tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30746464931311934162024-03-16T03:09:08.884-04:00Eating My WordsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.comBlogger303125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-64207224250251399502016-04-10T12:14:00.001-04:002016-04-10T12:14:04.228-04:00Merci Train Boxcar Symbolizes French-American Ties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Following World War II, in recognition of American postwar relief efforts, the people of France sent over bnoxcars fliied with gifts to say "thank you."</div>
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Far from home and aching for familiar comfort, a young French soldier spied a glimmer of hope on the bloody fields of Verdun. His tired eyes focused on a scrap of aluminum, a shred of military gear that had fallen in northeastern France during World War I.</div>
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He allowed his thoughts to wander to fields of clover, as green and promising as any memory of home. In the rare hours when the trenches grew quiet, he scraped the metal until it became a handsome ring with a flourish of clover at its center. Days later, he became one among hundreds of thousands who died in the 303-day Battle of Verdun.</div>
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Once a treasured keepsake of the soldier’s family, the ring has spent the past 67 years in the care of the State of North Carolina. It was one of thousands of items generously given by French citizens in 1949 for the French Gratitude Train, also known as the Merci Train.</div>
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Residents from every French province donated nearly eight tons of goods, ranging from embroidered handkerchiefs and fine china to toy soldiers and larger-than-life statuary. The effort was patterned after the 1947 Friendship Train, an American goodwill project in which people across the U.S. contributed food to war-torn France and Italy.</div>
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Gratitude was at the core of Alice Baumgaertner’s decision to send the ring and a photo of her relative from Paris to Raleigh. Sadly, the photo was lost over the years, along with her loved one’s name. But her gift remains as poignant evidence of the degree to which French citizens credited Americans — especially members of the armed forces, but also those who kept home fires burning — for their liberation from the grip of Nazi Germany.</div>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_89980" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: 20px; margin: 20px -75px; max-width: 120%; padding: 4px; transition: border 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 900px;"><img alt="merci train north carolina" class="wp-image-89980 size-full" height="1000" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" src="https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2.jpg" srcset="https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2-285x190.jpg 285w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2-741x494.jpg 741w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151403/merci-train-north-carolina-2.jpg 1500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="1500" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 89.2014px; padding: 9px;">Outside, Merci Train boxcars were decorated with the coats of arms of French provinces and cities.</figcaption></figure><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 14px;">
North Carolina’s boxcar was one of 49 shipped from France to America — one for each of the 48 states, with the contents of the remaining car shared between the Territory of Hawaii and the District of Columbia. On February 8, 1949, the boxcar was welcomed by Gov. Kerr Scott in Raleigh. A parade featured bands from Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune, as well as a contingent of French dignitaries. Also participating was R.V. Collie, a Confederate Army veteran who’d marked his 105th birthday two days earlier.</div>
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">News & Observer</i> editor Jonathan Daniels made welcoming remarks at a ceremony held in Memorial Auditorium. He recalled that the Marquis de Lafayette, a close ally of George Washington during the Revolutionary War, rode up Fayetteville Street in an open carriage in February 1825. “The present occasion is not of a debt being paid, because no debt was owed,” Daniels declared. “But the gratitude of the French people warms our hearts and we are grateful for their friendship.”</div>
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The gifts arrived in wooden crates packed floor to ceiling in a 1918 French boxcar known as a “Forty-and-Eight,” a nod to its ability to transport 40 men or eight horses. World War I veterans would have been very familiar with the tight, windowless quarters.</div>
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Many of these boxcars have vanished, victims of decay or vandalism, but not North Carolina’s. In the 1960s, after being on display for many years at various sites in Raleigh, it was taken to Wilson by the North Carolina chapter of the Forty-and-Eight Society for restoration. In 1981, the boxcar was transported for long-term loan to the <a href="http://www.nctrans.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #006699; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">North Carolina Transportation Museum</a> in Spencer, where it’s now a feature of the museum’s Roundhouse exhibit.</div>
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Today, many are surprised by the Merci Train’s story, but its arrival made big headlines in Raleigh. Curious crowds filled the Hall of History, a precursor to the city’s downtown museums, to watch crates being unpacked. Photos show women wearing hats and gloves, eager to inspect handmade lace and delicate demitasse sets, while children crowd to see dolls dressed in traditional French attire. Of particular patriotic interest was a fabric knot made from combed fibers of U.S. and French flags flown from the Eiffel Tower on May 8, 1945 — the day Germany ultimately surrendered.</div>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_89979" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: 20px; margin: 20px -75px; max-width: 120%; padding: 4px; transition: border 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 900px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-89979 size-full" height="1800" sizes="(max-width: 1413px) 100vw, 1413px" src="https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1.jpg" srcset="https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1-768x978.jpg 768w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1-804x1024.jpg 804w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1-149x190.jpg 149w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1-388x494.jpg 388w, https://d3m7xw68ay40x8.cloudfront.net/assets/2016/02/04151356/merci-train-north-carolina-1.jpg 1413w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="1413" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 89.2014px; padding: 9px;">Photograph from the News & Observer, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina</figcaption></figure><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 14px;">
Decades later, the contents of the boxcar can be viewed as a lens for the suffering experienced by donors, and their hopes for a brighter future. One, identified as B. Levif, sent three framed oil paintings with the humble request that they be given “to a white orphan, to a Negro orphan, and to a Jewish orphan.”</div>
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An affectionate gift came from a donor in the French city of Lyon, known for the production and weaving of silk. A community effort produced an elegant wedding gown, complete with veil, headband, and good wishes for a bride.</div>
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Despite these heart-tugging appeals, North Carolina officials — as with those in other states — decided not to distribute items to individuals. Instead, objects were provided to local institutions, where they could be enjoyed by the public at large. For example, a woodcut portrait of the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, was part of a collection sent to Bennett College in Greensboro. Additionally, a mobile museum exhibit built into a trailer visited towns across the state.</div>
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Many of the artifacts are stored at the <a href="http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #006699; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">North Carolina Museum of History</a>. The original inventory, written in impeccable script on a legal pad, was later converted into typed file cards. Penciled-in notes indicate that several objects were sent to the Executive Mansion, the official residence of the governor. Loans include small portraits of Napoleon and Marie Antoinette, as well as a pair of vases “hammered from 75mm shells.”</div>
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Like the clover ring, the vases were produced by a French soldier in the trenches at Verdun. However, they were given with a full heart by the surviving soldier, Paul Laval of Paris.</div>
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It’s remarkable that people across France gladly donated such personal treasures, not knowing what would become of them. “They were gifts of genuine gratitude,” says Katherine Beery, registrar at the Museum of History. “And we take very seriously our responsibility to care for them.”</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="https://www.ourstate.com/merci-train-boxcar-north-carolina/">Our State</a> magazine.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-10237232361946160432016-04-10T11:45:00.001-04:002016-04-10T11:45:42.365-04:00Five years Ago, Piedmont's Crawford Leavoy Succumbed to Alcoholism in New Orleans. Now, He's Running One of Durham's Best Restaurants. <div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.48px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">Two weeks after finishing his first marathon, Crawford Leavoy waits in the starting <br />chute of Cary's Tobacco Road Marathon. Indy Week photos by Alex Boerner.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="firstletter" style="float: left; font-size: 3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1em; margin-right: 0.2em;">M</span>ardi Gras drifts on the calendar. Based on the dates of other nearby holidays, it's not as easy to remember as, say, Christmas, a date children master as quickly as their own birthday.<br />
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But Crawford Leavoy remembers that, five years ago, Mardi Gras arrived March 8. What he's blurry about is what happened in the hours, weeks, and even months that came before.</div>
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At the time, Leavoy, the current general manager of Durham's Piedmont restaurant, lived in New Orleans. For years, he was at the epicenter of the American Mardi Gras experience, the infamously booze-fueled, bacchanalian launch of Lent, during which the faithful give up something dear. In 2011, a week ahead of the party, Leavoy did what he'd been doing a lot of: he got blackout drunk.</div>
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When Leavoy finally opened his eyes around noon the next day, he was not entirely surprised to find himself in someone else's apartment. His head was pounding when he checked his phone to discover dozens of texts from concerned friends, including a few bartenders who had grown weary of watching the charming wine director from one of the city's most respected restaurants turn repeatedly into a foul-mouthed boor. There were messages from his longtime partner, too, a medical student who had spent hours trying to find him at the places he typically got wasted.</div>
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For Leavoy, this had become business as usual.</div>
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"I would get so annoyed when people told me I was drinking too much," Leavoy recalls over a stiff mug of coffee, one chilly morning at the Durham coffee shop Cocoa Cinnamon, stumbling distance from his office at Piedmont. "I thought, 'That's your problem, not mine.' I was so sick of hearing about it. But after that night, I couldn't ignore it anymore."</div>
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Terrified of losing so much that was dear to him—especially Clayton Alfonso, who he would marry in October 2014, and his hard-earned job at August, the flagship of acclaimed chef John Besh—Leavoy admitted something he had angrily denied for years: he was an alcoholic.</div>
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If he wanted to remain in his field as a wine director, not to mention grow old with his faithful partner, he needed to make some very severe changes.</div>
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Leavoy grew up in a small town near Birmingham, Alabama. A standout on his high school's debate team, he had friends who drank and smoked pot. His only vice was cigarettes. He didn't taste booze until he arrived in Baton Rouge as an eighteen-year-old Louisiana State freshman.</div>
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Underage drinking was simply part of the culture on a campus long regarded as one of the country's top party schools. Alcohol loosened Leavoy up to new experiences, like going to gay bars.</div>
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"I bought into the idea that having a drink at the end of the day signified that you were taking the necessary steps to becoming an adult," he says. "I was studying political science, but really, it was my minor. Drinking beer became my major."</div>
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Soon it wasn't just the end of the day, and it wasn't just beer. Leavoy moved on to whiskey, which, as the country song goes, is quicker for getting drunk. After graduation, Leavoy and Alfonso, who met and started living together at LSU, moved to New Orleans, where Alfonso enrolled in medical school. Leavoy found jobs at fine dining establishments, eventually landing at August. He managed to hide his habit as he rose through the ranks; in just a year and a half, he moved from busboy to wine director.</div>
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<img alt="Crawford Leavoy talks wine with customers Rodney Young and Shaun Monroe during a Taste Carolina gourmet food tour at the Piedmont Restaurant in Durham. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER" height="400" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/5005467/160312_ab_indy_crawfordleavoy_0069.jpg?cb=1460300718" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /><ul style="line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px auto 5px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 600px;">
<li class="imageCredit" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.9em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;">Photo by Alex Boerner</li>
<li class="imageCaption" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.8em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Crawford Leavoy talks wine with customers Rodney Young and Shaun Monroe during a Taste Carolina gourmet food tour at the Piedmont Restaurant in Durham.</li>
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"At the time, I was drinking super classy things like flavored vodka with Sprite and a little lime. It was fruity, mysterious," he says, mockingly assigning the lofty descriptors of the expensive wine he served to the customers who trusted his discerning palate. "It got the job done."</div>
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Leavoy was good in his role, in part because of his innate ability to memorize facts and recall important details, like what a big-spender enjoyed on his last visit. And, well, there was the free wine.</div>
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"I couldn't see it then, but now I realize it was the blurring of the lines," he says. "I would 'taste wine' and 'do research,' while drinking. I got into some interesting social circles."</div>
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Not all of them were good. Buddies in the restaurant industry often cover for one another, carrying a drunk friend home or letting them sleep off a bender on the sofa. They're not inclined to get into personal business, like cutting someone off when they've had one too many. Once, a colleague at August did confront Leavoy. It didn't end well.</div>
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"He said something like, 'Jesus, it's coming out of your pores,'" Leavoy recalls. "I told him to shut up and mind his own business."</div>
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Leavoy worked hard to maintain the act. He served as a volunteer coach for a private school's debate team. He recalls traveling with the team to a big event during an especially stressful time.</div>
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"I got the kids to the hotel and thought to myself, 'There has got to be a liquor store open,'" he says. He found a fifth of Knob Creek. "The next day, in probably one of the most embarrassing things ever, the kids had to wake me for the tournament."</div>
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Looking back through the lens of intensive counseling and five years of sobriety, Leavoy is astounded he survived without so much as a DWI. He's even more amazed that Alfonso stayed by his side.</div>
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"There are a lot of memories of going out after work and getting phone calls at seven in the morning—'I'm leaving for work and you're still out.' I didn't recognize that as a problem," Leavoy says. "I don't know why he put up with it."</div>
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For Alfonso, standing by Leavoy was simply the right thing to do.</div>
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"Sober Crawford was who I fell in love with. Drunk Crawford was my worst nightmare," he says, recalling Leavoy's final collapse, which came on the heels of a fifth-anniversary celebration dinner at August. "I fought for him to succeed in rehab because that is what a dedicated partner does."</div>
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Alfonso appealed to the medical school dean, asking for Leavoy to receive counseling, a benefit reserved for married students. At last, the ordeal opened Leavoy's eyes, forcing him to acknowledge dangerous patterns that he had dismissed simply as the life of a wine director in a party town.</div>
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On his way out of New Orleans, and on his way to rehabilitation, Leavoy rode past Mardi Gras parade floats lined up alongside the Superdome.</div>
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During a three-day evaluation, his counselor encouraged extended in-patient treatment. Leavoy already demonstrated signs inconsistent with healthy detox. He didn't realize, for instance, that his flu-like symptoms and simmering rage stemmed from a sudden absence of alcohol.</div>
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"He told me that if I was agitated or didn't feel right, I might need to go to the hospital. I laughed. I was always on the cusp of flipping out," says Leavoy. "It was the fear of being alone that got me to be aggressive about a solution. Retrospectively, it was one of the most amazing talks I've ever had."</div>
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Leavoy had to muster the courage to ask his father for help after learning his insurance would not cover treatment. His father said he would help with whatever he needed. As Leavoy recalls the talk, he pauses, collecting himself.</div>
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"I was amazed," he says. "There's so much selfishness in drinking, but that was the most generous thing anyone could have done."</div>
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During the first few weeks, Leavoy compared himself favorably to other patients. They struck him as more desperate, further gone. He treated it like summer camp, he says, but he soon started to feel better, like he had some control of his situation for the first time in years.</div>
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<img alt="Piedmont General Manager Crawford Leavoy talks wine with customers Alex Bednar, AJ Miceli and Stephen Paul during a Taste Carolina gourmet food tour Saturday at the Piedmont Restaurant in Durham. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER" height="400" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/5005469/160312_ab_indy_crawfordleavoy_0034.jpg?cb=1460300718" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /><ul style="line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px auto 5px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 600px;">
<li class="imageCredit" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.9em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;">Photo by Alex Boerner</li>
<li class="imageCaption" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.8em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Piedmont General Manager Crawford Leavoy talks wine with customers Alex Bednar, AJ Miceli and Stephen Paul during a Taste Carolina gourmet food tour Saturday at the Piedmont Restaurant in Durham.</li>
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Leavoy was more fortunate than many addicts, who come home to find little more than the wreckage of burned bridges. John Besh had held his job, allowing him to return to a good position in a prominent restaurant. Alfonso welcomed him home.</div>
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"This was, hands-down, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do," Alfonso says. "But I'm so glad that Crawford got the help he needed and that I stuck through those dark times. We are married and living life to the fullest."</div>
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After rehab, Leavoy began running to lose a few pounds. He hadn't run since he was a kid, when he tried out for his middle school track team but was told he was too slow. It strengthened his body and cleared his head, helping him stay clean. He earned membership in a rarified club—getting and staying sober in New Orleans.</div>
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"I don't live in a fairy-tale world. Sobriety is a fragile thing, and I am faced every day with a decision of whether to pick up a drink," he says. "There has to be some level of getting right with the world, understanding that you're not at the center of it. You have to accept the world as it is."</div>
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In April 2013, Leavoy's world shifted 850 miles northeast when Alfonso accepted a medical residency at Duke University. They came to Durham to look for a house and felt an instant connection with the food community. Leavoy was glad to see plenty of running clubs, too. They had dinner at Piedmont, which had declined as other hot restaurants opened downtown. They were not dazzled, but Leavoy sensed promise.</div>
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A month later, Piedmont hired a new chef, Ben Adams, who has since left to launch Picnic. One of the first people Adams hired was Leavoy, who started July 1. The team was a fine one: less than a year later, the <i>INDY</i> raved about Piedmont's astounding turnaround. Two days later, <i>The News & Observer</i>awarded the renewed restaurant four stars.</div>
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Surprisingly, Leavoy does not find working in a restaurant with a bar, or buying large volumes of wine, a challenge to sobriety. Though he hasn't had a sip in five years, he pairs wines with food from memory.</div>
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"If you're on balance and find your way on the beam, you can do anything you want—including going to bars. Bars do have non-alcoholic options," he says. He's created dozens at Piedmont. "I didn't know that at the time."</div>
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Settling in Durham gave Leavoy a chance to return to coaching debate teams. He interviewed at Durham Academy during that first visit and became a part-time coach. In July, he became the highly competitive team's head coach.</div>
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"Yes, I have two full-time jobs now," he affirms with a grin. "And I run thirty miles a week."</div>
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A year ago, Leavoy decided to step up his running program and finish a marathon. He almost did last fall in Savannah, but race officials shortened the distance by about two miles due to worries about high heat and humidity.</div>
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Maybe the temperature was meant to be: on February 28, the fifth anniversary of his sobriety, Leavoy returned to New Orleans to run that city's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Conditions were good. Leavoy missed his goal of completing the course in three hours and thirty minutes by two minutes, but that was merely a detail. Two weeks later, he ran in Cary's Tobacco Road Marathon.</div>
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<img alt="Crawford Leavoy gets himself prepped for the start of the Tobacco Road Marathon Sunday morning in Cary, NC. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER" height="400" src="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/5005468/160313_ab_indy_crawfordleavoy_0038.jpg?cb=1460300718" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /><ul style="line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px auto 5px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 600px;">
<li class="imageCredit" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.9em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;">Photo by Alex Boerner</li>
<li class="imageCaption" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.8em; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Crawford Leavoy gets himself prepped for the start of the Tobacco Road Marathon Sunday morning in Cary, NC.</li>
