Commis Tonight!

August 16, 2016

Excited about the Commis dinner tonight. Shelby and I are going to actually sit down and enjoy it properly!

Rose Macarons

August 15, 2016

Crafted VA was at Esoteric this past Saturday. We've been to a few Crafted events but this is the first we've attended in Virginia Beach. Here's the blurb on their Facebook page:

CRAFTED: Indie Arts & Craft Market. A curated showcase of the best in indie craft and design held twice a year in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA.

Actually, I'll write more about Crafted later because I wanted to highlight one of the booths at the fair we thoroughly enjoyed - Rose Macarons.

I'll be honest and say it was the first time we've heard of them but the macaroons were hard to pass up. The cute little designs, like the Harley Quinn and Harry Potter faces, were pretty cool. Of course we ate some and they were delicious! Love how they had a nice little crunch on the outside but were super chewy on the inside.

Chelsea Rose started the business January 2016 according to her website and suggest you keep an eye out for her work. These are going to be everywhere! I'd bet on it.

Baba Ganoush

August 7, 2016

Everyone has their garden game going on! I'm sure a lot of you that have tons of stuff you planted thinking, "Heck yeah! That'll be cool to have!", then end up with buckets of said item. Cucumbers is one, they grow like crazy and even if you love them you'll have to admit you can't use them all. How about eggplants? I mean you can only eat so much Eggplant Parm right?

I got another another idea - Baba Ganoush!

If you don't know what Baba Ganoush is, it's basically hummus made with eggplant instead of chickpeas. Yeah, yeah, I know that's super simplifying it but you get the idea. Speaking of simple, I'm going to tell you how to make it quickly and use up all those eggplants you have stacked up in the corner.

Here's what you'll need.

Ingredients:

3 Medium Eggplants
3-4 Cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons of Tahini
1/4 Cup of Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

There is a little bit a prep you'll have to do before you end up with the finished product. The eggplant needs to be roasted or grilled. I roasted mine the last time I did it for convenience. I do prefer grilling them though, adds a slight smoky flavor to the dish.

You'll notice in the photo above I'm sweating out the eggplant with salt. Adding salt will draw out bitterness and moisture from the eggplant, it takes about an hour. Is it totally necessary?

No.

So if you're in a pinch for time you don't have to sweat it (haha, get it?) Eggplants these days aren't that bitter so you can skip this step.

Before You Start:

If you want to sweat the eggplant thickly slice and then heavily salt both sides. Do not cut the eggplant too thin. If the the slices are too thin they'll be hard to work with and they will dry out quickly Place on a tray or rack and let sit for about 30-45 minutes. You'll see moisture bead up on the surface of the eggplant. When done, rinse the eggplant under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Place them loosely in a roasting pan.

When using the food processor, pulse for as long as needed to get the baba ganoush to the desired consistency. The shorter in the processor, the more chunky. The longer, the smoother it will be.

Directions:

Move an oven rack up to the top notch and then pre-heat the oven to broil.
Place eggplant on top rack and roast about 15 minutes then flip and roast another 15 minutes. When the eggplant feels soft, they're done.
While the eggplant is in the oven, put all the other ingredients except the parsley in a food processor.
When the eggplant is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool down.
Add the eggplant to the food processor and run it through until it hits the desired smoothness.
Add the parsley and pulse until it is chopped and distributed evenly.
Scoop into a bowl, garnish with some olive oil and a little more parsley.
Eat.

Commis on hrScene

July 15, 2016

Finally got back to posting on hrScene (sorry Sarah!) I'm going to highlight some of the pop-ups in the area, starting with Commis. I'll post links to the other ones once their up.

Check it out here.

Jumbo Jimmies from Jubilee

July 9, 2016

That title was a tongue twister!

For a couple years now we've primarily buying our crabs from Jubilee Seafood Company out of Knotts Island, NC. They have a booth setup at the Old Beach Farmers Market in Virginia Beach on Saturdays and I'm always at the market on the weekend because Jasper would kill me if we didn't go. That's his social time and he even makes me go to Back Bay Brewing and buy him a beer sometimes. He never drinks it, he doesn't even like beer, so I end up having to drink it for him.

