Squirrel Squad Squeeks

More about tomato jam

2009-04-06T21:06:00.003-05:00

In response to a recent query, you can find out more about tomato jam on our new blog at PaulandAngela.net.

It's Rajun Cajun time!

2009-03-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

Head over to our new blog for news about your chance to feast on crawfish and gumbo while helping Porter-Leath help children.

There is also Slow Food news from the Emerald Isle and the Irish Grand Marshall of the Beale Street St. Patrick's Day parade.

If you sign up for our newsletter, you can get a look at Teh Boy's latest school project as well as Mama Squirrel's recipe for ginger meltaway cookies.

Extra! Extra!

2009-02-19T01:00:00.000-06:00

If you have ventured over to our new venture, From the Southern Table, you may have noticed a newsletter link. (Like that one right back there.) The fine folks who signed up just received the very first issue, hot off the non-existent presses.

Those folks got a delivery of ponderings, pork, and, sadly, passings. It's not too late for you my friend. Head on over and sign up and see what the fuss is all about. As soon as you sign up, that first issue will be speeding toward your inbox.

And, yeah, you can read it in the archive online, but then you would miss the thrill of that little new-email ding noise that your computer makes. And who doesn't love that?

Squirrelly about amenities

2009-02-18T17:22:00.004-06:00

When we went to visit MamaSquirrel's grandmother in the hospital, Squirrelly, Jr., and I went out for a walk in the area. One of the places we passed was the nursing home next to the hospital. Teh Boy pointed out something odd.

"I didn't know people still had propane tanks," he said.

"Oh, sure they do," I replied.

"Yeah, but not in town (Somerville), I didn't think."

"Good point," I said.

"Maybe it's for emergencies," he mused rather sagely.

Then, as I looked at the tank, I noticed something else.

"They have a smoker, too," I said.

"Man, this is a high end nursing home," he replied.

We're expanding our empire!

2009-01-31T11:59:00.002-06:00

Please come visit us at our new site, From the Southern Table. The new site is a showcase for our more professional writing efforts. There you can find some of our published works along with places where we have been sources in stories.

We will have a blog there of our more serious writing and more in-depth reporting. We will continue to blog here as well with local food news plus our general silliness.

We hope to see you there soon.

The Pig is back!

2009-01-29T23:33:00.001-06:00

The best radio station in Memphis since, perhaps, the Redbeard days of Rock 103 has returned to the airwaves. Yes, 96 oink 1, The Pig is squealing again.

This is the radio station that Memphis desperately needs, one that plays an eclectic mix of excellent music. There is the harmony of John Prine and Iris DeMent, the tranquil melodies of Led Zeppelin, and the contented musings of Tracy Chapman.

Yeah, those may not be the best descriptions, but then again, this is the radio station that makes "ham-handed segue" a good thing. Take, for instance, the recent fade from The Eagles' Seven Bridges Road to The Clash and London Calling. It sounds strange, but it was beautiful.

Of course, radio is a business. There have to be commercials to pay for the music. The Pig even gets that right. The first ad I heard on the reborn Pig was a welcome back message from Central Barbecue. Pig-a-licious.

Squirrel Appreciation Day

2009-01-21T17:50:00.003-06:00

Yes, January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. For us, of course, every day is Squirrel Appreciation Day thanks to the adulation of you, our dear readers, our dear, Squirrel-appreciated readers.

For me, it has been a relatively uneventful day. My tyrannical boss forced my to work today, and she showed me no appreciation whatsoever aside from some muttered comment along the lines of, "you better just appreciate that paycheck..."

At least I am appreciated at home. This very minute, Mama Squirrel is in the kitchen making me the biggest peanut butter sandwich you ever saw. She really loves me.

Happy Belated New Year

2009-01-09T22:07:00.003-06:00

Well, now that we're not moving to Canada, I suppose we should get back to writing. Our fans (Yes, both of them!)have been clamoring for our return, so here we are.

Some of what has transpired since we last blogged has been interesting. Let's see...

We attended the November meeting of Slow Food Memphis at Hunt-Phelan. Chef Stephen Hassinger is a wonderful host. The event was BYOB — everyone brought a bottle of wine to share. The best of the evening was the dandelion wine that Benito brought. There was also a selection of cheeses from Mississippi State.

We missed the December Slow Food Memphis meeting because we were sick. I wish we could have gone. It was a cookie exchange. Cookies cure pretty much everything.

We visited Lobster King for the first time in a while. We made a nice dent in the dim sum cart. We were pleased to discover that the food and service is better than ever.

Bon Temps Squirrel and Rouler Squirrel had us over for a pre-Christmas dinner. Everything was scrumptious, just like the hostess. Let's just say that teh boy learned how much he liked head cheese at that meal, not to mention the best rendition of a shrimp pot pie that any of us had ever even imagined.

We had a nice simple family style Christmas dinner. Grandaddy Squirrel smoked a goose and a Neola Farms brisket. We provided the sides. It was all yummy, and we didn't have to face five courses worth of dishes when it was done.

We had a superb New Year's Eve dinner at Restaurant Iris. We rang in the new year there with champagne and full tummies.

Kelly English of Restaurant Iris is on the cover of the latest issue of Edible Memphis. Lori Greene wrote an excellent piece on the lamb barbacoa that Chef English cooked in a pit. The rest of the issue is excellent as always, even though we were too distracted to contribute.

That's all I can think of for now. Mama Squirrel has a thing or two in mind to share. She will share those soon.

(We wouldn't really move to Canada. You can see Alaska from there!)

Today

2008-11-10T09:09:00.006-06:00

Today is the most specialest, wonderfulest, happiest day in the whole wide world. You see, this day is the anniversary of that fabulous day just a very few short years ago that the world was blessed with the gift of Papa Squirrel!!!!

Come out and join us tonight at 6:30 to celebrate Papa Squirrel's birthday at the Slow Food Memphis General Meeting at the Inn at Hunt Phelan. Tonight's meeting will be a BYOB event. Each attendee is asked to bring a bottle of your favorite or most unique wine to sample with everyone else. We'll have cheese from Mississippi State University with locally made fruit spreads and bread from local Mennonite bakers. We'll also have updates on the Slow Food Memphis chapter and an open discussion about current food issues in the news. And if you don't want wine, we'll have plenty of fun non-alcoholic options available.

Besides, he may be too young to imbibe, but Papa will have his suit on, and you don't want to miss that.

VOTE!

2008-11-03T20:24:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is one of the most important days in American history. No matter how this turns out, this is a historic election that will break barriers that have been in place since our country was founded. Don't just sit back and let history happen without you.

I keep hearing about undecided voters. I have to say that I don't understand how anyone can be undecided in this election. There are differences between Obama and McCain that can't be ignored. If you believe that everyone in America deserves to have the same rights, you can't vote for McCain and Palin. If you really believe that women's health issues belong in derisive air quotes, you can't vote for Obama and Biden. You might not be sure who you should vote for, but you ought to know where you stand well enough to know who you shouldn't vote for.

I know where we at the Squirrel Nest sit on this. We knew which candidate we thought would take this country where it needs to be. We think that it's time to stop the hate and the anger that seem to be endemic in the Republican party. We think it's time for all Americans to have the same rights regardless of gender or marital status or sexual orientation. We think it's time for us to have a president who thinks diplomacy is a better course of action than pre-emptive war. We voted early, and we voted for Obama.

It may seem melodramatic, but this election seems like a turning point for America. If we vote for Obama, we turn towards peace, equality, and progress. If we vote for McCain, we move towards more war, discrimination, and loss of rights that so many of us have known our whole lives.

Do I think that life will be a big bowl of cherries if we wake up Wednesday morning with President Obama? No. But I think it will say a lot about our country. I think it will be a country that we can all be proud of. I think we'll be able to go abroad and not be scared to say that we're Americans. I think I won't have to worry about my son having to go to war in 4 short years whether it's his decision or not.

The lines will be long tomorrow no matter where you live. But this election is worth your time. Let your voice be heard. VOTE!

Tableland

2008-10-31T19:22:00.006-05:00

Last night Papa Squirrel and I enjoyed a screening of the movie Tableland at the Brooks. For those of you not familiar with this film, it won first place this year at the New York City Food Film Festival. It's a great look at how small-scale sustainable agriculture works in the northwestern US and British Columbia.

While that's not our part of the country, there are a lot of people around here with just as much passion about growing and producing food that's as good for the environment as it is for the people who eat it. Some of those people are the ones who brought the film to the Brooks and crafted a wonderful meal of local products to go along with it. Melissa Peterson of Edible Memphis, Andrew Adams of the Brushmark restaurant, and Van Cheeseman of Flora at Bluebird Farm were there to speak to the importance and pleasure of supporting sustainable agriculture in the Mid South.

Edible Memphis celebrates the growers, chefs and artisans in the Mid South who spend everyday creating the products that make this such a great place to live and eat. Flora at Bluebird Farm raises heritage varieties of vegetables that are not only great to eat, but are also an important step in keeping these varieties around. Ask Van about why he chooses to grow these vegetables, and you'll learn about the passion he has in keeping the breeds around and the pleasure he takes in finding varieties that he's never grown before and can't wait to share with anyone who loves good food.

Chef Andrew Adams was the star last night, though. He produced a family style meal that easily rivaled the meal prepared in the film using mostly local products. Fresh baked bread graced the center of each table, almost too beautiful to eat and baskets of local zuchinni and onions on flatbread. We started the meal with a salad of local arugula followed by potato and ratatouille fritters with a Mediterranean tomato sauce. This was followed by a local bean cassoulet and haricots verts with local tomatoes. Next up were a sweet potato and potato gratin served with butternut squash agnolotti. The main course was a heaping dish of locally grown and ground polenta with grass-fed beef in chimichurri sauce and candied local carrots. For dessert, we were served apple and cheddar turnovers followed by apple and pear deep dish pie.

All of the wonderfully fresh ingredients for this fabulous meal came from the last of our local farmers markets for the year. Andrew is a familiar site shopping at both the downtown market on Saturday mornings and the Wednesday afternoon market at the Botanic Garden. He's been a leader in our city in seeking out and serving local ingredients and in advocating support for our local farmers.

There were plenty of messages to take away from both the film and the meal. Eating local is delicious. Supporting local farmers is good for everyone involved. Encourage your favorite chefs to use local products. Ask them where they get their ingredients and make sure to let them know that you appreciate it when those ingredients are locally produced. You may not want to craft a meal as elaborate as Andrew's, but you can make a great meal of your own with local ingredients. And the more you use them, the more you'll appreciate them and look for them. The more you'll plan to put them away at their peak during the summer so that you can enjoy them all winter long.

Learn more about eating local. Come visit us at Slow Food Memphis. You may have missed out on Tableland, but Slow Food Memphis and Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store are joining up tomorrow morning, November 1, at 10:00 am for a free sorghum and biscuit tasting. This is sorghum from local producer Clinton Family Farms who will be there to talk about why and how they make sorghum.

Holy crap!

2008-10-23T23:16:00.004-05:00

So like...

O

M

G

So there we were, sipping absinthe at a very crowded City Grocery during the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium. This very nice lady joined us at our table and in our chat. After a bit, we exchanged business cards and holy crap.

We were sitting with Lisa Fain, the Homesick Texan!

Mama Squirrel and I love her blog. First of all, it's beautiful — beautiful photography, beautiful content. She writes about things that she really loves, and her passion comes through so clearly.

Yeah, we have a blog crush.

But trust us. It's an amazing blog. Check it out.

It's really hard to be a farmer

2008-09-15T18:22:00.003-05:00

We've had a rough couple of weeks as farmers. Chickens are wonderful animals, but they're not so easy to deal with. And they can break your heart sometimes.

We put the babies outside in a segregated cage (a dog kennel) two weeks ago. They were doing ok and seemed to be getting used to being around their big sisters, but when they slipped out through the bottom of the kennel last Saturday, we found out the hard way that their big sisters weren't getting used to them yet.

Blueberry Muffin got pecked pretty badly on the back of her head. We brought her in and medicated her because her own sisters wouldn't leave her alone once everyone was back in their cage. She's been living in the kitchen in a cage of her own this week to give her plenty of time to heal.

We thought that was pretty rough, but we had it taken care of. We were wrong. Fruitcake was the runt of the latest litter. She managed to squeeze out again on Sunday. And we didn't get to her in time. When we found her, the only thing we could do was to help her stop hurting. It's just something that chickens do. It's why they call it the pecking order. We know that, but that didn't make it any easier. Still, we made certain that the others wouldn't be able to get out again until we were sure they were big enough to take care of themselves. And we worked hard at not holding a grudge about it. We were getting there.

But then yesterday happened. We've had a raccoon try to get in before. That's why we reinforced the run with hardwire and buried it in the ground with pavers to make it just that much harder to get under. We thought we had made them safe. We were wrong. I used to think raccoons were cute. I don't anymore. We lost all of our grown ladies. I think I could have handled it better if they had been eaten, but that's just not how raccoons work. It just seems so senseless, so pointless. They were very good girls, and they didn't deserve that.

