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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Food News / Events Bluprint opens tomorrow
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 4:40 PM
Bluprint restaurant will be holding their grand opening tomorrow, Friday, April 1.
Located in the same building at Morton's in Uptown (the Carillon building), the restaurant offers a full-service sit down breakfast throughout the day. Doors will be open at 7 am tomorrow if you want to be the first to check them out.
On Saturday, April 2, they will be hosting their first "Bluday," which will be full of giveaways. (This monthly event will occur on special days that will only be announced via Bluprint's social media accounts.) The giveaway for this first Bluday is a free stack of their signature Red Velvet pancakes with the purchase of a breakfast meat for the first 25 guests.
Read more about the restaurant here.
Bluprint
227 W. Trade St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
@BluprintNC
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / cake Key Lime Cheesecake
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 3:53 PM
Pucker up.
This key lime cheesecake packs a cool, creamy punch. The dense cheesecake sits upon a tropical crust made of coconut, flour, sugar, and butter.
As a big fan of key lime pie, I was eager to try a cheesecake version. I followed the recipe without any deviations, baked the cheesecake in a water bath, and it turned out perfectly crack-free. Success. (Tip: Don't shock the cheesecake right out of the oven by throwing in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature first to prevent cracks.)
To keep the cake dense, don't over-beat the batter. And don't over-bake your crust either ... mine was a bit dark.
Serve it with raspberry coulis or whipped cream and slices of key lime for garnish.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Events / Beer OMB Beer Dinner April 7
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Whiskey Warehouse is hosting a local beer dinner on Thursday, April 7, at 7 pm to support local farmers, brewers, and the public library.
Tickets are $25 with the donation of 3 books, or $28 without books. Buy tickets at www.bandtastic.com/Library. 20% of all revenue will be donated to the library.
The menu is as follows:
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Food News Target at the Metropolitan unveils groceries
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 4:06 PM
The Midtown Target store located on Metropolitan Avenue has finally finished turning my life upside down.
An avid shopper at Target, their remodeling in the past few months to make room for fresh produce and groceries had thoroughly boggled my mind as I had to figure out the changed layout of the store.
With an official opening on Sunday, Target unveiled bright, shiny rows of produce, meats, cheese, frozen foods, and other food stuffs. They don't have as much selection as a grocery store, but having the groceries available at Target for a full well-rounded meal makes running to Trader Joe's or Teeter afterward unnecessary.
Try the Holy Land brand Guacamole Hummus. Good stuff.
Target - Midtown
Metropolitan Ave
Charlotte, North Carolina 28204
(704) 973-3121
Monday, March 28, 2011
Eating Healthy A sit-down with Chef Sherri Beauchamp
Posted By Tiffany Hill on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 2:16 PM
Sherri Beauchamp has worked as a chef since 2004 and says she got into the food industry because of her passion for cooking. When we chatted recently, our discussion ranged from how she helped prepare special allergy free meals for a young client with autism to how to get the best quality fish at a high-end restaurant. Sherri is a true foodie. I asked her to tell me what her other passions were, she paused and asked “Can I pass on that question?”
Creative Loafing: What is the main request from your clientele? Do you have many clients who come to you because they need to change their diet due to a health concerns?
Sherri Beauchamp: The main requests are for healthy cuisines packed with a lot of flavor. Some of my clients have food allergies, gluten intolerances, and so forth and are tired of eating the same things. And, they don’t have time to be creative.
Tell me more about your client who had autism? What did his diet consist of? And, how did your prepared meals help him?
He had a Gluten-free, Soy-free, Casein-free, Apple-free, Corn-free diet which absolutely helped him. The combination of the food and other treatments his mother did for him really made a difference. If you saw him now you would never think he had an issue. He is learning just as well as his sister.
What are a few things a person who is trying to eat for optimal health should buy at the grocery store?
You need to have all the colors of the rainbows. Don’t limit yourself. Consume multiple veggies and more whole grains. Forget the white starchy stuff. Go for the healthy version of protein. Focus on grass fed and grain fed. And, know where your food source is coming from and how they are processing the food.
When you go to a restaurant, what do you normally order from the menu?
Items that are the freshest. I will ask the waitress which fish has arrived here the earliest and which has been sitting around the longest.
Do you teach cooking classes?
I teach one-on-one or in small groups in the home.
For more information about Chef Sherri visit: www.theseasonalkitchen.com.
Smorgasbord Photos: Killington's
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 9:07 AM
Killington's up in Huntersville calls itself a "gastro pub." What does that mean anyway nowadays?