Jasper thinks it makes him look cool when he has a beer.

Anyways, back to the crabs. Jubilee has a beautiful crabs, they're usually selling jimmies, but they can do females sometimes too. The prices aren't bad either, on average you can get a bushel of #1s for $130. That's a great deal.

In addition to crabs they sell oysters, shrimp and clams...here let me just cut and paste they weekly letter with the prices:

Hard crab **Please pre-order by Thursday

Jumbo size - $40 dozen or a bushel for $180
# 1 size hard crabs for $25 a dozen or a bushel for $130
# 2 size hard crabs are $20 dozen or a bushel for$70
# 3 female hard crabs $15 dozen or bushel for $65

Littleneck clams - from the Eastern Shore
**Please pre-order by Thursday - we recycle clam/oyster bags.

$35 for a bag of 100 clams
$18 for bag of 50 clams
$10 for bag of 25 clams

Seaside Oysters - from the Eastern Shore **Pre-order by Thursday- we recycle clam/oyster bags

$50 for a bag of 100 oysters
$30 for bag of 50 oysters
$18 for bag of 25 oysters

Live Soft shell crabs** size & costs will vary- haven't seen many in the last few weeks

East Coast Shrimp $14.00 lb

The prices are comparable to what you'd find at the grocery or cheaper but you're also buying from fine folks that locally put the work into bringing a fresh product to the table. Jubilee has their own boats and have been doing this work for over 30 years.

I like to cook them shell down, keeps the juices in, I like to sip it out when I pick. — I like to cook them shell down, keeps the juices in, I like to sip it out when I pick.

Next time you're in the area and want some crabs (while in season of course) check out Jubilee Seafood Company. You'll be happy you did. Here are more photos from our recent Blue Crab dinner with delicious Jubilee jimmies.

Feisty action shot! I've been pinched a few times by these things when catch them. It feels how you imagine it might - not good lol. This kinda reminds me of the Barrel of Monkeys game.

Shelby likes butter when she picks crabs, I love the mud and stuff in the head :)

Fourth of July 2016

July 4, 2016

I hope everyone is having a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday! It's been great here, spending time with family, eating some great food and enjoying some good beers.

Lamb Burger Salad (and more!)

June 2, 2016

I have fallen in love with The Stockpot's Lamb Burger Salad. Oh, here's what I'm talking about.

The Stockpot was formerly a pop-up in the area that moved into brick-and-mortar within the past year. I used to grab a soup from them at the Old Beach Farmer's Market on the weekends - just across the street from where they are now. Knowing how good their soups are, I knew their shop menu would have to be super too. I try to explore items other than soup when I visit now.

I first tried the Lamb Burger Salad when I was flying solo for lunch. Shelby had a lunchtime commitment that day. A straight shot down I-264 to the Oceanfront, I was there in no time. They have pastries, toasts (open-faced sandwiches), wraps, salads and much more! The Lamb Burger caught my eye right off the bat. I ordered it and while I was waiting, owner Ann Galante, kindly gave me a bowl of their soup du jour - Chicken Tortilla. It was delicious, love the broths they make in house.

I finished my soup right as my salad arrived and I was excited. I love food, I get excited over it (see name of blog.) The burger smelled wonderful and the dish itself was beautiful. Nice colors, bright roasted tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and mixed greens lightly tossed with a dressing I'm still trying to figure out. As you can see in the photo up top, the burger sits upon this lofty throne of goodness waiting to be bathed in a nice, light wasabi dressing.

I intended on eating half of it and taking the other half home to Shelby, but I ended up eating the whole thing. I reasoned that the greens would wilt and I would buy her a fresh one soon - I did a week later ;) Take a look at the burger:

Perfect!

Try it yourself. Better yet, try everything they have, it'll be worth the few pounds you put on.

