January 2013
 |
01/30/13Spring Alert: Seed Swap Set for Cooper Young Community Farmers MarketSeed saving and swapping can be intimidating for novice homesteaders, but Josephine Alexander of Tubby Creek Farm is taking away the mystery. Alexander is organizing a seed swap for February 16 at the Cooper Young Community Farmers Market that will include swapping and a demonstration on how to start seeds at home. Experienced growers and local farmers will also share their expertise. Here’s how the swap will work: Label your seeds by name and date harvested. Also include information on your experiences growing the seeds. If possible, drop seeds off at the market this Saturday so organizers can re-package them. If not, just bring them to the swap the following week. Gardeners who don’t have seeds to... |
 |
01/27/13Wally Joe Cooks on CBS This Morning "The Dish" and Here Are His Tempting RecipesFive-spice roasted chicken, crispy Brussels sprouts with spicy chile-lime sauce and chicken cracklings, warm potato salad with nori-mustard dressing and apple custard cake: That’s the meal Chef Wally Joe whipped up Saturday for CBS This Morning’s “The Dish,” wowing hosts with his charm and his cooking. Most people across the country got to watch the segment live, but not in Memphis where Joe’s popular restaurant Acre is located. Fortunately, CBS posts its segments online, so click here to watch the clip which is just under four minutes and well worth the time. Joe talks about his childhood journey from Hong Kong to the Mississippi Delta, where his family operated a much loved restaurant called KC’s for 37 years,... |
 |
01/24/13Al Gore is Signing Books in Memphis, and So Am I.Guess who is sharing top billing in February with Al Gore at The Booksellers at Laurelwood? Moi! I'll be signing "The Food Lovers' Guide to Memphis" on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m., and Al Gore will be signing his book "The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change" on Feb. 18 at noon. You'll need line tickets to greet the former vice president, but you can just stop by to say hello to me. Click here to see the Bookseller's newsletter, which explains all the details. The Booksellers at Laurelwood, 387 Perkins Ext. (901-683-9801) |
 |
01/23/13Monday Night Menu at Paulette's: Three-Course Fine Dining for $19.95Fine dining typically comes with an expensive bill, but not at Paulette’s Restaurant on Mondays when a three-course meal costs $19.95. Equally enticing, the Monday night menus change week to week, and the selections are appealing, updating comfort foods like pot roast with traditional French flair. Tony and I visited Paulette’s last week for the first time since the longtime Midtown restaurant relocated last March to the River Inn at Harbor Town. We were impressed with the restaurant’s ambience, service and food. And after dinner, we enjoyed a fire in the hotel lobby fireplace made especially cozy by Audie Smith’s expert piano playing. But back to our meal: Paulette’s legendary popovers and strawberry butter arrived... |
 |
01/19/13Pam's Pic: Flavorful and Filling Alambres at Tacos Los Jarochos on Summer AvenueWhen Tacos Los Jarochos upgraded to a fancy new truck about six months ago, I was afraid that their authentic and delicious street food might suffer. No worries there. The truck’s warm and satisfying alambre is one of the best lunches I’ve eaten this year. Alambres are like fajitas, only better. Like all of the food at Los Jarochos, alambres are made to order and well worth a few-minute wait. To make them, cooks pile fresh ingredients on flour tortillas, including shrimp or steak, sliced onions, yellow peppers and cilantro. A generous cover of melted cheese sits on top ready to greet whatever garnishes you decide to pluck from the truck’s assortment of containers. I went with a squeeze of fresh lime, avocado sauce and a few fresh radishes. ... |
 |
01/18/13Is It Local? One of Eight Favorite Portlandia Food Spoofs Compiled by "Portland Monthly"Did you see last week's "Portlandia" episode where Nina's birthday celebration included a spoof on tapas and an inspired directive from the bill hero on how to split the check? Some of the best food porn on television comes spinning out of this Friday night show on IFC thanks to Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and the show's team of very funny writers. The episode inspired me to do a hunt for more "Portlandia" food clips, and I found a great list compiled by (no surprise) “Portland Monthly” magazine. Click here to watch the magazine's top-eight Portlandia food moments and let me know your favorite. I'm still partial to the show's “Is It Local?” sketch where the restaurant's... |
 |
01/15/13Show Some Love Today for Memphis Urban Farm School By Shopping at Whole FoodsYou need groceries before buckling down for today’s winter weather, right? Then head straight for Whole Foods Market where 5 percent of your purchases will be donated to The Memphis Urban Farm School, an innovative startup to connect food entrepreneurs with business and agricultural training. The program will provide low-cost classes to food entrepreneurs, utilize blighted or vacant land for food production, and connect new farmers to local retail markets, explained Mary Phillips, the project’s co-director along with attorney Wes Riddle. “Basically, we want to help make local food accessible and affordable to more and more people,” said Phillips, an early advocate for the city's local food movement and the farm manager... |