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"The goal of New Orleans was never to have some epiphany about the anniversary or sobriety," he says. "But the fact that the date and location had such significance really was another one of those things that cannot be just a coincidence. I went with the desire to stay in gratitude for what I've been given." </div>
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When Leavoy ran past Jackson Square, he began crying. He was moving past the bars from which he used to stumble at dawn, drink in hand. When he saw his husband at the halfway point, he knew he'd make it.</div>
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"I went from falling down in the French Quarter to running through it," he says. "I felt gratitude in ways I cannot describe."</div>
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Recovery script</h2>
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Crawford Leavoy blames no one but himself for becoming a belligerent drunk. But there likely were genetic predispositions pointing him toward alcohol abuse—and an abundance of environmental contributions, too.</div>
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"That's New Orleans in a glass," Leavoy says. "A loving bartender will take your messages when you've passed out drunk."</div>
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In recent weeks, as Leavoy trained for the Crescent City's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, he has been candid about his sobriety. Still, colleagues in the local culinary community have expressed surprise that an associate widely admired for his ability to recall small details about customers and friends went through such a difficult time.</div>
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Hai Tran, the sommelier at Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa, was reluctant to consider if his own coworkers struggled with sobriety issues and the proximity to alcohol.</div>
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"It really is up to the respective individual if they are able to continue in this profession once they have dealt with such personal demons," he says. "I commend Crawford for conquering his own demons instead of letting it own him."</div>
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According to Paul Nagy, an assistant professor at Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, a person's ability to recover from addiction is as "individualized" as someone's ability to recover from heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions.</div>
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While it typically benefits recovering alcoholics to distance themselves from triggers, such as easy access to booze in a high-stress workplace, Nagy suggests that becomes less urgent with time.</div>
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"One to five years into recovery, many people have developed skills for managing life without substances and ideally experience that life in recovery has become 'worth it' enough to diminish the risk associated with historic vulnerabilities," says Nagy.</div>
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Leavoy's experience appears to be a textbook example.</div>
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"I was ready to stop lying to everyone, including myself," he says. "People say, 'Man, you got sober in New Orleans?' The bigger thing is I <i>stayed</i> sober in New Orleans, and I'm making a conscious decision every day to stay sober here."</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/five-years-ago-piedmonts-crawford-leavoy-succumbed-to-alcoholism-in-new-orleans-now-hes-running-one-of-durhams-best-restaurants/Content?oid=5005470&showFullText=true">Indy Week</a>.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-22271887129496983072016-04-10T11:38:00.000-04:002016-04-10T11:38:10.265-04:00The right tools make oyster shucking simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuTKoezSseQ6kVUJp10tOQgbbvodlM4WsJEzBUywqT9Ueq_uH7kOl7QcpNHjmAVT61UApgofcE-ccz2didejahzRk5_oE_bc4zEJdckxhyJFo1UGLSAINbrD2WsK9Rkp05KcI39fXPbw/s1600/Ricky+Moore-oysters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuTKoezSseQ6kVUJp10tOQgbbvodlM4WsJEzBUywqT9Ueq_uH7kOl7QcpNHjmAVT61UApgofcE-ccz2didejahzRk5_oE_bc4zEJdckxhyJFo1UGLSAINbrD2WsK9Rkp05KcI39fXPbw/s400/Ricky+Moore-oysters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We’ve been gearing up at Southern Season to celebrate National Oysters on the Half Shell Day on March 31. There’s just one problem: Not all of us know how to shuck an oyster.</div>
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We asked Chef Ricky Moore of Durham, North Carolina’s acclaimed Saltbox Seafood Joint to show us – and you – how to shuck oysters like a boss.</div>
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“It’s not that hard,” says Moore, who grew up enjoying fresh seafood in coastal New Bern, North Carolina. “The most important thing is to buy the freshest local oysters you can find. Once you find an oyster knife that feels good in your hands, and you learn how to pry open its hinge, you’ll be good to go.”</div>
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Moore appreciated the heft and elegance of shucking tools produced by <b><a href="http://www.southernseason.com/shop/carolina-shuckers-hand-forged-oyster-and-meat-tools" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline-block; float: none; font-size: 13px; text-align: right;">Carolina Shuckers</a>. </b>Each tool is hand-forged by North Carolina artisans Kirk Davis and Michael Waller.</div>
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“A good oyster knife is engineered to open a shell like a can opener,” says Moore, who will teach a <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/events/single/?location=chapel-hill&type=cooking-school&id=20340" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline-block; float: none; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">Chef Meets Farmer class</a> on cooking fresh catch with Locals Seafood on May 16 at the Cooking School in Chapel Hill. “You could shuck oysters all day long with one of these.”</div>
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While a heavy glove can protect your hands from injury, Moore prefers to grasp a closed oyster between folds of dishtowel. Be sure to have plenty on hand as they’ll get wet and dirty.</div>
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Set the oyster down on the dishtowel with the rounded side up. The indented, hinged side should be facing you. Secure the oyster in place by folding the towel over the shell and pressing down. Poke the point of your oyster knife into hinge, pressing just enough to slide in about ½-inch of the tip. Grasp the knife firmly and twist the handle a quarter-turn until you hear a pop.</div>
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“The goal is to keep all that oyster liquor inside the shell,” Moore says as he pulls back the dishtowel and gently pries open the oyster, revealing a plump mollusk surrounded by ocean-fresh brine. Moore uses the oyster knife to scoop under the oyster, releasing it from the shell. If necessary, use the tip of the knife to remove any dirt or shell fragments.</div>
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“Next, you want to eat it,” he says with a grin, tipping the shell to his lips as the oyster slid into his mouth. “That’s all there is to it. Just keep repeating until they’re all gone.”</div>
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While the oysters were outstanding as is, Moore also suggests trying them with a great hot sauce – like bourbon barrel-aged <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/shop/red-clay-carolina-hot-sauce" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline-block; float: none; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">Red Clay</a> from Charleston – or making a simple mignonette. Once you’ve made the recipe below, feel free to tweak it with different acids (maybe a champagne or sherry vinegar) or substitute the parsley for cilantro or other fresh green.</div>
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“For me, the mignonette needs to be a pourable mass; not quite a paste, but you want to drizzle it on and let the oyster liquor loosen it up,” he says. “It brings a fresh flavor that pairs beautifully with the oyster.”</div>
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<strong style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ricky Moore’s Mignonette</span></strong></div>
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3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or a favorite vinegar)<br />1 tablespoon minced shallot<br />1½ tablespoons minced Italian parsley<br />1 tablespoon minced chives<br />Freshly grated black pepper</div>
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Blend all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined, then drizzle over raw oysters.</div>
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If the oyster liquor is not salty enough for your taste, add a pinch of sea salt to the mignonette.</div>
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<i>Note: As with any raw food, there is some risk associated with consuming raw oysters. Purchase oysters from a reliable seller and avoid consuming them raw if you have a chronic illness.</i></div>
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<i>This post first appeared on <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/blog/the-right-tools-make-oyster-shucking-simple/">Southern Season</a>.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-55636564700469353862016-04-10T11:33:00.001-04:002016-04-10T11:33:37.530-04:00Think Outside of the Box for Passover<div style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wi2a3Yy0FZ8VqJSHCBH2gD1ojpdn5dOshNlP7L1Fa5Mbkq4y6dCCfNXl0bJF9to-3VZy4VDqGScmeJm3MknL_XwbeY_xRGoX_w8sb8QOxfX8bnXZHRwSGFD3KJPHg5YzNwwAfKi9NmU/s1600/Melissa.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wi2a3Yy0FZ8VqJSHCBH2gD1ojpdn5dOshNlP7L1Fa5Mbkq4y6dCCfNXl0bJF9to-3VZy4VDqGScmeJm3MknL_XwbeY_xRGoX_w8sb8QOxfX8bnXZHRwSGFD3KJPHg5YzNwwAfKi9NmU/s320/Melissa.png" width="248" /></a>There are few things that Melissa Krumbein enjoys more than cooking for her large family at the holidays. Add in the challenge of not using leavened products during Passover and the Richmond, Virginia-based caterer is truly in her happy place.</div>
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“There’s no reason to have a boring meal just because it’s Passover,” says Krumbein, who teaches at the Cooking School.</div>
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Observant Jews forgo leavened bread during this festival of freedom, which begins at sunset April 22 and continues through the 30<span style="font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th. </span>The act is meant to remind them of the time when Jewish slaves fled Egypt in such haste that they had no time to bake traditional breads. Instead, they made flat matzo crackers, which remain a staple of Passover celebrations around the world.</div>
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The first two nights of Passover are ushered in with solemn seders, during which several aspects of bondage are recalled. Among them is the task of eating <i>charoset</i>, a sweetened apple and nut mixture that symbolizes construction mortar. While delicious on matzo, it’s a tasty year-round addition to yogurt or hot cereal.</div>
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Krumbein, who owns the Richmond dessert company Let’s Nosh, relies on a recipe first made by her husband’s grandmother, Lillian Gass Nerden. Born in 1910 to a Russian Jewish family that had immigrated to Orono, Maine, she was responsible for caring for her many siblings. Their tight bond lives on today in the family’s Cousin Club, which celebrates reunions across the country and in Canada.</div>
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“I can assure you that Lil never made a small quantity of <i>charoset</i>, as the holiday table was always full of aunts and uncles, cousins and friends,” Krumbein says. “Lil was a wonderful cook. Be sure to make extra, enough to last the week!”</div>
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<b style="font-size: 12px;">Lil Nerden’s Charoset </b></div>
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6 red delicious apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped<br />3 cups nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped<br />3 teaspoons sugar<br />1½ teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon<br />6-7 tablespoons sweet red wine, such as Manischevitz (or Concord grape juice)</div>
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Hand-chop apples and nuts to a consistency like rough-cut mortar. Don’t use a food processor for this as the result will be too smooth.</div>
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Transfer apple-nut mixture and remaining ingredients, starting with 6 tablespoons wine, to a medium bowl. Stir to combine, adding more wine if needed. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing film to surface of <i>charoset</i>, and chill for at least an hour to let flavors blend. Bring to room temperature before serving.</div>
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<i>This post first appeared on <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/blog/think-outside-of-the-box-for-passover/">Southern Season</a>.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-9174730357301274862016-03-04T13:03:00.004-05:002016-03-04T13:03:56.148-05:00Peanut Butter Lover’s Day is March 1st<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zwiRFkYVqIS9khg7qNKHwTEfanKM2_qFoZSzIDlPPm5imokdFUXcXR6oNYJjol3NYdxbAI1Fj7uByvUo89zXzeyYznFsauKx0LPuAwp7AecBoWJWT87vJATYiilOGxWMaFZwbmO5urk/s1600/Big+Spoon+Roasters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zwiRFkYVqIS9khg7qNKHwTEfanKM2_qFoZSzIDlPPm5imokdFUXcXR6oNYJjol3NYdxbAI1Fj7uByvUo89zXzeyYznFsauKx0LPuAwp7AecBoWJWT87vJATYiilOGxWMaFZwbmO5urk/s400/Big+Spoon+Roasters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Mark Overbay is deeply amused by the notion of March 1 being National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day.<br />
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“For me, that’s like having a National Oxygen Lover’s Day,” quips the founder of Big Spoon Roasters, a maker of artisan nut butters in Durham, North Carolina. “Peanut butter has always been, and will always be, a staple of my existence!”<br />
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Overbay just celebrated the fifth anniversary of his company, which was the nation’s first maker of small-batch, fresh-roasted, handcrafted nut butters. He drew inspiration the time he spent in rural Zimbabwe with the Peace Corps, where he experienced the extraordinary flavors and textures of nut butters made with local ingredients and ground with stones. Each family added its own unique touches, such as honey, coconut oil or spices.<br />
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Overbay takes a similar approach, sourcing the majority of his ingredients from sustainable growers in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. The current line of 10 flavors is produced on a rotating schedule, with product delivered as soon as it’s packaged. For Southern Season’s Chapel Hill and Raleigh locations, that means it arrives within hours.<br />
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While North Carolina’s Triangle region takes special pride in this local product, Big Spoon Roasters nut butters have been earning national praise since their debut. In fact, Food & Wine magazine named its Peanut Pecan Butter as one of the seven best things staff tasted in 2011. The current issue of Teen Vogue raves about the brand’s Cherry Pecan nut butter bars.
Overbay does not take such praise lightly.<br />
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“We have zero control over what the media covers, but we do have control over how we select our ingredients, how we roast our nuts, how our food tastes, how our jar feels in people’s hands, how we interact with someone who calls our office,” he says. “These are the things we try to do as well as we can.”<br />
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The company will mark its fifth anniversary in the spring by introducing a new nut butter flavor as well as a nut butter bar recipe. Both currently are labeled Top Secret.<br />
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“The goals that launched Big Spoon Roasters as a business remain our goals today,” Overbay says. “We want to introduce people to the inimitable experience of eating truly handmade-to-order, fresh-roasted nut butter; to be a progressive market force for sustainable agriculture; and to positively affect the communities we touch.<br />
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“These are goals we can never exceed,” he adds “but also goals we can pursue and measure every day.”<br />
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Visit Southern Season stores for a wide selection of Big Spoon Roaster nut butters or s<a href="http://www.southernseason.com/shop/big-spoon">hop online</a>. <br />
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<i>This post first appeared on the <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/blog/national-peanut-butter-lovers-day-is-march-1st/">Southern Season blog</a>.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-45799291012220198562016-03-04T12:56:00.003-05:002016-03-04T12:56:42.423-05:00Pure Parmesan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R000jEkfiCaGDcugx1Jw4K0Wxc6cLows8uRSnrBYJSLrf_Ax85TT5IWEJ3tRX4xPN6imabnpRLtvCTMFvM2YWGeK9t7Qt9MK6CjwYOsymiXS0m2uLg2Nu2jNcX-woH7oKKmWNQbooT4/s1600/Cravero+Parmigiano+Reggiano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R000jEkfiCaGDcugx1Jw4K0Wxc6cLows8uRSnrBYJSLrf_Ax85TT5IWEJ3tRX4xPN6imabnpRLtvCTMFvM2YWGeK9t7Qt9MK6CjwYOsymiXS0m2uLg2Nu2jNcX-woH7oKKmWNQbooT4/s400/Cravero+Parmigiano+Reggiano.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At Southern Season, when you
buy a chunk of Parmesan cheese, you get 100 percent premium Italian cheese
chosen by our Cheesemonger in Residence to deliver exceptional flavor and
quality. “We’ve heard from customers who are concerned about reports of
wood pulp in some commercial brands of pre-packaged grated cheese,” says Dany
Schutte, who is based at Southern Season’s Richmond, Virginia, store. “We stock
only the best cheeses available from authentic sources.”<o:p></o:p>
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">As reported by
numerous news sources, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
investigating some companies that produce products labeled as “100 percent real
Parmesan.” A few brands have been found to contain excessive amounts of
cellulose, an anti-clumping additive made from wood pulp, as well as less
expensive filler cheese. While not necessarily dangerous for consumption, such
products are not consistent with Southern Season’s premium quality standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Schutte has
selected a Parmigiano Reggiano produced by Giorgio Cravero as the signature cheese
available at our stores. The Cravero family has been producing wheels of the
highest quality aged cheeses since 1855. “We choose his wheels because he
exceeds the minimum requirement of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, flipping
and rubbing down his wheels every two days instead of the required two weeks,”
Schutte explains. “He also matures them longer. The flavor profile is deeper,
nuttier and sweeter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">The cheese is
available in a range of sizes to suit customer needs. While Cheese Departments
offer grated cheese for grab-and-go convenience, Schutte recommends grating or
shredding the cheese just before use for maximum flavor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post first appeared on the <a href="http://www.southernseason.com/blog/parmesan/">Southern Season blog</a>.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-30129667203064319952016-02-11T09:06:00.002-05:002016-02-11T09:06:08.137-05:00The First Taste of Pizzeria Mercato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0b93IrgQdzG1uU0uPg8iGLrJqt1oRaaYCBpwCqMohKyMB9gWcjAusxkiaklCuxbHEaubNVuzANjoVwqExCgsFJGNaMX9aB60C8KEezUtY0lrayY8ZMsjo8gn9gQJsIYkdLxu-iZnwc/s1600/mercato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0b93IrgQdzG1uU0uPg8iGLrJqt1oRaaYCBpwCqMohKyMB9gWcjAusxkiaklCuxbHEaubNVuzANjoVwqExCgsFJGNaMX9aB60C8KEezUtY0lrayY8ZMsjo8gn9gQJsIYkdLxu-iZnwc/s400/mercato.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With brown craft paper still on some windows, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pizzeriamercatonc/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b97d3; text-decoration: none !important;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pizzeria Mercato</strong></a> made its long awaited debut on Friday. Located about as far from the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Carrboro Farmers’ Market</strong> as one can roll a winter squash with gusto, the “soft opening” of the much anticipated eatery was an opportunity to test the menu before a friendly group of invited guests. Folks not only contentedly nibbled on free, exceptional pizza, seasonal appetizers and mind-blowing gelato but also put the young wait staff to the test. With the exception of a fourth pizza that arrived long after the first three, a miscommunication that inspired heartfelt apologies, the service was topped only by the pizza. And dessert. And the comfortably artsy decor.</div>
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But it’s the pizza that everyone is asking about, so here goes: With the foundation of a thin, chewy crust whose flavor suggests a long and slow fermentation, Pizzeria Mercato easily meets expectations of “artisan” quality. Small surprise from the folks that brought you <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Magnolia Grill,</strong> where Mercato Chef <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gabe Barker</strong> used to take baby naps on the pastry bench.</div>
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Gabe’s confident manner in making pizza came not from the elder Barkers but rather from his stint at San Francisco’s renowned Pizzeria Delfino, where he worked before returning home last year to open his own shop. He adds a Delfino touch – a last-minute dressing of panna, a creamy, slightly sweet sauce – to several of the personal-sized pizzas on the menu.Gabe looks like a tall version of his mother,<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Karen Baker</strong>, and possesses dad <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ben Barker</strong>‘s deft touch with spare, intensely flavored ingredients. This was immediately apparent from the warm, marinated and roasted olives ($6) and fritti ($8), tender and oozy pimento-cheese-stuffed rice balls that could have been a cliché in less able hands.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a href="http://www.chapelhillmagazine.com/2016/01/25/episode-3-gabe-barker/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b97d3; text-decoration: none !important;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Listen to Gabe talk about his culinary venture in our latest podcast –> LISTEN HERE.</em></a></div>
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As its name suggests, Mercato’s menu will vary seasonally. On this night, options ranged in price from $13 for the Margherita to $17 for the Funghi, a mix of savory mushrooms. Each was carried fast enough from oven to table that the enticing aroma of char made burnt bubbles in the crust a particular delicacy.</div>
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In addition to the Margherita, our table enjoyed the Mustard Greens ($15), with fragrant fennel sausage; the Panna ($14.50), garnished with fresh, peppery arugula; and the Carbonara ($16.50), which featured a barely set farm egg atop guanciale, pecorino and a liberal grating of black pepper. If you don’t use some crust to scrape glistening yolk from the serving dish, shame on you.</div>
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Dessert options included a trio of ice cream flavors that suggested Karen’s creative signature. The creamy vanilla gelato was luscious, as was the espresso, which was loaded with crunchy chunks of chocolate. The showstopper, however, was a vegan lemon-coconut sorbetto. Everyone we observed who tried it wore the same stunned expression of delight.</div>
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Guests could not be blamed for being slightly distracted from the food by the setting, which features rustic chestnut tables and colorful bench seatbacks made from salvaged wood by <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jeff Knight</strong> of <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Knight Woodworks</strong> and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Seth Burch</strong> of <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Durham’s Hollow Rock Construction.</strong> Other craftsman finishes were produced by Brian Plaster Design of Carrboro, which created all the metalwork, from the pizza box holder to the bike rack.</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.chapelhillmagazine.com/2016/02/03/the-first-taste-of-pizzeria-mercato/">Chapel Hill Magazine</a>.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-69334589234072700972016-02-11T09:00:00.000-05:002016-02-11T09:17:32.770-05:00Dental Assistant: Tom & Jenny's Caramel Is the Sugar-Free Miracle That Won't Hurt Your Teeth or Taste <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGv3MEF6y0SRAvo98BCRhQvfcU78INMvNF5R7hVJOlzj6_yE83l6wE3K3O1RmCvAiTL4myRhG49UVPy2hcWg6ufnsFcm76En9cAoVxzB4BczGKNihkNsZZ5FJW9fR0kZQvqZjNZJZCn0/s1600/caramel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGv3MEF6y0SRAvo98BCRhQvfcU78INMvNF5R7hVJOlzj6_yE83l6wE3K3O1RmCvAiTL4myRhG49UVPy2hcWg6ufnsFcm76En9cAoVxzB4BczGKNihkNsZZ5FJW9fR0kZQvqZjNZJZCn0/s400/caramel.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-style: italic;">Tom Thekkekandam pours xylitol-based caramel <br />into molds in his home kitchen. The caramel <br />is intended to help teeth, not hurt them.<br />Indy Week photo by Jeremy M. Lange</span></td></tr>
