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Friday, October 10, 2014
Keia Is Hungry Eat This: Brownie à la mode
Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 3:36 PM
It seems almost counterintuitive to overlook the enticing selection of seasonal and artistic dessert creations made by pastry chef Ashley Boyd at 300 East only to settle for a perceived commoner — the brownie à la mode. Am I crazy to suggest you bypass the tender and pliant goat cheese panna cotta or the perfectly autumn sorghum molasses cookie stuffed with homemade butterscotch ice cream and head straight for the stuff of church bake sales? Would I lose my street cred if I told you to choose a dessert that’s been corporately bastardized in chain restaurants into morbidly obese caricatures of confection crowned with Reddi-Whip? Perhaps. Except this brownie is different.
The brownie has always been on the menu at 300 East, since its beginnings in 1986. But pastry chef Ashley Boyd, self-taught and mentored under exceptional pastry chefs from Chicago to Atlanta, reworked the concept into what it is today — an impeccable version that is doomed to be eaten in its entirety once it hits the table.
Boyd uses Callebaut chocolate in her brownie recipe which, when baked and plated, is equal parts cake and fudge. Soft, warm and borderline gooey, it is everything to delight your inner fat kid. The high quality Belgian genius of Callebaut ensures that this brownie maintains its chocolatey integrity and exudes a quiet sophistication instead of veering off into a saccharin one-note bite of disappointment. Boyd pairs her brownie with a honey chocolate sauce, salted caramel and, of course, vanilla bean ice cream.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Down and Dirty Sorghum molasses returns to local markets
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 11:05 AM
As a girl in Ohio only reading of it in novels, I had to imagine sorghum as dark, sticky sweetness poured over southern breakfasts of biscuits and grits. But I've lived below the Mason-Dixon line for nearly 15 years now, so when I heard that this year's crop was coming in I thought it was high time I educated myself.
Part of a family of grasses that includes corn and sugar cane, different varieties of sorghum produce grain, animal feed or molasses. When Christy and Michael Underwood started their farm in Lawndale eight years ago, they embraced the area's longstanding culture of molasses sorghum as part of a move toward self-sufficiency. "It's a sugar we can produce," says Christy, adding with a laugh, "You need some sweetness in your life."
Sorghum cane, which can grow as high as 14 feet, is a utilitarian crop. Seeded in May and harvested in October, it grows in relatively poor soil with minimal care, resists both drought and pests, and can serve as fodder for pigs or cows. Still, for small farms like Underwood, harvest and processing are a laborious operation.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Liquid Diet Drink This: 715
Posted By Lauren Blake on Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 1:39 PM
Found: Stagioni (715 Providence Rd.)
Ingredients: Bulleit Rye, Green Chartreuse, Domaine de Canton, muddled cherries, fresh lemon juice, grapefruit bitters
The Tuscan-style revival home that now houses Stagioni was originally the residence of North Carolina native and socialite Blanche Reynolds. Her gorgeous villa served as an outpost for lavish parties and intimate gatherings, in which she went to great lengths to ensure good spirits were had all around. Rumor has it that the mansion’s swimming pool sometimes doubled as a champagne trough.
Down and Dirty A fresh look at ginger
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 12:31 PM
Let me re-introduce you to ginger. This member of the Pumpkin Spice brigade, known for making cookies snappy and dressings "Asian," is about to make its annual debut in our local markets. Available for just a few weeks, the fresh version looks nothing like the dead roots in grocery store aisles, and is worth getting excited about.
- Courtesy Mary Roberts at Windcrest Farm
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Down and Dirty Know Your Farms' fall tour offers a peek behind the market booth
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 9:00 AM
Every article I've read on farmers market shopping stresses the importance of talking to the farmer behind the food. It's a great idea, but a little hard to put into practice when you're juggling money, potatoes and a tote bag, while the next customer looms over your shoulder to see if you snagged the last dozen eggs.
This weekend brings an opportunity to step away from the market table and get some real face time with farmers. For the seventh time, Know Your Farms runs its two-day tour, offering access to 13 nearby farm sites. For $25 a carload (advance price), visitors can see where and how growers raise everything from alpacas to zucchini.
This volunteer-run group has organized Charlotte-area farm tours since 2008, paralleling the efforts of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association in the eastern part of the state, and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to the west. For the first time this year, Know Your Farms has split its tour into two, offering a spring version in May and this month's fall edition. "Last year, we got a lot of people saying they didn't have time to talk to the farmers," says tour coordinator Wesley Shi. "That's why we shrank the tour."
- E Belk Photography
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Down and Dirty Local markets stay hot even when the temperatures drop
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 9:30 AM
Sometimes it's hard to predict what you'll find at the farmers market on any given day. This time of year you'd expect tomatoes, okra, squash and maybe corn. But someone in a white jacket sautéing grouper? Hmm, that might be worth setting down the tote bag to stick around for awhile.
- 2012 File Photo/Alison Leininger
- Adam Reed of Santé and his then-sous-chef Terra Ciotta host a cooking demonstration.
If you think shopping at Charlotte's grower-only farmers markets just means looking over pretty piles of produce, think again. As community hubs, these foodie magnets have become vibrant sources of learning and entertainment.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Food News Get your fill of tequila at new Mexi-Cali restaurant Bakersfield
Posted By Tori Wright on Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM
With the recent departure of Cantina 1511 from its old post, there’s a new Mexi-Cali restaurant that seems to be taking over East Boulevard. Bakersfield is an odd mix of Johnny Cash, margaritas and Alamo-era western movies. All that’s missing are sombreros and an upstairs brothel.
Perhaps Friday night was the wrong time to try to find a seat at the bar, but once finally positioned, it’s best to know whether you would like to start the night with a single margarita or the whole pitcher (hey, I’m not here to judge). What seems to set these libations apart from the rest is their use of real lime juice and agave, instead of sour mix and sugar. Even I, who swears against anything tequila, enjoyed the sweet and salty elixir.
- Tori Wright
- Bakersfield margarita
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Keia Is Hungry Eat This: Camarofongo at Nano’s Dominican Food
Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Wed, Sep 10, 2014 at 10:00 AM
When I first heard the word mofongo, it conjured up memories of my childhood, when my Italian-by-way-of-Long Island mother would hurtle Italian-ish swear words at me in times of toddler distress. One of them sounded an awful lot like mofongo. Couple that with an offensive hand-to-chin gesture and, well, you get my drift. But, I digress.
Mofongo is a traditional Dominican dish, also found in Puerto Rican cuisine, made of fried green plantains mashed with garlic, mixed with crispy bits of pork skin, called chicharrones, and usually served with a simple tomato sauce. In Charlotte, you can get your mofongo fix at Nano’s, the well-loved Dominican restaurant at 3428 N. Tryon St. Nano’s was first opened in 2007 by Julio “Nano” Victoria Sr. and then recently purchased by Dalton and Miriam Espaillat, the husband-and-wife team who also own Three Amigos (Dalton is the Dominican amigo) and Sabor Latin Street Grill.
Nano’s serves a plethora of mofongo options, including a version with the option of shrimp, marinated steak, fried chicken or crispy pork.
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The Pioneer Woman's apple dumplings 8
These were embarrassingly easy to make for being so good.
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Dish on this: Charlotte-based chefs join ACF Culinary Team USA 2016
As fall approaches, local chefs prepare for a culinary battle in Germany.
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Checking in at Heist Brewery 1
NoDa brewpub offers good variety in its libations