The babies were still safe in their kennel, just spooked. And then there was Karen. He did what roosters are supposed to do. He tried to protect his girls. And he may be the reason that the babies were safe. But he got hurt. You might not think you could bathe a rooster, but you can. In the kitchen sink no less. And then we treated his cuts and scrapes - I think he has more of those right now than he has feathers. And if a chicken can be depressed, he is. For the first day since he let us know that we had named him wrong, he didn't crow. But he's eating and drinking, and I really think that he's going to pull through.

This is the sort of thing that all farmers deal with at some point. Not all baby animals make it. There are always predators. Sometimes these things just happen. But I don't think it's easy for any farmer to deal with. You can't hold a little puffball in your hand and not get a little bit attached. And like Michael tells us, you get get too attached if you name them. It's just not in me to not name them, though. I'm just not made to not get attached.

So now we're to the tragi-comic element of all of this because sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. We've got an adolescent hen living in a humane trap cage (it was all we had for her) in our kitchen. She's very content about it. I don't think she plans to leave. She's even making friends with the cats.

And then there's Karen. He's purple (chicken medicine to discourage him from pecking at his cuts) pretty much all over. And I'm purple - that stuff doesn't really wash off. I look like I lost a fight with a mimeograph machine. But the end result of all this is that he's a very scruffy purple rooster. And he's living in our bathtub. We didn't have another cage, so we had to come up with the place he could be that would be easiest to clean up when he's ready to go back out. The bathtub was all we could come up with. Just like Blueberry, he seems to settling in there. I have to say that it makes going to the bathroom an adventure. There's just nothing like having a ragged purple rooster peaking over the top of the tub at you.

So we're out of the egg business until our nine new girls start giving us more. And we may end up with a very ugly rooster. But that's just how things happen sometimes. And at least for us they're pets, a hobby. The one thing this made us appreciate is how hard it really is for those farmers we all take for granted. For them, this is everyday, and they're not just out of eggs or sad about losing pets when this sort of thing happens. They're out of money that they depend on, too.

So, appreciate what the farmers who feed you go through. And join us in saying good-bye to our good girls: Della, Kiev, Satay, Sam, Fricassee, Dumplin', Marsala, and little Fruitcake. We'll never forget them.

Jackson Kramer at Viking

2008-08-27T21:13:00.003-05:00

Executive Chef Jackson Kramer of Interim Restaurant will be teaching a class at the Viking Cooking School on Monday, September 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cost of the class is $79.

This class promises to be an excellent one. The class will be an opportunity to try "mystery box" cooking. When students arrive, they will receive a box of ingredients. They will have no advance knowledge of the contents of the box. They will have all the tools of the Viking learning kitchen. And they will have Chef Kramer.

Jackson will be the key. He is an excellent chef and an engaging personality. Like all great chefs, Jackson thrives on the mystery box that is the local farmers market where you will see him every week seeking out the freshest and best products.

Anyone bold enough to sign up for the class is sure to come away with several new ways of looking at ingredients. And considering that we still have two months of farmers markets to look forward to, new ideas for ingredients will come in handy.

My one regret about the format of this class is that Jackson is not likely to teach how he makes the excellent burger they serve at Interim. I was hoping he might be able to show us how to use that cool slider gadget that Mama Squirrel loves so much.

They really sell these?

2008-08-27T07:34:00.000-05:00

I was watching the news the other night to see if the rain was ever going to stop or if we were going to need to find a boat when I saw a couple of ads for some interesting products. And I'm in a snarky mood, so I'm going to rant a bit about them.

First up, the Big City Slider Station. I like sliders. They're cute, great for portion control, good for parties. I mean, really, they're just mini hamburgers. So when I make them, I just make smaller hamburger patties. I really didn't think it was all that complex. I must have been wrong. Either that or I'm just totally missing something since there's now this wonderful pan that takes all of that pesky guess work out of making a small hamburger patty and then flipping it to cook it on both sides. The only possible reason I can see for this pan to exist is if you just absolutely have to have perfectly round burgers and you haven't just decided to use a biscuit cutter or a juice glass to shape them. But this comes with a recipe book! Recipe book? Again, am I just missing the concept of sliders? You really need a recipe book for them? Maybe I'm getting old, but I just don't get it.

Then there was the Pancake Puffs Pan. This one just really confuses me. It's an aebleskiver pan. This is not something new and revolutionary no matter what they claim. Aebleskivers are a very old Danish treat. One of those things that's been around for so long that no one really knows who made the first ones. I like the theory here that Vikings made the first ones on their dented shields. That's a story with character! Aebleskiver pans are pretty easy to find (yes, I have the Lodge one). But this one comes with a one-year supply of flipping sticks! Flipping sticks!! I guess toothpicks or bamboo skewers or the original knitting needle method (which I think is a cool multi-use) aren't good enough. You obviously need special flipping sticks. That apparently are time stamped to expire in a year and can't be reused. That I have a sneaking suspicion are actually bamboo skewers.

I'm blaming the Olympics for this. If I hadn't gotten hooked on watching the Olympics, I wouldn't have had the TV on our local NBC affiliate to watch the news in the first place to see these. I'm unfortunately certain that these aren't the only members of their ilk. I know I'm being a snot about this, but when everyone is pinching pennies, it really gets to me to see a company trying to convince people that they need something that really just takes up space (I'm talking to you Slider Station people). And it always bothers me when a company takes something with a very rich ethnic history and tries to imply that it's something NEW! just so Americans will buy it without having to learn a scary name (That's you Pancake Puffs).

Okay. I'm all ranted out for the night. Just think - Papa Squirrel has to live with this on a daily basis. Aren't you lucky?

Jennifer Chandler at Davis Kidd

2008-08-26T14:35:00.003-05:00

Thursday, August 28, Davis Kidd's Corks and Courses wine dinner will feature local author and food personality (and our friend) Jennifer Chandler.

The dinner will feature four courses inspired by Jennifer's book Simply Salads. The cost of the dinner is $40 plus tax and tip.

Jennifer will be on hand to autograph books and answer questions. She is as bright and refreshing as any of her salads, so get out and meet her.

Corks and Courses at Bronte Bistro

Course 1
Prosciutto and Melon Salad

Course 2
Maryland Crab Cake Salad

Course 3
Beef Tenderloin with Mache

Course 4
Fresh Fruit Salad over Poundcake

Davis Kidd
387 Perkins Extended
Memphis, TN 38117
(901) 683-9801

Memphis Farmers Market news

2008-08-25T07:20:00.001-05:00

We got off to a very slow start Saturday. I had a birthmark removed from the top of my head Thursday. There was a very slim chance it could have eventually become cancerous. But, far worse, should my hair ever begin to thin, I would be left with a rather ugly mark in plain view. My minor surgery was a success, but it left my head feeling like a nice tomato with a nasty bump. It took multiple attempts, but Mama Squirrel did finally rouse me from my drug-addled state so that we could head to the market.

We arrived at noon, only an hour before closing, and got to see an entirely different market than the one we're used to seeing early on Saturday mornings. Several of our friends were packing up or already gone, having sold all their wares. Others were still there, but they were not swamped with crowds like normal, so we got to talk to them.

We also got to talk to some of the new folks at the market like the Sparkling River Pepper Company from Mt. Olive, Arkansas. This was their third week at the market. They won't be there on August 30, but they will be back the week after that, and they hope to be at the market the rest of the year.

They have a great selection of fresh peppers, but where they really won us over is with their roasted and smoked peppers. Some of their peppers are actually roasted right at the market. That's fun to watch. Their hickory smoked peppers are so fragrant that a good whiff is almost as satisfying as a bite.

Mama has made two batches of tomato jam each using a different variety of smoked pepper in each. She promises to blog about those soon. We also want to talk to them more and bring you more of their story.

Another excellent vendor that we plan to talk about soon is McCarter Coffee Company. Mama's folks, Nana and Granddaddy Squirrel are serious coffee drinkers. Every year for Christmas, we get them a coffee of the month club membership. They love it, but we learned quickly that the one pound a month they are getting falls short. McCarter Coffee to the rescue.

We pick up an extra pound for them at least once a month. Last week McCarter had coffee with chicory. That was all for us. Cold brewed and mixed with milk and simple syrup, our mornings have gotten much better lately.

Another vendor that we need to talk more about soon is Grandma's Desserts. We sampled their sweet potato pie and honey walnut pie recently. The honey walnut was excellent, but the sweet potato was beautiful beyond words. One day, I am going to sneak to the market without Mama and have one of those pies. Just a man, a spoon, and a pie. I wouldn't ask me to share if I were you.

Finally, there is our lovely friend Uele Siebert of Groovy Foods. Uele was featured in a great story in the Spring issue of Edible Memphis. Check out that story and stop by to talk to Uele about her holistic products. And naturally, since Uele has such a healthy line of products, we talked about fried catfish and greens. Naturally.

We're going to miss the market next weekend, but we'll be back with more news. Plus we have several market finds that we need to get caught up on.

But until then, if you will excuse me, it is time for my meds. Maybe I should write these things after... Nah.

Lunch at Interim

2008-08-21T07:23:00.001-05:00

Mama and I took a day off so that we could vote and run errands. The polling place was practically deserted. I am far too cynical for that to surprise me. For lunch that day, we headed to Interim, and it wasn't packed. That surprised me.

Chef Jackson Kramer may not look at it this way, but I think that, at lunch, Interim is the finest diner around.

First of all, there is the daily special. Thursday is a beautiful roasted double chicken breast. There is also the local pond-raised catfish that stars on the lunch menu every day.

There is the best burger and fries in town, Jackson's Neola burger. With all the excellent choices Interim offers at both lunch and dinner, lately I almost always go for the burger.

This trip, Mama was in a sandwich mood too. She went for the tuna melt. Her description? "Divine." It was a perfectly cooked tuna fillet. Slices of creamy, yummy avocado make the sandwich.

So if you have only been to Interim for dinner, head over and try the lunch menu. The food is superb and the prices aren't bad. And if you haven't been at all, what are you waiting for? Just go.

Me and Mama?

2008-08-20T23:56:00.004-05:00

A lovely Fark headline:

Woman accused of assaulting her husband with a knife and a large number of tomatoes

Firefly sweet tea vodka

2008-08-20T08:10:00.001-05:00

Firefly sweet tea vodka is Fluffy-approved.
We are excellent writers.

You're thinking, "woah, Papa, that's a bold statement. How exactly did you decide that was true?"

It's a simple matter of logic. John T. Edge is an excellent writer. John T. is our peer. Therefore, we are excellent writers.

"Sure, Papa, we all love John T., but this peer thing?"

Simple. John T. is our greatest source of peer pressure. His advice in Southern Belly sent us to the depths of southern Louisiana for excellent food. Now, a recent Gourmet blog piece has sent us rushing to the liquor store. Twice.

Thanks to John T., we are hooked on Firefly sweet tea vodka. At a recent casual dinner for three, we had the vodka mixed with a mint simple syrup and poured over ice. We nearly polished off the entire bottle during that dinner.

Yes, it sounds like a gimmick, but it isn't. It's a decent drink. Smooth tea with a kick. And best of all, it's made on an island just offshore from Charleston, South Carolina.

It's worth a try for sweet-tea-loving Southerners. I know that Kimbrough Liquors and Busters Liquors carry it. I'm not sure about our local favorite, Joe's Liquor. I need to check into that.

And while you are there buying your sweet tea vodka, ask them to order Firefly's muscadine wine flavor vodka too.

The Squirrelly 100

2008-08-19T08:34:00.001-05:00

Everybody else is doing it, so we thought we should give this meme a squirrelly twist. Yes, we didn't exactly follow the rules, but then there are three of us over here. Just going through this list with Squirrelly, Jr., has him planning to blow our budget so he can change some of his answers. Anyway, here we go.

How the Omnivore's 100 works:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you've eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Optional: Post a comment at Very Good Taste, linking to your results.

