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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Recipe Recipe: Lemon & Basil Orzo with Goat Cheese & Pine Nuts
Posted By Kelly Davis on Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Well, we've skipped right over spring and went straight to summer. For you creative cooks and enthusiastic eaters, you're going to be seeking out fresh-tasting, cool meals that won't weigh you down. You're done with thick hearty stews and comfort foods like meatloaf and mashed potatoes - for now, anyway.
So, let me introduce you to my lemon and basil orzo dish with goat cheese and pine nuts. The fresh taste of lemon and basil paired with creamy rich goat cheese is a flavor combination that won't let you down. I like to serve this pasta slightly chilled like a pasta salad. Use it as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish or make it your main dish with a side salad. It's a spring-time pasta dish that goes with just about anything.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Drinks Local Discovery: Cold Brew at Central Coffee
Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 9:13 AM
Cold brewing coffee is a revered process for coffee communities in the know. Since a trendy surge in 2011, all the coffee meccas from New York to Portland to Seattle have been mastering the cold brew and selling it to hoards of coffee enthusiasts. Though the concept might sound counterintuitive to the piping hot nectar of the gods, the cold brew process, which steeps ground coffee for hours in cold water, yields a surprisingly smooth flavor profile next to its heated brethren. Now Central Coffee, the well-loved corner spot off Central Avenue is brewing and bottling its own cold brew coffee and coffee concentrate for grab-and-go convenience.
Jimmy Kleto, the fuzzy-faced owner of Central Coffee, says it's been a project he's been working on for the last eight months. Kleto, a coffee lover since way back in his college days at Appalachian State, is always looking for new ways to elevate coffee culture in Charlotte. For the last four years, Kleto has been building a coffee community in his corner of Plaza Midwood and when the idea of bottling his own cold brew came up, he thought, "Why not?"
He settled on the Toddy Cold Brew method, a trademarked cold brew system that distills five pounds of coffee into crisp, clean, black as night coffee concentrate. The cold brew process preserves the sweet and spicy nuances of the Joe Van Gogh Guatemalan blend that Kleto uses for his brew and it comes in two options, ready-to-drink cold brew and cold brew concentrate. The concentrate is great for those who prefer to exact their own perfect cup. Kleto says, "You can make it as strong as you want."
But, be warned. The concentrate is known to pack an eye-dilating wallop as evidenced by a story of a friend who forgot to dilute the stuff and then sped off to sell insurance to unsuspecting senior citizens. No word yet on whether cold brew makes for a better salesman, but we do know that it does the trick and tastes mighty fine. Order a cup of cold brew in-house or grab a bottle from the to-go refrigerator.
Come summertime, cold brew coffee will be the coolest kid on the block. Ya heard.
Central Coffee Ready to Drink Cold Brew, $4.99 per bottle and Central Coffee Cold Brew Concentrate, $9.99 per bottle. Central Coffee is located at 719 Louise Avenue, Plaza Midwood.
Keia Mastrianni loves to tell stories about local food products and the people behind them. When she's not scouting out local discoveries, she's steadily working in her vegetable garden, spending time in the kitchen and nosing through cookbooks. She maintains a happy food blog called The Sunnysideup where she shares recipes and her culinary adventures.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Recipe Recipe: Mango Salsa
Posted By Kelly Davis on Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 11:25 AM
- Kelly Davis
- Mango Salsa
Mango salsa is one of those dishes you can whip up in minutes, but is just different enough to really make a dish taste totally different. And it goes a long way in a short time to impressing dinner guests. For some reason, people think you're Suzie homemaker just because you chopped a few veggies (and in this case, fruit) to make your own salsa.
While this stuff always is a big hit when served with salty tortilla chips, don't stay inside your box when eating mango salsa. You can do so much more with it, by using it as a topping on:
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Rice and black beans
- Tacos and burritos
- Tropical nachos (shrimp, jalapenos, sour cream, and monterrey jack cheese)
- Black bean soup
- Turkey burger
- Grilled fish
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Liquid Diet Featured Cocktail: Boardwalk
Posted By Lauren Blake on Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Found: Barreled at the Lift (1600 E. Woodlawn Road, Suite #130)
Ingredients: Strawberry vodka, fresh muddled cucumber, topped with champagne and club soda.
What better libation inspiration than a Prohibition-era speakeasy? Amidst a particularly unassuming location, Barreled at the Lift is a sly addition to the Charlotte craft cocktail scene. The name, partly inspired by its central proximity to an elevator, pays homage to the secret barrels that stored liquor in the 1920s and early '30s. Though you'll have to look closely to find this joint, tucked in a shopping center off Woodlawn, it's worth the gamble. The interior is oozing with character via its damask wallpaper, dim lighting illuminated by gas lanterns and barrel accent tables. The smoky atmosphere, induced by a plethora of hookah flavors, is wonderfully fitting. Barkeep Neal Cauble recommends the Boardwalk, served in a mason jar with strawberry garnish.
Co-owner Terri West, however, suggests the cocktail with the quirky name. "The typical martini has gone to the wayside," she says. To bring a variation of it back, try the Giggle Water, a gin drink served on the rocks. Historically inspired, Giggle Water was slang in the 1920s for "intoxicating beverage."
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Food News Coming soon: Nan & Byron's
Posted By Kelly Davis on Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 11:05 AM
No one was more surprised than me when I saw that Vinnie's Raw Bar had closed their doors a couple of months ago. South End is growing so fast, so it's been a huge disappointment that Charlotte staples like Vinnie's and Pewter Rose haven't been able to make it in the boom.
- Alejandro Torio
- The old Vinnie's Raw Bar
But now my restaurant-loving soul can rest a little easier because I finally know what's going to be put in Vinnie's old restaurant space.
The same guys who brought you 5Church in Uptown are developing an entirely new restaurant concept that will be housed in the space. While 5Church features new American on their menu, Nan and Byron's will be all about traditional American on their menu.
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Recipe: Rose Water Tea Cookies 1
Cookies, tea and shouting. In that order. Ascending order.
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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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Recipe: Pomegranate Gingerbread Granola
Breakfast logic: Things that are crunchy are good. Granola is crunchy. Therefore, it is good.
