November 22, 2010

She-Crab Surprise!

We're having a dinner party in a few weeks, and John challenged me to make She-Crab Soup, which I have never made before, as an appetizer for the party. I have never de-crabbed a crab before either, so I figured I'd go all out and make the soup from scratch.

Whole, frozen blue crabs were on sale for $1.99 a pound, so I bought 12. These little ladies were saran-wrapped into meat trays in the freezer section, packed the same day I bought them, so I just took them home, wrapped them in several layers of plastic bags to keep the seafood smell and stabby spikes contained, and stuck them in the meat drawer to prepare the next day.

The next day, I got home from work after stopping at the store to pick up some fresh fennel for the stock, and I put the wrapped-up crabs in the sink. While I was unloading my groceries, I started hearing faint popping and snapping noises, so I decided to investigate.

The noises were coming from the sink.

I was home alone and had never dealt with whole crustacea larger than gulf shrimp before, so I was getting a little freaked out but decided to open up the crab package and see what was making the noise. I figured it was just air or water escaping from the crabs' shells, since I had jostled them a little. I unwrapped the packages and stared at the unmoving crabs for a few seconds. As I turned away, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a leg move.

The crabs were coming back to life! I thought being frozen would have done them in, but apparently, it just stunned them. So I had some half-thawed crabs in my sink and I was nowhere near ready to start cooking them. I decided to get all the ice out of the freezer, fill the sink up with ice water and salt, and hope that the crabs would re-freeze so I could put them in the boiling water without them ever realizing they were getting cooked. That didn't work too well and only made them come back to life faster.

After cooking and de-crabbing the crabs, I had a nice stockpot full of crab shells, onion, garlic, fennel, ginger root, herbs and seasonings, a ramekin full of crab roe, and about a pound of crab meat for the soup.

Since it took four hours to do all this, I ended up making the soup the next night. It was a big success with John and is his new favorite soup (something finally beat out loaded baked potato soup!), but we both agreed I should just buy the crab meat for the party. It was worth the experience, but I definitely won't do it again!

October 27, 2010

Zink replaces M5 at Southpark

One of the first restaurants I fell in love with in Charlotte was Zink. I loved the silent black & white films projected onto the red velvety curtains, the giant mirrors that made the place feel bigger yet somehow more intimate, the sweeping staircase in dark mahogany, and the 50s-era tiled floor of the bar. I loved the chef's Valentine's Day menu, featuring flavors from around the world adapted into comfort food, and I loved that we could have a 3-course dinner for two and a bottle of wine for under $100.

I also loved the recently replaced M5. Harper's Restaurant Group has added some talent to Charlotte's restaurant scene, and I really hope M5 will make a comeback as soon as the economy straightens out. Since I hope a lot of things make a comeback along with the economy and I've been hoping for a while, I don't imagine we'll be fortunate enough to get the duck and shallot flatbread, the PEI mussels in chorizo and garlic sauce, or the blue cheese croquettes that inspired these little bits of heaven any time soon.

Zink's new Southpark location has brought quite a few changes to their dining experience, and the atmosphere and decor has become unfortunately IKEA-esque, but the service is still good and the concept is strong. I do plan to give Zink's reincarnation a second chance, though, since they took my comment card seriously enough to send me a gift card in the mail with some menu suggestions.

I strongly recommend their fish entrees, cheese platters with local honey, and anything featured as a special, since they tend to give specials their undivided attention. Give them a try and see what you think.

October 10, 2010

My potted garden

Herbs are ridiculously easy to grow, and I've had great luck with rosemary and basil for the past 3 years. This year, my basil started showing signs of decline earlier than previous years, but I still had several good harvests for pesto, spaghetti sauce, pico de gallo and other miscellaneous recipes. Rosemary makes the porch smell so wonderful I bought two more recently and they're thriving. Once it gets too cold for all these beauties, I'm not too sure where their winter home will be, but I've got a sunny window in the office in mind...

Basil up top. Clockwise from bottom left: mixed lettuce, rosemary 1, rosemary 2, avocado tree, elephant ear, ponytail palm.

From left: kalanchoe, spearmint, Greek oregano, rosemary 3, hyacinth, mixed lettuce.