Our Omnivore's 100:

The Item	Mama 75/22/3	Papa 64/33/3	Teh Boy 52/43/5
1. Venison (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
2. Nettle tea	No	No	No
3. Huevos rancheros	Yes	Yes	Yes
4. Steak tartare (blogged)	Yes	Yes	No
5. Crocodile	No, but we all love 'gator.
6. Black pudding	No	No	No
7. Cheese fondue	Yes	Yes	Yes
8. Carp	No	No	No
9. Borscht	Yes	Yes	No
10. Baba ghanoush (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
11. Calamari	Yes	Yes	Yes
12. Pho	Yes	Yes	Yes
13. PB&J sandwich	Yes	Yes	Yes
14. Aloo gobi	Yes	Yes	No
15. Hot dog from a street cart	God bless Lucky Dogs.
16. Epoisses	No	No	No
17. Black truffle (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes	Yes	Yes	Yes
19. Steamed pork buns (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
20. Pistachio ice cream	Yes	Yes	Yes
21. Heirloom tomatoes (blogged)	Straight out of the backyard even.
22. Fresh wild berries	Yes	Yes	Yes
23. Foie gras (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
24. Rice and beans	Yes	Yes	Yes
25. Brawn or head cheese (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper	Yes	No	No
27. Dulce de leche	Yes	Yes	Yes
28. Oysters (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
29. Baklava	Yes	Yes	Yes
30. Bagna cauda	No	No	No
31. Wasabi peas	Yes	Yes	Yes
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl	Both, but not together.
33. Salted lassi	Yes	Yes	No
34. Sauerkraut	Yes	Yes	Yes
35. Root beer float (blogger)	Yes	Yes	Yes
36. Cognac with a fat cigar	No	No	Not that we know of.
37. Clotted Cream Tea	No	No	No
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O	Yes	No	No
39. Gumbo (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
40. Oxtail (blogged)	Yes	Yes	No
41. Curried goat	Goat and curry, but not together.
42. Whole insects	Yes	No	Never
43. Phaal	No	No	No
44. Goat's milk (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more	No	No	No
46. Fugu	Mama wouldn't let us.		No
47. Chicken tikka masala	Yes	Yes	Yes
48. Eel	Yes	Yes	Yes
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut	Yes	Hell yes.	Yes
50. Sea urchin	Yes	Yes	No
51. Prickly pear (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
52. Umeboshi	Yes	No	No
53. Abalone	Yes	No	No
54. Paneer	Yes	Yes	Yes
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal	Yes	Yes	No
56. Spaetzle (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
57. Dirty gin martini	Yes	No	No
58. Beer above 8% ABV	Yes	Yes	No
59. Poutine (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
60. Carob chips	Yes	Yes	No
61. S'mores (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
62. Sweetbreads (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
63. Kaolin	No	No	No
64. Currywurst	No	No	No
65. Durian	Yes	No	No
66. Frog's legs (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
68. Haggis	No	No	Never
69. Fried plantain	Yes	Yes	Yes
70. Chitterlings or andouillette	Never	Never	Never
71. Gazpacho (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
72. Caviar and blini	No	No	No
73. Louche absinthe	No	No	No
74. Gjetost or brunost	Yes	No	Yes
75. Roadkill	Never	Never	Never
76. Baijiu	No	No	No
77. Hostess Fruit Pie	Yes	Yes	Yes
78. Snail (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Never
79. Lapsang Souchong	Yes	Yes	No
80. Bellini	Yes	No	No
81. Tom Yum	Yes	Yes	Yes
82. Eggs Benedict	Yes	Yes	Yes
83. Pocky	Yes	Yes	Yes
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu	A 2 star and 2 1 stars.
85. Kobe beef (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
86. Hare (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
87. Goulash	Yes	Yes	No
88. Flowers	Yes	Yes	Yes
89. Horse	No	No	No
90. Criollo chocolate	Yes	Yes	Yes
91. Spam (blogged)	Yes	Yes	No
92. Soft shell crab	Yes	Yes	Yes
93. Rose harissa	No	No	No
94. Catfish (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
95. Mole poblano (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
96. Bagel and lox	Yes	Yes	Yes
97. Lobster Thermidor	Yes	No	No
98. Polenta (blogged)	Yes	Yes	Yes
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee	Yes	Yes	No
100. Snake	No	No	No

Memphis Farmers Market Dinner at River Oaks

2008-08-18T09:30:00.001-05:00

Tonight, the Memphis Farmers Market dinner series moved to River Oaks. This seasonal meal celebrated local products beautifully.

One
Tomatoes
Local tomatoes, scallop mousseline, chorizo broth
Schlumberger, Riesling, Alsace, '05
Multiple varieties of cherry tomatoes were peeled and served alongside a dollop of scallop mousseline. The chorizo broth was very light and complemented without overpowering the delicate flavors of the tomatoes and the scallop.

Two
Squash and Corn
Seared trout, summer squash, corn ratatouille, corn nage
Flora Springs "Solilogy", Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA '06
Tender trout fillets rested on a bed of squash and corn ratatouille. The real star of this course was the corn nage. This was a silky smooth sauce that was the perfect essence of fresh sweet corn. Sopping may be a little out of the norm for dinners at River Oaks, but this nage was well worthy of sopping.

Three
Blueberries
Arkansas quail, blueberries and pheasant spoon bread
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR '06
The blueberries were definitely the star of this course. Quail breast rested on a round of spoon bread that was dotted through with fresh blueberries and a sweet blueberry sauce that perfectly complemented the savory flavors.

Four
Legumes
"Deckel" rib of beef, pink lady pea fritter, haricot verts, madeira glace
Novelty Hills, Cabernet Sauvignon, WA '05
Slices of perfectly medium rare beef rested in a pool of glace with a side of crisp hericot verts and the fritter. The fritter was a crisp ball of batter and tiny peas that gave it almost a nutty flavor.

Five
Peaches, Strawberries, Cheese
Brulee of Bonny Blue Farms feta, poached peach, strawberry gelato, vanilla beignet
King Estate, Pinot Gris, Vin Glace, OR '06
A slice of feta was quickly bruleed with sugar to keep the texture solid. the feta rested on a poached peach half with a small scoop of strawberry gelato and a beignet on the side. All of the flavors and textures worked well together to provide a perfect ending to the meal.

Squirrellyisms Ed. 14, Op. 1

2008-08-16T17:14:00.002-05:00

Squirrelly, Jr., at the Memphis Farmers Market, on his fourteenth birthday:

Ooh! Eggplant!

What have you done to me?

He got his eggplant. We also bought him a cinnamon roll for breakfast. We're not monsters.

Happy birthday, Teh Boy.

Eggplant Naploleons

2008-08-15T09:01:00.001-05:00

In our most recent CSA basket from Downing Hollow Farms, we found lovely slender eggplants. Once we saw that we had tomatoes that also had the same slender shape and fresh basil, we knew what to do — eggplant Napoleons.

I made nice long, thin slices of eggplant with the mandolin. I made not so nice slices of tomato. Mama Squirrel dipped the eggplant in an egg wash then in panko bread crumbs. Fried quickly in olive oil, and they were ready to go. A slice of eggplant, a slice of tomato, a smear of taleggio cheese, and a couple basil leaves. Repeat. Top with one more slice of eggplant.

We made things pretty with the last of the tomato slices and taleggio cheese and more basil leaves. OK, it wasn't exactly pretty, but it was darned tasty.

What is this???

2008-08-14T13:35:00.001-05:00

It's creamy, sweet, and... different. It's also an independent Squirrelly, Jr., creation.

Anybody want to take a guess?

Give up? Check it out here for the answer.

Our boy is... different

2008-08-13T07:28:00.000-05:00

On a recent visit to the Memphis Farmers Market, I was hungry, so I went to get a muffin. Squirrelly, Jr., was hungry too. He had ten bucks of his own money, but I sprung for breakfast. I figured he would want to hang onto his cash for something cool.

So what did Teh Boy think was cool? Video games? MP3 downloads? Candy? No, our boy is... different.

Our boy went to see Tim of The Gracious Garden. Our boy's mad money went for a batch of zephyr squash and two huge and absolutely beautiful brandywine tomatoes. Our boy loves tomato sandwiches and squash more than candy and fast food.

Our boy is not totally crazy though. On a recent trip to his Nana's, she made boiled squash and onion. His comment? "It's just wrong to do that to squash." That's my boy.

Tiny Tomato Frittata

2008-08-12T14:30:00.004-05:00

This has been a wonderful tomato summer. One of our favorite activities every Friday has been to take a look at the variety of tomatoes that we're getting in our CSA box from Downing Hollow Farm. Some of our favorites have been the very small ones that have come in every color. But what can you do with tomatoes that tiny? Yes, they're great just to pop in your mouth or in a salad, but we wanted to find more to do with them.

Our favorite experiment has turned out to be our tiny tomato frittata. It's a quick and simple preparation that lets the flavor of the tomatoes really stand out, and it gives us something else to do with eggs. One word of caution: if you're using whole tiny tomatoes like we were, be careful on those first few bites. The juices inside the tomatoes taste absolutely wonderful, but they do get very hot.

Tiny Tomato Frittata

1 c tiny tomatoes, rinsed and de-stemmed
12 leaves fresh basil, chiffonaded
6 beaten eggs
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 c Parmesan or other hard cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat broiler.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Saute whole tomatoes until skins start to pucker, about 3 minutes. You can used halved cherry or grape tomatoes, but you will need to drain off the liquid they release.

Add basil chiffonade and continue to saute until basil is crisped.

Arrange tomatoes evenly across the skillet in a single layer. Pour in beaten eggs slowly so as not to clump the tomatoes. Do not disturb the egg mixture after pouring into the skillet.

Watch the eggs to see that the bottom has set and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the skillet, about 2 minutes. The top should still be runny. Remove from the heat.

Quickly sprinkle shredded Parmesan evenly over the eggs or shred directly over with a Microplane grater.

Move skillet to preheated broiler until cheese is melted and eggs are cooked through and puffy.

Slice and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and fresh basil leaves.

Pot Likker Film Festival — Oxford

2008-08-11T12:20:00.001-05:00

The Southern Foodways Alliance will hold its Pot Likker Film Festival on Friday, August 22, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Powerhouse in Oxford, MS.

The Squad attended last year's festival in Houston. Believe me, Pot Likker is far more than a bunch of folks sitting in a dark room watching movies.

Here is the SFA's info:

EATS: Potlikker Shots from Mama Jo's of Oxford. And three catfish riffs, from across the South:

Catawba River Salt and Pepper Catfish, Dan Huntley of the Carolinas
Arkansas Rice-Crusted Catfish, Lee Richardson of Little Rock, Arkansas
Thin-Shaved Catfish, the Ladies of Middendorf's of Manchac, Louisiana

FILMS: King Corn, that muckraking take on our nation's newfangled grain addiction. Plus an homage to muscadine wine. And Greek hotdogs. And a short Joe York biopic, on Lynn Hewlett of Taylor Grocery fame. And more.

MUSIC: Dent May DJ's the Blount Box, a collection of food songs compiled by Roy Blount, Jr.

DRINKS: Expect Jack Daniel's Tea Punch and more from Lazy Magnolia.

ADMISSION by advance reservation, is a measly $35.

To REGISTER download a registration form here, fill it out, and fax to (662) 915-5814. Events sell out quickly, and early registration is encouraged. Please do NOT use a cover sheet when sending your fax. Registrations will be confirmed via e-mail.

Memphis Farmers Market Dinner at Restaurant Iris

2008-08-01T21:04:00.005-05:00

I know. It's been almost 2 weeks since the dinner. We're horrible bloggers who care more about showing off our baby chickens instead of telling you about a really great meal. It's true. We suck. A lot.

But we didn't forget, and the Memphis Farmers Market dinner was truly a dinner worth writing about. Kelly and the crew at Restaurant Iris always provide a great dining experience, and this meal was no exception.

We started with the pate of West Wind chicken, Squirrel eggs and duck paired with a 2007 pinot gris from Lachini Vineyard in Oregon. This was a rich soft pate topped with pinot gris jelly that was absolutely addictive spread on toast points with a dab of Creole mustard. Yes, those were our eggs in there binding it together. We really were surprised, but thrilled, that our chicken-butt fruit made the menu.

The first course was warm Bonnie Blue goat cheese salad, Ripley tomato marmalade and kudzu paired with a 2006 albarino from Licia, Rias Baixis in Spain. This all sounds deceptively simple, but this was a breaded, fried round of creamy goat cheese with a dollop of rich tomato on a fresh green salad with a kudzu vinaigrette. I really like cheese, and this was literally melt-in-your-mouth goat cheese. The salad was nice and all, but who needs green stuff when you can eat cheese like that?

The second course was Gulf shrimp with Delta Grind grits, andouille and piquillo paired with a 2006 pinot nero from Peter Zimmer, Alto Adige in Italy. Kelly's shrimp and grits are one of Squirrelly, Jr.'s, very favorite things in the whole world. His only complaint the whole night was that I didn't let him have my serving of this one. The grits were creamy, the sauce was a perfectly piquant complement to the lightness of the shrimp.

The main course was Neola Farms sirloin, Allan Benton hash and a marrow "bone" paired with a 2006 rosso from Paolo Scavino, Castiglione Falleto in Italy. This was honestly the most fun course of the evening. Of course, everything is better with bacon, so the hash was naturally divine. But the true star of the plate was the marrow "bone". This was a potato carved into a hollow tube and filled with a rich marrow mousse and short rib. It was beautiful and delicious.

Finally, we got to dessert. Kelly gave us a wine glass of Jones Orchard "cobbled" peaches. This was a scoop of Restaurant Iris's wonderful ice cream topped with a fresh blueberry sauce and perfect bite-sized morsels of sweet peach paired with a 2007 moscato d'asti from Saracco, Piedmont in Italy. It was a perfect end to a lovely meal.

If you missed this dinner don't worry. Restaurant Iris earned it's 4-star rating by proving meals like this every day, and there are still 3 more MFM dinners in the series. We'll be at all of them, so come on out and join us. We'll be better bloggers next time. We promise.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

2008-07-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

(If you are reading this on an RSS feed, click through to see the slideshow.)
We don't talk all that much about them, but we adore our chickens and their eggs. We also really enjoy sharing those eggs with our friends and family. Admittedly, we get more eggs than our little family of three can possibly hope to consume, but we don't get enough to share the bounty with everyone we would like to.

