March 2013
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03/30/13Listen Up Barbecue Lovers: Now You Can Judge World Championship Barbecue at Memphis in MayThe Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, scheduled May 16 to 18 in downtown’s Tom Lee Park, is getting user-friendly. For the first time, visitors will be able to judge barbecue prepared on-site in a program called the Kingsford Tour of Champions. Their scores will determine the winning team, which will receive a $2,500 prize. Before judging teams, visitors will attend a short training in the judges’ tent for instructions and scorecards. They also must pay a $10 fee and pre-register online by May 14. Judging sessions will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. on May 16 and 17. Each judge will evaluate the chopped Boston butt prepared by four of the event's 16 participating teams. “We... Posted at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments: 3 |
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03/28/13"On the Road" Premieres at Ridgeway Four with Wine, Swag, and Finger FoodIf the idea of Jack Kerouac attending a wine tasting makes you giggle just a little, Friday night’s event at Malco Ridgeway Four might be a fun way to kick off the weekend. Titled “A Timeless Rhyme & Endless Wine,” the $10 tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. also will feature open mic poetry readings before the local premiere of “On the Road,” a film adaptation based of Kerouac’s 1957 novel by the same name. The film, directed by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles, opened nationally with a limited release before Christmas. In addition, Friday night’s event before the film's screening will include surprise swag bags (look for gift certificates!) along with fruit, pasta salad, cheeses, bread, desserts and... |
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03/23/13Pam's Pics at Paulette's: Seafood Cioppino, Pan Seared Scallops and Goat Cheese SouffleWe decided it was time for a fresh look at Paulette’s, now that the popular restaurant is comfortably settled into its downtown home at the Inn at the River. The restaurant, along with its new chef de cuisine Kelly Hartman, is featured in “Dining Out” in the March issue of Memphis magazine. Unfortunately, Pam’s Pics, a standard companion to restaurant reviews, are not online. They are only included in the print edition of Memphis magazine, available at newsstands in Memphis, including The Booksellers at Laurelwood. So here are my three favorite dishes at Paulette’s restaurant, along with Justin Fox Burks' beautiful photographs. Pam’s Pics Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops... Posted at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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03/19/13The New Poplar Plaza Kroger Opens Today and Here is a Look Inside.The spacious and abundantly stocked Poplar Plaza Kroger in East Memphis opens today at 6 a.m., and here’s my advice: Go shopping immediately and don't even try to restrain impulse purchases. I was fortunate enough to attend the Party at the Plaza Tuesday evening for a sneak peak, and I was impressed with the store’s merchandise, the opulent end stacks (there’s even an Apollinaris sparking water fountain), and the cloth-covered tables in the baby aisle where I could stash my empty wine glass. Sadly, the tables will be gone by opening day along with the wine, but the rest of the merchandise stays to tempt shoppers with a remarkable assortment of groceries, specialty items, and fresh foods. The store also promises to mix in merchandise... Posted at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments: 4 |
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03/13/13Watch Melissa Cookston and Yazoo's Delta Q Win Kingsford Invitational on Destination AmericaLocal cue-lovers who frequent the Memphis Barbecue Co. in Horn Lake won’t be surprised by this accomplishment: Melissa Cookston and Yazzo’s Delta Q, her storied competitive cooking team, have won the first Kingsford Invitational Barbecue Competition. The win comes with a $50,000 prize. The local pitmasters competed against seven other championship teams in a cook-off televised for the cable channel Destination America. The show, “BBQ’s Ultimate Championship: The Kingsford Invitational,” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. Cookston’s team also won the competition’s One Bite Challenge (and another $5,000) with their “Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp.” The recipe, a wonderfully Southern mix of pepper bacon, cream... |
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03/12/13Meet the New Team and Updated Menu at Cortona Contemporary Italian in Cooper-YoungHere's a perfect pairing of my dual roles as writer and teacher: One of my journalism students at the University of Memphis writes an excellent food story. In this case, the writer is Crystal Russell, and her story on Cortona Contemporary Italian in Cooper-Young is a look at the restaurant's updated menu shaped by chef Nate Olivia and manager Jennifer Dickerson. Both Olivia and Dickerson are part of the restaurant's new management team, and their menu reflects a more contemporary and upscale turn for the trattoria opened two years ago by former chef/owner David Cleveland. Russell published her story on MicroMemphis, a site written by journalism students as part of their capstone course before graduating. If you haven't seen their work, be sure to check it out.... |
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03/10/13New Tex-Mex Food Truck Parked Weekdays at the University of MemphisA new food truck called La Lola Loca is updating the food options at the University of Memphis with a little Latin flare. The truck, a Mexican cantina operated by the university’s Tiger Dining services, is parked in the Richardson Tower’s parking lot Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Richardson is the high-rise dorm behind the campus visitor’s center at the corner of Central and Patterson avenues. “We’re trying to do something new for the students and keep Memphis as close to the trends as we can,” said Chuck Wigington, district manager for food services. Lola Loca adds to the growing arsenal of trucks already operated by food supplier Aramark on other colleges, including the University of... |
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03/04/13Girl Scout Cookie Sale: Fun facts, Recipes and Troop 10105 from Holy Rosary SchoolIf putting Thin Mints in the freezer is as gourmet as you get, check out the recipes that tag along with the Girl Scouts’ annual cookie sale currently underway. Thank You Berry Much Granola works for breakfast, Do-Si-Dos Peanut Thai Chicken takes care of dinner, and Thin Mint Brownies is a perfect dessert. Clearly, the Girl Scouts of America are thinking outside of the box. So are their moms. “I hear a favorite for moms is mixing Kahlua, vanilla ice cream, and Thin Mints in a blender,” said Linda Safford, annual appeals manager for the regional Girl Scouts organization in Memphis called Heart of the South. “But we don’t share that recipe with the girls.” A springtime ritual for Brownies, Girl Scouts, and... Posted at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
