Two Yankees in a Stew!

A couple of weeks ago Jodi and I attended our neighbor’s annual Brunswick stew up at their summer home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  Billed as a taste of the old south, I was promised good food, friends, and music.  How in the world could I pass this up?  Food that I have never eaten, cooked apparently as it has been done for generations, in a beautiful location…I’m there!

I did a little reconnaissance to find out exactly what kind of eats to expect.  Apparently there are two feuding traditions of Brunswick stew – one from Brunswick County, Virginia and the other with roots in Brunswick, Georgia.  Of course each locale claims that theirs is the real deal.  Most of the authentic recipes call for squirrel or rabbit but folks tended to use whatever they could catch including beef, chicken, possum, beaver, raccoon, and even the occasional cute little chipmunk.  Recipe variations abound and are limited only by what is available locally and the cook’s imagination.

Stew day arrived and as we drove up into the beautifully picturesque countryside, we began to notice confederate flags outside of various storefronts and homes proclaiming that we might be in an unwelcome foreign land.  I was getting a little nervous …how far into these mountains did we actually have to travel, would Jodi and I fit in, and more importantly would I like the food?

As we turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, we rolled down our windows to enjoy the crisp fall air, which smelled like falling leaves.  As we approached our host’s home, the air was filled with the sound of a band playing a slow bluegrass tune. 

Our hosts quickly noted our arrival, introduced us around, and proceeded to hand us a mason jar filled with what they called “Sit Down Wine”, which turned out to be home brewed corn wine (only enough is made for small home gatherings.)  After the flame subsided from my chest, I began to detect fruit flavors.  Our hosts explained that they ferment the corn liquid with citrus zest, and this makes the drink quite tasty and refreshing.

I was in for another culinary delight as the sun began to set and our hosts gestured that it was time for the main attraction, the stew!  In the corner of the property I could see it…a large metal cauldron hanging over an open low flame fire pit.  The group of four men handling the cooking looked exhausted since the stew has to be constantly stirred throughout the 12 hour cooking process. 

The stew itself looked like a very thick tomato based soup filled with all sorts of vegetables (tomato, onion, okra, corn, beans) and meat (mainly chicken…don’t worry all of you chipmunk lovers out there.)  The dish was definitely hearty, perfect for a cool fall evening, but I would have definitely added some Sriracha (but, yet, then it wouldn’t have been authentic & traditional.)

What I was most impressed by were the sides…lovely homemade sourdough bread to dunk in the stew, crisp apple cider vinegar based coleslaw, locally grown creamy sweet potato casserole, and decadent pintos cooked with ham hocks, country ham, and bacon   (it’s always better with bacon - I had three helpings.)

Dessert, Jodi’s favorite part of the meal, did not disappoint: individual fried apple pies (warm with a good buttery crunch to the crust), spice cake, rich and dense chocolate cake, chocolate pecan pie, and sweet potato pie.  Of course I could not be rude and had a sampling of all five…I still can taste those wonderful fried pies.

  

Fully satiated, I finished off the last of my Sit Down Wine and thought to myself how wonderful it is that food traditions can still bring communities together…and the band played on.


- Jason

The Fast and the Furious...and the Food

A recent stint on jury duty hearing a case about fast cars and street racing got me reminiscing about my teenage years of muscle car fascination and the adrenalin thrill of punching the gas pedal of a prized powerhorse.

What does this have to do with food you might ask? 

Hearing tantalizing details of NOS (nitrous oxide) powered muscle cars racing at speeds in excess of 120 mph somehow triggered the craving for large platters of comfort food.  Luckily for me, thanks to a tip from the old-timer working at the courthouse entrance, I found a gem of a restaurant that I never even knew existed. 

Crossing the street as the cold wind and rain whipped around me, I suddenly found myself face to face with a cafeteria line of good old-fashioned Southern comfort food.  Chicken n’dumplings, mac n’cheese, and fried okra warded off the chill of a rainy Wednesday. 