So... it was back to the chicken store to increase our flock. My Pet Chicken took our order, and then we waited until our babies were born and ready to come home. That would be yesterday. Our long-suffering mailman called this morning to tell us that he would be heading to our house first since he had this box for us that was chirping a lot. Want to get to know your mailman? Order baby chickens. You'll either have a new friend or you'll never get mail again.

We did our research and chose 10 more breeds to add to our family. Everyone arrived safe and sound this morning. And, yes, we named them with a theme again.

Truffle, a Barred Plymouth Rock
Cheesecake, a Buckeye
Trifle, a Jersey Giant
Charlotte, a New Hampshire Red
Parfait, a Light Brown Leghorn
Blueberry Muffin, a Blue Andalusian
Pudding, a Black Star
Pie, a Buff Orpington
Honey, a Blue Cochin
Fruitcake, a Golden Campine

Friends of James Beard Benefit

2008-07-22T20:44:00.003-05:00

(If you are reading this on an RSS feed, click through to see the slideshow.)
On Tuesday, July 16, River Oaks hosted a benefit dinner for the James Beard Scholarship Foundation. All those who attended got to enjoy a wonderful evening of fabulous cuisine by some of our best local chefs. Every course was beautifully prepared and paired with a wonderful selection of wines. It was truly a fitting menu to honor one of America's culinary legends.

Hors d'oeuvre provided by Clay Lichterman, formerly of Grill 83
Ginger and Lemon Pickled Halibut
Tender bite-sized cubes of halibut with a delicate flavor of ginger and lemon that enhanced the creamy texture of the fish without overpowering its natural sweetness.

Kumamoto Oyster and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho "Shot"
A succulent oyster floating in a perfect swallow of spicy, rich chilled soup.

Kobe Beef, Braised Short Rib and Foie Gras Slider with Tomato and Red Onion Marmalade
An absolutely decadent rendition of a hamburger with a lightly tangy condiment to offset the richness of the meat.

Caesar Salad Mousse with Micro Bacon and Crispy Bits
A delicate mousse of anchovies, cream and Parmesan paired with salty and crispy bacon and crouton bits.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Brut, Reims-France
Caymus Conundrum, California, 2006

First Course provided by Wally Joe of the Brushmark Restaurant at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Crudo of Hamachi and Tuna with Avocado Panna Cotta and Tomato Oil
SA Prum Reisling Kabinett, Germany, 2007
A beautifully simple preparation of two perfect varieties of tuna paired with both yellow and red tomato coulis served with a creamy and rich scoop of avocado panna cotta to provide a delicious counterpoint to the fish.

Second Course provided by Rick Farmer of Jarrett's
Pan Roasted Roulade of Alaskan Halibut, Wild King Salmon and Dungeness Crab on Seafood Risotto with Tomato Fondue and Fresh Basil
Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2006
The fish and crab melted together into a beautiful roll of pink and white sitting atop a delicately flavored yellow risotto with bright red and green swathes that tasted as wonderful as they looked.

Third Course provided by Ben Vaughn of River Oaks
Roasted Quail and Foie Gras with Red Onion Marmalade, Pain Perdu and Pancetta Crisp
Belle Glos "Meiomi", Pinot Noire, Sonoma Coast, 2006
Sweet, rich pain perdu topped with sticky sharp onion, salty pancetta, melting foie gras and savory quail that was a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

Fourth Course provided by Erling Jensen of Erling Jensen the Restaurant
Lightly Smoked Kobe Loin, Marrow Flan and Summer Greens with Lingon Berry Vinaigrette and Cabernet Reduction
Caymus "Special Select" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2005
Rare, smoky Kobe beef over creamy marrow custard with the richness counterpointed by the bright tartness of the vinaigrette and dark notes of the Cabernet.

Dessert Course provided by Jason Severs of Bari
Sweet Tomato Tortaloni with Reggiano Parmesan Gelato
A tiny pastry filled with sweet tomato and topped with a dollop of sharply cheesy gelato for a surprisingly less sweet touch that created a well paired cheese plate all in one bite.

Local Strawberry and Black Pepper Torta with Balsamic Gelato
Sweet strawberry with just a touch of pepper topped with rich, sweet-tart balsamic gelato.

Gorgonzola Cremaficato and Pear Torta with Basil Gelato
A tart filled with sharp, creamy cheese and sweetly melting pears beautifully matched with herbal basil to cleanse the palate.

King Estate, Vin Glace, Oregon, 2006

Martha Foose on WYPL Book Talk

2008-07-22T19:00:00.003-05:00

Martha Foose, author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook and all around excellent lady, was in town recently to record an episode of Book Talk on WYPL radio.

The episode aired last Saturday, and it is now available as a podcast. Martha is brilliant and funny. Her stories are as rich as her food. Check her out.

Our surreal supper at Iris

2008-07-21T21:59:00.005-05:00

On the heels of becoming only the sixth four-star restaurant in ten years of Commercial Appeal ratings, Kelly English hosted one of the series of farmers market dinners at Restaurant Iris on Sunday.

We ran into Kelly at the farmers market Saturday where he was stocking up on produce in preparation for the dinner. He told us that he had a surprise for me at the dinner. I was wondering if somehow he knew one of my favorite dishes and was preparing it.

Sunday evening, before dinner, I popped into the kitchen to say hello, and Kelly asked me if I had noticed my surprise yet. Since there was no food on the tables, I guessed it wasn't going to be my favorite dish. When I got back to the table, someone showed me the menu.

I can easily say that this was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. Suddenly I had gone from being just a guy who talks too much and eats way too much to being a provider of locally grown gourmet products to the hottest restaurant in town.

It was a tremendously proud moment for all the Squad. It's nice to go from being the nuts with the chickens in the backyard to being the nuts with the really good eggs.

As to the dinner, it was superb as is everything at Iris. Hopefully both Mama Squirrel and Bon Temps Squirrel will write more about the dinner soon. While you wait on their reviews, go ahead and call up for a reservation at Iris. They probably won't have the good eggs, but they will have everything else. And it will all be good.

Closing the Food Gap — Mark Winne at Davis Kidd

2008-07-20T21:57:00.003-05:00

Mark Winne, author of Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty, will be reading at Davis Kid at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 21.

Having been a part of the movement since the 1970s, serving as the executive director of the Hartford Food System, Mark Winne has an insider's view on what it's like to feed our country's hungry citizens.

Through the lens of Hartford, CT, a quintessential inner city bereft of decent food options apart from bodegas and fast food chains, he explains the successes he witnessed and helped to create: community gardens, inner city farmers' markets and youth-run urban farms.

Winne concludes his tale in our present food-crazed era, giving voice to low-income shoppers and exploring where they fit in with such 'foodie' discussions as local vs. organic. Closing the Food Gap is a calm and well-reasoned 'call to arms' to fight for policy reform.

I have been remiss in not posting this sooner. Every Saturday, going to the Memphis Farmers Market downtown, we drive down Vance Avenue. On the way to all that fresh, beautiful produce and meat, we pass neighborhoods full of people for whom the market is a foreign concept.

We pass convenience stores that are the primary source of groceries for many of the people. There are no restaurants to speak of in the area. The closest places I know of are the fast food joints that lie on the border of the business areas and the 'hood.

Every week we witness these under-served people while we are on the way to bounty. I am looking forward to hearing Winne read. Hopefully you can join us at Davis Kidd. If not, pick up a copy of his book. For those of us in the city, it speaks to a subject that is painfully close to all of us.

There's a new blogger in town

2008-07-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

Local food photographer and vegetarian Justin Fox Burks has branched out with a new food blog, The Chubby Vegetarian.

Justin is a superb photographer. He can make peanut butter and crackers look good. Well, ok, peanut butter and crackers are good, but he can make them look gorgeous.

Justin's photography can be seen on his website and in Edible Memphis magazine among other places.

Check out his blog. You don't have to give up meat to make use of his excellent vegetarian ideas.

Ouch! My Bank Account!

2008-07-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

Everything costs more these days. Everyone is starting to feel a budget pinch with gas prices and food costs rising. It seems like every major news outlet has been talking about it in at least one article a day. Some discuss the problem, some discuss long-term causes, and then some provide tips for getting by. That's where CNN went with it today.

The CNN piece offered tips for getting the most bang for your buck at the grocery store without making mistakes by falling for the grocery store marketing traps. Now, I agree that there are definitely some less-than-desirable tricks that stores try to pull to separate us from our money. The savvy consumer does have to be aware of these tricks and pay attention to what he's really getting for his money. But, I just can't agree with the options CNN gave.

1. Stocking up on a "great deal"

While a purchase may be a "great deal" in terms of dollar amount, it's only a deal if the food actually gets eaten. This is especially true for perishables like milk, eggs, and produce. Don't overbuy, even when the price is right.

Don't overbuy. That makes good sense, but it really depends on what you can do with what you buy. Perishables don't have to be perishable. Do you have room in your freezer? Milk can freeze and thaw just fine. What about pickled eggs? What about canning? Buy a bushel of tomatoes and can or freeze them. Buy fruits in large quantities and make jellies or freeze them for pies and smoothies. They're right when they say that it's not a deal unless you eat it, but what they leave out is that you really don't have to eat it right now.

2. Reaching for the "value" size

The concept of getting a better price when you buy the larger package is generally accepted, but many companies have now wised up to our assumptions.

To be sure you're getting the best value for your money, check the unit price: it's the number on the shelf tag that says how much the item costs per ounce or pound. That way, it's a no-brainer to calculate whether the larger or smaller can of tomato sauce is the better buy.

There are some exceptions to the unit pricing guideline: poultry and meats. For instance, don't assume that buying a whole chicken is cheaper than buying parts separately. In this case you'll want to calculate the cost per serving rather than per unit. A whole chicken may be cheaper per pound, but that includes a lot of inedible material, like bone and skin.

Yes, you should definitely check the unit price. A bigger box does not necessarily mean a better value. But the chicken? Inedible material? I think not. A whole chicken can be a lot more than a single meal. Sure you can roast it, turn the leftover meat into chicken salad and then boil the bones and leftover skin for stock (more than once even, just be aware that the stock will get weaker every time you boil the bones). Don't want to roast the chicken skin? Fine. Cut the chicken into parts and use the meat the way you were planning. You can still use the bones for stock and poach any leftover meat along with it for chicken salad or a silky filling for enchiladas or tamales. But what about the skin and fat? Take a page from Francis Lam, culinary genius extraordinaire. Chicken cracklins. Just think about that for a few minutes.

3. Scooping up 10 for $10

"Wow," we think, "4 soda packs for $10? That's a steal!" It is, but does any one household really need 48 cans of soda? Not unless you're helping host a block party that week. But, unless is the ad specifies a minimum purchase, you can usually buy as little as you need while still taking advantage of the discount.

Again, it's all about how you use it and what your habits are. Is this something that you buy every week? Do you have the willpower to not use more than you normally do just because you have extra in the house? Do you have storage space so you won't be tripping over it? Then it is a good deal for you. From their example, for instance, if you drink one can per day and won't drink more just because it's there, it is a good deal.

4. Skipping the store brand

Store brands often get a bad rap, but really, not all store brands stink. During a blind taste test, supermarket expert Phil Lempert showed that for things like cereal, potato chips, and ginger ale, a large percentage of shoppers either couldn't tell the difference between generic and name brand, or even preferred the generic type. So do your own taste-tests at home, and figure out which name brands you can swap out.

This one can be tricky. Pay attention to the nutrition details. Store brands tend to be higher in sodium. Verify that the portion size is the same as the name brand. Does the store brand use high fructose corn syrup where the name brand uses sugar? Why not just take complete control of it yourself? Buy fresh products and make things from scratch. Cereal? Make homemade granola. Potato chips? Nothing in a bag compares to fresh homemade chips. Ginger ale? You really can make your own, or make a summer treat like fresh ginger lemonade. But you're worried about cost. Doesn't fresh cost more? It does tend to at the grocery store, but check your local farmer's market and you'll be surprised at how inexpensive some fresh ingredients can be when they're in season.

5. Shopping leisurely

Supermarket folks have long known that the more time you spend in a store, the more you'll spend. In fact, studies show that for each additional minute you spend in a grocery store past half an hour, you will likely spend between 50 cents and $1.

This one is really kind of scary. You may come out with a lower bill, but you won't have made informed nutritional or quality choices. If cantaloupes are on sale, but you didn't take the time to make sure that you were choosing a ripe one, you wasted your money. If you were rushing through and forgot something that you needed, your savings go out the window when you have to make another trip to the store. The real key is to know what you're going to buy before you get to the store and don't fall prey to impulse buys unless you can replace an entire planned meal based on something you see on sale.