Avocado Fun

April 17, 2016

We've been trying to eat...healthier. I know, I know, everyone is, but I spied a few numbers on the scale the past few months that I haven't seen before and some of my shirts have become a little snug.

I figured it was time to start to explore my options.

Thinking about some of the foods I like to eat around town, I remembered the grilled avocados and avocado salad at a local Mexican place down the road. Love that stuff. After doing a little research and recipe tweaking I think I have perfected the dressing. The grilled avocado is easy - just use some Montreal Steak seasoning and olive oil. Done!

Here's what you need for the dressing.

Ingredients:

1 Avocado
1-2 Clove Garlic
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Agave
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Teaspoons of Green Hot Sauce (I use Speedy's #46 Citrus Jalapeno)
1/4 Cup Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Before You Start:

This is pretty simple to put together. I normally use a food processor to blend this, but I've also used a blender to get the same results. So basically what I'm saying is grab a food processor or blender...you'll need it.

You can adjust the amount of you water you use to adjust the consistency of the dressing - more water to thin, less water to thicken.

Directions:

Add all ingredients into the food processor and blend till smooth.
If you have a little bit of time, let it rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes - though this is not necessary.
Done

Avocado on the grill with some chicken breast.

Oh, I wanted to mention that I like to add avocado to my dressing too. Love that texture of the avocado chunks mixed with the crispy lettuce. Enjoy!

Typical Saturday Running Around

March 27, 2016

Saturdays for me are busy days. Shelby, the saint that she is, lets me lose to run around town so I can document what's happening. This usually means breweries.

I know my page is called I Heart Food but to be honest when it comes to regular events, it's usually the breweries that are releasing a beer, throwing a festival, or inviting a food truck or two that draws me to a location. In this post I'm going to do a quick rundown on a typical Saturday for me. This happened on February 27th, which seems like a while ago, but time just flies by! (Read, I'm always behind...)

bottleBox

First stop of the day was bottleBOX! This great little shop has been open almost a year, but it has been doing great! I've known the owners for a while, so it's nice to swing by to see how thing are going. Fannie and Melissa were opening and Fannie had a little surprise - the twins! Little Craig looks just like CJ, serious.

CJ, also from bottleBOX, doing field work

I stopped by Bold Mariner Brewing next. They were releasing their first Double IPA; drink too many of them and you might lose your chances of liberty! It was a pretty good beer, especially being their first. Karnage Asada was on-site, I love their Kim-chos (kimchi nachos.)

Coelacanth Brewing was the next stop. Kevin and company have done a great job since opening up. Their beers are are different and experiment in tweaking traditional styles. 905 Cafe & Grill were serving a pretty good She-Crab Soup. It was my first time trying any of their food, not bad! When I left the brewery I bumped into a group of Ghent Bar crawlers, love them or hate them, it was fun to watch them all bouncing around town.

I wanted to stop by O'Connor Brewing Co. real quick since I was in the area. The place was packed, as usual. I remember when they were in the spot on 25th St. It was tiny compared to the warehouse and it's hard to imagine them operating in such a small space now. Dan Pellegrino was on stage entertaining the crowd. The guy is super talented, check him out if you get the chance.

I didn't stay long at OBC because I wanted to hit one more spot before I headed home. I usually drive down Granby street or the surrounding area when I leave Norfolk, I like to see what's happening.

Aaron and Christine Holley were there with the boss

Wasserhund Brewing Co. was the last top while I was out that day. It was the Rascal Roggenbier release day! Rye and spice with a tiny bit of banana, not bad! I had a pour then headed home.

Well, I did make one more stop before home. I picked up some ribeye for Shelby and me. They cook fast and are delicious. I really needed something filling after running around all day.

Back Bay Brewing's Lynnhaven Oyster Stout Release

March 21, 2016

Back Bay Brewing released their Lynnhaven River Oyster Stout made with delicious Pleasure House Oysters. The man himself, Chris Ludford, was there shucking his locally raised and farmed oysters to go along with the pints.

