold and flu symptoms but in the meantime, the show must go on, eh?

Last Wednesday, The Atlanta Hawks took on The Washington Wizards so here’s my latest “photo bomb” of the pre-game show as I strolled past in the background along with other members of The Flight Crew:

Thursday morning, it was back to Mercedes Benz Stadium to help build the stages for the MLS Cup Championship match between Atlanta United FC and The Portland Timbers on Saturday. 

If you’re unfamiliar, the MLS Cup is like the Superbowl of American soccer so it’s kind of a big deal. 

I’m more the creative type so I’m not very handy.  I’ve cursed and thrown Ikea furniture instructions across the room at least a dozen times in my lifetime so it’s almost comical that I was asked to join the construction team!  Thankfully, nobody fell through the stage at any point so yeah, mission accomplished!

Mission accomplished for the home team as well because Atlanta United took home the victory in a 2-0 shutout!

This city hasn’t had a major sports championship since The Braves won the World Series in 1995 so it’s been a long time coming!  Everyone suddenly has soccer fever!  …or a literal fever since it’s been cold and rainy all week.  Anyway, here are some photos from the event!

Plus a few shots of the 2018 MLS Cup MVP Josef Martinez!

Congratulations to both teams for an amazing season!

There was an after-party as well but by the time we finished closing down the stadium, it was nearly 2am!  “Club Bed” was my only destination once I finally got home.

It’s been a long week, but it’s been worth it.

Of course, with all the running around I’ve done all week, I haven’t had much time to cook, but now that I’m off, I may need to try to amazing recipe provided by my friend and culinary guru, Catherine Duda. 

Catherine is also one of the moderators in our Facebook foodie group, Phenomnomnomenal (click here to join NOW!). 

If you’re not a member already, here’s a taste of what you’re missing out on!

Stuffed Eggplant Balls

Courtesy of Catherine Duda

Ingredients

2-3 medium eggplant perked and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1½ cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1½ tablespoons of flour

bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)

Cooking Instructions

Line colander with eggplant and generously sprinkle each one with salt until they’re completely covered.  Let them sit for approximately 30 minutes. (The eggplant will release some liquid while resting and will also allow some acid to reduce)

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the eggplant slices in a single layer and bake them for approximately 30 minutes or until they’re tender.

Place the eggplant inside of a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to chop them into chunky bits.

Scrape into bowl and add 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, one egg, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs quarter cup chopped fresh basil

Mix well.

In a second bowl whisk another egg and 1½ tablespoons of flour to create a smooth batter.

Pour 1 cup of dry seasoned breadcrumbs onto a plate.

Form the eggplant mixture into the shape of a ball (approximately the size of a golf ball) and insert a bocconcini (mini mozzarella ball) into each one before sealing it tight.  Dip into the batter and roll over the breadcrumbs to cover them evenly.

Place on prepared baking sheet and allow to sit in fridge at least 1 to 2 hours to set.

Fry at 375° using a half-inch of oil.  Only place a few eggplant balls at a time to avoid overcrowding your pan.  Use a slotted spoon to rotate them while cooking until golden brown.

Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

You can also bake them instead by placing them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Rotate them occasionally until all sides are golden brown.  For an extra crunch, also spray the tops of the eggplant balls with cooking spray prior to baking.

Serve as a meal or appetizer with a side of fresh tomato sauce and chopped basil for dipping.

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all try?  Tell us in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

Late – Kanye West

SICKO MODE – Travis Scott ft. Drake

Boom – Tiësto & Sevenn

Celebration – Kool & the Gang

Eggplant Afrobeat – DJ Flex ft. AStar & EDouble

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s just so great we should check it out anyway?  Tell us in the comments below!

Before we head out, here’s the next batch of “foodie holidays” that land between this and next post!

National “Chocolate Covered Anything Day”?  Um yes please.  I’m down!

And I’m always looking for an excuse to have pancakes so sign me up for the 17th as well!  Which one’s your favorite?

Oh yeah, speaking of chocolate, please tell me these are real?  

Hmm, I’m going to need to investigate this immediately!

Once again to my regulars, sorry for the late entry this week but better late than never eh?

Anyway, please drop a comment before you go and follow me on social media by clicking the icons on the main menu!

Okay folks, thanks again for stopping by.  Let’s make it a great week people!

Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“I saw that.” – karma