6. Taking advantage of one-stop shopping

As long as you're already at the store, might as well pick up laundry detergent and light bulbs, right? Wrong. Supermarkets often price non-food household items 20 - 40 percent higher than discount stores, knowing that shoppers will buy them anyway out of convenience. So remember, grocery stores are for groceries only. Shop for toilet paper elsewhere.

This one I do agree with for the most part. Just make smart choices on what you buy. Two of the cheapest things you can buy anywhere are baking soda and vinegar. Two of the most gentle, effective and environmentally friendly cleaners are baking soda and vinegar. You'll be amazed at the number of cleaners you buy that you can eliminate just by learning what you can do with those two ingredients. Dull stainless steel or cooked on stains? Try scrubbing with a baking soda paste instead of buying a special stainless steel cleaner. Baking soda won't scratch enamel either. Towels just not smelling fresh out of the laundry? Try adding either baking soda or vinegar to the wash instead of buying special laundry additives. Spots on your glasses? Add vinegar to your rinse water to cut the soap residue on your dishes.

7. Clipping coupons religiously

We're not saying coupons are bad. Coupons can save you money, but the operative word is can. They don't save money if you use them to pick up expensive items that you wouldn't buy normally. They don't save money if you're only getting a few cents off a $5 purchase. Studies show that if a shopper has a coupon in hand, they usually won't check to see if what they're buying is actually a bargain.

So use them, but use them wisely. Head to Web sites like CouponMom.com and MyGroceryDeals.com to learn how to organize and strategize your coupon use. Then find out if the store doubles manufacturer's coupons, accepts competitor's store coupons, or allows you to combine coupons for the same item.

They've got some good points here about coupons. And keep in mind that the best products at the grocery store (fresh produce, fresh bread, good cheeses, better cuts of meat) won't ever have coupons. You'd do better looking for alternate options to processed products instead of looking for coupons.

8. Zoning in on "sale" signs

Just because it looks like a sale doesn't always mean it's on sale. For example, stores will create visual cues by using bargain bins, hanging promotional signs, or filling up endcaps (the displays at the end corners of each aisle) — all using items that are actually full-price.

Or, they'll compare a sale price to a list price, except the list price has been hiked up to offer a deeper discount. So track prices of items you buy on a regular basis so you can evaluate a good deal when you see one, and read the small print, watching out for signage that uses faux-sale language like "everyday low price."

Ouch. This one is a trust factor, and these analysts are telling you that you really can't trust the grocery store. They're going to use some truthfully dishonest methods to try to get your money. Now, you have options here. You can take the time to comparison shop and read all the details (even though CNN thinks taking that time is going to make you spend more money), or you can shop with people you trust. We talk a lot on here about knowing your producers. Here's another reason why. The farmers selling at the farmer's market aren't getting rich or reporting windfall profits by doing what they do. The same product may cost more from a small farmer than from a big name grocery store, but if it does, that's because there were other factors involved like bad weather or increased transportation costs that he has to pass on to you sooner than the big store does. But he's not cheating you. He's able to look you in the eye and tell you exactly why that tomato costs what it does. You're not going to get that at the grocery store.

9. Making a list

Proponents of list-making says that it helps them remember what they need and avoid impulse purchases, but Robyn Moreno, the consumer editor at Women's Day, says that shoppers with lists spend over 41 percent more than those who shop list-free.

The idea is not to chuck the list completely, but to chuck the idea of the shopping list as wish list. Plan lists around menus, keeping the store circular handy so that you can take advantage of specials.

This one is a little hard for me to swallow. I'd really like to see some of those lists. Personally, if I don't shop with a list, I'm going to forget something, and then I'll have to go again, wasting more gas. The only place we don't shop with a list is the farmer's market during the summer. Then we build our meal plan for the week from what we found there and make a list of the things we're missing to make those meals. Winter gets a lot more list intensive. Probably the biggest factor for us is knowing what's in the freezer and what's hiding in the pantry. Out of sight is out of mind, and it's easy to plan meals and make a list of ingredients and end up buying something that you already have if you don't check. I think if you're at the store and something looks good to you but it's not on your list, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy it. But you need to know how you're going to use it, and choosing to buy it should change your list. And make a list that makes sense. Produce that's in season should be cheaper than produce that's not. Eating seasonally can save money and taste better. Sometimes you just want a peach in January, but 9 times out of 10, you'll regret it if you buy one because it's not going to taste like a peach in July. The only times our lists hurt us is when something changes in our week that throws off our plans.

10. Watch the scanner for errors

Keep an eagle eye on the scanner and make sure you're getting charged the right prices. When items go on sale at the supermarket, the price change isn't always immediately updated on the store's computer listings, leading to overcharges at the cashier's.

IT business magazine InformationWeek estimated that American consumers lose $2.5 billion to supermarket scanner overcharges per year, so it pays to keep your eyes peeled.

$2.5 billion? That's a whole lot of money. Imagine what that money could do for our education system. Probably the easiest way to get around this one is to make more smaller trips even though that's an inconvenience. It's a lot easier to remember what 10 items cost than it is to remember what 50 items cost. Of course, it can also go back to buying from people you can trust who aren't trying to manage a huge inventory system where it's all too easy to make pricing mistakes.

Really, saving money on food costs is not going to be something you can make happen without changing habits. And you're going to have to consciously decide to change those habits. It's easy to decide to plan to cook from scratch and eat at home. It's a lot harder to face going into the kitchen after a long day at work, putting all the effort into cooking a meal and then look at having to clean up after it all when it would be so much easier to just go out. But it really can impact your wallet.

Saving money can mean spending more time making things that you're used to buying. It can mean having to plan ahead more. Dry beans are cheaper than canned beans, but you're going to have to allow for the time to soak the dry beans before you cook them. Homemade bread is wonderful and cheap, but it takes time. Tomatoes you canned yourself will make your winter spaghetti sauces so much better than canned tomatoes from the store, but you have to take the time time to do that canning.

If you really want cheap vegetables, grow them yourself. But that takes time and care. You have to plant at the right times. You have to weed and water and watch for pests. You have to harvest. But a single packet of squash seed costs less than a pound of squash and will produce more than your whole family can eat in a summer. That's definitely something to consider.

You also have to decide what's important to you when it comes to saving money. Is purchasing an organic product worth a cost difference? Is the time required to go to a farmer's market worth the savings? Are the savings of growing a garden worth all the work required to do it? As for us, we'd rather spend a little more but give our money to local farmers. For us, it's worth waking up early on Saturday mornings to be at the farmer's market when the selection is best. It's worth buying a whole chicken to put away 2 gallons of stock that we can use for soups and risottos later. It's worth the time to store produce away this summer so that we'll have it in the winter.

I can't tell you the best way for you to save money. Neither can CNN. My advice is don't overthink it. Do what makes sense to you and what works for you. Eat well, and eat happy.

Orlando — the journey and more

2008-07-08T22:07:00.000-05:00

So we drove to Orlando and back home again. After breakfast in Oxford, we headed for Birmingham for the afternoon. While Big Bad Breakfast kept us filled up for a while, there were snacks in Birmingham that we just couldn't resist. For those not familiar with downtown Birmingham, there are a lot of empty storefronts and old highrises in the process of turning into condos. There are also hidden gems like Pete's Famous where you can stand at the counter and savor a hotdog and orangeade in an atmosphere that hasn't really changed much since 1925.

Our second day started in Atlanta with an exploration of the bounty of ethnic restaurants along Buford Highway. Buford Highway offers a rare chance to see Chinese restaurants nestled against Mexican taquerias right next door to Vietnamese pho and bahn mi shops, Cuban sandwich shops, and Korean barbecues. The variety is overwhelming and wonderful. It would be easy to spend a month just wandering and sampling all the exotic flavors, but we had to get to Savannah in time for supper at Desposito's.

Our third morning found us wandering through the squares of historic Savannah. We decided on breakfast at Clary's to soak up some Savannah atmosphere. Before we got out on the road again, we drove out to Tybee Island to see the ocean. Then it was time to get to Orlando.

Since this was a trip for business and not pleasure, we didn't hit any of the theme parks. Aside from the theme parks, Orlando does have a lot to offer. There is some great architecture around the city, and a lot of food options away from International Drive. Of course, there's also Ikea. Oh Ikea, how I long for you to come here with your stylish yet reasonably priced furnishings and housewares and your addictive little meatballs with lingonberries on the side. Who wants Bass Pro at the Pyramid? Let's get our priorities straight and get an Ikea in there. Oh well.

So after four days of Orlando (Papa has recounted the highlights for you), it was time to head home. But we couldn't head back the same way we got there. We decided to head back through Mobile, AL. We ended up spending most of our time there in Fairhope instead and enjoyed every minute of it.

It was a long road trip, but a good one. We found places we enjoyed and places that we look forward to visiting in the future.

Super Summer Pasta

2008-07-07T21:23:00.003-05:00

Believe it or not, one of Squirrelly, Jr.'s very favorite foods is squash. I know. He's just weird.

But a mom has to take advantage of a child's particular weirdnesses. So, I've been working on different ways to make squash for him. Generally, he prefers it sauteed instead of boiled. No surprise there - I'm in total agreement with him on that. Baked squash works for him, too, though.

Of course, man cannot live on squash alone. Besides, we had absolutely beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes in our CSA basket from Downing Hollow Farm this week along with zucchini and assorted summer squash. We just had to put it all together with a little something special we brought back for Teh Boy from Harmoni Market in Orlando.

Super Summer Pasta

1 lb Squid Ink Angel Hair Pasta (You can substitute regular pasta.)
3 zucchini squash, julienned
1/2 c minced onion
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
10 leaves of basil, chiffonade-cut
3 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 c of pasta cooking liquid. Toss pasta with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

In hot pasta pan, saute onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper until translucent.

Add zucchini ribbons and toss to coat. Saute until ribbons begin to bend, approximately 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes and basil. Saute for 2 minutes until tomatoes are beginning to release juice and zucchini is tender.

Add pasta, reserved liquid and remaining olive oil. Toss to blend all ingredients together. Serve immediately.

Orlando envy

2008-07-06T10:39:00.001-05:00

For the most part, I wouldn't want to live in Orlando — too much traffic, too many tourists. There are some excellent restaurants. Harmoni Artisan Meal Market, which Mama Squirrel and I visited this trip, and Melissa Kelly's Primo are among many. There are the great hole-in-the-wall places that we love too. Still, we have all that sort of thing in Memphis as well.

It wasn't until we stopped at Whole Foods for breakfast on our way out of town that I felt a twinge of jealousy.

Yes, we have an excellent Whole Foods here, but in Orlando, they can sell wine. Tennessee alcohol laws are absurd. Fredric Koeppel wrote about that recently. We'll be talking about it more too.

It was more than just the wine though. Eating locally takes on greater proportions in a tropical paradise. The first thing we saw on the way into the store was the nice selection of citrus trees. If you live in Florida, you too can reach out your dining room window for a lemon Clueless style.

You don't have to have the agrarian spirit either. The next thing we saw was mangoes. Local mangoes. And the big dispenser of fresh-squeezed and, yes, local orange and grapefruit juice. Next was the variety of local, wild-caught, sustainable seafood.

Still Orlando is a nice to visit, wouldn't want to live there place. But when we do visit, I think we'll torment ourselves with another visit to Whole Foods.

Memphis farmers markets and CSAs

2008-07-04T16:41:00.003-05:00

To our Memphis-bound reader, welcome back. Hopefully this info will answer your question and be useful to others as well.

The Agricenter does have a market Monday through Saturday. There is a Wednesday afternoon market at the Botanic Garden at Audobon Park. It and the Memphis Farmers Market downtown on Saturday are my favorites because they emphasize strictly local products.

Right now, there are only two CSAs, Downing Hill Farm and Whitton. Both cost $25 per week for a full share. So far, we think that price has been more than fair. The difficulty for a budget is that the CSA requires the investment upfront.

My suggestion is that you look for a copy of Edible Memphis magazine as soon as you get a chance. (Hint: Whole Foods/Wild Oats offers free copies.) Edible Memphis has a list of local restaurants that use local products along with info on the local markets. The stories and photography are great as well. And not just the ones by me.

Feel free to leave us a comment or question or email us for help.

Fairhope, Alabama

2008-07-03T19:34:00.000-05:00

Vacationing Martha Foose Style

Our friend, chef and author Martha Foose, was scheduled to make a stop on her Screen Doors and Sweet Tea book tour in Fairhope, Alabama. We were scheduled to pass very near there on our way home from Orlando. Unfortunately, we were to be there the day before she was.

We decided to drop by anyway. We thought it would be nice to leave her a note. As luck would have it, Martha was in town for a cooking demo that we didn't know about. Far from a note, we were able to spend time with Martha, listening to even more of her delightful stories and checking out some of what Fairhope has to offer.

To get a good picture of Fairhope. Imagine a smaller Oxford, Mississippi. With more humidity. Fairhope makes up for that by substituting Mobile Bay for Sardis Lake. Also, there is no university, but that means no game day traffic. Fairhope has a nice collection of shops and restaurants in a lovely setting. Here are the places we got to visit.