October 08, 2010

Mushroom and Gouda Risotto

The ultimate fall side dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 pound Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 pound white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 pound mixed wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 shallots, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup vermouth
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Gouda

Directions

- On med-high, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in large saucepan. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Scrape contents of pan into bowl and set aside.
-  Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic and shallots to saucepan. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When rice turns golden in color, add vermouth, stirring constantly until fully absorbed. Add broth to rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each time until absorbed. Add broth until rice is al dente, 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in mushrooms and their juice, butter and Gouda. Add salt and pepper to taste.

September 29, 2010

"I feel like a bear"

These beauties were dinner last night:

Two-inch-thick, wild-caught US salmon steaks. Delicious! Halfway through dinner, John says, "I feel like a bear." Agreed.

With all this media about genetically modified salmon, I figured I would give props to the real thing. The real thing doesn't have strains of viruses like E. coli making up its cells. I hope you will educate yourself about genetically modified foods before you consume them. It is your choice, but it really needs to be an educated choice. I, for one, don't want to purposefully introduce E. coli, in however minuscule a dosage, into my body intentionally. Enviropig and commodity crops that are "Round-up Ready" pose the same risk.

In order for a live thing or donor animal to accept genetically modified cells and not reject them, the live thing has to allow the GM cells to invade its healthy cells. What invades cells? Viruses. Bacteria. Little gold pellets with GM cells inside injected by force into the healthy cells.

Fish, corn and pigs procreate all on their own. Let's let them keep doing what they've always done.

September 28, 2010

Holy Shiitake!

Last night, we had burgers... and not just any burgers. We had organic, grass-fed, hormone-free beef burgers from Proffitt Farms, topped with smooshed homemade blue cheese croquettes and a giant Shiitake mushroom we picked up at Harmony Gardens' booth at Atherton Market on Saturday morning, served on an onion bun. Here are some pictures of the giant mushroom:

in all its raw glory

size compared to regular avocado

cooked
SO GOOD!

September 27, 2010

Dragon fruit

I picked up a red pitaya/dragon fruit yesterday for a snack.



Aside from the striking contrast between the leathery pink rind and the white fruit with black seeds waiting inside, these little gems are a good source of antioxidants, Vitamin C, phosphorous and polyunsaturated fatty acids.



They are largely composed of water, so the flavor is very mild and their texture is very similar to kiwi, due to the abundant and tiny black seeds. They taste a little like pear and a little like watered-down lychee. If you're feeling adventurous, these are harmless and have a very mild flavor, so unless you really hate the "taste" of water, I suggest you try one sometime. Be sure to WASH your fruit and veggies before consuming, since citrus fruits and produce with thick skins or rinds hold pesticides better and longer than smooth-skinned items.

Wine tasting this weekend

Great Grapes! Wine, Art & Food Festival. Twenty NC wineries... wine pairing and cooking demos... discount for your designated driver. Color me there!

Before prohibition, North Carolina was the nation's top wine producer. During prohibition, many wineries across the country stayed open making grape juice for Holy Communion and stopped fermenting and aging the juice into wine. After prohibition, California fortunately had a handful of wealthy families that were able to jump-start the wine industry in Northern Cali.

North Carolina is now ranked 7th in wine production in the nation, and I would love to see us take back the title. The two vineyards we've visited have been in beautiful settings, and several NC wineries are within weekending, if not day tripping, distance. For $20, you can get to know your NC vineyards and you'll likely find a few diamonds in the rough. Most are available at Total Wine (multiple locations in Charlotte and the surrounding area) for Trader Joe's prices.

Vineyards we've visited:
Shelton Vineyards - stone-fruity Cabernet Franc, balanced sweet/tangy Merlot, sweet but not cloying Port, and red table wine that is not bad for the price
Elkin Creek Vineyard - the soft white is sweet and crisp, but we weren't big fans of the reds

NC wines we've tried:
Old North State Winery - Afternoon Delight
Raffaldini - Cabernet Sauvignon
Duplin Winery - Muscadine (the best I've had in these parts)

September 23, 2010

Buddy Blogs

Shout out to two of my weekly lunch date buddies and the great blogs they both have:

Carmen (http://goodbyegorda.com/) is a fellow foodie mentioned in my previous posting, who is doing a much better job at staying healthy and accountable for her health than I am. Kudos, Carmen, and keep up the great work!

