Food, Indy Week

Jay Murrie's Italian reds pair well with grilled food and bug spray

Adam Sobsey — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Piedmont Wine Imports owner Jay Murrie seeks out "reds that show well at warmer temperatures. My climate defines my diet, and my diet defines what I drink." by Adam Sobsey Terroir: a powerful but elusive wine term. It has no direct translation, but terroir ultimately means something close to sense of place.…

Addressing the problem of food waste

Raia Mihaylova — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The largest contributor to landfills is food. Recovering just 15 percent of it would cut in half the number of Americans who go hungry each year. by Raia Mihaylova There are 925 million hungry people in the world, including one of six Americans. Yet the largest contributor to landfills is food.…

The secrets behind the 1950s Miracle Kitchen of the future

Tom Maxwell — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

My father, Joe Maxwell, is the last living member of the design team that created the RCA-Whirlpool Miracle Kitchen. by Tom Maxwell The 1957 promotional film is in black and white. The YouTube print is of a low quality, washing out the spokesmodel's face to just eyebrows, nose and lips.…

Banitsa: a simple yet delicious Bulgarian tradition

Raia Mihaylova — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Even if you can't cook, banitsa will give the false impression that you can. by Raia Mihaylova It was still dark outside, but instead of hearing birds chirping, I awoke that morning to the click and clack of pans. I didn't mind.…

610 Magnolia Chef Edward Lee brings Smoke & Pickles to Fearrington Village

Jill Warren Lucas — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

"I'm not sure who first thought of serving fried chicken and waffles together, but if adding waffles helps you to feel better about eating fried chicken for breakfast, I'm all for it." by Jill Warren Lucas Edward Lee's new Smoke & Pickles book should come with a consumer warning label: Exercise caution when starting this book because you will not be able to put it down. Beautifully written and designed, the volume is part memoir of how a cocky Korean-Brooklyn kid finds his footing in a culturally diverse neighborhood and food scene, experiencing bittersweet success as a hipster New York City chef before finding his destiny at 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky. Fellow English majors who morphed into foodies will nod to the many literary references, as well as to this good advice from Cola Ham Hocks with Miso Glaze: "Braise for 2 hours while you read some Walt Whitman poems."…

Bologna burgers hit the blacktop at Orange County and South Boston speedways

Emily Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

I packed a little red Coleman full of beer and headed north 25 miles to Rougemont. It felt like a long way to travel for a fried bologna burger, but that's what this bologna is about—driving. by Emily Wallace In March, I packed a little red Coleman full of beer and headed north 25 miles to Rougemont. It felt like a long way to travel for a fried bologna burger, particularly when I arrived for the opening "test and tune" at the Orange County Speedway to find the two "Fast Food" concession stands shuttered behind checker-painted plywood.…

Cooking Matters helps kids eat healthy food

Elizabeth Bartholf — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Seven and one quarter teaspoons of Crisco slapped between two buns (the real Big Mac) do not convince Simone Brown. This is definitely not an acceptable dinner. by Elizabeth Bartholf Seven and one quarter teaspoons of Crisco slapped between two buns do not convince Simone Brown. This is definitely not an acceptable dinner.…

Lights, camera, eat! Favorite films about food

David A. Ross — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The gastro-cinematic canon, ranked by culinary interest and artistic merit, and five films to make a foodie shudder, in order of deplorability by David A. Ross An art museum is a gastronomic space, so abundant are the feasting gods, last suppers, overflowing bags of game, bowls of glistening fruit and gleaners stooped amid wheat fields. Having lived their entire lives with the odor of dung in their noses, the Old Masters understood that the stray artichoke or haunch of venison belongs to a larger pattern of reaping and sowing, birth and bloodletting.…

How Carol Peppe Hewitt and Slow Money NC are raising funds for farmers, one loan at a time

David Fellerath — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Farming has many joys, but steady cash flow is not one of them. Slow Money NC's innovative lending system has helped arrange 80 loans to nearly 40 borrowers in North Carolina, including many names you'll recognize. by David Fellerath It's a little after noon on a recent rainy Saturday in Pittsboro, and the Chatham Mills Farmers' Market is winding down. Children are dashing about while a band plays on the porch of the nearby Chatham Marketplace co-op grocery.…

Carolina Crossroads Chef James Clark specializes in obscure fish

Jill Warren Lucas — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Clark has established a reputation for seeking out lesser-known but equally delicious and sustainable varieties that fishermen pull from the waters of the Carolina coast. by Jill Warren Lucas Pity the jolthead porgy. Related to the grunt, it is among the many oddly named fish that, like awkward schoolchildren hoping to get picked for the dodgeball team, watches as its glamorous cousins such as grouper are selected for discerning customers at top restaurants.…

At Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, nothing succeeds like excess

Curt Fields — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

A cornucopia for carnivores, Bad Daddy's at Raleigh's Seaboard Station doesn't sweat the small stuff. by Curt Fields Bad Daddy's Burger Bar at Raleigh's Seaboard Station is a cornucopia for carnivores. The multitude of choices on the menu includes the likes of a Bacon Cheeseburger on Steroids and the restaurant's signature Bad Daddy's Bad Ass Burger.…

Raise a toast to Champagne's sparkling personality

Adam Sobsey — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The best thing about Champagne? It can be drunk morning, noon and night, and in all four seasons. by Adam Sobsey It's that time. Days of commencement and mothers.…

At Kipos Greek Taverna, a taste of the homeland

Victoria Bouloubasis — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

After 13 years in the Triangle, I've found a local Greek spot that comes closer to my yiayias' cooking. by Victoria Bouloubasis I had the pleasure of knowing both of my grandmothers, who hailed from different regions of Greece. Yiayia Koula lived her entire life in a tiny, land-locked village high in the central mountains, while Yiayia Eleni grew up on a windy, arid island in the Aegean Sea.…

