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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Dessert Sweet!: A demonstration by Crave Dessert Bar chef Jason Lee

Posted By Mary Stevens on Sat, Aug 11, 2012 at 11:12 AM

One step into the urban chic loft that is Crave Dessert Bar (500 W. 5th St.), and you’ve found yourself in an oasis of indulgence. Small bites and revelry converge in pairings of tapas and desserts with cocktails and hookah. No dessert better displays the love-love relationship of alcohol and sweets at Crave than the bar’s moonshine twist on the traditional apple pie, “The American.” Chef Jason Lee demonstrates the creation of the moonshine ginger apple pie in this segment of Sweet!.

Tags: Crave Dessert Bar, demonstration, The American, apple pie, moonshine, food, Sweet!, video, Jason Lee, Image

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Friday, August 10, 2012

Local Discovery: The motherload at the Meat House

Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 1:52 PM

No drive is too far or too absurd when you’re on the hunt for merguez sausage. At least, that’s what I told myself on the 45-minute road trip to the Meat House in Ballantyne. I was looking for sausage and then, I struck gold! I found the motherload of local food products.

The Meat House is a franchised neighborhood butcher shop that kicks it old school. They hand-cut premium meat, grind their own sausage and carry a wide selection of exotic meats, like the spicy merguez lamb sausage I set out to find. More than that, The Meat House goes out of its way to stock local, handmade food products. General Manager Shawn Merrill gave me a tour of the favorites.

Tags: The Meat House, Cloister Honey, Ravens Originals, Carolina Pie Company, Beverly's Gourmet Foods, Sweet Tea's Restaurant, Pasta and Provisions, local, food, Charlotte, Chef Hamm’s Cookies, Kathryn's Cottage, Image

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Recipe Recipe: Tropical Crêpes

Posted By Kelly Davis on Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 3:34 PM

Kelly Davis
Tropical Crêpes

My journey through the wonder that is France ended yesterday, but I still have one more French recipe up my sleeve.

Right now I'm traipsing around my little yellow house with major jet leg in a stinky cheese coma, craving a cold beer after drinking umpteen bottles of wine. I'm also craving a burger or Tex Mex or other American delicacies like peanut butter. But I'm also thinking longingly back to that crêpe I had at that wonderful bistro ... the thin flaky butteriness, the creamy sauce, the fruity filling and wish I was back in grand Paris.

I'll reminisce and wish I had stayed, learned to speak French, be 10 pounds skinnier, and wear red lipstick so I could taste this every day (obviously there's a disconnect between being skinny and lavish French food).

And then, I'll remember that I've can make my own crêpes.

Kelly Davis
Crêpes with Banana, Mango, and Coconut

Tags: crêpes, French, cuisine, dessert, decadent, breakfast, Kelly Davis, food, recipe, Foodie Fresh, food, Image

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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Local Discovery: CSA meets Private Chef in this Modern Cavegirl’s Delivery Service

Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 9:00 AM

What do you get when you combine a weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share with a personal chef? The answer, I discovered, is ModPaleo, a weekly delivery of clean, local, prepared foods for Charlotte’s health conscious.

I stumbled upon Amber Lewis, owner of Mod Paleo, at a recent event for Crossfitters in the Queen City. A sprightly, young woman meticulously took lunch orders from the line of hungry people, which included my own for Korean Style beef with kimchi, sweet and spicy pickled peppers, pineapple salsa and plantain chips. The cardboard container holding my lunch didn’t stand a chance.

I emptied it quickly and immediately marched over to the tent to find out who was responsible for this beautifully slow-cooked beef (which I later learned was local and grass fed) and “smack your mama good” sides that were a symphony of sweet, tart and spicy flavors.

Turns out, Amber Lewis does this kind of delectable work on a weekly basis for her clients who pick up their pre-packaged and portioned foods at local Crossfit gyms in the Charlotte area. Lewis prepares paleo-friendly meals, a style of cooking that she says, gets back to our natural way of eating, one that eliminates the use of hyper-processed and super farmed foods.