Hashi at Esoteric

March 11, 2016

Hashi's Ross Riddle jumped into Esoteric's kitchen next to the restaurant's own Ian Hock to serve a great brunch to lucky patrons. You always know when you're eating Hashi, whatever it's form.

See all the photos from the pop-up here.

Fire & Vine - Virginia Beach Restaurant Week 2016

February 29, 2016

It’s Virginia Beach Restaurant Week 2016! You have till Sunday to enjoy great specials at some of the area’s best eateries! We stopped by Fire & Vine for lunch, $12 gets you three course. I left happy :)

The Hunt for Norfolk's Best Pizza

February 23, 2016

I have been fortunate enough to be invited to join a panel of judges at my old Alma mater - Old Dominion University - to eat a lot of pizza. I'm talking 6-8 pizzas in four categories! I don't mean I'm actually going to eat 6-8 pizzas (maybe) but we'll have samples of each to determine what we thinks qualify and the king of pies! That rhymed!

I can't mention who the contestants are but when I follow up I'll give the skinny on who threw their hat in the ring.

Disclaimer: Your favorite pizza joint might be participating in the contest. Do not get upset, sometimes life is unfair.

hrScene - Top Golf

February 7, 2016

Forgot to link my Topgolf - Virginia Beach post at hrScene. I've been five times already and love it! I don't play golf but you don't need to know how to play to have fun.

Check out the story on hrScene.

Joshua "Fitz" Fitzwater of Southern Grit

Southern Grit - Fitz is Running the Show

January 27, 2016

I've written about the Hampton Roads food zine Southern Grit when the first issue was about to be released early last year. I highlighted Chris Fellini whom I've known from the Norfolk scene. When I talked to him about the birth of Southern Grit he said it would never have happened if it weren't for Joshua Fitzwater, known as "Fitz." Since then I've talked to Fitz myself and seen him work the magazine out in the wild. He's passionate about the publication and is pretty much running the whole operation: managing contributors, photography, writing, advertising, etc...

When I first chatted with him it was about Slice & Torte (check them out, seriously) and how much he needed people to know about the great things happening over there. He is passionate about those things he cares about and he's willing to tell anyone who will lend him a little bit of their time. One of the ways he wants to spread the word about what he thinks is the "thing" in the Hampton Roads area is through Southern Grit.

Southern Grit's mission is to talk about the area's food scene without the rose colored glasses on. From the few issues I've read some of the articles were written with the gloves off. One of their more infamous articles was "cease and disist" on the use of Edison bulbs in restaurants that hit a nerve. I'll be honest and say I didn't know it was satire at first but the writer (Chris Fellini) later came out and claimed it to be so. This is an example of how the publication is putting its finger on the pulse of Hampton Roads food culture. Another stir-up concerns the LeGrand Burger, claimed to be one of the best in Norfolk (I think it is, I don't care if it looks like a Big Mac) - Southern Grit is hitting it from all angles, the likes, dislikes, even the weight of the burger patties (makes me think of Grandpa Fred from Sixteen Candles telling Long Duck Dong "you don't spell it son, you eat it!).

I sent him some questions, similar to what I did with Fellini last year, to let people get to know him a little better. if you're already familiar with Fitz you'll know he loves Nouvelle, if you read below you'll understand why. Another thing about him is that he runs 757E Zine, a local culture rag. Running magazines has him looking at numbers, readership sweet spots and how his work compares to material with a larger circulation - Veer, Whurk, etc...

Please read on and look out for the new issue of Southern Grit that hits the presses this Friday. You'll find it on the street February 1, 2016!

All images courtesy of Fitz and Southern Grit.

GC: What is your experience in the restaurant industry? Why write a magazine about it?

JF: Recently I did a stint as Nouvelle’s dish bitch and then ended up working front of the house as a waiter and a really, really bad bartender for a bit. The idea to launch Southern Grit materialized from the food section of 757E Magazine (which later became Fuss Magazine). 757E’s food section set me down a path of getting to know chefs.