As I sat in shock at my first bite of pillowy dumpling and rich-but-not-lumpy sauce strewn with tender chicken, I checked my iPhone for info on this place.  Why had I never heard of it, and did they have a website?  I knew I was in good hands when I found a simple website with a short list of daily offerings describing the chicken n’ dumplings with: “Yes, we make it all from scratch.  We boil the chickens, remove the bones, skin, and fat, and serve the best of the chicken to you.  The dumplings?  We start with plain flour and make each little dumpling in house.  It’s hard work, but somebody’s gotta do it.”

Thursday brought pan fried pork tenderloin (cooked the old fashioned way: breaded with seasoned flour and sautéed in a cast iron skillet), smoky black-eyed peas, and corn bread (although I could have opted for a very popular meat loaf option.)

Friday brought an end to my jury duty and a celebratory déjà vu lunch of pan fried pork tenderloin and creamy mac n’ cheese, although I was really jonesing for another chance at those chicken n’dumplings.

I started to wonder: Now that I’ve gone from muscle cars to an eco-conscious Prius, have I replaced that feel-good rush with down home comfort food?

Scientists say that so-called comfort food (hi-carb meals) can significantly raise serotonin levels.  On the other hand, racing and fast driving have been shown to trigger high levels of dopamine.  Both are, in essence, natural feel-good drugs.

As Dom says in The Fast and the Furious , “I live my life a quarter mile at a time. Nothing else matters… For those ten seconds or less, I'm free.”  That sums up how I feel about good food, too.  For the time it takes to enjoy the pleasures of good food, the rest of the world fades away and all that matters are the flavors and the enjoyment.

All I know is that I’ll be here next week for my fix of good ole’ creamed, fried, or infused-with-fat meat & veggies (& I use the term “veggies” loosely.)

REVIEW:  Courtside Café

102 W. 3^rd Street

Winston-Salem, NC 27101

www.courtsidecafe.com

336.761.8910

Hours: Monday – Friday 7 am – 2 pm

Whether you want great comfort food or interesting conversation eavesdropping, you’ll find it at the Courtside Café. 

Situated steps away from the back entrance of the Forsyth County Courthouse, it’s a favorite of lawyers & courthouse staff (hence the fascinating conversations you’ll hear all around you.)

The Courtside Café offers both cafeteria options and menu options, but stick with the stick-to-your-ribs cafeteria options. 

Recommended: Chicken n’ dumplings, pan fried pork tenderloin, mac n’cheese, black-eyed peas, fried okra.

- Jodi

Barbecue is a Noun!

Barbecue is more than a just a description of a method of cooking, a type of sauce, or an excuse for a get-together.  Instead, it is a living cultural expression of regional uniqueness that usually results in camaraderie, creativity, and more importantly deliciously succulent eats.  More importantly, barbecue is a NOUN, not a verb (that's the rule here in the South, anyway.)

I didn’t always think this was the case.  Growing up in NYC the word “barbeque” was definitely a verb, associated with creating a bonfire from charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid in an apartment terrace hibachi, a task usually relegated to my father who invariably charred whatever meat product was thrown on top of the blaze.  The charred meat was then slathered with a thick glaze of supermarket brand “BBQ sauce.” 

So years later when Jodi and I moved to North Carolina I could not understand why so many restaurants dedicated to barbecue dotted the landscape.  I mean how could people get so excited about tough dried-out burnt pieces of meat?  

Was I missing something?  Was this ‘cue stuff good after all?  I mean I’m the kind of guy who likes to be “in the know” so I asked around and finally visited one of the most recommended barbecue joints in Winston Salem…Little Richard’s on Country Club Road.  The place was a little intimidating to this NYC boy.  It looked nothing like a Manhattan restaurant, and a thick haze of smoke (both cigarette & barbecue) filled the air. 

Three main things were on the menu: sliced, coarse chopped and chopped. Jodi and I looked at each other a little perplexed, shrugged our shoulders, and not wanting to look like we had no clue (after all we were newly arrived Yankees and all things “Deliverance” popped into our heads), proceeded to order a tray of all three items.  We nervously nodded yes to “Y’all want swite tie?” even though neither of us had a clue what she was saying.