Vivian (http://datinginqc.blogspot.com/) currently has 16 first dates under her belt and couldn't have a better attitude about it. Her experiences provide daily entertainment, and while I would love for her to find her soul mate, we both agree that now that she's started her blog, she can never be in a relationship.

I <3 them both and hope you'll take a minute to check out their blogs.

Smartphones love farmers markets

Atherton Market at Atherton Mill on South Blvd. is offering a free reusable grocery bag to Facebook users who check in to the market's location using their Smartphones four times. Friend them on fb and start going!

Also, CNN and Foursquare have teamed up to help you be healthy. Check out the Eatocracy blog post about it.

Keep in mind you don't have to have the latest gadget to reap the benefits of locally produced food found at farmers markets. Knowing where and how your food is grown, harvested, shipped and stored is smart, and farmers markets are way more fun than the grocery store.

September 11, 2010

Brats and Beer

Last night, we went to Growlers for some beer and brats. The place is small, but we managed to snag the last booth at the back. The place has concrete floors and exposed brick walls, so it gets a bit noisy. It's small enough that it doesn't matter too much, though. We started out with some beer cheese and local brews. I had Orange Blossom Pilsner, brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, SC, and John had King Don's Pumpkin Ale, from Catawba Valley Brewing Company in Morganton, NC.

We decided to do the sausage plate, where you get to pick two sausages and two sides for $10. Ten bucks! Dinner was the same price as our beers! We got the Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and the beer brat with kraut. They make the sausages in-house, using choice cuts rather than leftover scraps, and I was really impressed with the amount of flavor and texture these things packed. John's brat was a bit watery, but still had a lot of flavor. We both ordered house-made chips, since we're not big slaw/potato salad fans. We also tried the cask-aged Flying Dog brew they had from the beer engine, but we didn't catch what flavor. They serve the cask-aged beer at cask temperature, and the brew we had wasn't as carbonated as we would have liked to have to finish off the meal.

So here's the deal: your appetizer is $4, your dinner is $5 and your craft beer is $4-4.50 (unless, like Vivian, you prefer PBR, which is $1 on weeknights and $2 on weekends). For a night out, you can't beat that. Plus it's delicious, made with quality ingredients, and incredibly filling.

September 09, 2010

Growlers Pourhouse

Growlers Pourhouse is brand-new to NoDa, and I want to go. Get a growler full of craft beer for the table, poured straight from the beer engine. I hear their brats and hot dogs are made in-house and are delicious, and they have house-made chips for $2 a plate. I'm going there asap because it sounds like my kind of place.

September 06, 2010

Foodie Call

In the mood for lunch or dinner from a restaurant you love, but they don't deliver and you're not in the mood to drag yourself out of the house? Make a Foodie Call. It's perfect for nights when waiting for a table or, shoot, even going out in public doesn't seem that thrilling but you're sick and tired of frozen pizza and your only other option is a condiment sandwich. This weekend is Greek Fest, but you can avoid the crowd and still get dinner delivered from Greek Isles.

They also offer a rewards program (who doesn't these days?) so you can get free delivery on future orders. As an extra bonus, when you order for the first time and let them know I told you about them, we'll both get $3 off our next order. Sweet.

September 02, 2010

Blue Cheese Croquettes

A few months back, during Queen's Feast, we had dinner at M5. One of the sides served was blue cheese croquettes, and John challenged me to make these from scratch. The following is the recipe I used. It tastes identical to what we had at M5, and since I am currently obsessed with cheese, I had to share it. The recipe can span two days if you don't have a few hours to spare. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Croquettes

Ingredients
1/2 stick unsalted butter
olive oil
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plus more for breading croquettes)
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. crumbled blue cheese (I used Roquefort and would recommend one that isn't smokey)
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground sea salt
white pepper
2 large eggs
2 c. fine bread crumbs


Directions
Melt butter and 3 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, until a smooth paste forms. Increase heat to medium-high and add milk while whisking constantly until smooth. Add cheese and stir until smooth.