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For candy makers, Valentine's Day is the second-sweetest sales day of the year, bested only by Halloween. For dentists, it's a different story. No one can ruin the dream of creamy chocolates or sticky caramels quite so easily as the person pressing a metal prong against a weak spot on your tooth. Thanks to a pair of Durham entrepreneurs, including a pediatric dentist, it doesn't have to be that way.</div>
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Tommy Thekkekandam and Dr. Sindhura "Jenny" Citineni are the couple behind Tom & Jenny's caramels, which they sell in four-ounce packages at area food stores <i>and</i> in local dental offices. Their blooming popularity has forced the pair to seek out a larger production facility. Billed as "deliciously good for teeth," the treats swap sugar for xylitol, a natural sweetener popular in Europe and Asia. The audacious marketing claim stems from studies that show that the plant-based xylitol can reduce cavity-causing bacteria and enamel-eroding acidity. It's a little candy revolution, just in time for Valentine's Day and National Children's Dental Health Month.</div>
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They taste great, too. Unlike some candies made with artificial sweeteners, which can impart a deal-breaking bitterness, Tom & Jenny's have all the rich flavor and velvety mouthfeel of traditional caramel. That was essential for Citineni, whose motivation was to help frustrated parents in search of more tooth-friendly sweets for their kids. The pair first experimented with Gummi Bear-type candies and chocolates, but those options presented costly challenges with flavor and texture.</div>
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"When we started doing research, we found caramel was one of the fastest growing food categories," Thekkekandam says. "It was the most ripe for innovation. You could start with small batches, and it's relatively easy to cook."</div>
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The final recipes came in collaboration with renowned pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, known to many for his work with <i>Top Chef: Just Desserts</i>. He also spent eight years creating dynamic desserts for Le Bernardin in New York City, earning four stars from <i>The New York Times</i> and three from the <i>Michelin Guide</i>. Those bona fides were initially intimidating for Thekkekandam and Citineni.</div>
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"I cringed when he tasted our first samples," Thekkekandam recalls of their first meeting in 2013. They had been home-testing their recipes for years, to the point that the kitchen of their Manhattan apartment was dusted with "white crystalline substances" in a way that reminded him of the drug drama <i>Breaking Bad</i>.</div>
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"We knew it was a long shot," Thekkekandam says of Laiskonis, "but he thought they were good enough to work with us."</div>
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Laiskonis has built his reputation by transforming real sugar into sweet delicacies. For him, the idea of Tom & Jenny's offered an intriguing alternative.</div>
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"While I do normally operate in a world where conventional sugars and confectionery techniques reign, the challenge in breaking down those techniques and formulas and reconstructing them is at the heart of what I do," Laiskonis says. "On top of that, I had a lot of fun helping to guide and encourage such a unique start-up—not to mention all of the insight gained on how different sweeteners influence dental health."</div>
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The renowned chef came up with several iterations of the couple's original formula, including chocolate caramel. The final recipe yielded a meltingly tender chew without cloying sweetness. To test the appeal, they set up a table at the upscale Long Island City Flea & Food market. Despite the premium pricing, they sold 300 bags in a few weekends.</div>
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Thekkekandam and Citineni met as UNC graduate students. They returned to the Triangle after she completed her pediatric dentistry residency in New York in 2014. She bought a forty-year-old practice, <a href="http://www.trianglekidsdentist.com/">Triangle Kids Pediatric Dentistry</a>, and he quit his consulting job to work full-time on building the candy business.</div>
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Currently, Tom & Jenny's caramels come from their state-certified home kitchen, but the couple is in the process of transitioning to a commercial producer. That will allow them to scale up production and expand their product line before Halloween and Christmas—so far, these factors have limited the company's growth.</div>
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To expand the product line, Tom & Jenny's continues to consult with Laiskonis and another local pastry chef. Thekkekandam is cautious about sharing too many specifics because other companies, he says, are pursuing similar sugar alternatives, but they do plan to perfect those set-aside Gummi-style candies and chocolates and introduce some fancier confections for adults, including chocolate-enrobed caramels.</div>
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Selling more products should enable Tom & Jenny's to achieve another goal—directing more profits to charities that help at-risk children in need of nutritional and dental health. The couple has long been involved with social justice causes, notably the Chapel Hill-based nonprofit Nourish International, which Citineni founded at UNC. The global organization helps communities in extreme poverty advance through sustainable development.</div>
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"They have an extraordinary executive director who is driving amazing growth," Thekkekandam says. "Through it and other channels, we hope Tom & Jenny's will soon be in a position to make a bigger commitment to social change."</div>
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That would be mighty sweet—even if it's sugar-free.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.104px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/tom-and-jennys-caramel-is-the-sugar-free-miracle-that-wont-hurt-your-teeth-or-taste/Content?oid=4990873">Indy Week.</a></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-62425737872456132072016-01-22T09:48:00.000-05:002016-01-22T09:48:22.968-05:00Ponysaurus named in Food & Wine's list of hot trends for 2016<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="zoomable" href="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/original/4984926/ponyokra.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-4984790" style="clear: right; color: #056279; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;" title="Okra! - PHOTO COURTESY OF PONYSAURUS"><img alt="Okra! - PHOTO COURTESY OF PONYSAURUS" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4984926/ponyokra.jpg?cb=1453319025" height="338" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried okra bar snack (Ponysaurus photo)</td></tr>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Food & Wine</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> restaurant editor </span><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/contributors/kate-krader" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kate Krader</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">has included Durham's </span><a href="http://ponysaurusbrewing.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ponysaurus Brewing Co.</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> in her </span><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/kool-aid-reborn-next-level-brewpubs-and-9-other-food-trends-we%E2%80%99re-excited-about-2016" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2016 food trend predictions story</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. Based on a recent visit, she hailed the Hood Street taproom as a "next-level brewpub" that offers creative snacks to complement its craft beer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Krader especially liked the crunchy dried okra, one of about a dozen snacks kept in temptation-inducing glass jars and sold for a buck a scoop.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"The dried okra is my favorite, too," says Ponysaurus partner Nick Hawthorne-Johnson. He selects the assortment of nibbles, which currently includes another of his favorites, </span><a href="https://www.generalmills.com/Brands/Snacks/Bugles.aspx" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bugles</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, the cone-shaped corn snack. "It's more something cool we get to do than a moneymaker."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">None of the featured snacks are made on-site or exclusively for Ponysaurus—yet.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"We want to incorporate members of </span><a href="http://www.durhamcookery.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Cookery</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> into the snack program, but it hasn't happened yet," says Hawthorn-Johnson, who owns the culinary incubator and event space with wife, Rochelle Johnson. "I'm especially interested in bringing in granolas made by Mary Moyer of </span><a href="http://www.doublembakeshop.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Double M Baking</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. She makes a curry granola we really like. We need to make sure it works for The Cookery's members—that it will be sustainable and good for them, too."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">While there is no formal pairings menu, Hawthorne-Johnson says he gladly steers patrons toward munchies that pair well with particular brews. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"The stout and malt balls are pretty amazing together," he says with a chuckle. "We've got wasabi peanuts right now, but we've also got things that are just crunchy and salty and won't get in the way of enjoying your beer."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Hawthorne-Johnson is gratified at Ponysaurus being labeled a "next-level brewpub," as it reflects the ambitions he has with partners Keil Jansen and David Baldwin.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"I'm always thinking about how we'll take where we are to the next level," he says. "It's the pursuit of a more excellent version of whatever we're doing."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in<a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2016/01/20/ponysaurus-named-in-food-and-wines-list-of-hot-trends-for-2016"> Indy Week</a>.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-67509372789065728052016-01-22T09:44:00.002-05:002016-01-22T09:44:43.956-05:00Poole's Diner named in Eater's National Top 38 restaurant list<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpsa7bpoDJemEy1meNFGxUJczqh_I1-jYWcS-6JUDlGTgT4QZqubM9GaGhGBEfxmJAEDpH4Lll0UNkBLYgMPju2DUv5xU9QC_naClereIdjWgumvJpVqU-ZmLlaATngtiCZpCTr7jx6M/s1600/Ashley-Indy+Week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpsa7bpoDJemEy1meNFGxUJczqh_I1-jYWcS-6JUDlGTgT4QZqubM9GaGhGBEfxmJAEDpH4Lll0UNkBLYgMPju2DUv5xU9QC_naClereIdjWgumvJpVqU-ZmLlaATngtiCZpCTr7jx6M/s400/Ashley-Indy+Week.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley Christensen (Indy Week photo by Jeremy Lange)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://ac-restaurants.com/pooles/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Poole's Diner</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> has joined another elite cast: Esteemed critic Bill Addison named chef Ashley Christensen's Raleigh flagship to Eater's second-ever </span><a href="http://www.eater.com/2016/1/13/10738058/the-national-eater-38-where-to-eat-in-2016" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">National Top 38 restaurant list</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. It is the only North Carolina restaurant to earn the honor, which aspires to answer the question that drives Addison's work: "'What is essential dining?"</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"Poole's is one of the South's great modern restaurants," Addison told the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">INDY</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. "The restaurant's macaroni au gratin may be its most famous dish (every time I'm there I spot people ordering only it for dinner), but beyond that decadent icon, the menu revolves with the seasons in precise, always-appealing ways."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Christensen is in New York this week, where she cooked Thursday for </span><a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/southern-chef-tasting-dinner-with-southern-living-tickets-19364411476" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Women in the Kitchen</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, a Southern chef event celebrating the 50th anniversary of </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Southern Living</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> magazine. Kaitlyn Goalen, director of marketing for AC Restaurants, says Christensen is fine with adoration of the </span><a href="http://www.wral.com/recipe-poole-s-mac-and-cheese/15169543/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">justifiably famous mac 'n' cheese, </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">even though she strives to create new dishes to wow customers.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"We're always grateful and thrilled that it remains on the list of things for people to try," says Goalen, noting the side dish has been on the menu since Poole's opened in December 2007. "It's what Poole's is about—really classic comfort food recipes that are re-imagined, but which still tap into a lexicon of flavor that we're all familiar with."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Addison adds that he admires the James Beard Award-winning chef's creativity and appreciation for local and seasonal ingredients. "I know right where I am and what time of year it is when I eat at Poole's," he says. "Ashley Christensen sets national standards not just in terms of the beautiful food she and her team execute but in her leadership—with seven businesses now under her umbrella—and in her commitment to community with events like</span><a href="https://www.southernfoodways.org/tag/stir-the-pot/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Stir The Pot </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">that benefit the </span><a href="https://www.southernfoodways.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Southern Foodways Alliance</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Goalen says the AC team had no advance notice about making the National Top 38 list, though it is bound to make it even more difficult to get a table at the often-crowded Poole's, which does not take reservations. The nod is sure to drive interest in Christensen's six other Raleigh venues too, </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-review-of-ashley-christensens-pricey-pleasing-death-and-taxes-in-raleigh/Content?oid=4777622" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">including Death & Taxes and Bridge Club, both of which opened last fall.</a><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"We're quite excited to be in the company on that list, and thrilled to have a North Carolina restaurant included," Goalen says. "We share it with the whole community of Raleigh. It speaks to how dynamic the food scene has become here."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Christensen has another eatery in the works, a pizzeria scheduled to open next door to Poole's in 2017. And October will see release of her first cookbook, a collection of some 150 recipes. </span><a href="https://twitter.com/poolesdiner?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Follow Poole's on Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> to learn about some of the recipes as they're tested.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2016/01/21/pooles-diner-named-in-eaters-national-top-38-restaurant-list">Indy Week</a>.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-38888098564510131212016-01-21T10:05:00.000-05:002016-01-21T10:05:37.714-05:00Five Triangle chefs share their secrets for sushi at home<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Making sushi at home can seem quite intimidating. You may think you have to buy several varieties of fish, appropriate vegetables and accompanying spices and seeds. You need to cook rice with the right consistency and texture. And you need to have the techniques and tools required to put it all together. </b></span></div>
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<b>But, according to four Triangle chefs and one fish supplier, it doesn't have to be so mystifying or demanding, so long as you know what you're shopping for and what you already have. These how-to tips should make your next home sushi experience tastier and a little more homemade.</b></div>
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Perfecting your rice</h2>
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In sushi, there is no ingredient more important than rice. The name "sushi" even refers to the type of rice used to make a vast array of rolls, plus the pillows used to support glistening strips of seafood in nigiri.</div>
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Mike Lee, of Raleigh's Sono and Durham's M Sushi, expected to open downtown this week, says it is essential to use the best available rice—the "super premium" varieties <i>koshihikari</i> or <i>tamanishiki</i>. Available at select Asian markets in the Triangle, they are prized for their inherently sweet, slightly nutty flavor and starchiness. And if you find bags marked "new crop," consider yourself a winner of the sushi Powerball. If you can't find those varieties, says Lee, go for the best Japanese or Korean brands you can find.</div>
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"It's sad to see that a lot of sushi restaurants in the area don't pay attention to how important the rice is," says Lee, whose staff makes several 50-cup batches throughout lunch and dinner service. Rice will vary from bag to bag, even in the same brand, based on when it was grown and how long it's been stored. He makes a test batch with every new bag to ensure quality and gauge cooking time.</div>
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According to Lee, rice should be rinsed well enough before cooking that water will run clear through it in a colander.</div>
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A heavy-bottom pot with a tight lid, like a Dutch oven, is ideal for cooking rice. If you lack patience to watch the pot boil, Lee recommends investing in a high-quality electric rice cooker. (Again, go with a Japanese or Korean brand.) When the rice is done cooking, transfer it to a wide, shallow bowl; wood is ideal, but start with what you've got.</div>
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"You have to mix in the seasoned vinegar right away, while it's piping hot," says Lee, who uses a dimpled, paddle-shaped spatula to cut in the vinegar and coat all the grains. "Then you want to cool it down quickly so the excess moisture is controlled. A piece of cardboard works great."</div>
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The seasoned rice wine vinegar sold at most grocery stores and even some Asian markets is, like its balsamic counterparts, not authentic. Lee considers most brands a poor substitute for a recipe you can do yourself. The basic ratio is 3 parts rice wine vinegar to 1 part sugar and one-half part salt—or 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Tweak this depending on how sweet you like your rice or if you'd like to add <i>kombu</i> (edible kelp), umami or citrus.</div>
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"As long as you keep it close to the basic ratio," Lee says, "you can be as creative as you like."</div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pickling your own ginger</span></span></h3>
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<a class="zoomable" href="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/original/4984670/_sushi-ginger.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-4984674" style="clear: right; color: #056279; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" title="ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS"><img alt="ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS" height="320" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/big/4984670/_sushi-ginger.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="241" /></a>When Charlie Deal of Durham's Jujube wants sushi, he heads to his favorite "hidden gem" in the city, Kurama. "It's the last place you'd expect, because it looks like a dated Japanese steak house," Deal says. "But the sushi there is impeccable, especially if you let the guy do his thing."</div>
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Though Deal doesn't attempt sushi at Jujube, some of the dishes do come with pickled ginger. He encourages home cooks to dispense with the prepackaged pink stuff and make their own.</div>
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"I've always seen pickled ginger being made from young ginger, which I can't always find," says Deal, who was initially skeptical when chef Miguel Gordillo made it with mature ginger. But it worked. "It's delicious, and it's even got a nice texture."</div>
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Young ginger can be pickled by just soaking in hot brine. Mature ginger, however, needs to be simmered in brine. Here's how they do it at Jujube.</div>
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INGREDIENTS</h3>
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150 grams ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, preferably with a mandoline<br /><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">3/4 cup mirin</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">3/4 cup rice wine vinegar</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">4 tablespoons white sugar</span></div>
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Combine everything in a heavy-bottom saucepan and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer ginger and remaining brine to a sealable container.</div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grating your Wasabi</span></span></h3>
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Early in his kitchen career, a boss tasked Greg Gettles with turning harsh wasabi powder into the thick green paste served with sushi.</div>
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"I cried," admits Gettles, now the executive chef at Piedmont in Durham. "It'll light you up for sure. That's why it was such a big deal to me to taste real wasabi for the first time."</div>
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Fresh wasabi root looks similar to horseradish but has a vibrant green tint. It's not as hot as wasabi made from powder, which often contains no real wasabi at all.</div>
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"There's a surprising sweetness to freshly grated wasabi," Gettles says. "And it should be used soon after you grate it. If you wait until the next day, the flavor will be super muted."</div>
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Gettles recommends buying wasabi from an Asian market where produce is frequently replenished. Such stores often sell ceramic or sharkskin boards for grating it traditionally, but a Microplane is just as effective.</div>
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Still, if the fresh wasabi is a bit more assertive than you like, Gettles suggests taming it with a dash of mirin, or sweetened rice wine.</div>
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While he has not served sushi at Piedmont, Gettles has used wasabi to brighten a classic <i>beurre monté</i>, a melted butter sauce. "Finishing it with a little wasabi adds depth," he explains. "Wasabi also pairs nicely with cilantro, so it's great in something like a cucumber gazpacho."</div>
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While the plant does not thrive in the Southern climate (or many at all, really), Gettles plans to use locally grown wasabi microgreens in salads this spring and, hopefully, larger leaves later as a wrapper for steamed fish.</div>
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"I've got a couple of small farmers set to grow leaves for me," he says. "I've never tried this, but I think the flavor will be unreal."</div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="font-size: large;">Picking your fish</span></span></h3>
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Consider yourself warned: Eating raw seafood can cause food-borne illness.</div>
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"There's a lot of misinformation out there, and I like to be clear," says Lin Peterson of Raleigh's Locals Seafood, which provides fresh catches for Triangle chefs and home cooks alike. "Just as with raw oysters, there is an inherent risk in eating raw fish in sushi."</div>
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Peterson says 99 percent of fish served in sushi restaurants has been frozen to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, not only for convenient transport but also to kill potentially harmful bacteria. This is even required by some state and local health departments.</div>
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"And there is no such thing as 'sushi grade' fish," he says. "We sell <i>fresh</i> fish, and we know exactly where it came from, when it left the water, when it was cut and when it was sold."</div>
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If you don't buy your fish from a seller who can vouch for such stock, chances are you should not experiment with uncooked seafood in your homemade sashimi or rolls. If you do, Peterson offers a few tips.</div>