As a person who identifies as an artist, I started to really see some of the better chefs in Hampton Roads as artists in their own right, so I really wanted to make a food magazine. At the time however - guessing about a year ago now - I was worried about doing most of the writing for Southern Grit as I did for 757E. Chris Fellini had just written an article for 757E that I felt stood above the rest and so I approached him about starting a food magazine. He threw the name Pantry and Southern Grit at me. I lobbied hard for Southern Grit and we went with that.

Fitz with owner/chef of Nouvelle, Rina Estero — Fitz with owner/chef of Nouvelle, Rina Estero

GC: Your experience in the industry and recent life events seem to be key in your decision to start Southern Grit, what else influenced you?

JF: My background as a photographer (I took classes under Stephen M. Katz and Sam Hughes) plays a large roll. I initially went to college and ended up getting my first associate degree in Applied Arts - Studio Arts. I was in love with drawing and painting at the time. However, while pursing that, I had to take a photography class as an elective. Sam Hughes taught the class and while at the time he was probably the best wedding photographer in Hampton Roads he had a history with journalism photography. First under his creative influence, and then after taking a really pivotal photojournalism class under Stephen Katz (in my opinion the best photographer to work at the Virginia Pilot), I wound up getting involved in the student paper.

In under a year, I worked my way up to editor-in-chief and produced three editions of the student paper - until we got shut down for an article I co-wrote involving student funds. Looking back, this may have been the beginning of striving to be honest about what I write and shoot rather than being popular.

GC: What will Southern Grit try to provide to readers?

JF: An honest conversation about food and food related issues. Before Fellini and I launched Southern Grit, we had a huge conversation about writing honestly and not pandering. We didn’t want to be Veer or Wurk or Culture Snack. There simply is just too much of this, "Everything is great” mentality in those print publications.

I mean op-ed wise, Tom Robotham puts out some good work in Veer but by in large in all three of those publications when you read them it’s going to be a love fest from front to back. Don’t get me wrong though; there are tons of things in Hampton Roads to love. I was raised here. This is my home. Shit, earlier this year I turned down two design job offers out of state (plus some financial peace of mind) because this is where I want to live.

The problem is that when you scream from the rafters about how awesome something is just because it’s new, or because that particular restaurant, business, etc… is taking out an ad in your publication, you take away from those chefs or restaurants that are truly killing it.

GC: How far out of the area are you hoping the magazine will reach?

JF: We will endeavor to reach out of the area and more into the greater south as we grow. I eventually want to see Southern Grit be a retail magazine not a free one. That’s one of the reasons I decided not to go with newsprint, but rather a magazine quality glossy paper.

For the moment I want to continue to build our social media numbers and expand our print edition both by volume and by spots we distribute to. We very shortly are going to run an online campaign to take steps towards just that. With the growth we already have seen (particularly in regards to our social media numbers plus how fast our print magazines are gone once we put them out), I’m hoping this online campaign will be of interest to restaurants and business owners in Hampton Roads who wish to reach their demographics through an inventive and most importantly, pander free, publication. Our readers, of which I am so very grateful for write us and get what we are about. I think people are tired of reading advertising vehicles disguised as magazines.

In terms of food and art in the region, Hampton Roads is seriously expanding and developing a unique voice. I want Southern Grit to function in those circles. I like that Chefs message us, that industry workers message us. I believe they know we are doing this with passion and not to entice a full page ad.

Fitz photographing Press 626 Executive Chef David Hannah

GC: Are you doing the bulk of the editing and writing for the magazine?

JF: Due to Fellini's desire to Hunter S. Thompson it the fuck out of dodge, then come back, then turn around and set out to leave again, haha, yeah at this point I do.

Having worked at Nouvelle for a stint and mainly in light of getting to know many of the best Norfolk based chefs over the last year, I feel comfortable pulling a lot of the writing weight now. I do want to note, however, that after the first edition when Fellini left the state for a bit, Wade A. Hunter stepped forward and wrote a lot of really solid articles for Southern Grit, as well as aided with concepts and copy editing. I’m glad both of them still contribute articles to Southern Grit and that both of them are my friends. They both are really talented writers.