Village Peddler

Martha did her cooking demos here. We were able to sit in on a class as Martha made cantaloupe daiquiris, watermelon salsa, catfish en papillote, pecan rice pilaf, and blueberry cobbler. The store has a nice collection of kitchen accessories. We couldn't have received a warmer welcome to Fairhope.

Red or White

Red or White is the best wine shop we have visited in quite a while. Honestly, I didn't take time to browse the racks. I did, however, get to see their approach to the wine experience. We were able to stop in and share a bottle of wine while sitting on comfy couches talking to Martha and meeting excellent new friends.

Red or White also has a chef who cooks in the evening. Afternoons, he prepares small bites for wine pairings. We weren't able to stay for the day's tasting, but we did get to check out the case filled with cheese and charcuterie. Red or White is on our list of places to return to. Nothing could be better than a comfortable place to enjoy and learn about wine and food.

Panini Pete's

The first thing you notice at Panini Pete's is the row of Segways parked out front. You might be concerned that some modern day biker (Segwayer?) gang is in residence. Not to fear though. Panini Pete's just happens to provide the parking lot for the local Segway tour company. Pete himself owns a Segway. He praises its usefulness but warns against attempting BMX-style maneuvers with very specific descriptions of Segway physics.

The food was top notch. Martha tried the French poodle, a hot dog with onion confit and dijon mustard wrapped in a crepe. They were out of crepes, but the dog got no complaints as served on a bun. I had the roast beef panini. The gorgonzola spread won me over. Mama Squirrel had the mozzarella and tomato panini. Her reaction? "It's like a mater sammich, only different." She loved it.

Page & Palette

We started the day with coffee at Latté Da, the coffee bar at Page & Palette, so it was only appropriate that we end the day there. Page & Palette is a coffee shop, bookstore, and art supply store all in one. Actually, each part is in a separate bay, but they are open to one another and shopping there is like a relaxing stroll.

As Martha started her book signing, we had to say farewell and continue our journey home. I think we'll be back to Fairhope though.

Now with 100% less bread!

2008-07-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

While Mama Squirrel and I were in line to check out at Whole Foods, she noticed something very odd, wheat-free, gluten-free bread crumbs.

Now I know about gluten allergies. I have a good friend who is affected. I have also had some of the excellent flourless brownies that he makes. I have been to excellent sushi meals with him because he can have rice all day long.

I am all in favor of products that will help folks like my friend, but bread-free bread crumbs? That one leaves me a bit dizzy with the seeming contradiction.

Bon Temps and the CSA basket

2008-07-01T15:09:00.003-05:00

While we were in Orlando, Bon Temps Squirrel was gracious enough to pick up our first CSA basket. Since we were gone for over a week, she was also gracious enough to eat it for us. Here is her report.

Community Supported Agriculture groups (CSAs) are a proactive way to support local farmers and enjoy the best the season has to offer in fresh produce. Locavores in the Memphis area have been wishing for a CSA group to enter our community for years.

This year, Downing Hollow Farm answered the call. Lori and Alex Greene bring the best of their Olive Hill, Tennessee, farm to their pre-committed patrons every Friday afternoon. They are dedicated to producing a variety of fresh produce using strictly organic growing principles.

Their first week brought bunches of fresh kale and chicory greens, baby squash of multiple varieties, green beans, baby radishes, baby cucumbers, spaghetti squash, lush salad greens, tomatoes and fresh herbs.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the flavorful little baby cucumbers. We thinly sliced them up with some fresh carrots and sweet onions and covered them with rice-wine vinegar and some seasonings. It was a perfect hot summer night side dish. We also steamed the greens with just a little lemon, salt and pepper — they were so earthy and flavorful.

Lori also includes recipes with her weekly offerings just in case you need a few ideas to get you going. It’s almost like being a little kid again excitedly looking through your Easter basket. We can’t wait to see what bountiful surprises await us the rest of the summer!

Why Orlando is the happiest place on earth

2008-06-26T20:42:00.000-05:00

They have a Checkers where you can go inside and sit down to eat!

Shabu-shabu?

2008-06-26T08:40:00.001-05:00

While walking like rats in a maze at Ikea, Mama Squirrel and I were discussing whether to have fancy Japanese near the hotel or to eat our weight in Swedish meatballs at Ikea.

During the discussion, I believe we hit upon what is sure to be the dining sensation of the millennium, Shamu-shabu (© ® Patent Pending. Offer void where prohibited. (Sorry, Tennessee!)) You get all the spectacle of an aquarium show and a hibachi show all rolled (sushi-rolled?) into one. Just remember, the first six rows may be splashed. With hot oil no less.

(We ate the meatballs. And a gravad laks appetizer. And a dessert sampler. And all for less than one shabu-shabu.)

Edible Therapy is back!

2008-06-26T08:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, Macrae is back blogging. She marks her return with a yummy-looking corn salad.

While we are delighted to have our esteemed fellow blogger writing and cooking again, it did not escape our notice that she took advantage of our absence to raid the Memphis Farmers Market early for all the good stuff.

Well, I suppose someone had to get it. And it looks like it was all put to good use. Go check out that salad. You'll see.

Desposito's Seafood Restaurant, Savannah, Georgia

2008-06-25T21:20:00.002-05:00

Almost everyone wants to sample the local flavor when they're in a different city. Some cities can be absolutely overwhelming in the wealth of unique choices available to eaters both timid and adventurous. Savannah is most assuredly one of those cities.

There are plentiful choices available for any taste or budget. The historic downtown alone provides enough dining options to tempt most tourists into never venturing away from the picturesque cobbled streets and antebellum homes. So why leave downtown? Desposito's.

First things first: plan before you go. Get directions. Print a map. Be hungry.

Desposito's is a classic coastal crabshack. Located just across the Wilmington River on the Isle of Armstrong, down a tiny side road where the only sign is an arrow to mark your turn, it's easy to get lost even with directions and a map. Don't be disheartened, though, Desposito's is worth finding, and the location really couldn't be better.

You see, Desposito's buys all of its shrimp from an independent local shrimper who docks his boats literally steps from the restaurant. There's a lot of advertising out there about wild American shrimp. Eating fresh Georgia shrimp at Desposito's is really all the advertisement you'll need. Like the bumper sticker on the bar says, "Friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp."

Like I said, Desposito's is a crabshack. It's primarily a local spot, but you won't feel out of place at all for being a tourist. The tables are covered in newspaper, and you can expect to get a little messy while you enjoy their fare. This is food you have to work to get to in every sense. But it's so worth every effort.

The menu is simple, but delicious. You can get crab legs, boiled shrimp, steamed oysters, or blue crabs in season. They also serve some of the best shrimp salad I've ever eaten. Try your shrimp as part of a low country basket. You'll get a half pound of shrimp with sausage, potatoes and buttery corn on the cob. And don't ignore the cocktail sauce. David makes it from scratch, and it's more of a hot sauce instead of just being ketchup doctored up with horseradish. While the shrimp salad sandwich is great all on its own, it turns into something divine when you dip it in the cocktail sauce.

Still hungry? Good. The key lime pie is absolutely perfect. It's a tangy, rich custard in a sweet graham cracker crumb crust. No whipped cream to tone it down and no green dye at all.

Desposito's is one of those places that would be all too easy for a tourist to miss. Don't let that happen to you. Make the effort. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. And tell them those crazy Memphis people with the camera sent you. I promise, they'll feed you anyway.

Desposito's Seafood Restaurant
1 Macceo Dr
Savannah, GA 31410
(912) 897-9963

Where in the world is Mama Squirrel?

2008-06-20T22:20:00.002-05:00

The first reader to guess where this picture was taken wins a very special prize.

Ice cream throwdown

2008-06-18T21:46:00.003-05:00

In what was sure to be a battle for the ages, Squirrelly, Jr., challenged the Viking to an ice cream throwdown. Or maybe it was the Viking who challenged Teh Boy. Not that it matters.

What matters is that the Viking is a writer, educator, and professional chef who has cooked at the Beard House. And Teh Boy is thirteen. Precocious enough to have made ice cream completely unsupervised, but still thirteen.

Our good friend and fellow blogger, Deliberately, provided the arena for the battle when he and his lovely family invited us to their home for a potluck. Mama Squirrel and I brought tamales. Teh Boy brought three flavors of ice cream — peach-ginger, ancho buttermilk, and Abita Purple Haze raspberry. The Viking countered with two — chocolate and coconut-peanut.

I am very proud of Teh Boy, but I can still be a reasonably objective observer. I think Teh Boy's ice creams were excellent. His peach-ginger was the best. The biggest difference I noticed was that Teh Boy's had larger ice crystals. The Viking's were amazing. The chocolate was my favorite. It was a deep, rich cocoa chocolate with bits of candied orange peel.

The Viking is a chef, and an excellent one at that. That he made a perfectly smooth and delicious pair of ice creams was no surprise. But there was a surprise.

Let's preface this with some back story. Two years ago, the Viking and his better half, the Honeybee, came to Memphis in May to experience the barbecue contest. To simplify a bit, they looked at each other and said, "we should move here."

Just over a year ago, they moved here. During Memphis in May. Barbecue.

Now, the surprise. Our meat-loving chef friend made vegan ice cream. I didn't have the chance to ask him for details. I do know that his chocolate was soy milk based, and his coconut-peanut was made with coconut milk.

If the Viking is willing to share the recipe, I'll post it here. Until then, I need to buy Teh Boy more sugar and half & half.

Blue Grass and Brown Whiskey

2008-06-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

The Southern Foodways Alliance has announced its eighth annual field trip. This time, the gang is going to Louisville, Kentucky, for Blue Grass and Brown Whiskey.

This is an opportunity to spend three days experiencing the best Louisville has to offer in food and otherwise. The Squad can personally vouch for the superb time and the splendid people that are to be experienced at SFA events.

Check out the event. Consider joining SFA. No organization is doing more to record and preserve Southern food traditions. And no organization has more fun doing it.

That's just not right

2008-06-11T19:44:00.001-05:00

First our cat hacks our blog and now this. Clearly, rescued does not imply grateful.

Interim Farmers Dinner — The Event

2008-06-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

The farmers dinner at Interim Restaurant was a tremendous success in every way. It was heartening to see the large crowd of diners, all anxious not just for what was sure to be a superb meal, but for the opportunity to support local farmers and to learn more about them. The room was absolutely alive with energy.

The meal was superb as should be clear from the menu. This was, of course, due to a combination of fantastic ingredients and talented chefs. Our friend and dining companion the Viking was dead on when he said, "these greens are diabolically fresh."

The participation of four of Memphis's finest chefs was sure to be interesting. Interim's executive chef Jackson Kramer stepped to the fore with this event. Conceiving of and coordinating an event of this magnitude and making it a stellar success shows Kramer as so much more than a great cook. It shows that, at his tender young age, he is truly becoming a great leader, a great chef.

Fred Carl, founder of Viking Range Corporation and owner of Interim, speaks highly of Kramer. "I'm the one that hired Jackson. I'm proud of that. He really saved our, ahem, when we were in flux here," Carl said.

The sense of community at Interim was not just among the diners. The chefs were clearly thrilled to be working together and to be working with the farmers.

Stephen Hassinger of the Inn at Hunt-Phelan is a prominent force behind the movement to use local ingredients. Clay Lichterman recently left Grill 83, but the buzz at dinner was that he would soon be announcing something very interesting. Kelly English of Restaurant Iris spent several years at N'awlins in Tunica, but he is new to the Memphis scene. Nonetheless, he is already making a name for himself with his culinary talents.

If you missed the Interim dinner, never fear. The Memphis Farmers Market series of dinners will run throughout the summer giving you a chance to sample the best of ingredients given the best of treatment. And don't wait for a special event. Stop by any and all of these restaurants to eat and to say thank you for keeping local food alive.

Interim Farmers Dinner — The Menu

2008-06-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

Amuse Bouche
Spiced cucumber slices and strawberry sorbet with balsamic vinegar
Joe Cartwright and Josh Belencia, Interim
Canella Brut Rose, Italy

Market Salad
Whitton Flowers & Produce lettuces, baby carrots and beets,
local goat cheese, and grilled onion vinaigrette
Stephen Hassinger, The Inn at Hunt-Phelan
Canella Brut Rose, Italy

Fried Boudin
Neola Farms beef, local pork,
caramelized spring onion, ravigote, and garden sage
Kelly English, Restaurant Iris
Kracher Pinot Gris, Austria

Butter-poached Freshwater Prawns
Bluebird Farm green beans, sugar snap peas, arugula, and lemon thyme
Laurel Farms freshwater prawns
Jackson Kramer, Interim
Pieropan Soave Classico, Italy

Roasted New York Strip
Neola Farms beef, spring vegetable ratatouille, and roasted garlic jus
Clay Lichterman, formerly of Grill 83
Cusamano Syrah, Italy

Strawberry Panna Cotta and Pecan Baklava
Windermere Farm strawberries,
local pecans and honey, and sweetened local goat cheese
Jeff Lewis, Interim
Felsina Vin Santo, Chianti Classico, Italy

Cooking Around Town

2008-06-10T19:43:00.003-05:00

We've had several people lately ask about cooking classes around Memphis. So, we've done some looking around and found quite a few options.