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First, choose a whole fish, like black sea bass or Spanish mackerel, instead of a trimmed fillet, which begins to break down as soon as it's exposed to air.</div>
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"Grouper and snapper can work, as well as triggerfish and tilefish," Peterson says. "If you like tuna, look for a section of big-eye or yellowfin, which are running now. They have a nice fat content, which makes for great flavor."</div>
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Second, keep the fish super cold, preferably on ice. And then, use your best, sharpest knife to cut thin, even slices.</div>
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For garnish, Peterson suggests golden rainbow trout caviar from Sunburst Trout Farms, located in the mountain town of Canton, instead of the salty orange beads of salmon roe.</div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rolling your leftovers</span></span></h3>
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Freaked out about raw fish? Stop fretting and do what Gray Brooks does: Make sushi rolls at home using leftover proteins, like those last few bites of a great steak.</div>
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<a class="zoomable" href="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/original/4984673/_sushi-fridge.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-4984674" style="clear: right; color: #056279; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" title="ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS"><img alt="ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS" height="419" src="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/big/4984673/_sushi-fridge.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="400" /></a>"When you're eating a steak as sushi, you can stretch what would normally be a snack into a whole portion of dinner," says the Pizzeria Toro chef. "And it's delicious."</div>
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Brooks likes making steak sushi for other reasons, too.</div>
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"I don't have special sushi knives, and I don't want to have to buy four or five different kinds of fish," he says. "This is just so much easier."</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.104px; text-align: right;">It's best to slice leftover steak straight from the refrigerator, when it's cold and firm. To ensure a tender bite, cut across the grain.</span></div>
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Brooks likes to have an avocado on hand for his steak sushi. Otherwise, he can be spontaneous about making the rolls because he keeps a stash of essentials in his pantry—rice and seasoned rice wine vinegar, mirin, sheets of nori and togarashi, a seven-flavor Japanese chili sauce. He also reserves a bottle of especially good soy sauce for dipping.</div>
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"It really is worth spending a little more money to get a high-end soy sauce," he says. "The subtleties are amazing."</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/five-triangle-chefs-share-their-secrets-for-sushi-at-home/Content?oid=4984674&showFullText=true">Indy Week</a>.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-76875337716370076082016-01-11T09:34:00.001-05:002016-01-11T09:34:31.830-05:00A Pittsboro couple’s modern dream home<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lyon, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px;">
At a stage of life when many of their friends are downsizing or choosing assisted living communities, Philip and Velma Helfaer eagerly built a new home on the fringe of one of the Triangle’s most prestigious addresses.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">News & Observer photos by Juli Leonard</td></tr>
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The career psychologists, educators and writers, now 82 and 79, respectively, had spent most of their married lives in chilly Boston and Norway and amid the rugged beauty of sunny Tel Aviv. Two years ago, they chose a 5-acre parcel adjoining Fearrington Village in Pittsboro to build their dream home. It was wooded and quiet, disturbed only by the welcome sounds of wildlife.</div>
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The couple had never lived in or even visited North Carolina before but were attracted to the area by its natural beauty, moderate climate and proximity to academia and a major airport. While temporarily renting a house in Fearrington, they connected with an architect and builder who shared their passion for green design. The result is the Happy Meadows Courtyard House, a highly efficient, ultra-modern home with spare, midcentury appeal.</div>
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“This project is so special to me because of the way the house interacts with the wildlife,” says <a href="http://www.acsarchitect.com/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d76ba; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="">Arielle Condoret Schechter</a> of Chapel Hill, who designed the nearly 2,300-square-foot residence to suit her clients’ modest, understated style and keen ecological interests. A key factor was their desire to live in a net-zero home, which, through photovoltaic arrays on the roof, ideally would generate as much – or maybe more – energy than its owners needed to purchase over the course of a year.</div>
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“We didn’t quite achieve that this year,” says Philip Helfaer, who checks a program on his computer to review detailed logs of electric energy used and solar energy sold to Duke Energy. He laughs heartily to see a 10-day stretch with no energy usage. “Our energy expenses from December 15, 2014, to December 15, 2015, were $216,” adds Velma Helfaer. “We generated 80 percent of our electricity.”</div>
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According to Duke Energy, an average monthly electric bill for a similar size home in the Fearrington area is about $110. Despite an extended cold snap last winter, high heat and humidity this summer and unseasonable warmth this fall, most of their energy expenses came from cooking and cleaning.</div>
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AN AVERAGE MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILL FOR A SIMILAR SIZE HOME IN THE FEARRINGTON AREA IS ABOUT $110.</div>
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“I’m so disappointed that we didn’t achieve net-zero this year,” says Schechter, who teamed with Kevin Murphy of Chapel Hill’s <a href="http://www.newphirebuilding.com/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d76ba; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="">NewPhire Building</a> to maximize energy efficiency, ensure clean airflow and capture rainwater from the roof to a 1,200-gallon cistern for irrigation. “With a few tweaks, I think we can do it in the future.”</div>
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Schechter’s innovative design amplifies the peacefulness of the property by showcasing some of its most serene aspects. The home is centered by a courtyard garden that can be glimpsed from several rooms. Windows capture outdoor scenes as if they were seasonal, wood-framed paintings. Their ample patio contains a burbling, lily-filled water feature echoed by a second pond in the garden. They’ve seen everything from blue heron to red fox enjoying the grounds.</div>
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“In the spring, we were wondering if we made a mistake putting the patio pond near our bedroom,” Velma Helfaer says with a laugh. “The bullfrogs are very loud,” adds Philip Helfaer, imitating their robust bleats as a salamander clung to their screened porch, “but it’s wonderful to hear all the sounds of nature.”</div>
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The Helfaers spend a good deal of time outdoors, especially in the evening, when they can enjoy twinkling starlight undisturbed by the glare of commercial lighting. When they retire indoors, they leave the heat off at night, allowing ambient conditions to keep the temperature at or above 69 degrees. Fifteen-inch walls and custom-made insulated windows are part of the science behind this seeming magic.</div>
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The Helfaers personally selected many of the home’s finishes, including granite countertops and rich accent wall colors. Elsewhere, they pushed Schechter and Murphy to use the most green options available.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-O1VKCDZtJp74AvtBo5USYcCy4myM2_TJqI2eFWgmF9YST4FcTdCuv-zG1ipCt1XG-Oyok1aesI8CbLkTpBHM4SAhPFUTkvHA_RwRI9FPAVTun6QLU32vK-j8atTk-A_Ysm-nPVU6TA/s1600/happy+meadows3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-O1VKCDZtJp74AvtBo5USYcCy4myM2_TJqI2eFWgmF9YST4FcTdCuv-zG1ipCt1XG-Oyok1aesI8CbLkTpBHM4SAhPFUTkvHA_RwRI9FPAVTun6QLU32vK-j8atTk-A_Ysm-nPVU6TA/s320/happy+meadows3.jpg" width="191" /></a>Most of the home has poured concrete floors except for the kitchen and exercise room, which feature cork tile with a leathery amber glow. Warm wood details, including cabinets, shelving and convenient window benches, are fashioned mostly from reclaimed river wood or sustainable species. A full wall of cypress boards create a dynamic pattern of undulating grain in their bedroom.</div>
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The open pantry off the kitchen contains groceries and their pared-down household goods, including a beloved 40-year-old Champion juicer and her grandmother’s cut-glass water pitcher. A glass bowl is filled with beautiful rocks collected on hikes around the world.</div>
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Velma Helfaer has held off on hanging any of the couple’s art collection to date. There is just a scattering of collectibles evident in the home, which is dominated by well-thumbed books and an audiophile’s dream system to enjoy classical music.</div>
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Schechter and Murphy ensured that the house could accommodate potential future needs, allowing a guest bedroom to be easily converted into a caregiver’s suite. The overall design balances safety and comfort with green smarts and calming beauty.</div>
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“We previously had a place that was passive solar, but it felt like we were living in a greenhouse,” Velma Helfaer says. “It never felt like a place we’d want to spend the rest of our lives in. This does.”</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in the <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/living/home-garden/article53102520.html">News & Observer</a>.</i></div>
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This post first appeared in <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/living/home-garden/article53102520.html#storylink=cpy</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-9133362929125353602016-01-06T11:35:00.000-05:002016-01-06T11:35:18.462-05:00Cary's Sandra Gutierrez needs you to eat more empanadas—and wants to show you how to make them<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMj4FigNjMhg1ayct9LwW7WPwlBK-fOfNKzTRpPfWjCKtKk-k1XT3YEgMw7csf2-J2LQ07iVvySTbKaMvEu8cSYFt8qyKs6GvebcmbPkaFbZuNZe72ghQY08hC78ksmPvv2OCiosYVug/s1600/empanada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMj4FigNjMhg1ayct9LwW7WPwlBK-fOfNKzTRpPfWjCKtKk-k1XT3YEgMw7csf2-J2LQ07iVvySTbKaMvEu8cSYFt8qyKs6GvebcmbPkaFbZuNZe72ghQY08hC78ksmPvv2OCiosYVug/s400/empanada.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indy Week photos by Jeremy M. Lange</td></tr>
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After a year in which she published two well-received cookbooks and traveled often to promote them in readings, signings and cooking demonstrations across America, Sandra Gutierrez welcomed 2016 in the best way she could imagine: cozied up with family in her Cary home, where she made short-cut collard empanadas with pre-packaged Goya wrappers.</div>
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"It's good to know how to make the dough, but these let anybody make empanadas anytime," says the author of <i>Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America</i>, as she tears into one stuffed with a traditional Argentine combination of stewed beef, chopped olives and raisins. "There are thousands of recipes, some of them complicated, but you can make delicious empanadas from leftovers. You can even use eggroll wrappers. Enjoying good food with your family is more important than making every single thing from scratch."</div>
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Released last spring, <i>Empanadas</i> empowers home cooks to prepare dozens of the variations popular throughout Latin America. But the Guatemala native is on a timely, relevant quest to broaden the already wide appeal of these portable pies—especially in the South, where fried hand pies have a beloved place in the culinary canon. In both <i>Empanadas</i> and <i>Beans & Field Peas</i>, a Savor the South book published in September by the University of North Carolina Press, Gutierrez delivers recipes with rich historical context that also consider the busy lifestyles of American cooks who hope to get dinner on the table quickly.</div>
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By making these recipes more approachable, Gutierrez has become a vital figure in the changing foodways of the Triangle, where authentic Latin fare is finally making inroads in a scene once clogged with gloppy combination plates and stale tortilla chips. In the last several years, more than a dozen restaurants offering and often updating the cuisine of Latin America have become area favorites. Many of them, like Calavera in Raleigh and Carrboro and the new Luna and Makus in Durham, even specialize in empanadas. When Gutierrez first settled in Cary in 1993, she couldn't have imagined such a change.</div>
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Gutierrez sat down at home over a batch of empanadas to discuss her career and the changes in cuisine all around her.</div>
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<i><b>INDY: You've published four cookbooks in four years, starting with The New Southern-Latino Table and Latin American Street Food, both produced by UNC Press. To what do you credit this success?</b></i></div>
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Sandra Gutierrez: I've had fortunate timing to be part of the growing interest in Latino culture.<i>Empanadas</i> was my surprise book; I got that offer three weeks after committing to <i>Beans & Field Peas.</i> Empanadas are trendy right now, but I think they're here to stay because of the influx of Latinos all over the United States. It's only a matter of time before everyone discovers how great they are; I don't think anyone who grew up with Pop-Tarts should have any trouble relating to an empanada.</div>
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<b><i>Americans have the tendency to assume that all Hispanic cultures are similar, but empanadas vary considerably across Latin America. What accounts for this?</i></b></div>
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Tamales and empanadas are everywhere. Tortillas are not; they're just in Mexico and central America, and then they disappear. But as you travel, you find that empanada doughs are very different. You'll find wheat-based dough, like tender pastries, because it's what the Spaniards brought.</div>
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But as the indigenous peoples of the Americas fell in love with handheld pies, the dough began to change. If you go to the Latin Caribbean and Central America, you'll find dough made with plantains, which is gluten free. In Brazil, you find dough made of cassava or yucca—also completely gluten free. In Mexico and Guatemala, you find masa—again, gluten free. Because of this, nearly everyone can eat empanadas.</div>
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<b><i>The empanada is a versatile filling conveyance; surely you've encountered awful Americanized versions?</i></b></div>
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Nothing terrible, really. Fillings originate from whatever is left over in someone's home. People sometimes tell me my recipes are not "authentic." They are—it's a matter of authentic to whom? The ingredients and seasonings vary based on where you are. Sometimes the dough is baked, sometimes fried. Peanut butter and jelly works in a pastry; apple pie filling also works. It's like a Southern fried pie.</div>
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<b><i>What distinguishes an empanada from a hand pie, then?</i></b></div>
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The name. The concept exists all over the world, and we have the Persians to thank. Almost every culture has them. You'll find the "pasty" in the British countries, and phyllo is used for spanakopita in Greece. Empanadas lend themselves to being tweaked for American flavors. Americans love pie. What's the saying—we're as American as apple pie? You can add whatever you like. I like to think that any stew can be put in an empanada, any pie filling. A classic combination in Latin America is a white cheese and preserves; imagine that here with local fig preserves and goat cheese. Now that would make a wonderful empanada.</div>
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<b><i>What are some of your favorite area restaurants for Latino food?</i></b></div>
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MachuPicchu in Raleigh is a great example of authentic Peruvian food. Guasaca Arepa is Venezuelan, and the food is delicious. Cuban Revolution in Durham is great, as is Carmen's Cuban Cafe, over by the airport. They've been there for decades. It's basic Cuban cuisine, but it's the most authentic street food you can find.</div>
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<b><i>What's the best way to identify a restaurant that serves authentic cuisine?</i></b></div>
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<li class="imageCaption" style="color: #666666; list-style: disc inside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.25;">From Cary, Sandra Gutierrez has become both an expert in empanadas and an advocate for the area's evolving food culture.</span></li>
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The best recommendation you can find is when you go in, it's full of Latin people. For the most part, these are not fancy restaurants. A lot of times they are in strip malls because the rent is cheaper. We're talking about mom-and-pop concepts, and they're not expensive. I especially like La Vaquita in Durham. It's a stand-alone place where you order at the window and eat outside.</div>
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It's such a welcome change. When Cary was young and we'd go to Mexican restaurants, I'd always order huevos rancheros, because it was the only thing that was real. But we're moving away from the Americanized, chain-like ideas. Imagine my excitement, my joy and my need or urge to write about and teach everything I know about the different Latin cuisines. I've got so much to share. There is so much to discover.</div>
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<b><i>How did you manage writing two such different single-topic cookbooks at the same time?</i></b></div>
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I was able to prepare whole meals for my family with recipes from both books, so that helped. My favorite part of the job is the research.</div>
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I love to be completely immersed in a topic. Why do we eat what we eat? What are the stories? I'm a learner, and there is no more delicious way to learn than with food. If you only knew how many afternoons I take classes online—history, literature. I have a thirst for knowledge, and I want to share what I learn, which is why I love teaching so much. It's fun for me.</div>
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<b><i>You are a charter member of the new North Carolina chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, the international organization that advocates for women in the food industry. How do you see its role in getting female professionals in the food industry to commit to the advancement of education and philanthropy through food?</i></b></div>
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It's such an exciting time to be in the Triangle. So many women are doing remarkable things. Chefs, writers, food scholars—we're all in this area. The most beautiful part of it is that we are a very gregarious community, and everybody is interested in helping everybody else. Les Dames will allow women to help other women in the industry, while at the same time making a difference in their community. We haven't decided where our group will go, because it's new, but there are many opportunities to help through food: teaching children to grow vegetables at school and then how to cook and eat them, or scholarships to get an education in the food world.</div>
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There's a lot of need in our community. It's beautiful that a group of us women can come together through our experience and expertise in the food industry.</div>
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<b><i>The Les Dames mission has attracted several influential North Carolina women—including president Colleen Minton of TerraVita; Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston; Triangle cookbook writers Nancie McDermott, Sheri Castle and Debbie Moose—among others. What does it mean to you to be part of this circle?</i></b></div>
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It is humbling. These are women who have dedicated themselves to food and have a heart that makes them want to give back to their community. It's good to have women leaders making change and helping. The need is only growing.</div>
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It's also great that we have a place where we can network with a common purpose. I see a bunch of professionals mentoring other professionals. That is not perceived to be the norm among women in business. It's usually very competitive, but this is a group of mentors. We all want to help each other and our community. It's something I have never experienced at this level before.</div>
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<b><i>Will 2016 bring a fifth cookbook from you?</i></b></div>
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I'm not doing another book right away. I'm booked solid through June promoting all of my books and teaching classes. The one part I don't like about all this is the travel. It's given me a new sense of independence, but it also is a chore. It's very worthwhile, though, as I make connections with someone who cooked my recipe or who is interested in what I'm writing about.</div>
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I would love more people to join me on social media (Twitter: @sandralatinista). I love the back-and-forth exchange; it keeps everything fresh for me. I get to know what people are looking for. I'm not writing the books for myself. I really do care about what people want to see and learn.</div>
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Empanada ease</h2>
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Sandra Gutierrez's <i>Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America</i> collects 60 recipe variations on the hold-able wonders, crisscrossing the region and its varying traditions. Gutierrez offered this recipe—made with cheap, easy, store-bought dough—as an introduction to empanadas at home.</div>
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<b>Shrimp and Tomato Stew Flaky Pillows (Pastéis de Camarão) </b></div>
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Makes 12</div>
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1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil<br /><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">1 cup finely chopped white onion</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">2/3 cup peeled, seeded and chopped plum tomatoes</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">2 tablespoons tomato paste</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">12 ounces peeled and cooked shrimp or langoustines, cut into 1/2-inch pieces</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">12 store-bought empanada discs, such as Goya</span><span style="font-size: 13.104px;">Vegetable oil for frying</span></div>
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<b>MAKE THE FILLING:</b> Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set on medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste; sauté for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir well to form a thick paste. Add the cilantro and salt; remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the shrimp or langoustines and stir well. Transfer the filling to a large bowl. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes or overnight.</div>
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<b>ASSEMBLE THE PASTÉIS:</b> Defrost packaged empanada discs overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 35–45 minutes. Place two tablespoons off center on one side of the round wrapper, leaving half-inch pastry border. Fold the top over the filling and seal by pressing sides together with your fingers. Crimp them tightly with the tines of a fork. Transfer them to a prepared baking sheet.</div>
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<b>FRY THE PASTÉIS AND SERVE:</b> Fit a large baking sheet with a metal cooling rack; set it aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1/2 to one inch of vegetable oil to 360 degrees, or use a deep fryer. Working in batches, carefully slide the pastéis into the oil. Fry them until they're puffy and golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning them over halfway through. If the oil gets too hot as you fry and they're browning to quickly, lower the temperature and let the oil cool slightly before frying more. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared rack to drain. Let them cool for 1 to 2 minutes and serve.</div>