Reduce heat to low and stir slowly until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Grate in nutmeg and season with sea salt and white pepper to taste. Scrape mixture into lightly oiled brownie pan and let cool to room temperature. Place plastic wrap directly on top of mixture to cover it, and refrigerate at least three hours to overnight.

Prepare three bowls: 1. flour, 2. whisked eggs, 3. bread crumbs

Lightly flour your hands and use a spoon to scoop rounded ovals of cheese mixture out of pan. Roll lightly between your hands to form chestnut-sized ovals. Once you have formed the cheese mixture into ovals, dip each one into the bowls, in order (flour, eggs, bread crumbs) and place on a baking sheet.

Pour 1 inch of olive oil into an 8-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Fry croquettes, 6-7 at a time, until golden brown on all sides, turning once during heating and adjusting the heat to ensure the oil doesn't burn. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croquettes to a wire rack with two layers of paper towels underneath to catch drips. Allow to drain, then serve while hot. Croquettes will keep overnight once fried and can be reheated in the oven.

August 31, 2010

Greek Fest (Opa!)/Blues, Brews & BBQ Fest

These are two things I'm really excited about that happen on the same weekend (Sept. 9-12). My friend and fellow food lover Carmen suggested I blog about the upcoming weekend, since it's a smorgasbord of everything I love most about the Queen City, so here it is in case I forget to post something after the fact.

I will be volunteering at the People's Choice tent hosted by Slow Food Charlotte for the Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival (free to the general public), and I will also be wandering around Yiasou Greek Festival ($2 general admission) stuffing my face with lamb, dolmades, tiropita and delicious little loukoumades! The Greek culture is strong in Charlotte, and the food is ever so good. It's a budget-friendly weekend and I hope you'll take advantage of two great opportunities to experience some of Charlotte and the surrounding area's finest.

Spread the word and bring a posse!

August 30, 2010

Where's the Beef?

Last weekend, we decided to try a little experiment. We bought meat from three different NC farms and decided to compare them all to find our new beef and pork source. We had already had dry-aged filet from What's Your Beef? butcher in Ballantyne (he gets his meat from Frontier Meat Processing Co in Waxhaw) and were impressed, but I'd like to know exactly which farm my meat comes from, in this world where recalls on contaminated food seem to be the norm. We've tried Grateful Growers chorizo and prosciutto,  and it's delicious, but the price keeps going up.

At Atherton Market, we bought hot breakfast sausage and Italian sausage (both pork) from Windy Hill Farm, and ground beef from Proffitt Family Farms (they were out of filet... next time we go earlier!). The breakfast sausage has a nice crumbly but thick texture, and it doesn't taste greasy. We haven't tried the ground beef or Italian sausage yet, but I'll keep you posted.

At Earth Fare, we bought a tenderloin roast from Hickory Nut Gap Farm. I rubbed this with salt, pepper and garlic, then pan-seared it in olive oil. I let it rest and then slow-roasted it at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes, then broiled it for 5. Perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored and perfectly tender.

August 24, 2010

Cheese, Please

I forgot to mention that while I was in Boston, my big sister was kind enough to stop by the Boston Cheese Cellar on our way to Concord, MA. Owner Kathy Lacher let us sample the cheeses before we bought. We ended up with a hunk each of Spanish Manchego, an Italian Parmesano Reggiano and a Vermont goat cheese log.

Last week, I found an assortment of US-made cheeses at EarthFare and Harris Teeter:

From the specialty cheese case at the South Park Harris Teeter: Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, an aged goat cheese with a layer of ash around the wheel and one slap down the middle. This was a tangy cheese that didn't make room for any of the milder varieties. I suggest enjoying goat cheese, specifically aged goat cheeses, with hearty red wines that can stand up to the yogurty tang.

From the South Park EarthFare: Vella Cheese's Mezzo Secco, a cheese revived in 1999 from the age before refrigeration. This cheese was too mild for my taste - a bit reminiscent of Kraft Parmesan from a can, but with more depth of flavor and texture.

From the South Park EarthFare: Roth Kase's Moody Blue, a bacony, medium-intensity blue from Wisconsin that surprised me with its balance of smoke and puckering blue notes. Roth Kase is known for its Grand Cru line (Swiss varieties in particular).