Also worth mentioning are the numerous other contributors that produced articles that break up the homogeneity. Honestly, the only thing I mind about writing so much of the content is that I can’t focus on that alone. In light of having to design, photograph, and now illustrate so much of the publication, I find myself spread thin sometimes. I’m not always the best multitasker either.

GC: How has the reception been when looking for supporters and advertisers?

JF: Selling advertising space sucks for someone who isn’t about sales. It takes a certain mindset and I am an artist, not a salesman. I am very grateful that O’Connor Brewing Co. and Streats both did a three-issue deal. We have also found support from other local businesses. Right now we are looking for an ad rep – so hit me up young and hungry sales person!

I seriously hope that in the future that this part of the business doesn’t rest with me. I’m hoping this new online campaign will be successful and take some of the worry out of it for me. In college I learned a lot of what I use for Southern Grit - how to paint with oils, sculpt, draw, use watercolors, shoot photos manually, write - but I’ll say that business, instead of philosophy, might have been a smarter minor!

In terms of support in a non-monetary way, it has been overwhelming. I’m very appreciative of the press you have given us, plus the press Joe Fitz at the Dominion Collective gave us. As well as all the advice and time Dave Hausman at Handsome Biscuit/ Toast/ Field Guide, Charles Burnell at Work Release, Jamie Sums at 80/20, and Jesse Scaccia at Alt Daily have all given to me. Rina Estero at Nouvelle Restaurant also took a real interest in Southern Grit and was very helpful in facilitating some of the recent social media growth. And again, it goes without saying that our readers seriously rule! It’s been awesome having people come up to me and talk about articles my contributors and I spent hours on end creating.

GC: Will Southern Grit primarily cover food and restaurants?

JF: I think concerning the broader Virginia reach, Whurk employs a younger perspective, one that Veer is sadly lacking. This makes Whurk a tad more relevant to what is truly current and interesting to readers. However, Veer will most likely continue dominate as a free, broad culture review publication. Politically Veer does outshine other free publications available in Hampton Roads and despite many of us around here seeing the dinosaur mentality it often exudes, it's not going anywhere. For me, personally, I've enjoyed delving deeper into documenting and writing about the chefs and restaurants that are creating so much talk and energy around food in the area. I’m going to focus on thoroughly exploring that subject instead of throwing my resources at several different creative fields in Hampton Rooads. In terms of serious eaters in this area as well, I think it's becoming obvious that people are expecting more in terms of a meal out considering how diners are growingly engaged in the food they choose and support with their dollars. I hope that ultimately how deep Southern Grit gets into issues surrounding food, plus the quality of the visual along with the honest, straight-forward way the contributors and I write about the subject will continue to grow the brand that Southern Grit is developing into.

GC: Do you have a target audience?

JF: Charles Burnell told me once always answer that question with “Millennials” hahaha. I do think we have a younger readership like Wurk, but we’re more focused on our end. I think in terms of target audience, more than anything we are (I know some including myself feel this phrase is played out but) we are a foodies’ publication.

For example, we are about to talk candidly in a four-page article about the Legrand Burger, which is both loved and hated by many folks in the business. Danielle Jones of the food media blog Slice and Torte told me, "The LeGrand Burger is an enhancement of everything you want from a classic burger." On the other hand, Sous Chef Jon Scheidt of Nouvelle Restaurant refuses to even call it a burger, stating, "It's JUST a patty melt", whereas Chris Conway of Nomarama Burger Club is quick to tell anyone that will listen, "This, [the LeGrand Burger] is the best burger in the area and I say this with complete confidence”. However, Fellini at the mag most infamously said of the LeGrand Burger that "It's just a glorified Big Mac”. So we are in the process of sculpting an article that goes into the history of the burger as the public knows it asking a question: is LeGrand’s burger true-to-form to a classic burger? Hell, we even weigh the patties of the damn thing and compare its weight to the Big Mac to delve into how similar it may or may not truly be. By and large, even the best of publications like, say, Distinction, which retails for 10 bills is (in this case has), just basically wrote a good but standard bio/breakdown of Steve Marsh and his restaurant. We are always trying to go about things from unique angles. I think this edition the great burger debate piece with LeGrand and a very interesting challenge piece we did with Saint Germain’s Chef Dave Hledik kind of shows why we stand out when it comes to writing about food locally.