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<b>NOTE:</b> <i>Pastéis are best eaten immediately after they're fried. Freeze them uncooked in a single layer; once solid, transfer them to freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to three months. Fry them without thawing (to prevent splatters) for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.</i></div>
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<i style="font-size: 13.104px;">This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/carys-sandra-gutierrez-needs-you-to-eat-more-empanadasand-wants-to-show-you-how-to-make-them/Content?oid=4980615">Indy Week</a>. </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-63687092335450566402016-01-03T15:16:00.000-05:002016-01-03T15:16:01.424-05:00Nogged Out Loaded: A trip around the Triangle with eggnog<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px;">
<span class="firstletter" style="float: left; font-size: 3em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1em; margin-right: 0.2em;">I</span>n the past two weeks, I have imbibed or eaten the following items: Maple View Farm eggnog, Homeland Creamery eggnog, Organic Valley eggnog, all of these eggnogs with rum, all of these eggnogs with whiskey, eggnog cheesecake, an eggnog milkshake, almond-based "holiday nog," almond-based "holiday nog" with rum, eggnog gelato, an eggnog martini, eggnog cookies, an eggnog donut, an eggnog latte and eggnog flan topped with bourbon caramel.</div>
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Though I like eggnog quite a bit, I wouldn't consider myself a zealot. Instead, a team of <i>INDY</i> food writers was curious about ways in which local kitchens were incorporating the Christmas concoction into their menu, other than by simply spiking it. Not all of these dishes wowed; the flan never really worked. Others made me sit still in a silent stupor, gazing at a plate, waiting for the next piece of eggnog cheesecake to appear by magic. Without exception, at least, they surprised me—and made me feel incredibly heavy, like Santa Claus in need of a motorized sleigh. <i>—Grayson Haver Currin</i></div>
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A spirited quest: Sugarland's phantom eggnog martini and phenomenal cheesecake</h2>
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Getting your hands on Sugarland's eggnog martini—the Noggatini, at least I'm told—requires a Christmas miracle. The bakery's Raleigh location no longer serves martinis, due, I assume, to too many fender-benders in Harris Teeter's Cameron Village parking lot. The clerk behind the bar of the original Chapel Hill location wasn't sure what I was talking about, either.</div>
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If the Noggatini can't be found (Sugarland's marketing director swears it can), here's a tip: During December, Sugarland whips up a delicious eggnog gelato that's thick enough to stand in perky peaks in a bowl or a freezer case. This gelato may be inserted into any boozy concoction already on the menu, like the Mochatini's makeup of chocolate liqueur, Irish cream and vodka. When blended, it tastes like traditional eggnog and rum, if eggnog and rum were made out of ice cream.</div>
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Looking for a non-alcoholic treat? Consider Sugarland's "Noggy but Nice" cheesecake. A base of vanilla sponge comes loaded with nutmeg and an eggnog pastry cream filling, topped generously with silky eggnog buttercream. Held together by a crumbly brown crust, the cake is soft, chewy and not overly sweet. The simple color of the main ingredients means the cake is not nearly as festive-looking as some of Sugarland's other seasonal offerings, but this deceptively plain delicacy doesn't need red and green sprinkles to wow. Instead, Noggy is a cake for true eggnog lovers who want to experience heavy cream and frothed eggs in as many ways as possible. <i>—Tina Haver Currin</i></div>
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Joyless almond: Vegan eggnog still sucks</h2>
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A love of eggnog nearly necessitates New Year's resolutions. Loaded with saturated fat and sugar, a one-cup, non-spiked serving squeezes in as many as 350 calories—that is, about four slices of loaf bread or five sheets of Kraft Singles. But the low calorie count and relatively nonexistent sugar-and-fat stats of vegan nog—that is, eggnog approximations made by pairing almond milk, coconut milk or the like with thickeners and spices—make the alternative so appealing. You can chug an entire 48-ounce bottle of Califia Farms' "Holiday Nog" and gain only 600 calories (and, most likely, a bellyache).</div>
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That felt like quite the bargain when I uncapped the almond-based Califia Farms concoction after a firm shake; it certainly smelled like nog, a slightly sour sweetness countered by the warm aroma of nutmeg. But when I began to pour, I balked; the stuff ran like a liquid river, not a viscous and pale volcanic flow. If eggnog is thin custard, almond nog is thick water, almost too easy to drink.</div>
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The taste, though, doesn't go down quite as nice. Though a swallow is smooth, the spices arrive at once and too hard, as though someone has just dropped a dry tablet of cinnamon and nutmeg on your tongue. As the jolt decays, a putrid aftertaste suggests a shot of harsh cough syrup. Alcohol won't save you, either. Cutting it with Mount Gay Black Barrel rum only masked the seasonal flavors, suggesting spiked skim milk. A quarter-hour later, I kept smacking my tongue against the roof of my mouth, like a dejected dog that had licked a lemon.</div>
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Congratulations, nutrition: You've got the season off. <i>—Grayson Haver Currin</i></div>
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Nog innovation: Guglhupf's new eggnog éclair</h2>
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At Guglhupf, Durham's German bakery and cafe, you can celebrate the holidays with such traditional delights as Christmas stollen and cookies. Or this year, you can add an eggnog éclair to the seasonal offerings.</div>
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"People love éclairs," says owner Claudia Cooper. "We did a pumpkin one for Thanksgiving that was very popular—so popular that we had the idea to give an eggnog flavor a try for Christmas."</div>
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Starting with a classic <i>pate au choux</i> dough, bakers pipe the log-shaped pastry with a rich crème diplomat filling flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and a splash of brandy. They top it with a shiny chocolate swipe—a new holiday tradition at a Durham institution, I hope.<i>—Jill Warren Lucas</i></div>
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Just glaze: The eggnog-topped donuts of Monuts and Rise</h2>
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The end of November brought the season's first eggnog donut from Monuts—and, most likely, not the last. The Eggnog Gingersnap donut features local eggnog from Maple View Farms and Homeland Creamery in its glaze, which is mixed with a bit of extra nutmeg. Crumbled gingersnaps top the donut.</div>
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"Our menu changes so frequently that we're always looking for seasonal inspiration," says Lindsay Moriarty, chef and co-owner at Monuts. "As the weather cools down and fresh produce starts to become more scarce, locally produced items like eggnog become a great alternative."</div>
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Moriarty has experimented with eggnog inside the donut, but she says the flavor hits best when it's used in the glaze. (Rise's eggnog donut, by the way, is very similar to this one.) Before the end of the season, Moriarty expects to make a spiced-cake donut topped by a whiskey-eggnog glaze. Well, 'tis the season... <i>—Iza Wojciechowska</i></div>
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Coconog: A Puerto Rican eggnog tradition</h2>
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Raleigh artist Claudia Corletto grew up in a Dominican household in Houston, where the holidays meant merengue and company. Among the invitees? A bottle of homemade Puerto Rican coquito.</div>
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Her mother's Puerto Rican friend, Prin, would show up to the Corletto home with a blend of coconut milk and coconut cream, egg yolk, condensed milk, cinnamon and a generous dose of white rum.</div>
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"It was the first sip of an adult beverage I had as a child during a very joyful time of year," she remembers. "The house was filled with the scent of Mami's cooking and the sounds of records. None of us had to rush to anything."</div>
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A few years ago, Corletto's sister called Prin for the recipe. Now, as Christmas sneaks into balmy North Carolina winters, Corletto whips up coquito for friends.</div>
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"This tradition is extremely important to me, because every winter it roots me in the memory of the love my family raised me in," she says. "When I pass that on to my friends, I know I'm doing something right." <i>—Victoria Bouloubasis</i></div>
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Seasonal flake: Yellow Dog's eggnog-based cult favorite</h2>
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Tanya Andrews didn't think the holiday sweet she debuted last year at Yellow Dog Bread Company—a flaky pastry snowman filled with luscious eggnog cream—made much of an impression. But days before it returned to the shelves last weekend, customers began asking for it, like bright-eyed children appealing to Santa.</div>
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"It must have created a cult following," says Andrews. "I have to admit, they are quite cute."</div>
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While she disliked eggnog in her youth, Andrews now appreciates the drink's silky richness. She's especially keen on the eggnog made by Homeland Creamery, which Yellow Dog uses as a substitute for standard cream for the snowman's velvety filling.</div>
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"It reminds me of boiled custard, which is kind of an Eastern North Carolina thing," says Andrews, who grew up near Rocky Mount. "It's not as spicy as eggnog, but it's also one of those custardy, wonderful treats we love this time of year."</div>
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Like any North Carolina snowman, the eggnog pastry variety, which is sold on Saturdays, is a fleeting thing.</div>
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"We'll make somewhere between 60 and 100 for a Saturday," Andrews says. "But when they're gone, they're gone." <i>—Jill Warren Lucas</i></div>
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Latte art: lucettegrace's love-hate relationship with eggnog</h2>
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Daniel Benjamin has a secret: Though his Raleigh sweetshop lucettegrace makes both an eggnog latte and an eggnog macaron, he doesn't actually enjoy the drink—particularly the nutmeg that powers it. Perhaps that explains why neither the latte nor the cookie contains eggnog.</div>
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Instead, Helen Barnes, lucettegrace's "syrup guru," has perfected a cream-based approximation of the drink, made from a precise blend of sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and, yes, even some nutmeg. The baristas originally tried to steam just that blend to make a latte, but the result was like a hot-and-spiced coffee custard, far too rich and heavy to be sipped. So they cut the cream with whole or skim milk and steam 10 ounces after dropping two shots of espresso into the bottom of a wide-mouthed mug. Finally, they sprinkle a little nutmeg on top. (Sorry, Mr. Benjamin.)</div>
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The results taste like a coffee drink suited for the season, not a cloying Christmas concoction that's too heavy to finish. The cream means it's a bit thicker than a typical latte, giving the espresso more body and a smoother swallow. Those added flavors hit the palate just as the espresso taste starts to fade, the cinnamon and vanilla dancing on your tongue as you prepare for the next taste. If eggnog is known to overpower, lucettegrace's egg-less eggnog latte tempers the flavors just enough for you to enjoy its fellow ingredients.<i>—Grayson Haver Currin</i></div>
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Porch-aged: An old-fashioned approach to eggnog</h2>
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Jennifer Noble Kelly feels bad for folks who resort to buying eggnog from the refrigerator aisle.</div>
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"To me, that's just not eggnog," says Kelly, a food publicist who represents Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery and chef Scott Crawford of Standard Foods. "My first taste of real, aged eggnog came from the family holiday parties of my closest friend growing up. Her dad made it every year. He gave us the recipe as a wedding gift."</div>
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This will be the tenth year that Kelly will make the decadent drink, which starts with 24 eggs. The secret recipe also calls for sugar and heavy cream, as well as great glugs of brandy, bourbon and rum. Kelly usually makes her recipe at least two weeks before Christmas, mixing it directly in a cooler that resides on her front porch in Raleigh during the holiday season.</div>
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"It really does get better the longer it sits," says Kelly, who has yet to make this year's batch due to unseasonably warm conditions. "I usually keep a ladle out there so we can dip into it any time."</div>
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Kelly has never had a batch go bad; she agrees with food scientists who have declared that aged eggnog is actually safer to drink than a just-made recipe calling for raw eggs.</div>
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"There's enough alcohol to take care of any concerns," she says. "It's serious stuff." <i>—Jill Warren Lucas</i></div>
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Nog means no: I still hate you, eggnog</h2>
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I've always regarded eggnog as one of those seasonal staples that, like candy corn, is nice to have around for decoration but shouldn't be eaten. Recently, though, when trying to remember the details of my own eggnogcalypse—that is, the scenario that made me loathe it so—I couldn't. Was it possible I'd never had eggnog at all? What if I liked it? I needed to know.</div>
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For the experiment, I opted for the most generic office-party-punchbowl swill I could find—32 ounces of ultra-pasteurized "Original Eggnog," for less than $5. The designation "rich and creamy" made me shudder. Unsure if I was supposed to shake it, I sort of half-shook it before studying the dietary facts. I could drink four servings a day, I learned, and get all the fat and cholesterol I needed.</div>
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Running out of ways to stall, I twisted off the cap, unleashing a syrupy bouquet of custard, paste and salmonella. I used a wine glass because that was how it was served in the picture on the carton, but I was out of cinnamon sticks. The liquid had the grayish pallor of a kneaded rubber eraser and didn't pour so much as reluctantly drizzle. The odor was sickly sweet. Wary, I quaffed.</div>
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Something like wet plaster spiked with vanilla extract filled my head, and I let out a pathetic little groan. I angry-swallowed the second mouthful just in time to sneeze twice. By the fifth sip, the shock lessened, but I still wondered why I was drinking violently sugared half-and-half.</div>
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Was there ever any taste in this world but sweet? I felt as full as if I'd eaten a large baked potato. There was a monster living in my mouth, a ropy blob that coated everything he touched with saccharine egg slime. His name was Nog. I could swear I heard a tiny scream as I poured the rest down the drain. <i>—Brian Howe</i></div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/nogged-out-loaded-a-trip-around-the-triangle-with-eggnog/Content?oid=4947340">Indy Week</a>.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-3625642040919779182016-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:002016-01-03T15:12:21.445-05:00 A Life of Pie: How cancer and one baker's subsequent battle against it inspired the great new East Durham Pie Company<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 1.12em; margin-top: 1.12em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Ali Rudel felt good about life last summer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">The married mother of two daughters had decided to return to the mainstream workforce, taking a job in July with a nonprofit whose mission she respected. When she asked if she could start work a day later than expected in order to keep a doctor's appointment for her annual physical, the new boss didn't mind. But when she went into the office the next day, it was only the start of a very short stint.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD8OyBPD-uUJjQMGaWSs02-QQZ9JAs5WZPu7ccK2spoWbpDxZiFRSPTjbMlp25ZoMoq6Ep_h-1ACeyN52XpZIinCPbXYNImW8YkJmiFtX8EZeYQfmWxVSycKQ5Pj_ftJZhl2zpdjhRP0/s1600/Ali+Rudel-pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD8OyBPD-uUJjQMGaWSs02-QQZ9JAs5WZPu7ccK2spoWbpDxZiFRSPTjbMlp25ZoMoq6Ep_h-1ACeyN52XpZIinCPbXYNImW8YkJmiFtX8EZeYQfmWxVSycKQ5Pj_ftJZhl2zpdjhRP0/s320/Ali+Rudel-pie.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali Rudel of East Durham Pie Company<br />Indy Week photo by Jeremy M. Lange</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"They found a nodule on my thyroid but made it sound like it was nothing to be concerned about," Rudel says of the doctors. "I've learned that's what they do: keep things really positive until they know for certain you have cancer."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">So began the surreal odyssey that resulted in the removal of Rudel's thyroid in September, ongoing therapy to ensure that that cancer is gone and, unexpectedly, a pie company that is shaping up to be a success for the Durham baker. Just a few months after launching East Durham Pie Company, and while still battling cancer, Rudel is already talking about a storefront.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Weeks of uncertainty, surgery and recovery made a full-time job impossible for Rudel. She worked, however, to identify a manageable career that would make her happy. After numbing fatigue finally lifted, she decided the perfect occupation would allow her to both exercise her creativity and engage with the Triangle's local food movement, which she had once done as the manager of the Chapel Hill Farmers Market. She wanted to do it all from her Durham home, too, a requirement meant to minimize time away from family. The answer was the one-woman business she started in October.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Before her diagnosis, Rudel had already corralled her entrepreneurial ambitions and established East Durham Pie Company as an LLC in March. Her plan was to build the business slowly, developing it as her new job allowed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">By April, the kitchen of the family's current home was certified for food production. She and her husband, Ben Filippo, were familiar with the rigors of getting a home kitchen certified by the state for production of food to be sold wholesale or to private consumers. They'd gone through the process in 2012 when they launched the erstwhile This & That Jam, the Triangle's first jam subscription service. But making preserves was Filippo's thing; Rudel's jam, so to speak, is pie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"I figured I'd start the business when I had the time and resources. I had made a lot of great connections with farmers and producers, which would make things easier," she remembers. "But then everything changed."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Rudel devoted herself to learning about her thyroid and what life would be like without it. Still, during her treatment and recovery, she found baking the occasional pie to be comforting. The act of turning flour and butter into flaky dough was a welcome distraction from her situation, and it allowed her to be creative with seasonal ingredients and to repay friends and family members who were helping her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"I love the baking, but it's hard right now because I'm on a diet for my treatment where I can't have any dairy—no butter, no eggs, no iodized salt. I can't event eat my own pies right now," she says with a wry laugh. "But I'll make up for it soon."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Rudel learned her craft at Four & Twenty Blackbirds, the renowned New York bakery where she took a job after college. She began as a barista but quickly became fascinated by the pie-making process. After her shifts, she'd stick around to watch and learn. She eventually asked to help. Several years later, her recipe for Salt Pork Apple Pie landed in The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"I wriggled my way in and started baking full time," says Rudel. "It was my introduction to working with farmers and cooking with seasonal ingredients. I ate a lot of fast food back then, and it really opened my eyes to the importance of healthy food grown by local farmers."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">In fact, she and Filippo felt such a connection to the idea of local foodways that they decided to move to the Triangle, sight unseen, in 2011. They'd heard of its burgeoning reputation as a hub for sustainable farming. They have both since built careers connected to that passion: Filippo, formerly with the USDA and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, was director of sustainability at Foster Caviness, a leading supplier of wholesale produce; last week, Preservation Durham named him as its new executive director. And now, Rudel hopes to grow East Durham Pie Company into a storefront pie-and-coffee shop.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"That's my ultimate goal," she says. "If things continue to go well, I may have to shift operations to a commissary kitchen before opening a shop."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">Rudel launched the business just before Thanksgiving so she might leverage her reputation in local food circles to score orders for her 10-inch, $28 pies. It worked. The maple sweet potato, ginger apple, malted pumpkin and bourbon pecan pies also caught the attention of The Parlour in Durham; the ice cream shop invited her to bake a few more for a ticketed "dessert flight" night in early December.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">The sold-out event boosted awareness for Rudel's brand, helping her build toward that storefront dream. Until then, her single-serving pies will remain at Respite and Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham. She's in talks with other potential providers, but, right now, she's got smaller concerns—dozens of them, actually.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;">"Right now, I'm taking orders for mini-mincemeat pies for Christmas Eve delivery. I'm planning to add something with chocolate and citrus for New Year's, but I haven't completely decided," she says. "My life is a bit manic right now, but it's all good."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/how-cancer-and-one-bakers-subsequent-battle-against-it-inspired-the-great-new-east-durham-pie-company/Content?oid=4946442">Indy Week</a>.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-33676073727285504792016-01-03T15:02:00.000-05:002016-01-03T15:02:21.591-05:00F3: Fitness Fanatics<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a cold, damp morning. There's little sign of life on
Laurel Hill Drive, where homes are still dark and birds are just beginning to
stir and sing with the rising sun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the sky brightens with vivid stripes of orange and gold, some
30 men round the corner from UNC's Outdoor Education Center. They are jogging
briskly and calling out a military style drill, determined to start their day
with muscle burning, mind clearing exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "It's important
to me to be here with these guys," says Alex Miller, a founder of the
Chapel Hill branch of the fast-growing, men-only Fitness, Fellowship and Faith
organization, better known as F3. "Hot or cold, rain or snow, we're out
here. The only reason we break from our routine is lightning."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Camaraderie and Accountability</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>Chapel Hill's F3 group was established in September 2013
based on the guidelines developed by the original Charlotte chapter, which launched
in January 2011 as a registered nonprofit. Guys gather outdoors at dawn,
allowing time to work out, clean up and get to their jobs. Programs at sites in
Chapel Hill and elsewhere in the Triangle are available every day but Sunday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The challenging sessions are free and led on a rotating
basis by members, none of whom are fitness professionals. After running all the
way down winding Laurel Hill, stopping frequently for vigorous calisthenics, they
repeat the process on the way back. Several of the sweat-drenched members boyishly
sprint the final yards uphill to see who can return to the parking lot first
while others gratefully slow down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No matter how they finish, the enthusiastic fellowship is
infectious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"For a lot of us, the community of male friendship goes
away when we get busy with our careers and family," say Alex, a trim 39-year-old
father of four who served as a mortar squad leader with the U.S. Army Infantry.