Viking Cooking School offers a great range of cooking classes for trainee chefs of all ages. Squirrelly, Jr., spent a really good week in one of their children's programs a few years ago. Papa and I have also attended some of their adult classes. The content is always well-planned and presented, and it's a great opportunity to play on a Viking range. You also get a chance to look around at all the great toys in the Viking store.

Mantia's offers seasonal classes. Alyce also offers the option to set up private cooking class parties. The classes are small and personal and give you a great opportunity to get involved and ask a lot of questions. Not only will Alyce's classes inspire you, but so will her store's fabulous inventory of international gourmet dry goods and cheeses.

Forty Carrots offers classes on a regular basis. They don't have a website, but call them at (901) 683-5188 to get the current class schedule. The shop is also a treasure trove of kitchen goodies that you may not even realize you need yet, but you will after browsing for a little while. The shop is also offering summer classes in conjunction with The University of Memphis through their summer continuing education program.

Whole Foods also offers classes and demos throughout the year. The topics range from lifestyle or ingredient specific classes to seasonal classes that will let you take advantage of the products that are at their peak.

Williams-Sonoma in Germantown also offers a selection of cooking classes and technique demonstrations. Just call the store at (901) 737-9990 to get the current schedule.

The Memphis Botanic Garden also offers their Taste of the Garden monthly cooking demos through the summer from local chefs followed by a nature walk to learn about the ingredients used.

Also, don't forget the chef demos every Saturday morning through October at the Memphis Farmers Market. You'll get to pick up recipes and techniques for seasonal ingredients from some of the best chefs in town.

But if all of that sounds too mundane, track down the May 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine. They have an excellent report on cooking vacations ranging from luxury to adventure, India to Italy.

Squirrels on the air

2008-06-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

Recently, Candice Ludlow of WKNO FM interviewed us for a piece about eating locally. The piece aired last week and can now be heard on their website.

Mama Squirrel was charming and funny while she talked about the chickens. I was, well, I was on the radio, when I talked about our friends.

And many of our friends were a part of the piece. Stephen Hassinger of the Inn at Hunt-Phelan, Keith Forrester of Whitton Flowers & Produce, Mike Lenagar of Neola Farms, and Lovell Pratcher of GrowMemphis were all featured in the piece.

Our chickens would totally do this

2008-06-09T17:24:00.003-05:00

I wouldn't put it past them. This is just the sort of mischief they would get up to. I like to think they would choose a better restaurant though. Or maybe the California hen was protesting McDonald's just like our cohort Carlo.

Adieu, Bon Appétit?

2008-06-09T07:13:00.002-05:00

First, Bon Appétit magazine went through a redesign that I suppose is meant to be fresh, but it left me cold. Their edgy, young design is about as edgy as a flyer for the prom. To each his own though. A team of professional designers and market researchers surely know more than I do with my collard greens and eggplant color scheme. Besides, it's the content that counts.

I was fine with the jaunty covers until last week when it arrived.

It was nigh unspeakable. At the very top, a banner proclaimed the latest issue as, "The BBQ Issue." And on the cover, a photo of an artfully designed cheeseburger.

Let's go through this slowly. You're outside. Outdoors. Out of doors. Out. You're cooking. It's a cookout. It's not barbecue.

It's 8 p.m. Everyone else is watching American Idol. You are watching your fire until it hits the right temperature. It's midnight, you are checking on the meat in the smoker. It's 4 a.m. You are adding wood to keep the smoke level right. It's noon, and you are beloved because yours is the best meat they have ever tasted. That is barbecue.

No, I'm not the expert. Yes, some folks would disagree with me on some points. You don't open the smoker. You can do it hot. It doesn't have to be low and slow. I don't deny that there are many nuances to barbecue. That's what makes it so beautiful.

Throwing a burger or a steak on the grill on Memorial Day, a beautiful salmon steak even, that's not barbecue. That's a cookout.

I haven't totally given up on Bon Appétit. There were some decent contents. A section on good summer beers and good cookout (and barbecue-eating) music. A survey of the best barbecue sauces. A very good piece on making slow-smoked beef brisket. A nice technique section explaining the different cuts of pork ribs. And, best of all, and interview with North Carolina pitmaster Ed Mitchell of Raleigh's The Pit.

On the other hand, the travel section? Of all the great barbecue cities that feature other benefits, which was featured? Liverpool. I don't know. Don't ask me. I will be keeping a close eye on the mag though. They gotta do better than this.

Farmers Market find of the week: Fluffy

2008-06-08T14:03:00.002-05:00

We have a pretty set routine for going to the Memphis Farmers Market on Saturday morning. Get up early, but never as early as we intended. Park at the south end of the market. Start our market trip with a quick chat with Mike Lenagar of Neola Farms. Make a loop of the market, buying goodies and talking to our friends. Wrap things up with a longer chat with Mike, then head home.

This week, Paul Williams of Jones Orchard threw off our routine just a bit, but more than enough to really shake things up.

Paul generously brought a basket of peaches and several cartons of strawberries to our Slow Food Memphis meeting at Cafe Eclectic. We wanted to return the basket and cartons to him for reuse, so we parked at the north end of the market to be closer to the Jones stall. And that is when I made my first mistake.

As we walked to the market, we couldn't help noticing that the folks from Save 1 Pet had puppies and kitties at the market for adoption. We managed to scoot on by and into the market.

We got most of our goodies and took them to the car. All that was left to do was to take the containers to Paul and buy some short ribs from Michael then we could go home. Walking by the puppies with an armload of strawberry containers, I made my second mistake. I looked at Mama Squirrel and asked, "do you want to play with the puppies while I finish up?"

Of course she said yes.

I dropped off the containers and headed down to see Mike. Halfway there, I ran into Kelly English of Restaurant Iris. I spent some time distracting him from his shopping while I heaped him with well-deserved praise. That took so long that Mama actually had time to play with all the puppies and come looking for me.

We went together to see Mike, then on the way back to the car, she began to tell me about a puppy. She showed me the puppy she liked, and I picked it up. "That's when I knew I had made my third mistake. Three strikes right across the plate," to quote the poet.

Before I knew what hit me, Mama was filling out adoption papers. This morning, we drove to Olive Branch to pick up our new baby.

Fluffy is a big fluff ball with the markings of a rottweiler and the spotted tongue of a chow. He has the most gentle disposition of any puppy I have ever seen.

Actually, he has the perfect Squirrel Squad disposition. He is reasonably bright and exceptionally lazy. As soon as we brought him in the house, we set him down to meet the cats. He promptly decided that the cats were eminently ignorable and went to lie down on the nearest air conditioning vent. With a cool belly, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I can't say thanks enough to Cindy and the other wonderful people at Save 1 Pet for helping us find the latest addition to our family. I urge everyone to visit their website to learn more about them. Find out where they will be visiting so you can go by and see if they have the perfect new friend for you. And make a donation while you're there. Or donate on their website. Thanks!

In Case You Missed It

2008-06-08T09:24:00.005-05:00

Slow Food Memphis held our quarterly meeting and tasting event this past Monday at Cafe Eclectic.

Lee and Juanita Jones and Paul Williams from Jones Orchard spoke about the orchard and orchard business and about all of the work that goes into producing their wonderful small batch jams, jellies and preserves.

Lee taught us what a truly difficult task it is to provide the local market with peaches throughout the season. In case you didn't know, you have to plan your orchard so that the very short window of peach ripeness (only 3 to 5 days) is spaced out across your trees. Your ripeness window is even more important when you're providing the market with the sweetest of tree-ripened peaches instead of picking them green and allowing them to soften, but not sweeten, off the tree.

Juanita talked about the works she puts into producing jellies, jams and preserves from the fruit grown on the orchard. Mrs. Jones gave us tips and tricks for making our own preserves. Softer fruit makes better jam. Don't try to double jam and jelly recipes. Don't try to cut back on the sugar. Don't rush the process. Don't be upset if your jelly doesn't gel; you'll just have a really great fresh fruit syrup for your pancakes. Believe it or not, Mrs. Jones makes all of her wonderful preserves the same way, and in the same batch quantities that you would at home. She also shared all that goes into producing some of the best plate lunches around at the orchard's restaurant Monday through Friday.

Paul told us about the marketing and business side of the orchard. He told us about all of the planning that goes into deciding how much fruit goes to each market. While the fruit and preserves sell themselves once you taste them, the trick is getting people to make that first purchase and get that taste. This was also the first year that Jones Orchard raised strawberries. The berries produced very well and will most definitely be back next year.

Now about those tastes:

Strawberry Jam - This is a fruity, thick jam that perfectly captures the flavor of the strawberries. It's sweet without the sugar overpowering the tangyness of the berries.

Peach Jelly - This is a clear smooth jelly that tastes like summer in your mouth. Mrs. Jones doesn't strain all of the pulp from the juice for her jelly. That keeps it from being perfectly clear jelly, but it keeps more of the fruit flavor in the mix.

Orange Marmalade - This is the only preserve that Mrs. Jones makes with fruit that's not grown on the orchard. This is a loose marmalade that has a really nice balance between the sweetness of the sugar and orange pulp and the bitterness of the orange peel.

Elderberry Jelly - This is the only jelly that Mrs. Jones makes from wild fruit. Elderberries aren't cultivated, but they do grow along the fence rows. This is a pretty time-intensive jelly to produce because the berries are tiny and bitter. The juice has to be crushed out, strained and then sweetened carefully to make a very nice jelly that doesn't lose the wild flavor of the berries.

Pepper Jelly - This is a light sweet jelly flecked with pepper flakes for a very nice kick. It's especially good served with cream cheese as an hor d'ouerve, and Mrs. Jones also suggested serving it with chicken or pork.

Spicy Tomato Preserves - These are sweet spicy preserves that are a nice change from the lighter jellies. They're beautifully red and would be very nice served with a cheese plate.

Cafe Eclectic provided a great meeting space as well as pots of their very excellent coffee and buttery croissants so that we wouldn't just be licking jelly off of our fingers. Not that there's anything wrong with jelly fingers.

Want to know more? Visit Jones Orchard on Hwy. 51 N near Millington. If you can't get out there, you can find them at the MFM downtown every Saturday morning, at the Botanic Garden Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoons, and all week long at the Agricenter. If you're just wanting a taste, Cafe Eclectic serves Jones Orchards preserves every day along with the rest of their locally-inspired menu.

We'll keep you updated as other Slow Food tasting events come along. Not only will you meet local food producers and get to sample their wares, but you'll also get to experience the most important part of the Slow Food organization: conviviality.

Veggie of the week: kohlrabi

2008-06-05T18:54:00.001-05:00

The Forresters of Whitton Flower & Produce have a wise saying on their website and on the back of their van, "if you know your farmer, you know your food."

We are proud to know our farmers. We know and trust the food they grow for us. Well, except for kohlrabi. What the heck is up with kohlrabi?

We like our farmers. We trust our farmers, so we didn't hesitate to try their kohlrabi. Lori Greene of Downing Hollow Farm had tiny purple ones. The Dodsons had larger green ones.

After a bit of research, we learned that kohlrabi is great lightly cooked or even raw when small.

We pulled off the leaves and stems, cut off the root end, and diced the kohlrabi without peeling it. Next, we threw the cubes into a hot wok along with baby garlic, baby red onions, fresh English peas, and small pieces of a Neola Farms sirloin tip roast.

Mama Squirrel added a bit of salt and liberal amounts of Sriracha chile sauce. When everything was about done cooking, she added a bit of Peace Bee Farms honey to take some of the edge off of the heat. Fantastic stuff.

The kohlrabi is crunchy and sweet. I am thinking about slicing it thinly on the mandolin and flash frying it. I'll let you know how that goes.

Memphis Farmers Market June Dinner

2008-06-04T19:58:00.006-05:00

The June dinner celebrating and supporting the Memphis Farmers Market will be on Sunday, June 22, at Circa by John Bragg. The five course dinner is $65 plus tax and gratuity. The menu looks fantastic, plus 30% of the proceeds go to the Memphis Farmers Market.

Market-Fresh Field Greens and Herb Salad
with Curry-Fried Oyster
Kuentz-Bas, Gewürztraminer 2005, Alsace, France
Iconic grape, intoxicating perfume and spice

Roast Heirloom Tomatoes Stuffed with Jumbo Lump Crab Salad
Minet, Pouilly-Fumé 2005, Loire River, France
Pure, refined, dry French Sauvignon Blanc; zesty, flinty, flowing flavors

Neola Farms Beef Short Ribs Chasseur
Raymond “R” Collection, Merlot 2005, St. Helena, California
Full, fleshy, with classic black cherry and boysenberry flavors

Selected Cheeses from Bonnie Blue Farm
Verget du Sud, South-West France
Plump, time honored blend of Grenache and Syrah

Farmers Market Inspired Dessert Creation — Surprise!
Banfi “Rosa Regale” Brachetto d’Acqui 2005, Piedmont, Italy
Aromatic with a hint of rose petals and raspberries, marries well with chocolate, vivacious and aromatic

Happy Anniversary, Mama Squirrel

2008-06-04T18:31:00.003-05:00

Today is our third wedding anniversary. It has been a wonderful ride so far, so of course, we wanted to celebrate. And since we are helpless cogs in the consumer-driven machine that is our society, I decided to buy her something.