 |
01/14/13Passport to Oregon: Michael Hughes Explains the Magic of Oregon's Wines and WinemakersWine expert Michael Hughes, who is also the general manager of Joe’s Wines & Liquors in Midtown, says it’s difficult to put into words what makes Oregon wine so special, but he did a great job nonetheless with a handful of questions about the store’s upcoming wine tasting called “Passport to Oregon.” The popular event will be held February 21 at the University Club and will feature several dozen wineries from Oregon along with appetizers that reflect the tastes of America’s much-loved northwestern corner. Last year’s event was a sellout, and Hughes' enthusiastic description of Oregon wines explains why. Memphis Stew: The first “Passport to Oregon” was very popular. Why do you think people are... Posted at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments: 4 |
 |
01/11/13Cooper Street 20/20 Throws a Party (and the Food is Excellent Too)The one-two punch of a prominent article in "The Commercial Appeal" and free food turned the official opening Thursday evening of Cooper Street 20/20 into one great party. Owner Kathy Katz admitted that she was “a little overwhelmed” by the turn out before greeting another well-wisher with a hug and a thank you. Katz, a popular participant in local farmers markets, opened her new grocery with freshly prepared foods to-go last month after closing her restaurant at the Southern College of Optometry in Midtown. Stephen Sciara, the restaurant's chef, joined her in the new venture, and I asked him at Thursday's opening if he has a favorite 20/20 dish. “If I had to pick, it would probably be the... |
 |
01/10/13Karen Carrier's Bar DKDC To Open Saturday in Cooper-YoungEvery once in a while, I feel like a foodie insider. Such was my reaction earlier this week when an invite to the opening party for Karen Carrier's new bar on Cooper Street popped into my Facebook page. The party celebrates the official opening on Saturday at 5 p.m. of Bar DKDC, located next to Carrier's Beauty Shop in the former location of Do Sushi and Noodles. Since Carrier's restaurant ventures always combine fun, hip and delicious, I'm looking forward to the the newest addition to the Cooper Young neighborhood. The bar will focus on speciality cocktails, craft beers and Carrier's favorite: global street food. “We are starting with Spain and Mexico, and we'll be going all over the world,” Carrier said in a... |
 |
01/08/13Cooking With Elvis: Where to Eat at Graceland on the King's 78th BirthdayTo share some of my new book, “Food Lovers’ Guide to Memphis,” I thought it would be fun to periodically post excerpts on Memphis Stew. Since today is the birthday of Elvis Presley (he would be 78 ), here is a comprehensive guide to eating with the King: "It’s time to dispel a food myth about Elvis Presley. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches weren’t his favorite meal. He preferred bacon, and a lot of it. (But if you insist on the recipe, here it is!) The ultimate night owl, Elvis liked to sleep until late afternoon when his cook, Nancy Rooks, brought “breakfast for dinner” to his bedroom. Typically, the tray included a pound of bacon fried extra crispy, coffee, toast, pancakes and eggs. ... |
 |
01/04/13The Elegant Farmer Ready To Extend Hours and Mix Up MenusElegant Farmer fans, listen up: The popular farm-to-table restaurant in East Memphis will soon be open seven days a week. Beginning January 20, the restaurant will serve Sunday dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering the restaurant’s lunch menu now served on weekdays plus specials. The extended hours also will include Mondays for lunch and dinner, with an evening menu that mixes up menu themes. Here’s how owner Mac Edwards explained the upcoming Monday menu plan: breakfast for dinner on the first Monday of the month; burgers on the second Monday of the month, including such variations as ground chicken and ground lamb; lunch for dinner on the third Monday of... |
 |
01/03/13English Muffins from Cucina Breads: A Fine Way to Start Your DayRemember Wolferman's English muffins? They were one of my favorite mail order food finds from the 90s. I loved the muffin's thick size and the little jars of jam that came in the box. These days, buying local has pretty much squelched the appeal of mail order food for me, so I was thrilled to discover English muffins from Cucina Breads at the Saturday Tsunami Winter Farmers Market. They are thick like Wolferman's but taste even better. I made a fried egg and bacon sandwich as soon as I got home and sailed through the rest of the day. The distinctive texture of English muffins has always been a mystery to me, so I asked Cucina's Sheri McKelvie to explain. She said she combines commercial yeast with a sour dough starter and then lets... |