"The camaraderie and accountability remind me of my time in the military.
If I missed a few days at the gym, no one would care. If I miss a few days
here, I get a calls from a bunch of guys wanting to know if I'm all
right."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alex appreciates that some men have misgivings about the
group's unusual structure. "The biggest lie about F3 is that you have to
be in shape to participate," he says. "The point of participating is
to <i>get</i> in shape, and to build
relationships with guys who also want to achieve the same goals of fitness and
fellowship."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other lie is that F3 is exclusively Christian, and that
those who are not actively observant are not welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Involving friends and neighbors from all backgrounds is
the one thing we're evangelical about," says Alex, who owns a government
lobbying firm. "A lot of us work in very competitive fields where it's not
OK to fail. But it is OK to fail here and to grow from the experience. It think
that's a powerful thing for guys to know they won't be left in the dust."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>An Initiation</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>This positive approach was a strong incentive for Keith
Minton of Chapel Hill, who joined the group the week before Christmas 2014. "I
wanted something more than another gym experience," says the 44-year-old financial
advisor, who plans to flex his muscles helping fellow F3 members in home repair
projects for neighbors in need. "I wanted something where I felt like it was
important for me to show up and do my best."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When school is out, Keith sometimes brings his 9-year-old
son, Colin, who grins as he's greeted with high-fives by his dad's peers.
"It's fun," says the 3rd grader, whose passion for multiple sports
earned him the F3 nickname Triple Threat. "They treat me like one of the
guys."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each of the guys earns a nickname, though Alex says not all
of them like theirs as much as Colin likes his.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "You're not
supposed to like it, at first," he says, pointing to Keith's moniker as an
example. He was dubbed "Soggy," a nod to the cold, rainy conditions on his first
day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicknames are doled out to new members at the end of each
session, after everyone gathers in a Circle of Trust to introduce themselves and
share news. Kris Ledford of Durham joined the group in September and was dubbed
Elf after saying he works for Numotion, an Apex business that makes custom
wheelchairs to improve mobility to persons with disabilities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm really glad I came today," Kris says, pausing
to shake hands with members who encouraged him to return. "I'm one of
those people who find it hard to get motivated about exercise, but I really feel
great."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Walking the Walk</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chapel Hill F3 members consider community involvement as
important as physical exercise. They've taken to wearing their collective big
heart on their sleeves, literally, in</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tribute to a founding member who is taking time off to deal with a
serious medical issue. David Baddour's nickname of </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lo Pair</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is referenced by the initials LP on the sleeve of the logo sportswear many
members wear.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"For me, it started out 100 percent as a workout
only, but I've learned that it's much more than that," says the grateful David,
son of retired UNC Athletic Director Dick Baddour. "Knowing that you have
a group of guys that have your back when things get a little rough, which
happens to all of us, is a big deal. It has given me a tangible way to fight,
and these guys are right there with me, shoulder to shoulder."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p><i>This post first appeared in the January/February 2016 issue of <a href="http://issuu.com/shannonmedia/docs/chmjf16/35?e=0/32274214">Chapel Hill Magazine</a>.</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-72575300789137805522015-12-11T00:37:00.001-05:002015-12-11T00:37:41.882-05:00Slingshot Coffee offers a different sort of big-box relief for December<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGsnWsNWjulj-_ZPx7Leklb_Q67ukZdt-1z4-7CvHDvAdRfxqM-LeCLam7zwcVh-OLWPhYioKBfjNDtrJKlUh2OmFWgRnY2bqtyYoL55R16iGpEU9J37VDyU0L3zpNmmkzECD1zXLGrU/s1600/RTD-Box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGsnWsNWjulj-_ZPx7Leklb_Q67ukZdt-1z4-7CvHDvAdRfxqM-LeCLam7zwcVh-OLWPhYioKBfjNDtrJKlUh2OmFWgRnY2bqtyYoL55R16iGpEU9J37VDyU0L3zpNmmkzECD1zXLGrU/s320/RTD-Box.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">We all know that winter is coming, but gray skies and dropping temperatures have little impact on consumers who prefer a glassed of chilled coffee to a mug of hot java.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Jenny Bonchak of </span><a href="http://slingshotcoffeecompany.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Slingshot Coffee Company</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> is counting on those dedicated fans from Massachusetts to Florida to make the Raleigh's business' seemingly off-season debut—a new, 64-ounce container of cold-brewed coffee, with its own tap—a success. Packaged like boxed wine, Slingshot's new format holds four times as much coffee as their 16-ounce bottle. And at around $15 for the box and $4-5 per bottle, it's value packaging that will a stay fresh for up to six weeks. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">"Who wouldn't want their own personal Slingshot tap in their refrigerator?" says Bonchak, who launched the company in 2012 and is on track to produce as much as 10,000 gallons of cold-brewed coffee this year. "Bottles are great to grab on the go, but the box creates an option to enjoy at home."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Bonchak and her husband, Jonathan Bonchak (formerly of Durham-based </span><a href="https://counterculturecoffee.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Counter Culture</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">, whose beans Slingshot uses exclusively), spent a lot of time this year considering options for selling a larger-capacity version of Slingshot. She believes they currently are the only producer of cold-brewed coffee in the U.S. packing their product this way for home use.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">While boxed wines still carry a certain stigma of cheapness or low quality, Bonchak says they opted for the format for several reasons. Notably, it preserves the fresh taste of their high-quality brew for an extended period. With the exception of the hard plastic tap, the package is entirely recyclable, too.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">This marks the second major product introduction this year for Slingshot, which collaborated with </span><a href="http://durhamdistillery.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Durham Distillery</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> to create </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/slingshot-cofffee-and-durham-distillerys-damn-fine-liqueur-collaboration/Content?oid=4908947" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Damn Fine Coffee Liqueur</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">. It would seem that a boxed version of Slingshot's popular Cascara Tea—</span><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/01/456796760/cascara-tea-a-tasty-infusion-made-from-coffee-waste" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">referenced this week by NPR's The Salt</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">, which examined the growing popularity of the beverage—would be the obvious next step. But Bonchak says they are in no hurry.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">"We're just focused on getting the Slingshot box into stores and filling holiday orders," she offers. "We're still a really small team. We'll take things on step at a time."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">The boxed option, meanwhile, will be available starting today at local Whole Foods stores and many independent retailers, as well as online through the Slingshot website. Orders guaranteed for Christmas delivery will be taken through Dec. 11. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/12/08/slingshot-coffee-offers-a-different-sort-of-big-box-relief-for-december">Indy Week</a>.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-22425623648113043772015-12-11T00:34:00.000-05:002015-12-11T00:34:05.012-05:00Durham's Loaf helping to launch new Bien Cuit bread cookbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfpkukebZVEgOBH5_ptNpdsj_WbEyiWTukx0-LLHQhi-t8S5RIh6AShQvyj0KHCVDdBWYXF9B70IixOLsPTP2S7QKxrcXcBEG04gdAUKNVGYYBFYG7KU7ZzxOdE3IJWxKHiYbKGa9C4/s1600/LOAF-Apricot+Buckwheat+Loaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXfpkukebZVEgOBH5_ptNpdsj_WbEyiWTukx0-LLHQhi-t8S5RIh6AShQvyj0KHCVDdBWYXF9B70IixOLsPTP2S7QKxrcXcBEG04gdAUKNVGYYBFYG7KU7ZzxOdE3IJWxKHiYbKGa9C4/s320/LOAF-Apricot+Buckwheat+Loaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apricot Buckwheat Bread (photo courtesy Loaf)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Ron Graff was surprised when he received an email from Zachary Golper, owner of Brooklyn's renowned</span><a href="http://biencuit.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Bien Cuit</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> bakery.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">"We knew of </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">them</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">, but I don't think they knew of</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">us</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> before reaching out to the Bread Bakers Guild of America," says Graff, owner of Durham's </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Loaf-102663859807344/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Loaf</a> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">bakery. Golper was looking for top artisan bakeries nationwide to help promote the release of his new book, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><a href="http://shop.biencuit.com/new-products/bien-cuit-cookbook-the-art-of-bread" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bien Cuit: The Art of Bread</a></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">, by baking and selling featured loaves well outside of Brooklyn.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Having just received a fresh supply of North-Carolina grown buckwheat from </span><a href="http://carolinaground.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Carolina Ground</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">—and with the blessing of his staff—Graff agreed to produce Golper's Apricot Buckwheat Bread recipe. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">"It was a fun convergence of things, and customers really like it," Graff says. The bread will be available only through Saturday. "It created a great opportunity for us to use buckwheat flour, which a lot of people are not familiar with."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Graff credits the long fermentation for the loaf's deep flavor. A tweak on the recipe to eliminate butter will likely put the bread into Loaf's long-term rotation. "Unless we label something as having cheese in it, all of our products are vegan," Graff says. "We'll be happy to offer a recipe inspired by Bien Cuit for our customers."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.472px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWDji5B7OC2oz98rT4f53Eis7QMMbKq8yFPu3ORHoN9M7_TAvSonUgFyJdiiYahaZQm9ISRd0FfQxJBVIHZAgGQXxtUL1q5efqX3aXZ1Ereim2JEwDUSxsme7TdxFzkT-A00iMov6PgY/s1600/Bien+Cuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWDji5B7OC2oz98rT4f53Eis7QMMbKq8yFPu3ORHoN9M7_TAvSonUgFyJdiiYahaZQm9ISRd0FfQxJBVIHZAgGQXxtUL1q5efqX3aXZ1Ereim2JEwDUSxsme7TdxFzkT-A00iMov6PgY/s320/Bien+Cuit.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Graff is impressed with the book, too, a stunning production that would be at home on the coffee table of any cookbook lover. Appropriately, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">The Art of Bread</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> has earned rave reviews from numerous critics for its clear, step-by-step instructions for baking fermented breads at home, even landing on best-of lists at </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/columns/the-read/article/best-cookbooks-2015" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bon Appetit</a> </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">and </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/best-cookbooks-of-2015-gallery" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Epicurious</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">. Its innovative design allows the book to open flat, too.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Golper offered a recipe from the book for </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">INDY</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> readers as a taste of what to expect in the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">The Art of Bread</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">. Its length may seem intimidating, but the process is broken down into clearly described steps. Additionally, techniques used in this one are cross-referenced with other recipes throughout the book.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">CHESTNUT HOLIDAY BREAD </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Excerpted from </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Bien Cuit: The Art of Bread</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"> by Zachary Golper and Peter Kaminsky (© 2015, with permission of Regan Arts).</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Makes 4 small loaves</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><br />Through much of Europe, especially in antiquity, chestnuts were an important source of starch and protein before the introduction of wheat and, later, potatoes. This is not the cheapest bread in the book, simply because a can or jar of peeled chestnuts costs more than typical baking ingredients. However, you might find it a bit of a pain to roast and peel chestnuts. (I definitely do.)<br /><br />If you purchase peeled chestnuts, it becomes a simple dump and stir process. As in the Hazelnut Bread, for this recipe I use a nut puree with milk, which ferments, I incorporate chunks of the featured ingredient (in this case, chestnuts) into the dough to create islands of contrasting texture and flavor in the finished loaf. As for the currants, well, those seemed appropriate for a holiday-themed bread. Come to think of it, while I'm doing this mini inventory of the inspirations for this bread, they’re informed by an impulse similar to that behind my Raisin Walnut Bread, only sweeter and with a softer crumb. </i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">STARTER </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">50 grams (1/4 c + 2 tbsp) white flour </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">5 grams (11/4 tsp) granulated sugar </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">1 gram (generous 1⁄8 tsp) fine sea salt </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">0.2 gram (pinch) instant yeast </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">44 grams (2 tbsp + 2 1/4 tsp) cold whole milk </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><br />CHESTNUT MILK </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">150 grams (1/2 c + 2 tbsp) chestnut puree </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">350 grams (11/4 c + 21/2 tbsp) cold whole milk </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">0.2 gram (pinch) fine sea salt </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">DOUGH </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">500 </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">grams (31/2 c + 1 tbsp) white flour, plus additional as needed for working with the dough, </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">and for the linen liner and shaped loaves </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">40 grams (31/2 tbsp) granulated sugar </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">15 grams (21/2 tsp) fine sea salt </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">5 grams (11/2 tsp) instant yeast </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">60 grams (31/2 tbsp) cold whole milk </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">45 grams (2 tbsp) Grade A maple syrup </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">150 grams (1 c) coarsely chopped roasted chestnuts </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">75 grams (1/4 c + 31/2 tbsp) dried currants </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">FOR THE STARTER </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a medium storage container. Pour in the </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">milk. Mix with your fingers, pressing the mixture into the sides, bottom, and corners until all </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">of the flour is wet and fully incorporated. This starter is best if covered and left at room </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">temperature for 6 hours, then chilled in the refrigerator for 6 hours.But if the timing is better, you can also leave it at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours and then move it to the refrigerator to chill for 9 to 12. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">FOR THE CHESTNUT MILK </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Whisk the chestnut puree, milk, and salt together in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">often, until steaming but not simmering, about 164°F (73°C). </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Whisk again and refrigerate until ready to use.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">FOR THE DOUGH </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Whisk the chestnut milk, then pour about one-third of it around the edges of the starter to release it from the sides of the container. Transfer the starter and chestnut milk to an extra-large bowl along with the remaining chestnut milk, the milk, and the maple syrup. Using a wooden spoon, break the starter up to distribute it in the liquid.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Add the flour mixture, reserving about one-sixth of it along the edge of the bowl. Continue to mix with the spoon until most of the dry ingredients have been combined with the starter mixture. Switch to a plastic bowl scraper and continue to mix until incorporated. At this point the dough will be very sticky to the touch and have an almost gluey texture. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Push the dough to one side of the bowl. Roll and tuck the dough, adding the reserved flour mixture and a small amount of additional flour to the bowl and your hands as needed, until the dough feels stronger and begins to resist any further rolling, about 16 times. Then, with cupped hands, tuck the sides under toward the center. Place the dough, seam-side down, in a clean bowl, cover the top of the bowl with a </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">clean kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">For the first stretch and fold, lightly dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Using the plastic bowl scraper, release the dough from the bowl and set it, seam-side down, on the work surface. Gently stretch it into a roughly rectangular shape. Fold the dough in thirds from top to bottom and then from left to right. With cupped hands, tuck the sides under toward the center. Place the dough in the bowl, </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">seam-side down, cover the bowl with the towel, and let rest for 45 minutes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">For the second stretch and fold, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, scatter the chopped chestnuts and the currants evenly over the top, and press them gently into the dough. Roll up the dough tightly from the end closest to you; at the end of the roll the dough will be seam-side down. Turn it over, seam-side up, and gently press on the seam to flatten the dough slightly. Fold in thirds from left to right and then do 1 roll and tuck sequence to incorporate the chestnuts and currants. Turn the dough seam-side down and tuck the sides under toward the center. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with the towel, and let rest for 45 minutes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">For the third and final stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the first stretch and fold, then </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">return the dough to the bowl, cover with the towel, and let rest for 30 minutes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Line a half sheet pan with a linen liner and dust fairly generously with white flour. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Using a bench scraper, divide the </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">dough into 4 equal pieces. Press each piece into a 5-inch (13 cm) square, then roll into a loose tube about 5 inches (13 cm) long. Let rest for 5 minutes. Press each piece out again and then shape into a very tight tube about 8 inches (20 cm) long. Transfer to the lined pan, seam-side up, positioning the loaves across the width of the pan, rather than lengthwise. Dust the top and sides of the loaves with flour. Fold the linen to create support walls on both sides of each loaf, then fold any extra length of </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">the linen liner over the top or cover with a kitchen towel. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for 14 to 20 hours. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Set up the oven with a baking stone and a cast-iron skillet for steam, then preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C). </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Using the linen liner, lift and gently flip the loaves off the pan and onto a transfer peel, seam-side down. Slide the loaves, still seam-side down, onto a dusted baking peel (see Using a Transfer Peel and Baking Peel, page 311). Score the top of each. Working quickly but carefully, transfer the loaves to the stone using heavy-duty oven mitts or potholders. Pull out the hot skillet, add about 3 cups of ice cubes, then slide it back in and close the oven door. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 410°F (210°C). Bake, switching the positions of the loaves about two-thirds of the way through baking, until the crust is a rich golden brown, about 40 minutes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Using the baking peel, transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. When the bottoms of the loaves are tapped, they should sound hollow. If not, return to the stone and bake for 5 minutes longer. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;">Let the bread cool completely before slicing and eating, at least 4 hours but preferably 8 to 24 hours. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/12/09/durhams-loaf-helping-to-launch-new-bread-cookbook?showFullText=true">Indy Week</a>.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-45500110777030830072015-12-03T22:27:00.000-05:002015-12-03T22:27:45.767-05:00Parlour continues its dessert flights series next week with East Durham Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb-3Ltc6jYO6HUTD0uv3lpaRuyOXWyra99_fQeEJCOzvXAFLryGWfWyi2KaxAGoOCbHep_iqdYOnu6CD02LTvQ3IO5WLXUJNl0ht-sLPjWl_bfLffkeN6MbuHV__MRbYQS4icZ6XRrK8/s1600/East+Durham+Pie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb-3Ltc6jYO6HUTD0uv3lpaRuyOXWyra99_fQeEJCOzvXAFLryGWfWyi2KaxAGoOCbHep_iqdYOnu6CD02LTvQ3IO5WLXUJNl0ht-sLPjWl_bfLffkeN6MbuHV__MRbYQS4icZ6XRrK8/s320/East+Durham+Pie.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">There are few certainties in life, but this is sure: A really great slice of pie can improve almost any situation. Combined with an amazing scoop of ice cream? Now that's </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">real</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> power. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><a href="https://theparlour.co/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Parlour</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, Durham's ice cream mecca, will celebrate such a marvel at 6 p.m. Monday in a collaboration with </span><a href="http://eastdurhampie.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">East Durham Pie Company</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. </span><a href="https://theparlour.co/product/ice-cream-flight-pies/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tickets for timed seatings are required </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">for the event, which includes a four-part flight of desserts for $12. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Ali Rudel launched East Durham Pie Company only in October. She learned her craft a decade ago while working at Four & Twenty Blackbirds, whose owners, Emily and Melissa Elsen, included her recipe for Salt Pork Apple Pie in their </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book: Uncommon Recipes from the Celebrated Brooklyn Pie Shop</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">That recipe is a nod to Rudel's New England childhood. One of the pies she's making for The Parlour event, Maple Sweet Potato, also blends that experience with her current life as Southerner.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"I sometimes feel like no one will ever see me as Southern. I moved to Virginia when I was 10, but it doesn't seem to count," she says. "I feel like this pie in a combination of north and south."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">She'll also be making Ginger Apple Pie (which uses </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stayman_(apple)" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">North Carolina-grown Stayman apples</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> and local ginger) Malted Pumpkin Pie and Honey Bourbon Pecan Pie. Parlour will incorporate these into standalone ice creams and milkshakes. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">While a storefront shop is part of East Durham Pie Company's long term plan, Rudel currently bakes in her certified home kitchen. If you miss Monday's event, you can buy her mini pies at </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RespiteCafe/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Respite Café</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.cocoacinnamon.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Cocoa Cinnamon</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/12/03/parlour-continues-its-dessert-flights-series-next-week-with-east-durham-pie">Indy Week</a></i>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-85816337760620152272015-11-29T20:34:00.001-05:002015-11-29T20:34:33.822-05:00The making of a documentary about legendary Southern chef Bill Neal teaches his son, Matt, new things about his late father <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMM696zc01hL1j05XbzR-v-T65DgriZjGHRY_DEmQfsU0ZeiidbF4RzKt4ieu0tEvzsqfmWlXbrCU5uky7Z5u4xToCfAGg0x8Sh80kwW4qTzYmJwx01JLnScyI15cZKugu2M3dn6UOsc/s1600/Matt+Neal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMM696zc01hL1j05XbzR-v-T65DgriZjGHRY_DEmQfsU0ZeiidbF4RzKt4ieu0tEvzsqfmWlXbrCU5uky7Z5u4xToCfAGg0x8Sh80kwW4qTzYmJwx01JLnScyI15cZKugu2M3dn6UOsc/s400/Matt+Neal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">Matt and Sheila Neal moved into the Carrboro home where Matt's father, <br />Bill Neal, lived. In the attic they discovered boxes filled with items from <br />Bill's life, some of which was used to create footage for the film <br />"They Came for Shrimp & Grits: The Life and Work of Bill Neal."<br />Indy Week photos by Alex Boerner.</span></td></tr>
