May 2012
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05/31/12Artisan Popsicles and Menu Changes at Fuel CafeOn a visit to Fuel Café for an early lunch, I was delighted to see that the restaurant now has hand-crafted popsicles in flavors like raspberry fudge and watermelon. The pops are a little Creamsicle-ish but still icy and refreshing. They cost $2.50 each. Will Johnson, the ice cream chef at YoLo Frozen Yogurt & Gelato, makes the popsicles for Fuel, said chef de Cuisine Andrew Armstrong. It took a little experimenting. “We also had to learn how to handle them,” Armstrong said. “Last week, somebody left them out, and they all melted.” Armstrong, who cooked at Restaurant Iris for three-and-a-half years before coming to Fuel in December, also explained his updated dinner menu while he sauté scallops.... |
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05/29/12The Extraordinary Ruth Reichl On Healthy Eating, Food Politics and Her Friend’s Breast CancerFor Christmas, my friend Victoria gave me three books by Ruth Reichl. She couldn’t believe that I had never read them. Neither could I, as I’ve followed Reichl’s career. As you probably know, Reichl was the food editor of The Los Angeles Times, the restaurant critic for The New York Times and the last editor of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine :( In my blog scrolling today, I came across an interview with Reichl written by Peter Szymczak for the site Oregonlive.com. Reichl was in Seattle to give a keynote speech to the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center where she said things like this: “Cooking is much more than just a way to feed people. It's a community activity. It's an act of generosity. It is my personal belief that it is impossible... |
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05/27/12Holiday Breakfast with Pepper Bacon from Newman FarmToday is the farm-to-table celebration at Newman Farm, and since we are having to miss the party, Tony started our holiday by frying up a batch of the farm's fabulous pepper-crusted bacon. I know lots of folks in Memphis are crazy about Benton's bacon. And yes, I like it too, but it still falls short compared to the flavor of Newman's, at least for me. So back to our Sunday breakfast. From bacon, Tony went on to pancakes, and somewhere in the mix had the inspired idea to slice a banana and toss the slices into a little bacon grease. Next he poured the pancakes on the griddle, added a few slices of the sauted banana, and folded the pancakes over like crepes. By the time my plate arrived to the table, he had garnished the pancakes with powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple... |
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05/22/12Celebrate a Taste of the Philippines at the Madison's Eighty3Yes, the barbecue cooking contest is over, but there are still two excellent foodie events at the Madison Hotel to recognize the Memphis in May tribute to the Philippines. In fact, Eighty3, the Madison’s sister restaurant, is uniquely positioned to embrace Filipino cooking because the restaurant’s concept creator, Chef Rodelio Aglibot, popularly known as “The Food Buddha,” was born in the Philippines. Aglibot is collaborating with Filipino guest chef Sandy Daza (son of culinary icon Nora Daza) to develop two menus for this week’s events. The first is a multi-course dinner on Wednesday; the second is a reception with passed appetizers for Thursday’s sunset rooftop party. Wednesday night’s dinner, served family style, is $50 a person... |
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05/21/12Pork-Fork-Cork and Lamb Farm to Table Event at Newman FarmHere’s an idea for Memorial Day weekend: Why not skip the home grilling and leave it to the professionals? On Sunday, Newman Farm chefs head to the country for a day of cooking in Myrtle, Missouri. The annual farm-to-table event called “Pork-Fork-Cork … and Lamb” will feature local wineries and the Newman’s heritage breeds. (Grand Champion Yazoo Delta Q used Newman Berkshire pork, btw, to win Saturday’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.) “It’s a nice low-key day, but nobody’s going hungry, that’s for sure,” Rita Newman said. “We do this every year as a way to say thank-you to our customers.” The day’s events will begin at 10 a.m. with a farm tour and a pot-luck lunch. A carcass... |
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05/20/12Food Network Super Star Guy Fieri Takes On MemphisThe handwritten sign posted on the front door of The Elegant Farmer said it all: Shooting Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. Open @ 5:30.” Inside, a few dozen people drank cokes and ice tea while waiting to play their parts for the cameras, which were shooting close-ups in the kitchen of chef/owner Mac Edwards at work. The shoot on May 10 was B-roll footage, the third day Edwards and his restaurant staff spent with a production crew that showed up Monday morning for Fieri's arrival later in the day. “He comes in like a rock star,” said manager Leslee Pascal. “You don't meet him or rehearse ahead of time, because he wants the shoot to be fresh and off-the-cuff.” It was a busy week for Fieri, who was in Memphis with two... Posted at 02:07 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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05/08/12Memphis Food Truck Association Rolls Out Agenda and Special EventsWith an unanimous and heartfelt “aye,” the Memphis Food Truck Association formed Monday evening during a meeting held in an empty store front in the Broad Avenue Historic Arts District. About 40 food truck operators attended the organizational meeting led by YoLo Frozen Yogurt founder Taylor Berger, who is heading the charge for food truckers in Memphis to organize and publicize. “The only way we can speak is as one voice,” Berger told the group, explaining that 45 food truckers already hold licenses to operate in Memphis, while another 30 to 40 are waiting for approval. “With almost 100 trucks trying to operate, that means there’s a big appetite in the city for mobile food.” Amen. Monday's... Posted at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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05/07/12Friday Lunch: Coletta's Barbecue Pizza and Makeda's Cookies for DessertOn Friday, I ate two slices of my first barbecue pizza from Coletta’s Restaurant on South Parkway. Since we ordered a large pizza, we carried most of it home. Then we did a quick swing into Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways because I was thrilled to find the retail location. Tony got caught up in the energy of owner Maurice Hill and his mom and bought $13 worth of cookies. We woofed down a pecan and a chocolate chip in the parking lot. That left 10 cookies in the bag. So guess what we ate all weekend? Yep. Leftover Coletta’s pizza and cookies from Makeda’s. Admittedly, there are worst fates, and although I added salads to our meals from my first CSA of the season (red leaf lettuce and artichokes!), the pizza and cookies dazzled me the most.... |
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05/04/12Healthylicious Food Truck Joins Farmers Market LineupFood truck alert: Healthylicious has joined the vendor lineup at the Memphis Botanic Garden farmers market, serving cold drinks and fresh food smoothies with a Mexican twist. Food trucker Karen Febles, whose sunny personality is as cheerful as her yellow truck, is making aguas frescas with fruit and vegetables from the 30 acres she and her husband farm in Ripley. “I use kale and berries from the farm and, of course, we will have lots of watermelons,” Febles said, whipping up a cold and frothy “Tropical Fun” smoothie, one of her most popular drinks combining mango, pineapple, orange and strawberries. Febles started juicing after a miscarriage, combining her fresh food focus with healthy ingredients indigenous to her home in Merida, Mexico, located about... |