If the definition of gastro pub is a bar/restaurant that has high-end food and a good selection of beer, then I'd say Killington's doesn't quite fit that category. The food was decent, but by no means high-end. The drinks featured in the little card holder thing on the table were liquor cocktails, not beer.
The restaurant is located off exit 23 on I-77, in the Harris Teeter plaza. On the Monday night I stopped by, it was pretty glum-looking with only a few tables filled in the large space. Bare floors and the lack of music didn't help the atmosphere.
The dinner salad consisted of a nice mix of greens, and not the usual iceberg deal you find at most bars. My bbq duck wrap was flavorful, but I if you had told me it was just bbq pork, I would have believed you. The duck flavor was completely masked by sauce. The jicama slaw and pickles were tasty additions though. The fries that came with the wrap were plentiful.
The pies at the restaurant are provided by Carolina Pie Co. They happened to have Guinness Pie the night I was there. It was a chocolate/cream confection with a slightly gelatin texture. I didn't get any strong Guinness flavors, but our waitress explained it had a Guinness reduction in the cream layer. Interesting, to say the least. Take a look for yourself...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Food News / Smorgasbord Taste Test: The Capital Grille's Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 1:38 PM
The Capital Grille kicked off their second annual Artist Series this past Monday featuring a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The limited-edition wine, specially made for The Capital Grille, was designed by Atalon Vineyard's winemaker Thomas Peffer and The Capital Grille Master Sommelier George Miliotes.
The bottle label is unique as well – it features a painting called "Pairings," done by artist Patricia Timbrook who won The Capital Grille's art competition.
I was lucky enough to try the wine last night. The wine itself is delicious. Bold, robust, and smooth without too much bite. The wine pairs great with any steak on their menu, and as well as items such as the citrus salmon, according to our waitress.
Try the wine with the Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake – the jammy flavors of the wine pairs perfectly with the bittersweet dark chocolate cake and berry sauce. And being the pig that I am, I tried it with the Creme Brulee Cheesecake too... It was great with that as well.
The Charlotte restaurant only carries 16 cases of the Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, so get there fast. $25 of each bottle purchase will go to benefit Share Our Strength® to end childhood hunger in America. Each bottle sells for $75.
What's kind of neat is that once you are done with your bottle, your waiter/waitress can remove the label and laminate it for you to take home. If that doesn't cut it and you want your own print of the painting, you can enter a raffle to win your own full-sized version.
Events Red, White and Bloomin' menu is back at Outback
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 9:01 AM
Stop by Outback Steakhouse before their Red, White and Bloomin’ menu ends April 5.
The menu is part of the second annual "Thanks for Giving" program to benefit Operation Homefront, a San Antonio-based national non-profit providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.
You will be helping Outback donate $1 million to the fund by ordering off the special menu. The menu includes items like the Bloomin' Onion, Chicken Artichoke Flatbread, Hearts of Gold Mahi, Crab Cakes, and a dessert concoction that looks ridiculously good, the Strawberry Waffle Shortcake.
To view the full menu, visit www.outback.com/troops.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Events April 15: The Big Brew Ha
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 3:42 PM
The Big Brew Ha celebrating all things brewed, including coffee, tea, and beer, will be held from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011 at the Mint Museum Uptown.
Guests will be able to enjoy brewed items and breakfast foods from Dean and Deluca, Harvest Moon Grille, Amelie’s French Bakery, the Healthy Home Market, The Flying Biscuit Cafe and more.
Tickets are $60 per person, which includes a pilsner glass or coffee mug. Proceeds from the event will help fund preservation efforts for St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Free parking will be provided in The Green parking deck next to St. Peter’s Church. Tickets are available at www.thebigbrewha.com.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Events $1.99 Burrito day at Moe's Wednesday
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Charlotte-area Moe's Southwest Grill restaurants are offering a special deal on Joey Junior burritos all day on Wednesday, March 23.
All Joey Junior burritos will be priced at $1.99, and one dollar from each burrito sold will be donated to local YMCA community outreach programs.
Wrap your custom fillings into a soft flour tortilla Joey Junior burrito. Guests can choose from ground beef, chicken or tofu and top it with their choice of beans, rice, shredded cheese, grilled vegetables, sour cream and pico de gallo.
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Dorie Greenspan's Tiramisu Cake
This layered cake is definitely a "pick-me-up" with a little booze and caffeine.
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Eating With Your Dollars: The best fast food money can buy 14
The Food Babe talks juicing.
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Back of the Box: Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies 1