From the South Park EarthFare: Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson, a washed-rind, stinky cheese. Let me just say I learned I am not a fan of stinky cheese when I tasted this, but I respect those of you who are. We plan to try smoking what we didn't eat to see if that will help us tolerate the barnyard stench of this cheese. Smells aside, this was a creamy and pleasantly colored cheese that looked delicious. Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive, and you have to have a taste for The Stink to really appreciate it!

Last but not least, from the South Park EarthFare: Chapel Hill Creamery's Hickory Grove, a washed-curd cheese, this was our favorite of the bunch. Interestingly enough, it is the cheese made closest to home of the lot. This was a beautiful dryish and almondy cheese with the most pleasing texture, flavor (not too tart, not too sweet or nutty), and satisfying mouth-drying effect of all. This cheese is heavenly by itself and exquisite with a little drizzled honey.

I intend to try every American-made cheese I come across, so stay tuned for future postings on homeland cheeses. I encourage you to stop by your grocer's specialty cheese section and sample a new kind of cheese. Keep in mind the shrink-wrapped blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, jack and Colby are compressed, machine-made and infinitely less flavorful than their not-so-distant cousins wrapped in cellophane. Bon fromage!

August 20, 2010

Produce Stand!

I found out about a new-ish produce stand I haven't been to yet: Providence Produce Market. Conveniently located in Ballantyne with convenient hours so I can stop by on my way home from work. I plan to check it out soon, but if you've already been and have something to say about your experience, please share.

August 19, 2010

Raw Milk and Local Brews

My dad visited from Boise and we spent the first part of the week in Greer/Greenville, SC. We went to Kelsey's Dairy in Greer, which offers raw milk, buttermilk and eggs. It is illegal for farmers to sell raw milk for human consumption in North Carolina, so I took advantage of the opportunity to buy it legally in South Carolina. I was a bit surprised we saw no cows, just yearlings and new calves (Holstein, Jersey and a darker brown breed I couldn't identify). Disappointingly, the owner was nowhere to be found, so I was unable to ask about the milkers' health. Since I wasn't positive the milk was safe to consume, I had to pasteurize it before doing anything with it. I was looking forward to fresh-from-the-cow cheese!

Pasteurization is a more intensive process than I would prefer, but I ended up with about a pound of mozzarella from one gallon of milk (the second gallon I bought will soon become ricotta). The cheese tastes a little grassy, and it smells faintly of a pasture in summertime - a surprisingly pleasant sensation.

We had lunch at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria: pizza topped with roasted red peppers, portabella mushrooms and andouille sausage, washed down with Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale. If you're in Greenville and have a spare hour, tour the brewery and sample some tasty local beer.

Later, I made cheese grits with the NC grits I picked up at the farmers market last Saturday. They turned out perfectly fluffy-creamy, as good grits should. I also picked up a growler of RJ Rockers Son of a Peach American wheat ale, brewed just up the road from Greenville in Spartanburg, SC, and some Thomas Creek Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale.

Another stop was Fisher's Orchard for some fresh corn and red potatoes for a low country boil. Dillard's Ice Cream Parlor has extended their summer hours and is a great relief from the muggy summer heat, so we also enjoyed a few refreshing scoops.

After a week in Boston, I figured Daddy needed a break from big city life, so we spent three days fighting the heat and humidity of South Carolina and taking it easy.

August 14, 2010

Saturday is Farmers Market Day

Today I visited three farmers markets, two of which were first-timers for me (see Open-air Markets post).

First stop: Atherton Market at Atherton Mill. I wasn't expecting this to be an indoor market but was pleasantly surprised when I found out. We got a late start, so it was slim pickin's. By far, my favorite vendor was Pickleville's Billie's Pickle Jar, where I sampled dill and garlic pickles, and also an unexpectedly fabulous mustard sweet relish. I hate relish (especially sweet relish) but love pickles and mustard, so I figured I'd give it a try, and I'm glad I did. Online, Pickleville pickles run $2 more per quart than at the market, giving me even more reason to go to Atherton Market and buy in-person. Billie packs 'em in tight and scoops in some brine to top it all off. His suggestion: freeze cubes of leftover pickle juice to use in your Bloody Mary. I will definitely give that a try with the leftovers from the dill pickles I bought.