Foodopoly lifts the veil on our food system

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Wenonah Hauter's book examines the history and political machine behind agribusiness consolidation, the pharmaceutical industry, factory farming, food safety and even the co-opting of "organic." by Lisa Sorg Wenonah Hauter is the executive director of the watchdog group Food & Water Watch, based in Washington, D.C. Her book, Foodopoly, examines the history and political machine behind agribusiness consolidation, the pharmaceutical industry, factory farming, food safety—even the co-opting of the term "organic"—which have contributed to the demise of small farms. We spoke by phone about what we, the consumers, can do to fix our broken food system.…

Radius Pizzeria: An exciting menu that falls short on execution

Elizabeth Shestak — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

I felt like we were in a neighborhood pub, and there's a lot to be said for that. by Elizabeth Shestak I have to admit, I had high hopes. The menu at Radius Pizzeria & Pub spoke of a truffle marinara sauce, a pie topped with rosemary potatoes and the clever, robust flavor profiles I appreciate in otherwise simple fare.…

Sustenance and survival: the story of Yamazushi

Victoria Bouloubasis — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

No comparison, no competitor: Serving a grandiose eight-course Japanese tasting menu and seating only 10 diners per night, a meal at Yamazushi is unrivaled by any other restaurant in the area. by Victoria Bouloubasis Printed at the top of the menu at Yamazushi are the words: "Ichigo ichie. Treasure every encounter for it may never recur."…

Monuts Donuts: Show up early and often

David A. Ross — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The daily menu features four cake and four yeasted doughnuts, a thought-provoking bagel, and a rotating array of inventive sandwiches and bread puddings. by David A. Ross Home to Bull City Burger and Brewery, Dame's Chicken & Waffles, Dos Perros, Loaf, Pizzeria Toro, Scratch Bakery, Rue Cler and Toast, Durham's downtown offers what might be the Triangle's densest concentration of good eats. "Good" in this instance not only means "tasty" but also right-thinking, earnest, true.…

Plants meet liquor in Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist

Jill Warren Lucas — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

In a region hailed for its pristine produce, there's just no reason get sloshed on chemical-infused cocktails. by Jill Warren Lucas Teetotalers of the Triangle, your moment has arrived. This is your chance to be a hero to friends who enjoy the occasional tipple.…

Locals lose control over GMOs in new ag bill

Jane Porter — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The bill would grant the N.C. Department of Agriculture total authority over the regulation of plants and crops; local governments and other regulatory bodies would have no say in decisions. by Jane Porter What does Frankenstein have in common with your food? Potentially, a lot, if House Bill 379, an Act to Clarify the Authority of the Board of Agriculture Over Plants, becomes state law.…

Local ingredients, Korean cuisine at Kimbap in Raleigh

Curt Fields — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Halfway through the pork and ginger mandu (dumplings), I started contemplating when I could return and order them again. by Curt Fields A Korean restaurant is the last place I expected to be reminded of my Alabama-born-and-raised ex-mother-in-law, yet Kimbap did. Kimbap, which recently opened in Raleigh's Seaboard Marketplace, is a tiny space.…

Alton Brown, former Pop's line cook, finds TV fame

Danny Hooley — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

"I typically find that it's not really much use to cook a vegan. They don't have that much meat on them, so, you know, it takes a lot of braising." by Danny Hooley When Alton Brown's awesome cooking show Good Eats premiered on Food Network in July 1999, a lot of viewers in Durham probably had the same initial reaction: "Hey, didn't that guy used to cook at Pop's?" Why yes, dear viewers, he did.…

Italy meets the South in Panciuto's chestnut tagliatelle

David A. Ross — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Aaron Vandemark's chestnut tagliatelle with egg and butter sauce, spring asparagus and prosciutto is an emblematic dish, a rich and rustic carbonara whose spirit is Piedmontese in both senses of the word. by David A. Ross Italian-American cuisine is famously specific to the Philly-Boston corridor, proving that demography (lots of Italians) trumps topography (a not particularly Mediterranean combination of concrete and snow). Recently, however, Triangle restaurants such as Oakleaf, Pizzeria Toro and Panciuto have demonstrated the viability—indeed the deep logic—of a Southern school of Italian-American cuisine.…

What to pair with Rieslings

Adam Sobsey — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Kabinett? Spätlese? Ah, those confusing German wine labels. It's not as complicated as it seems, but if you're daunted by the nomenclature—and by sweet wines, generally—start out simple. by Adam Sobsey America is the world's largest consumer of sugar and sweeteners, according to federal statistics. A fair amount of that sweetness is concealed in saltier foods such as ranch dressing, but that only confirms that we like even our savory foods a little sweet.…

Sipping chocolate at Cocoa Cinnamon

Elizabeth Shestak — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

One of Cocoa Cinnamon's first signature drinks (there will be dozens) is Dr. Durham, a cappuccino with housemade vanilla, ginger and maca, finished with black lava salt. by Elizabeth Shestak Sipping chocolate has made its way to Durham, thanks to the couple behind Cocoa Cinnamon. Areli Barrera de Grodski and her husband, Leon Grodski de Barrera, who hail from Asheville, have brought not only exotic, sustainably sourced coffee, chocolate and treats to the Bull City, but also a new level of customer service.…

Salt 'n' pepper: Shake it from a pea, or a turkey

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

"Don't buy the salt if you have not licked it yet." —Congolese proverb by Lisa Sorg • Peppercorns—green, red, black and white—grow on climbing vines in hot, humid climates, such as those in Indonesia, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Ecuador, Cameroon and Vietnam. Their color and flavor depend on when they're harvested and the processing methods.…