Honestly you never know what we will say because we are totally being straight up - even if it isn’t in line with popular attitudes around here. When I meet with contributing writers I always try to press them to write true to the experience they had if they are reviewing something. We really do need to get away from this broad pander mentality.

GC: What is Southern Grit?

JF: You know one of the reasons I lobbied for this name was it kind of is an attitude. It’s an attitude/ presence that I see when I watch Steve Marsh, or Dave Hledik, or Nic Hagen cook. It’s a no-nonsense, passionate, do-not-compromise-at-all way of creating for them, I believe. A good example was watching Rina Estero pick out veggies from Brothers farm… pairing them with proteins, and then having that in mind when pushing herself to constantly evolve her menu. I see this kind of from the beginning, hands-in-everything approach when I'm making the mag.

Chris, Wade, and I brainstorm a theme, we then look at what’s going on locally and try to identify what is interesting; what is striving to distinguish itself as inventive in food. Then I go shoot a photo story of a subject related to what we identified to see if we’re on the right path with our thinking. Then I interview the people involved, write it, match typography to the photography, possibly illustrate it, and then finally tweak everything into a final spread. It’s a labor of love - my hands and creative vision are in most all of it. I think this, in some ways, parallels the lives of the best chefs in the area and this is why I have so much respect for what they do. I honestly don’t look at a plate of food the same way anymore. The truly great ones are a form of art to me now.

Fitz flanked by Ashanti and Mo of My Mama's Kitchen, Southern Grit release party

The Grilled Cheese Bistro

January 25, 2016

Read about our first visit to The Grilled Cheese Bistro over at hrScene. Lots of photos that'll make you want to lick you screen. (Maybe not actually lick your screen but you what I'm saying.)

Tom Kha

January 20, 2016

Tom Kha is something I've been around my whole life - that's not the same thing as saying I've been eating it my whole life mind you. If you keep up with me and have read stuff I've written in the past, I wasn't into Thai food much when I was a kid. I do remember how the house would smell when my mother, who is Thai, was using the mortar and pestle to crush Thai Chilis, garlic, and lemongrass.

Delicious!

Those peppers though...the heat could kill you! Seriously. My mom would grow them by the acre and you better believe she was using them too. My first experience eating her beautiful food made me gun shy for years. Then before you know it, Shelby and I were married and off on our own. Boxes of Potato Au Gratin, cheap cuts and that nice Army E-4 pay had us on a affordable diet for years. I'm not knocking it, seriously. I go to Ollie's and pass the rows of boxed spuds, pasta, and Hamburger Helper and think about the good ole lean years. I wouldn't trade a minute of them.

I was talking about soup right?

Anyway...Tom Kha is good. You'll like it and I'm going to show you how to do it. The photo up top has seafood in it obviously. You can do that if you like, the seafood version of this dish is called Tom Kha Talay. Tom Kha is usually made with chicken though, that version (below) is called Tom Kha Gai.

The recipe I put together isn't so much different than most you'll find out there. It's primary components consist of this: Galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Lemongrass and Coconut Milk.

Galangalangawhat?

Galangal has nothing to do with that M.I.A. song, it is a root known as the Thai ginger. You might see it sold in the stores as "Baby Thai Ginger" but please don't confuse it with ginger. Galangal and ginger taste totally different and if you make this soup without galangal it's not really Tom Kha (which translates into "galangal soup" basically.) That being said, you can make it with the ginger we're familiar with if you're in pinch, it just won't taste exactly as it should. It'll be still be good, but different. Galangal can be bought fresh or frozen in your local Asian market. Ask the someone behind the counter to help you out if you're having a hard time finding it.