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Matt Neal has been interviewed many times about his famous father, the chef Bill Neal.</div>
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He has answers about how Neal, a small-town North Carolina boy who taught himself to cook by working his way through Julia Child's <i>Mastering the Art of French Cooking</i>, achieved so much in so little time. By his mid 30s, the elder Neal had helmed two essential Triangle restaurants and written a book, <i>Bill Neal's Southern Cooking</i>, that became a landmark of the region's cuisine. He was arguably the cook who made shrimp and grits a staple of contemporary Southern cuisine.</div>
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The gracious co-owner of Neals' Deli in Carrboro has even decided there's no point in getting offended when asked about the end of his parents' decade-long marriage or his father's romance with Gene Hamer, a colleague at La Residence and partner at Crook's Corner. He's even accustomed to being asked how it felt when, in 1991, his charismatic father died from AIDS at the age of 41.</div>
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<span class="clicktozoom" style="display: block; font-size: 9px; text-align: right;">click to enlarge</span><a class="zoomable" href="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/original/4895666/151115_ab_indy_billnealfilm_0179.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-4894039" style="color: #056279; font-size: 13.104px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" title="Kate Medley and her fellow filmmaker, Jesse Paddock, left, recently completed the film "The Came for Shrimp & Grits: The Life and Work of Bill Neal" about Matt's father, chef Bill Neal. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER"><img alt="Kate Medley and her fellow filmmaker, Jesse Paddock, left, recently completed the film "The Came for Shrimp & Grits: The Life and Work of Bill Neal" about Matt's father, chef Bill Neal. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER" height="375" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4895666/151115_ab_indy_billnealfilm_0179.jpg?cb=1447858413" style="border: 0px;" width="250" /></a><ul style="line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px auto 5px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 250px;">
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So when Matt agreed to be interviewed yet again last spring for a documentary about his father commissioned by the Southern Foodways Alliance, he expected not to be surprised by revisiting the familiar turf. What caught him off guard, however, was the filmmakers' interest in a casual reference to his father's writings, stashed away in a box in the attic.</div>
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Durham filmmakers Kate Medley and Jesse Paddock were surprised, too, that this wealth of materials had been sitting, almost forgotten and entirely unexplored, in Bill Neal's post-divorce home so long. Matt, who lives their now with his wife, Sheila, and two children, escorted Medley upstairs. What they found became the key of <i>They Came for Shrimp and Grits: The Life and Work of Bill Neal</i>, a short but dense and powerful documentary that explores and expands the scope of Neal's accomplishments.</div>
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"The family was very generous. They gave us full access," recalls Medley, who works as a photographer and filmmaker for Whole Foods Market. "Matt had boxes of things in his attic that he'd never looked at. It was a treasure trove of handwritten recipes, writing and correspondence and sketchbooks. There also were medical bills and records."</div>
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The scope of unpublished documents in the boxes dumbfounded Matt, offering new insight into the father he'd lost nearly a quarter-century earlier. They covered not only his food writing but also drafts of pieces about other interests—gardening, travel, his declining health. While Matt lived and worked elsewhere before returning to live at his dad's old house, renters had miraculously left the boxes intact.</div>
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"Most of it is cookbook notes, menus, journals, sketches. In some cases, I really remember what he was writing about, or when it was," says Matt, now 44. "I thought I had about a third of what I actually had."</div>
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Medley and Paddock finished the 13-minute documentary just minutes before the film premiered last month at the annual SFA symposium in Oxford, Mississippi. (A local screening is in the works for January in Chapel Hill.) Neal is open to working with them on an extended version of the documentary. After all, they helped him learn about his own late father.</div>
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<img alt="How the sausage was made: Filmmaker Jesse Paddock holds the rescued sausage recipe of Bill Neal. - PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER" height="400" src="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4894038/151115_ab_indy_billnealfilm_0096.jpg?cb=1448841798" style="border: 0px;" width="600" /></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.25; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />How the sausage was made: Filmmaker Jesse Paddock holds the rescued sausage recipe of Bill Neal.</span></span></div>
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"They were sensitive and smart to the story," he says. "I found it very moving and engaging, though I'm a bit biased."</div>
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John T. Edge, the executive director of SFA, agrees that the film represents a balanced look at Neal's brief, brilliant life and a significant achievement for Medley. She previously produced a series of SFA shorts called <i>Counter Histories</i>, regarding the role of food in the civil rights movement.</div>
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"Last year, we asked her to explore the burdens of racism and the heroic stories of Southerners who fought that bastard Jim Crow," Edge explains. "This year, our assignment required more subtlety. She juggled narratives of fame, creativity, sexuality, family and mythology. She accomplished all with aplomb and sensitivity."</div>
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Medley and Paddock interviewed many people who were part of Neal's culinary circle, some of whom are still active in the area's food scene. There's Moreton Neal, his former wife and the author of<i>Remembering Bill Neal: Favorite Recipes From a Life in Cooking</i>, and Crook's Corner chef Bill Smith, who succeeded Neal in that role just as he'd done previously at La Residence.</div>
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Last May, Gene Hamer, Crook's owner and Neal's former partner, was inexplicably omitted from a panel discussion on the 30th anniversary and enduring impact of <i>Bill Neal's Southern Cooking</i> at a UNC conference. <i>They Came for Shrimp and Grits</i> corrects that, allowing Hamer to offer red-eyed recollections of his last conversation with Neal and his sense of his friend's lingering presence at Crook's.</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="337" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/143033922" style="background-color: white; display: block; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13.104px; line-height: 18px; margin: 1.12em auto;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/143033922" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">They Came For Shrimp & Grits: The Life & Work of Bill Neal</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user924481" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Southern Foodways</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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<i>New York Times</i> food writer Kim Severson presents a thoughtful assessment of Neal's role as a magnet for exceptional talent, even if he famously declined to give a break to Magnolia Grill's Ben and Karen Barker. (Still, the couple later required all Magnolia cooks to study <i>Bill Neal's Southern Kitchen</i>.)</div>
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And those who did put in time with Neal at Crook's before achieving renown elsewhere share insights about Neal's passion for promoting regional foodways and his seemingly manic temperament in the kitchen. John Currence of City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, for instance, speaks with palpable regret about never mending fences after an argument with Neal that ended with the younger chef flinging a cup of hot coffee at his boss. But there are many references to Neal's influence in Currence's cookbook, <i>Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey</i>.</div>
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"You can still see that it really hurts him," notes Matt. "But John has paid his own dues in the meantime. He's really pushed and promoted my dad's legacy."</div>
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Neal's importance extends far beyond his recipes, though. He believed food could say a lot about who someone was and where that person was from. He made the claim in 1986 to Bill Friday during an episode of <i>North Carolina People</i> in a rare video appearance that opens <i>They Came for Shrimp & Grits.</i> Young and confident, Neal contends that, whether a conscious decision or reflexive habit, the food we choose to consume connects each of us with a time and place. Now a tenet of foodways studies, that notion was still novel at the time. In only 13 minutes, <i>They Came for Shrimp & Grits</i> gets to the core of Neal's decades of impact.</div>
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"It's really touching for me and my family," Matt says. "It's like when Dean Smith's players started missing him again; they, like others, talk with praise. They don't have to do that, but they've all gone out of their way to do so."</div>
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<i>This article appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/the-making-of-a-documentary-about-legendary-southern-chef-bill-neal-teaches-his-son-matt-new-things-about-his-late-father/Content?oid=4894039">Indy Week</a> with the headline "A simmering history."</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-47562719117618151722015-11-29T20:03:00.000-05:002015-11-29T20:03:27.046-05:00Daniel Whittaker's big plans for Person Street Pharmacy's cafe<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">If it wasn't already clear from chef Scott Crawford's opening of the </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/raleighs-standard-foods-hopes-to-use-a-restaurant-and-grocery-store-to-expand-its-audiences-tastes/Content?oid=4796013" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">long-awaited Standard Food</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, the success of </span><a href="http://oakcitycycling.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Oak City Cycling Project</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> or the </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/indies-arts-awards-chris-tonelli-gives-raleigh-its-poetry-presence-even-if-it-can-feel-like-a-one-person-mission/Content?oid=4894840" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">existence of So & So Books,</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> last week's announcement </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-NZS7phzOo/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">by New Raleigh of new ownership</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> of the cafe at </span><a href="http://www.personstreetrx.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Person Street Pharmacy</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> makes it clear: The North Person sector near downtown Raleigh is suddenly one of the city's busiest zones.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Daniel Whittaker of </span><a href="http://greenplanetcatering.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Green Planet Catering</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> has taken the reins of the cafe, which was renovated and reopened just a few months ago by Chad McIntrye and Craig Rudewicz. If you don't have your notes handy, Rudewicz is best known as the owner and creative force behind Raleigh-made </span><a href="http://crudebitters.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Crude Bitters</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. McIntrye was the chef at The Market restaurant, which was located next-door to Escazu in their Blount Street strip. (It's occupied by Stanbury these days.)</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Before that transition, McIntyre—now owner of </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EcoTechDraftSystemsLlc/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Eco-Tech Draft Systems</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, which delivers environmentally friendly means of tapping kegs—was in discussion to open a restaurant-grocery concept at the address that is now the innovative Standard. His one-time partner in the plan was, indeed, Whittaker. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br />
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<span class="clicktozoom" style="display: block; font-size: 9px; text-align: right;">click to enlarge</span><a class="zoomable" href="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/original/4907444/personstreet.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-4905217" style="color: #056279; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" title="PHOTO BY JOLEE TODD"><img alt="PHOTO BY JOLEE TODD" height="178" src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4907444/personstreet.jpg?cb=1448393741" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" width="250" /></a><ul style="margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 250px;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Confused?</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"It's funny the way things work out sometimes," says Whittaker. "I look across the street at Standard and wonder what might have been. But when [pharmacy owner Trey Waters] approached me about the cafe, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to grow Green Planet Catering. We're thrilled to be part of the neighborhood."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">He's also glad to maintain relationships with McIntyre, who services the Eco-Draft system he designed for the cafe's vintage soda fountain, and Rudewicz, whose bitters and syrups are essential to creating their soft drinks, shrubs and cocktails. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Whittaker says the deal took shape in the past two months, around the same time he hired Patrick Cowden as Green Planet's executive chef. Cowden has cooked in Chapel Hill at Southern Season's Weathervane restaurant, Michael Jordan's 23 Sport Cafe (where he and Whitaker first met) and kitchens in both Durham and Raleigh. He's currently completing his obligations as executive chef for </span><a href="http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/about/index.html" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tobacco Road Sports Cafe</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, which has three Triangle sites.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">There will be considerable overlap between operations at Green Planet and the Pharmacy Cafe. Cowden will helm both, training staff and developing menus. Currently open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the cafe menu will continue to focus on breakfast and lunch offerings, though Whittaker wants to add dinner service during the next few months. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"I see it being something like </span><a href="http://imaginarystudioonline.com/hayes/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hayes Barton Cafe</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, which serves dinner just a few nights a week," says Whittaker. "My first goal is to become </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">the</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> go-to place for great sandwiches in the neighborhood. I live there myself, and I know it's something that's been missing. I want to see lines out the door at lunch time."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Whittaker will provide plenty of seating for those lines; he'll soon add an 18-foot community dining table, with some seating outdoors </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">for al fresco</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> service. They'll also emphasize to-go service. Whittaker is planning other neighborhood-friendly features, too, like taco nights and expanded barista service. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">But he's confident that deli-style sandwiches (with cured meats imported from Brooklyn), soups and salads will serve as the primary draws for those craving well made comfort food. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/11/24/daniel-whittakers-big-plans-for-person-street-pharmacys-cafe">Indy Week</a>. </i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-72819955155564129572015-11-29T19:36:00.001-05:002015-11-29T20:04:27.246-05:00Heritage turkeys aren’t your usual holiday birds of a feather<span class="dateline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span class="dateline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span class="dateline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span class="dateline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><span class="dateline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "mcclatchy sans" , "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.1818px; text-align: start;">Turkeys wander around at one of Coon Rock Farm's free range areas. <br />The local sustainable family farm raises lean heritage turkeys for sale <br />each Thanksgiving. (Photos by Chuck Liddy/The News & Observer)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">HILLSBOROUGH-- With their scaly legs and fierce temperaments, lean heritage turkeys appear to have more in common with dinosaurs than their rotund grocery store cousins. And without farmers committed to making these specialty breeds available for holiday tables, they’d just as likely be extinct.</span></div>
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“It’s an interesting concept that we raise these breeds, and kill them, to keep them viable,” says Jamie DeMent of Coon Rock Farm. “Without customers who want to serve them at Thanksgiving, they’d all be gone.”</div>
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Before last week, a raucous mix of about 300 specialty birds roamed the sustainable, 55-acre farm, which is tucked into a bend of the Eno River. Their lives were very different from turkeys raised at so-called factory farms, which are kept in tight quarters and fattened up at a rate two to three times faster than those raised outdoors on pasture.</div>
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“Most commercial turkeys have gigantic breasts that throw off their balance and make it difficult to get around. It actually prevents Tom and Tina Turkey from natural procreation,” DeMent says, noting that spirited heritage birds enjoy considerable freedom and protein-rich foraging on land shared with cows and pigs. “Our customers want to know that their bird had a happy life. I can’t promise it was happy, but I can guarantee that it was natural and healthy, and its end was humane.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7oaGTtygQouRl1Eo1pWn0-6Jx5VuXpRG-k5s3Vh3uzWHhQLESlP2uTQNRxuRpu3PmIHpoYqMn34aMTiR7Pkg-HPRipT8ISaL3eE48Oz6hulQ78fWlxm_R7Pk-xLRSW4nCLqa1gESyBY/s1600/turkey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7oaGTtygQouRl1Eo1pWn0-6Jx5VuXpRG-k5s3Vh3uzWHhQLESlP2uTQNRxuRpu3PmIHpoYqMn34aMTiR7Pkg-HPRipT8ISaL3eE48Oz6hulQ78fWlxm_R7Pk-xLRSW4nCLqa1gESyBY/s320/turkey2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
DeMent and Richard Holcomb, who bought Coon Rock Farm 12 years ago this month, have been raising heritage turkeys for seven years. They started with a few pairs of registered breeds but now save the best from each year’s flock to repopulate the following season’s stock. They grow several types not only to ward against issues that might affect one breed and not others, but also to ensure that they have a range of sizes to meet consumer needs.</div>
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“Sometimes there’s just two people at the holiday table but they still want a turkey,” says DeMent, noting that a petite Beltsville White, which resembles a very large chicken, might be ideal. “For those who want a big, meaty bird to feed a crowd, we’ve got them.”</div>
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Through a snug plastic bag, DeMent lightly pokes the muscular thigh of a bird that was just processed in the spacious abbatoir located directly across from the front door of her 1870s farm house. “You can tell that bird spent a lot of time walking around here,” she says of the outstretched limb, which might surprise those accustomed to buying a turkey shaped more like a bowling ball. “That’s a lot of meat.”</div>
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And it doesn’t come cheap. Like many other small-scale growers, Coon Rock Farm requires a $50 down payment to reserve a bird. Early orders are billed at $9 per pound, with later ones at $10 per pound.</div>
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This means that many folks gladly fork over upward of $200 to feed their family and friends – not counting sides. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price for whole, frozen turkey in the South is $1.60 per pound, though many grocery stores slash prices as loss leaders.</div>
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DeMent and Holcomb strive to educate and advise their customers about the benefits of consuming heritage poultry.</div>
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I HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT OUR BIRDS DON’T HAVE POP-UP THERMOMETERS. IF IT’S NOT ON THEM IN THE PASTURE, IT’S NOT IN THE BAG.</div>
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“There’s a bigger difference between commercial and heritage birds than other commercial and heritage meats,” Holcolmb says. “With turkeys, 10 percent of a commercial bird’s weight is (saline) flavor enhancer. Without that, it would taste like nothing. And since those birds never move, the texture of the meat is like mush.”</div>
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A more muscled bird requires a different approach to cooking, a fact they say many customers forget despite numerous email reminders.</div>
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“One year, someone called and said they had cooked their bird for eight hours and the pop-up thermometer still was not working,” DeMent recalls with a laugh. “I had to explain that our birds don’t have pop-up thermometers. If it’s not on them in the pasture, it’s not in the bag.”</div>
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Coon Rock Farm recommends having a proper thermometer on hand and generally following the heritage turkey technique prescribed by Food Network host Alton Brown, which is available online. Brown begins with a wet brine to keep the bird moist and flavorful. Cooking starts in a hot oven to turn the fatty skin into a crisp, moisture-retaining shell, then he dials the temperature down to ensure even roasting. The method can yield improved results with commercial turkeys, too.</div>
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TO KEEP CUSTOMERS ENGAGED IN THE MONTHS THAT OFTEN PASS BETWEEN ORDER AND DELIVERY, HOLCOMB INDULGES THEM WITH EMAILED PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THE MATURING FLOCK OUTSIDE DOING THEIR THING. IT’S KIND OF LIKE GETTING PICTURES OF YOUR KIDS AT SUMMER CAMP.</div>
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To keep customers engaged in the months that often pass between order and delivery, Holcomb indulges them with emailed photos and videos of the maturing flock outside doing their thing. It’s kind of like getting pictures of your kids at summer camp, except the kids get to come home and eat the bird with you.</div>