A close second was Chosen Roaster. The slightly buttery smell of freshly roasted nuts brought us back around for a purchase, and we bought a bag of peanuts and a bag of cashews (though I was tempted to try their third offering: almonds). They don't use much salt when roasting the nuts, but you can ask them to salt the nuts in the bag before purchase. The peanuts were a little dry, though they were the biggest peanuts I've ever seen. The cashews were heavenly.

Second stop: Mecklenburg County Market. This market is hidden away behind the hospital off of Harden St., just down Morehead from the King Street Market. Here, we found some Old School brand yellow grits from just east of Charlotte, which we plan to use in shrimp & grits to feed my dad, who's visiting from Boise. We also bought a South Carolina peach, which later turned into a deliciously refreshing vodka spritzer.

Third stop: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. By 3 p.m., most of the vendors had cleared out, even though they're open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays this time of year. We bought some red bell peppers, green onions and red potatoes, but we eyed the assortment of sweet and spicy peppers available and plan to purchase some next time.

HotSpots

You may or may not have noticed the map at the bottom of my blog called HotSpots. This map is a work in progress and will be regularly updated. Future additions will feature other cities I've spent time in, whether days or years: Boise, New Orleans, Savannah, Boston, Atlanta.

August 12, 2010

Reality Check

In reading Liz Thorpe's book, The Cheese Chronicles, my feelings were a little hurt when she provided a reality check: the green cans of cheese in the grocery store do not contain Parmesan cheese at all. It's more of a Jack with an accelerated aging process. Just goes to show how disconnected we are from what's in our food and where it comes from.

Open-air Markets

I love the concept of open-air markets, whether vendors are peddling produce, art, antiques or junk. I grew up in Boise, Idaho, where every Saturday, the Capital City Public Market happens on 8th Street. This remains a favorite destination for me when I visit my friends and family. You can snack on kettle corn and sample Late Harvest Riesling from Snake River Winery while ducking under each tent for a look-see at what's for sale, run into old friends and acquaintances gathered around a live musician, and meet interesting local farmers and craftsmen.

Last weekend, I went to Boston to visit my sister and she took me to the Sowa Open Market. Even though it was sweltering hot and the lines for the beverage stands were endless, we enjoyed a few hours of hunting for pretties and getting ideas for her next sewing project.

Charlotte offers more farmers markets than I realized, so my goal is to get to know them better before fall. I've lived here for three years and am embarrassed to admit I've only been to two:

King Street Market, at the corner of S. Kings and Morehead. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much in the way of local produce, but you can get fresh eggs and gulf shrimp on Saturdays. Hours: Tuesday and Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, off Yorkmont Rd. This place is huge, so plan to spend some time here. You can find everything from pond plants to pickles to pine rocking chairs. Be sure to get a polish sausage with sauerkraut from the hot dog cart, and take a few minutes to learn about the local farmers you buy from. Some Saturdays, they host Ask a Master Gardener Day in the greenery shed. Farmers Market hours: (March - September) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., (May - August) Sundays 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. (October - February) Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Craft Barn hours: (March - December) Saturdays only 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.


Here are the others I am excited to visit:

Mecklenburg County Market
Atherton Market at Atherton Mill
Center City Green Market

August 11, 2010

Home Ec

My interest in food began in my junior high home ec class one fateful day when one of the school sports coaches (a former cook) demonstrated how to make fettuccine Alfredo. Up until then, I had little regard for what I ate or where it came from.

Canned and boxed foods were a staple of my upbringing, and dinner always consisted of a vegetable, a starch, a meat, and a tall glass of milk. Daddy planted an impressive garden every year (and still does) that provided spinach, zucchini and tomatoes in abundance, but out of season, the vegetables came from cans. The starch was seasoned with the packet it came boxed with, and the meat was never cooked in anything but its own juices. Salt and pepper stayed by the stove, used only sparingly during meal preparation, and my mother was suspicious of spices and the pesticides with which they were likely sprayed.

Fettuccine Alfredo is a staple in my recipe arsenal to this day, and it has only improved with age (and my general disregard for measuring ingredients).

Be dangerous! Abandon your measuring spoons and pinch, sprinkle and dash your way through dinner.