Let's make some soup! Here's what you need to make Tom Kha at home.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Coconut Milk
3 large Kaffir lime leaves
1 Lemongrass, large stalk, trimmed
2 Thai Chilis
1 Tsp Sugar
1/4 Yellow Onion, minced
1 Package of mushrooms shiitake/oyster preferred, approx 8 oz., chopped
2 Tbsp Galangal, slivered
1 Lime, large
3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Cups of Chicken Stock
Cilantro to Garnish
Optional: Thai Chili Powder

Before You Start:

Important! Do not boil the coconut milk. If you boil the coconut milk at a high temperature, it will not remain emulsified and the fat will separate from the liquid. Just like what happens to butter when it is heated at high temperatures.
You can use chicken or seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid, etc...) with this recipe. Eat what you like!
Chop up everything you need to put in the soup. I like to cut my galangal up in small, thin slivers. I do this so it can stay in the soup and not be strained out. Most recipes will have you remove or strain the galangal after the first phase of their recipes, I like to keep it in the soup. Getting a little bite of the root, almost crunchy, almost nutty, is great. If you prefer not to have it in, just slice it in larger pieces then strain before you add your chicken or seafood.
Trim the lemongrass taking off any rough or brown bits. It a lot of recipes you would only use the white, fleshy part of the lemongrass. The reason is because it it easier to eat, we're not eating the lemongrass it's being steeped in the broth essentially. I'll admit to finely cutting up some lemon grass and leaving it in the soup when the mood hits me.
Crush the lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, and Thai chilis. Use your pestle, a muddler or back of a heavy spoon to open up them up to release flavor. Remove chili seeds if you don't want it too hot.
I do not remove all of the aromatics from the stock pot before I add the meat, but I do before I add the coconut milk.
Chili powder can be added for more flavor, this is optional.

Directions:

Add the chicken stock, sugar, onion, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai chilis, lemongrass and galangal to a medium sized stock pot. Bring to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes.
Add mushrooms, continue to boil for about 8-10 minutes to cook mushrooms.
At this time if you wish to remove large pieces of aromatics (Kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, chili, galangal) do so after the mushrooms are done.
Add your chicken or seafood now, cook for about 10 minutes in the boiling broth. Remove any foam that might float to the top of the broth.
After the meat is cooked through, pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice, lower heat to a light simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with cilantro and lime wedges and maybe have a little more fish sauce on hand.

This is pretty easy to make and after a couple of tries it'll be a breeze. We use leftover chicken sometimes, if we do it doesn't need boiling as long. Just lower the heat to a simmer, cook for the same amount of time as you would the raw. Continue to follow the directions.

Enjoy!

Shelby's workspace becomes Christmastown in our house

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2015

I am officially on vacation!

I look forward to Christmas time so I can take some time off the regular schedule to so some things I'd like to catch up on. Does that mean it will actually happen? Probably not as much as I like, but at least I should be able to do some of it.

First off, Christmas shopping needs to be knocked out. I think we're just about good, but there is always something that pops up last minute.

Second, I make dinner on Christmas Eve for my side of the family. I am notoriously slow when it comes to prep work. I'd like to get things done on time so we can eat and open presents without it being too late before everyone goes home.

Thrid, Christmas morning! This is usually Shelby, Marleigh, Chayce and myself, but this year we have Chayce's girlfriend with us too. It was nice for them to spend time together, we just had to make sure she was taken care of too - gifts, stocking, accommodations. Everything worked out fine. We go to Nana's house (Shelby's mother) for Christmas dinner later in the afternoon.

Fourth, the Ahearns visit from indiana the day after Christmas, Boxing Day!

The next week is chilling till New Years.

Hope everyone has a great holiday, be safe and have fun!

- George