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In the days leading to Thanksgiving, Holcomb says they receive constant emails and phone calls, especially from anxious first timers.</div>
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“He always hands off the nervous and crying ones to me,” DeMent says. “Sometimes it’s really sad, like their mama died and they have no idea how she did things. One year, I met a lady at a farmers market and she had a complete meltdown as soon as she picked up the bird to take it home. Taking on that responsibility can be a very emotional experience for people.”</div>
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DeMent, however, is matter of fact about their family celebration. “We’ll cook one of the turkeys, probably one that got a clipped wing and isn’t pretty enough to sell,” she says as Holcomb shrugs in bemused acknowledgement. “But by the time we sit down to eat, we’re all pretty much over it. We’ll be having ham and enjoying some bourbon.”</div>
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<i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article46492870.html">The News & Observer</a> on Thanksgiving, Nov. 25.</i></div>
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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article46492870.html#storylink=cpy</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-52259145314867041982015-11-15T14:52:00.000-05:002015-11-15T14:57:09.956-05:00Raleigh woman’s pie business inspired by son’s military service<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hLtY9VHUxxF9L9w2jz3fXtXjWirvB2BaLfEQEEoCc4M3Y1TMFj1PkD_TSMf2sEDQk-aLGdctoDAIvjWvHvytjkZF51ZGrE9bj0jcVdEWWltLbg4BtxipUCu0uJIqtMNUMjsxZGA88ZY/s1600/Pam-N%2526O-Robert+Willett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hLtY9VHUxxF9L9w2jz3fXtXjWirvB2BaLfEQEEoCc4M3Y1TMFj1PkD_TSMf2sEDQk-aLGdctoDAIvjWvHvytjkZF51ZGrE9bj0jcVdEWWltLbg4BtxipUCu0uJIqtMNUMjsxZGA88ZY/s400/Pam-N%2526O-Robert+Willett.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pam Runyans prepping pie crusts in her Oakwood kitchen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo by Robert Willett of The News & Observer </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;">When her son received an appointment to West Point in 2000, Pam Runyans thought it was not possible for her heart to be more full of love and pride.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four years later, when Bob was sent on his first conflict deployment to Iraq, the Raleigh mother of three found that fullness turned to sleep-starving fear. She’d rise from her bed in the middle of the night, wide awake, calculating the time zones and wondering what he might be doing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He was in an armored Humvee,” she says. “Those were the days before instant messaging. We lived for phone calls.”</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bob Runyans at Ur in Iraq.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy Pam Runyans.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alarmed by vivid news coverage, the only way Runyans could keep her thoughts from wandering toward danger was to focus squarely and positively on something she enjoyed doing for him. So, night after night, Runyans rolled pastry and baked pies. She baked a lot of pecan pies, Bob’s favorite, and apple, her favorite because they were distractingly time consuming. She baked recipes she learned from her grandmother<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </strong>(lemon with billowy meringue) and mother (peach) and experimented with dozens more torn from magazines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the beginning, neighbors and friends were surprised when she’d knock on their doors and hand off pies. “I couldn’t possibly keep them all. I’d be big as a house,” says Runyans. She relied on husband Robert, a Raleigh architect, to serve as her taste tester.</span></div>
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I’D MAKE PIES AND THINK ABOUT HIM AND PRAY. I’D WATCH THE NEWS AND WORRY AND MAKE MORE PIES. I HAD TO KEEP MYSELF OCCUPIED SO I’D BE SANE.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runyans, whose father tinkered with his birth certificate to join the Navy at age 15 during World War II, kept baking throughout Bob’s service. Her technique developed from tentative to masterly. At her son’s urging, she launched ABC Pie Company in 2010.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Just before his second deployment, he told me I needed something to do that made me happy, and baking pies makes me happy,” she recalls from the pristine kitchen of her home in the historic Oakwood neighborhood, where two commercial convection ovens are preheating. “I’d make pies and think about him and pray. I’d watch the news and worry and make more pies. I had to keep myself occupied so I’d be sane.”</span></div>
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Military family<span class="ng-command" data-value="252" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The business draws its name from children Abigail, Bob and Camille, each of whom has pursued a military career. Abigail is a physician assistant who serves in the U.S. Army Reserve in Colorado Springs. Camille, who graduated from West Point last year, will report to Fort Bragg in February to fly Blackhawk helicopters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“She graduates from flight school the day before Thanksgiving. Does the Army have a sense of humor or what?” quips her proud mother. “It’s not like this is my busiest time of year or anything.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Camille is engaged to an Army Ranger also stationed at Fort Bragg. Bob, who now serves in the Army’s Judge Advocate General division in the Netherlands, met his wife when they were both in service at Fort Campbell, Ky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While Runyans developed her skills making full-size pies, her ABC pies usually are produced in endearing 5-inch rounds. She got the idea from Arnold Wilkerson of Little Pie Company of the Big Apple, a renowned baker she befriended while traveling to New York to visit Camille at West Point.</span></div>
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BEING A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR TAKES A KIND OF LOVE THAT YOU JUST CAN’T DESCRIBE. CLEARLY, SHE’S GOT IT.</div>
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<span class="ng_highline_attrib" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: block; font-family: "mcclatchy sans" , "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 5px; text-transform: none;">Arnold Wilkerson of Little Pie Company of the Big Apple, about Pam Runyans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilkerson recalls they had a lot in common because he started his business in his apartment. “I didn’t know her family story then, that she would bake because of her son’s service,” he says. “She understood pie baking, but being a successful entrepreneur takes a kind of love that you just can’t describe. Clearly, she’s got it.”</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo by Robert Willett, The News & Observer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runyans continues to infuse her pies with genuine affection. They look so perfect, and they have such appealing texture and flavor, that some people doubt she makes each by hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Take a look,” she says, opening one of three freezers in a former breakfast room repurposed several years ago for her one-woman, home-based business. It is stacked high with nearly 200 frozen pastry shells, each with elegantly fluted edges. “Oh, that’s nothing. You should see what it looks like around here just before Thanksgiving.”</span></div>
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Busy month<span class="ng-command" data-value="252" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November is her busiest month as customers seek her pies for family gatherings and hostess gifts. Among her most popular fall flavors are apple caramel crumble, pumpkin with pecan streusel, maple walnut, Mayan chocolate pecan, pear cranberry custard and red velvet custard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most will be sold through Southern Season, the Chapel Hill-based gourmet market and home store. Runyans credits the business for giving her opportunity and exposure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I was so nervous. I brought all these different pies for them to try, but they didn’t take a single bite,” Runyans recalls. “She just looked at them and said she’d take two dozen. You could have knocked me over with a feather.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With help from her husband, Runyans continues to sell pies there as well as NoFo@The Pig in Raleigh’s Five Points area. Neomonde recently started carrying her smaller, cupcake-sized pies in Raleigh and Morrisville. ABC Pies also are sold at the Washington, D.C., outpost of Dean & DeLuca, the prestigious New York-based market.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runyans’ normally busy baking schedule slowed this fall as she sorted through the estate of her beloved father, Gene L. Watterson, who was pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelby for 26 years. She and her husband spent weekends clearing his home, where they rediscovered ample evidence of his impact on his community. “It was hard work, but we found so many lovely things, personalized books and things he and Mama collected when they traveled,” she says. “Now, I’m back to making pies around the clock.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time, however, she’s driven not by worry but to please loyal customers, for whom Thanksgiving would be incomplete without her pies.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article44173590.html">The News & Observer</a> on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2015.</span></i></div>
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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article44173590.html#storylink=cpy</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-75372605011058477072015-11-09T20:31:00.004-05:002015-11-09T20:32:20.126-05:00Durham's Kathy Hester to be featured on January live Cook the Book cook-along event<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGJ0SJaon9vd34i1yR3MSE0oL4Npay9chwx6N8zLCnZMK6IyoFSFa_JZpIRp-sjF0p3-ypXx4WjDGjxvxhYcJO3qxUxrF8FI1p31jv5-qkM3L4Y39TxYUpXrGQ-GfbTQTBgsKsupy8UI/s1600/Kathy+Hester-Easy+Vegan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGJ0SJaon9vd34i1yR3MSE0oL4Npay9chwx6N8zLCnZMK6IyoFSFa_JZpIRp-sjF0p3-ypXx4WjDGjxvxhYcJO3qxUxrF8FI1p31jv5-qkM3L4Y39TxYUpXrGQ-GfbTQTBgsKsupy8UI/s320/Kathy+Hester-Easy+Vegan.jpg" width="284" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Following the success of Saturday's debut online cook-along with </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/nancie-mcdermott-explores-the-soups-of-the-south-with-a-little-online-help/Content?oid=4864655" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chapel Hill's Nancie McDermott</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Cook the Book With Denise and Jenni </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> has scheduled its second event with another local talent: Kathy Hester of Durham. Hester, </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/durhams-kathy-hester-is-the-queen-of-the-vegan-slow-cooking-dont-be-scared/Content?oid=4845810" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a prolific writer of vegan cookbooks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> recently featured in the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">INDY</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, will select a recipe from her new release, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">The Easy Vegan Cookbook.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">"We're still working to confirm the date, but mostly likely it will be January 9 or 10," says Field, a Garner baker and recipe developer who blogs as </span><a href="http://pastrychefonline.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pastry Chef Online</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. "We're hoping that Kathy will have some big news to share by then, too."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Field presented Saturday's live, bi-coastal cooking program with colleague</span><a href="http://www.denisevivaldo.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Denise Vivaldo</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">, a food stylist and instructor based in Southern California. McDermott cooked along with Field in her camera-filled kitchen, while Vivaldo surprised McDermott by having a guest present, too: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jill.oconnor.12">Jill O'Connor</a>, McDermott's longtime friend, who is thanked in the acknowledgements section for providing the good-humored encouragement to complete the new </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Southern Soups & Stews</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Saturday's participants cooked in real time with the four presenters, who prepared Sheri Castle's recipe for Watauga County Chicken Stew with Fluffy Dumplings; at least 157 participants from several continents were logged in at one point. Participants in Saturday's event who made the recipe were encouraged to post a photo of it on the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/514249665407367/524243881074612/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Cook the Book</i> Facebook page</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. Three personally autographed copies of McDermott's </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Southern Soups </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">will be awarded today to randomly selected entrants.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Follow the page for additional details about the Kathy Hester cook-along, as well as events being organized in California by Denise Vivaldo. If you missed Saturday's broadcast, it can be viewed </span><a href="https://blab.im/chef-dennis-cook-the-book-with-denise-and-jenni-southern-soups-stews-by-nancie-mcdermott-1" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via blab.im</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/11/09/durhams-kathy-hesterour-vegan-slow-cooking-heroto-appear-on-cook-the-book">Indy Week</a>.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825711033567487727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3074646493131193416.post-63279643304453017822015-11-09T20:23:00.002-05:002015-11-09T20:23:36.392-05:00Avett Brother Joe Kwon talks about cooking whole hogs, which he'll do for the second time next weekend<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFfurIZeWTE83D7myLJbkWRSAqepPQORm0ipb3_J4qppBUPazGH2-OdWVY4BDuxd-O2KzQ8ApgBSpwwDPHOXKP-ft8de82TJ7vNv-jE49Ylzwxvg8vDTQ-r-lKWhfo8cAqjNiLcbwyTQ/s1600/Joe+Kwon-TerraVita+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFfurIZeWTE83D7myLJbkWRSAqepPQORm0ipb3_J4qppBUPazGH2-OdWVY4BDuxd-O2KzQ8ApgBSpwwDPHOXKP-ft8de82TJ7vNv-jE49Ylzwxvg8vDTQ-r-lKWhfo8cAqjNiLcbwyTQ/s400/Joe+Kwon-TerraVita+2015.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joe Kwon gets schooled by Sam Jones<br /> on how to finish whole hog <br />barbecue at TerraVita. </span><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Last month at </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/chapel-hills-terravita-is-a-food-and-drink-festival-with-a-mission/Content?oid=4796371" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chapel Hill's TerraVita Food & Drink Festival, </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">hundreds of people signed up to take scheduled classes with leading chefs and food advocates from across the South.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Joe Kwon was not among them. The charismatic cellist for The Avett Brothers instead took advantage of a break in touring to attend barbecue school at the elbow of his friend, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/p/8od0uPqy4O/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">legendary pitmaster Sam Jones</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> of</span><a href="http://www.skylightinnbbq.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Skylight Inn in Ayden</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> and the new Sam Jones Barbecue, which opens Tuesday in Winterville. Jones smoked a huge hog for TerraVita's Hill Fire dinner at Carrboro's Town Commons, which paired him with Raleigh's Ashley Christensen for a showstopper combination of pork and collard greens over heirloom popcorn spoon bread. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Kwon spent the day soaking up wood smoke and drinking beer with a cluster of friends, all gathered around Jones' smoker. He took notes in his tablet and, along with a handful of folks fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, stood in wide-eyed wonder to watch his friend chop and season massive quantities of moist, flavorful pork.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">He will apply the lessons he learned next weekend when he cooks a pig for Wild Yonder's Friendship Feast & Campout. (For details on and tickets for the Nov. 21–22 event in Mebane, </span><a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2434261" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">click here.</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">) Kwon called from Wisconsin, between shows on the Avetts' tour, to talk about his lifelong love of barbecue and his deep respect for Jones' well-earned acclaim.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">INDY</b><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">: <b>When you built your home in downtown Raleigh, it was important to you to have dedicated space for outdoor entertaining and your smoker, made by Alabama pitmaster Nick Pihakis.</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">JOE KWON</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">: I've always admired people who had these. I've had this long relationship with North Carolina barbecue from an early age, because of where I grew up in Winston-Salem. I loved going out to eat barbecue because it was so different from the Korean barbecue we ate at home. And today, I love cooking barbecue for friends at my home.</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>How did you connect with Sam Jones?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">In my mind, Sam Jones is the gold standard of barbecue. When I met him, I realized he's married to the sister of someone in my circle from my days with Big Pretty and the Red Rockets [Kwon's band before joining The Avett Brothers]. It was this very chance meeting, but I also know him through Ashley Christensen.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">He's the friggin' godfather of barbecue, and we've become good friends. I told him, "I would love to sit with you one day and learn to do this." So that's what we did at TerraVita. We talked and drank beer and I took a lot of notes in my iPad. I've cooked pig before—well, piece— but never a whole hog. It's a very different experience.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>Have you had a chance to practice before cooking for the Wild Yonder event?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">I did. Five days later, Raleigh Architecture (which </span><a href="http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/all-joe-kwon-wants-for-christmas-is-a-rock-star-kitchen/Content?oid=4308000" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">designed his house</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">) hosted an event and asked me to cook a pig. It was a good opportunity for me to try out what I learned. I messed up some, but it was amazing. Now all I want to do is cook pig. It's so calming. There's a great camaraderie sitting around the fire.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>How did you mess up?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">It was a big pig, at least 160 pounds, maybe more like 180. It barely fit on my cooker. I had a flame up in the last 15 minutes and lost all the skin. It was tragic. I was cursing up a storm. The skin is the best part. It's the crunch in all that juicy meat. That's why I need redemption at Wild Yonder.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>What was the biggest surprise about the process?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">The thing I've learned is the hardest part is getting the sauce mixture just right. I thought you premixed the sauce, but Sam pours it on after he's done most of the chopping. I was blown away. I thought, "That's the part. That's the secret." </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><br /></b><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>While it was tough to guess ratios, Sam Jones <a href="https://instagram.com/p/8oegxfKy5f/" style="color: #056279; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">made no secret of his sauce ingredients</a>: apple cider vinegar, Texas Pete's, iodized table salt and pre-ground black pepper—standard items of the Southern pantry.</b></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">That's the beauty of how amazing his barbecue is. It's so simple but it's so multi-dimensional. The texture is so amazingly soft and juicy, but at that same time, you've got these crunchy bits of skin and the fat. It's really what sets it apart. </span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jZU9fuZngd9y3NJplVGc0xMQwn-mVNU5XwGpOjnlb30o1tj9PJL9C6dvK-lSiKNxw0ne824xTYV4oDTwoysuFgRp8iSXZutGdUpyoxBJz3kSciBxNis0S-tvqH6lPoK2c76mViPGxRo/s1600/Jow+Kwon-Sam+Jones+bbq+gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jZU9fuZngd9y3NJplVGc0xMQwn-mVNU5XwGpOjnlb30o1tj9PJL9C6dvK-lSiKNxw0ne824xTYV4oDTwoysuFgRp8iSXZutGdUpyoxBJz3kSciBxNis0S-tvqH6lPoK2c76mViPGxRo/s320/Jow+Kwon-Sam+Jones+bbq+gear.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Jones' portable barbecue gear at TerraVita.</td></tr>
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</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>You'll also be preparing Korean-style grilled short ribs to share the flavors of your family's table. What do you think about the wide array of commercial Korean-style barbecue sauces? </b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Oh, no, never. It's so easy to make yourself that there's just no excuse to not try it. [See recipe below.] My mother made this all the time when we were growing up. It's something you can pull together on a weeknight in 30 minutes, but it's really much better if you give the meat more time to marinate. Give it a quick grill and dinner's ready.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Beef short ribs used to be really cheap. Now, everyone wants to eat short ribs so the price has gone up. It's important to get them cut across the bone so you get three or four pieces per rib. Very few places will sell that. I always go to </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/s-mart-cary-2" style="background-color: white; color: #056279; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.472px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">S-Mart in Cary</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">. They cut them nice and thin, which is how I like them.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>Other than flavor profile, what's the biggest difference between Korean and North Carolina barbecue?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Korean barbecue is really fast. I still love it and make it all the time. But for me, that long process of cooking North Carolina barbecue is a more satisfying experience. It's about sitting there, putting the time in. That's a big part of the soul of it. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>Your mother will mark her 70th birthday on Saturday. What's for dinner?</b></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Skylight Inn is catering barbecue for us, and we're getting some sides from Beasley's (Chicken + Honey). I'd love to cook it myself, but I'll get back into town at 2, and the party's at 5. I'll be lucky to get home, take a shower and change clothes, and get there in time to help set up.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><b>Joe</b></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"> Kwon's Galbi: Korean-style BBQ Short Ribs</b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">5 lbs. beef short ribs, cut across the bone into thin pieces</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">10 tbs. sugar</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">3/4 cup soy sauce</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">1/2 onion, grated</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">2 stalks green onion, diced</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">8 cloves of garlic, minced</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">3 tbs. toasted sesame oil</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Peel garlic and onion; mince the garlic and grate the onion. Transfer half of the garlic and onion to a small mixing bowl or cup, then add soy sauce, 5 tablespoons sugar, sesame oil, green onion. Mix well and set aside.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Arrange spare ribs in a large, deep dish and evenly distribute the remaining sugar, plus salt and pepper, on all the ribs. Then sprinkle on remaining onion and garlic; let the beef sit 15 minutes. Pour the marinade over the beef, coating each piece. Cover and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or several hours before grilling.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;">Remove ribs from marinade, shaking off excess liquid. Grill to a nice medium, about 4-5 minutes per side, and serve with short grain rice and kimchi. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12.48px; line-height: 17.472px;"><i>This post first appeared in <a href="http://www.indyweek.com/food/archives/2015/11/09/avett-brother-joe-kwon-talks-about-cooking-whole-hogs-which-hell-do-for-the-second-time-next-weekend">Indy Week</a>.</i></span><br />
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