When we were handed our food and “swite tie” we looked concerned…piles of unknown meat, some fried spheres, and a very runny thin spicy reddish looking sauce.  But when we started eating both Jodi and I lit up…the meat was tender and moist with deep smoky flavor, the fried spheres were clearly made of corn with a nice crunch and a hint of spice, and the sauce was some combination of vinegar and tomato.  We figured that all the smoky meat morsels were pork, just cut and served differently, since the place was decorated with a lot of pig paraphernalia.  From Jodi’s summers spent at Carolina Beach, she surmised that the fried spheres were hushpuppies, and we both realized that the translation for “swite tie” was “sweet tea.” 

My only question at this point was “Where can I get more?” 

I now thankfully know that my father’s attempts at pyrotechniques were more closely related to grilling (cooking rather quickly directly over a flame at high heat), and not barbecue.  Simply put, I view barbecue as a slow cooking process over indirect hardwood smoke…it’s all about cooking LOW & SLOW.

Throughout history every culture has had barbecue in form or another, and in the United States every locale appears to have its own style, using specific meats, wood, spices, and sauces.  These variants can be found in some of the traditional barbecue styles that I have tried including:

Alabama (northern)..………..pork or chicken with a unique mayonnaise/vinegar sauce

Missouri (Kansas City)..……beef brisket/burnt ends/variety of meats w/thick sweet sauce

North Carolina (eastern)……whole hog with vinegar/hot pepper dip

North Carolina (Lexington)...pork shoulder focused with a thin tomato/vinegar dip

North Carolina (western)...…pork focused with a tomato infused dip

Pacific Northwest…………..fish, particularly salmon, cooked over cedar

South Carolina (Columbia)....pulled pork with a mustard/brown sugar/apple cider dip

Tennessee (Memphis wet).....pork ribs basted with a sweet sauce before & after cooking

Tennessee (Memphis dry)......pork ribs rubbed with spices, cooked until a crust is formed

Texas (southern)…………….barbacoa or pulled cow’s head usually eaten in a taco

Texas (western)……………..beef ribs & brisket cooked over mesquite

Even though I have tried a lot of barbecue, I have only scratched the surface.  I don’t think that one type is better than another…I enjoy them all, think each one is delicious in its own right, and I always want to try more and more and more!  That’s the real beauty of barbecue…there is always something different to try and some new culture and region to learn about.

What is your favorite barbecue style?  What should I try next?


- Jason

A Salacious Memory of Wild Foodie Abandon

Closing for the season! 

Those words conjured up an impossible longing, a salacious memory of wild abandon, and a desperate attempt to rationalize a 560 mile Saturday road trip.

What is this pleasure den I speak of?  That would be Britt’s Donuts on the boardwalk in Carolina Beach, NC, just a stone’s throw from the sandy beaches and salty waves.  The fond memories are those of steaming hot, burn-your-fingers-on-the-glaze donuts made in one, and only one, variety.

Regulars know to order at least ½ dozen – just one will never do.  Jason and I polished off the better part of a dozen in one heart-attack-be-damned, gloriously messy finger-licking sitting at the old-school counter with the requisite cup of plain jane coffee.

As a resident of Winston-Salem, I am of course a loyal lover of Krispy Kreme (it’s a prerequisite to live here), but I have to say that Britt’s is a mom and pop donut nirvana.  Combine that with a views of a wide sandy beach and a retro small town feel, and you’ve got the makings of a great weekend getaway (and gorge-a-thon.)

A Donut by any other name… (Gravy ring, anyone?)

A deep fried piece of dough or batter is the essence of a donut (or doughnut.)  Virtually every culture has some form of this sweet (or sometimes savory) treat. 

The most common types of donuts in the U.S. are ring donuts and filled donuts.  Donuts can be cake based or yeast-raised.    Donuts are primarily deep-fried, although there are baked versions.  Regional specialties abound, including crullers, Long Johns, old-fashioneds, etc.

Outside the U.S., the spelling “doughnut” is more traditional.  Some examples of what cultures outside the U.S. offer:

  
Sufganiyah (Israel):                          Jelly doughnut associated with Hanukkah

Jalebi (India):                                   Pretzel shaped deep-fried batter soaked in sugar syrup
     
Beignet (France):                             Square, French-style doughnuts, lavishly covered with powdered sugar            

Loukoumades (Greece):                  Deep fried dough soaked in sugar syrup or honey, clove, and cinnamon

Zeppole (Italy):                                Deep fried balls of dough, can be filled or unfilled, often dusted with powdered sugar

Paczki (Poland):                               Dried fried flattened spheres of  rich eggy dough with a variety of fillings and toppings

Yum-Yums (Scotland):                    Doughnut in a twisted rope shape with a sugar glaze

  
Gravy Rings (N. Ireland):                Doughnut with a hold in the middle, a ring doughnut; due to the fact that a slang term for the frying oil is “gravy”      

Fabulous Foodie Find Faves:

Britts Donuts:

Yeast-raised hot glazed donuts, handmade in small batches

Carolina Beach Boardwalk #11

Open during the season only (approximately Apr – Sept.)

No Phone

Coffee An’ Donut Shop

Cake donuts – made from scratch, wonderful crusty exterior and moist interior

Try chocolate, cinnamon, and plain

343 Main Street

Westport, CT

203.227.3808

The Doughnut Plant

Doughnut Plant doughnuts are made with all natural ingredients, with the glazes made from seasonal fruits and using fresh roasted nuts.  They have no trans fats, preservatives, artificial flavorings, or eggs.

Try Tres Leches, Blackout, PB&J, Coconut Glaze w/Coconut Cream

379 Grand Street

New York, NY

www.doughnutplant.com

Café Du Monde

OK, it’s full of tourists, but that doesn’t stop the venerable Café Du Monde from dishing up the most delectable beignets around, piled high on a plate under an avalanche of powdered sugar, with a mug of rich chicory café au lait.  You are guaranteed to leave with a wide white-coated smile and a flurry of powdered sugar dust trailing behind you.

French Market

800 Decatur Street

New Orleans, LA

www.cafedumonde.com

Voodoo Doughnuts

Quirky wacky doughnut varieties & a wedding chapel to boot

Per Voodoo Doughnuts: “You can pay us more for our product which is locally made, locally owned, and an honest dream come true, or you can buy cheaper, megalacorp, machine cut, rebaked, defrozen, warehouse doughnuts and pastries.”

Try the Bacon-Maple Bar, the Voodoo Doughnut (a voodoo doll & doughnut in one)

2 Locations in Portland, OR

www.voodoodoughnut.com

Top Pot Doughnuts

Cake doughnuts with fabulous crunchy “crust”

Try Old-Fashioned or Chocolate Old-Fashioned

Numerous locations throughout Seattle

www.toppotdoughnuts.com

Krispy Kreme:

“Hot” 

Well, yes I am, but that’s beside the point.  The red glow of a Krispy Kreme “Hot” sign has the power to steer my car into their parking lot every time I see it.  I swear that they have a super high-powered magnet that comes on when the hot sign does.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it – oh wait, I’m sticking to the steering wheel now too (could it have been those 3 hot glazed I just wolfed down?)

Yes, yes for all of you screaming at the screen right now, this is a chain and we usually are all about indie places, but we feel the Krispy Kreme experience is iconic enough to warrant our recommendation. 

All varieties of donuts, but the real draw is the hot glazed.  DON’T buy a dozen of these unchaperoned, or you might make it home with nothing but an empty box.

Numerous locations worldwide.

www.krispykreme.com

What donuts do you desire?  What are your faves?  Let us know.

- Jodi

Coffee and Clothes - a Perfect Combo!

While I was working on our next post (hint - it's about the perfect food to go with your morning coffee), I came across this donation program to Dress for Success from Coffee-Mate.  The cool thing about this is that you can write a personalized note of inspiration to a client of Dress for Success.

For those of you not familiar with the Dress for Success program, it is an organization that promotes economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire and career development tools.

I volunteered with Dress for Success, and it was a wonderful experience.  Dress for Success sets up donated clothing, accessories, & cosmetics in a boutique-like atmosphere, and the client has a volunteer "personal shopper" to help them choose the best outfit from the "boutique" for their job interview or career needs.  The organization also offers support and career development.

For more info on Dress for Success, click here.

To write a note of support and encouragement to a Dress for Success client, and to have Coffee-Mate donate to Dress for Success on your behalf, click on this link:
COFFEE-MATE® - Make Every Cup Count.

-Jodi