So what did I buy? Jewelry? Don't be silly. We're foodies.

A blender? A stand mixer? Don't be silly, those things are shiny. We've had those forever.

No, ours is a pure love, so I bought her something pure. Five pounds of pure, white lard.

No, it's not like that! It's for tamales.

Stop that!

It's for making tamales. Mama is currently experimenting with both savory and sweet tamales. Hopefully she'll write about it soon.

Until then, love you, Sweetie.

Mississippi Delta Heritage Project

2008-06-02T21:17:00.002-05:00

Bringing culture to the big city

From the website of 651 Arts:

Since its founding in 1988, 651 ARTS has been committed to developing, producing and presenting performing arts and cultural programming grounded in the African Diaspora, with a primary focus on contemporary performing arts. 651 ARTS serves the cultural life of New York City, with a particular focus on Brooklyn, one of America’s most culturally diverse communities.

651 ARTS is dedicating its entire annual season to the culture, artists and influence of the Mississippi Delta in The Mississippi Delta Heritage Project. While the history and impact of the Delta Blues tradition is undisputed, few are aware of the contemporary artistry that continues to thrive in the region. The Mississippi Delta Heritage Project provides a glimpse of this flourishing artistic culture to New York audiences. CASSANDRA WILSON, COREY HARRIS, T-MODEL FORD, JIMMY “DUCK” HOLMES, and LOBI TRAORÉ are among the many outstanding artists, either from or influenced by the Delta, who will be performing as part of this series. Have a look inside, we hope you join us in the celebration!

I wish we were able to go to Brooklyn to experience the Delta in the big city. We're lucky enough to have it all right in our back yard.

This gives me hope for those poor Yankees. Next thing you know, they'll have collards and cornbread.

Makin' Bacon

2008-05-27T23:54:00.002-05:00

A while ago, Papa Squirrel and I were checking out the butcher shop selections at Sara Market when we saw something that made our little hearts dance with glee. What was this meaty delight, you ask? PORK BELLY!!!

Most grocery stores around town don't carry pork belly. Unfortunately, it's become something of a specialty meat. We're lucky to have such a great ethnic butcher shop that consistently has items that we can't find anywhere else.

So what's so exciting about a pork belly? Well, the possibilities are almost endless. There's no savory delicacy that melts in the mouth quite like crispy skinned braised pork belly. The meaty chunks make for really nice pickle meat. The skin can turn into ethereal pork rinds. While it's not the best fat for it, the fat from a pork belly can be rendered into beautiful lard. All that's nice and stuff, but you can get all of that from other cuts of pork that are more readily available everywhere around town. There's one thing, though, that you just can't get from any other cut of pork. The meat above all other meats. Quite possibly the ultimate accomplishment that has raised man above the apes. Bacon.

So how do you make bacon? It's a three step process.

Step 1: Acquire a pork belly. Or two.

You want a whole belly. Look for one with a good ratio of meat to fat. If you ask your butcher nicely, he'll remove the skin in one nice beautiful piece, or you can leave it on if you like your bacon with rind.

Step 2: Sweet talk not one but two professional chefs into coming over for a day. Bonus points if you can get them to bring over lunch. Tip: mention bacon.

The Viking and the Honeybee came over to spend the day with us and our bellies. Along with their culinary expertise, they also very nicely provided us with pork shoulder for lunch.

We started with gathering our supplies. You need to decide what containers you will be using for your cure time. A baking dish is a good choice. Also, be sure you have plenty of plastic wrap to be able to seal in your dish. Aside from the belly, the most important ingredient for making bacon is curing salt. Yes, you can use normal table salt to make bacon. But your bacon will be very gray instead of staying pink and rosy. Curing salt should be found in your grocery store's canning section. You'll also need to decide on your seasoning blends.

We decided to have 3 different flavors. Our first was Michael Ruhlman's standard recipe from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing with nothing extra added. The second was a Mexican inspired blend using panela sugar from El Salvador and spiked with ground pasilla chiles that we picked up at Sara. The third was our Louisiana inspired blend with Steen's cane syrup replacing some of the sugar and cayenne and paprika for a kick.

Trim the meatiest sections of your pork belly into roughly squared pieces that will fit snugly in your chosen curing dishes. Coat the belly thickly with your curing blend, making sure that you cover every exposed piece of belly. Put the belly in the dish and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. I would suggest that you wrap it twice just to be sure that you don't have any openings where air might get in. Refrigerate and wait.

Once the bacon was wrapped, we moved on to using the rest of our bellies. We trimmed the fat from the remaining meat and cut it into small chunks. We placed this into another sealable container with a pickling brine. For those of you not familiar with pickled meat, check out Nola Cuisine's explanation of and recipes for this Creole delicacy.

We took the fat and rendered out lard. For a much better explanation of how to render lard than any I could provide, take a look at Homesick Texan's recent lard rendering post. Once you have lard, you'll have something special that you can use in many of your cooking experiments.

We learned from Antonio at Sara Market that pork rinds puff from being fried twice and the addition of baking soda to the second frying. Unfortunately, we didn't learn that until after we attempted to make them on our own and ended up with a tough, chewy and far from ethereal creation. Now we know, though. We'll try it again.

Step 3: Bacon.

Check on your curing bacon every day. Somewhere between 10 to 14 days, depending on the thickness of your belly, you'll notice that the meat isn't soft anymore. You've got bacon. You've also got options. If you so desire and have the equipment, you can smoke your bacon for an extra layer of flavor. You don't have to smoke it, though, and we decided not to. Be sure that you rinse it well. The flavor from the cure will have soaked into the meat, but you probably don't want the extreme saltiness to stay around. If your bacon took more than 14 days to cure, you may even want to soak the bacon for a couple of hours in cold water to leech out the extra salt.

Slice your bacon as thick as you like it. Fry it up, and enjoy.

Slow Food Memphis taste event: preserves

2008-05-26T21:21:00.001-05:00

Juanita Jones from Jones Orchard will speak at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at Cafe Eclectic. Mrs. Jones will talk about the differences between different types of preserves and about how she uses produce from the orchard in many of their products.

Someone from the orchard will also be there to discuss the produce grown and life in general at the orchard.

Jones Orchard will provide samples of their preserves. Cafe Eclectic will provide croissants and coffee. The event is free and open to everyone. Come out and learn more about local food and about the mission of Slow Food.

Cafe Eclectic
603 N McLean Blvd
Memphis, TN 38107
(901) 725-1718

Peaches!

2008-05-26T20:39:00.003-05:00

While we were at the Memphis Farmers Market Saturday morning, we saw the loveliest sight, fresh peaches from Jones Orchard. The cold weather earlier this year didn't damage the crop like last year.

We came home with a nice little bunch of peaches. some of them we will just eat. Others are destined for greatness. Mama Squirrel is preparing peach-infused vodka. (Vodak for a certain crowd.) There are also plans for strawberry vodka and lemon vodka. This should be good.

And speaking of peaches, our peachy friend Liz bought the output of three Jones peach trees at a MFM auction last year. She has started blogging about the trees and about other yummy topics at Pie for Breakfast. Check it out.

Another Memphis CSA

2008-05-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Keith and Jill Forrester of Whitton Flowers & Produce are now offering ten-week summer and fall sessions of a CSA. The summer session begins July 12th and runs through September 13th. The fall session begins September 20 and runs through November 22.

The Forresters will offer both full and half shares in their CSA. In addition to their excellent produce, Jill will be offering floral shares as well. With a full or half share of the floral CSA, you can have a beautiful arrangement on the table when you serve those delicious vegetables.

Visit the Forrester's website to get more information on or an application for the CSA.

Thanks, Karen

2008-05-25T08:02:00.000-05:00

While Martha Foose was in town promoting her new book, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, Karen Blockman Carrier hosted a meet and greet at her Cooper-Young restaurant, The Beauty Shop.

Chef Karen fed us incredible deviled eggs and fried okra, followed by guacamole and roasted tomato salsa. We also had more than a few of Martha's cantaloupe daiquiris. We topped off the daiquiris with a dish of mussels and pork confit with chorizo, shallots, and sinful amounts of butter.

Karen is a delightful host. We have met her before at the opening of her restaurant Cielo in Victorian Village and at the Viking cooking school where she led a class on cooking for an informal Passover meal.

She is also a dynamo and successful business owner. In addition to Cielo and Beauty Shop, Karen owns Do Sushi Bar next door to Beauty Shop, Memphis landmark Automatic Slims downtown, and the catering company Another Roadside Attraction.

We have always enjoyed Karen's restaurants. We plan to be back to them soon.

Interim farmers dinner

2008-05-23T22:13:00.003-05:00

Chef Jackson Kramer of Interim Restaurant will host a farmers dinner on Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. The cost of the dinner is $80 plus tax and gratuity.

The dinner is not officially part of the Memphis Farmers Market series of dinners, but half the proceeds will benefit the four local farms that are providing the ingredients. The farms are Flora at Bluebird Farms, Neola Farms, Windermere Farms, and Whitton Flowers & Produce.

Call (901) 818-0821 for reservations. And hurry up before it's too late.

Memphis Farmers Market dinner series

2008-05-23T20:14:00.003-05:00

I feel sorry for Memphis chefs.

Last Sunday, Chef Andrew Adams of Brushmark at the Memphis Brooks Museum hosted the first of a series of dinners highlighting ingredients from the Memphis Farmers Market. Andrew set the bar very high with his dinner.

What is even more impressive than an excellent menu is the ability to create it at the mercy of the ingredients. Fortunately, farmers and producers from the market came through big time.

Broccoli
Gnocchi, broccoli rabe, braised radish tops and spinach, spring garlic
The Wolftrap Rosé, 2006, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Spinach
Tofu, quail egg, sugar snap peas, truffle, spinach
ABC Pinot Gris - Pinot Blanc, 2006, Santa Barbara

Roots
Braised breakfast radish, baby turnips, baby carrots, baby onions, sweet potatoes
Morgan "12 Clones" Pinot Noir, 2006 Santa Lucia Highlands

Cheese
Tomme, Parker, Chevre with lemon sauce and herb coulis
Ferrano-Carano Sienna, 2005, Sonoma County

Strawberry
Almond cake, strawberry ice cream, strawberry crème fraîche

We're looking forward to the rest of the dinners. Keep checking the MFM website or sign up for their email newsletter for more details.

June
Date and location to be determined.
Don't let me scare you, chefs. Someone step up for this one. Yeah, I'm blogging at you, Clay.

July
Date to be determined.
Restaurant Iris
2146 Monroe Avenue
(901) 590-2828

August
Sunday, August 17
River Oaks
5871 Poplar Avenue
(901) 683-9305

September
Wednesday, September 24
Felicia Suzanne's
80 Monroe Avenue
(901) 523-0877

October
Date to be determined.
Interim
5040 Sanderlin Avenue
(901) 818-0821

Martha Foose at Davis-Kidd and on WREG

2008-05-20T20:40:00.004-05:00

Martha Foose broke my camera.

Mama Squirrel, my mom, J Squirrel, and I headed to Oxford to see Martha Foose signing her new book, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, at Square Books. We took along the camera so that I could take some photos while doing research for an edible Memphis piece.

During a pause in her booksigning, I snapped a picture of Martha. Martha, who is as lovely as she is talented, gave me a sweet smile and a chance to get a good photo. As I banged away on the camera trying to get it to take the shot, Martha gave me a kind and gentle look that was clearly assessing my stupidity.

I finally gave up banging on the camera and started looking at it for little lights that might indicate a problem. The lights showed no problem. Actually, the lights showed nothing. My battery was dead, and my spare was safe at home.

All that is beyond the point though. Martha is the point. Martha, her excellent new book, and her appearance here in town on Thursday, May 22.

Martha will appear on WREG Channel 3's Live at Nine at, well, um, 9. 9 a.m. that is. Next, she will tape Book Talk on the library's WYPL.

Finally, Martha will be at Davis-Kidd at 6 p.m. Stop by and meet her. Pick up a copy of the book. You will enjoy reading it as much as you will cooking from it.

Restaurant Iris

2008-05-19T22:12:00.003-05:00

There just aren't enough words that mean delicious in the English language. We finally made it over to Restaurant Iris for a taste of what Kelly English has brought to the Memphis dining scene. If you haven't made it yet, go. Go now. Have you gone yet? OK. Go again. Choose anything on the menu. Choose everything on the menu. Any way you do it, you won't be disappointed.

For us, it's been a short and torrid love affair. We went (sans Squirrelly, Jr.) with our dear friend Bon Temps Squirrel to sample the fare at Iris. The next night we were back with the Honeybee and Teh Boy. It was just too good to not share with someone else.

We all had a hard time choosing what we would try. You see, it all looked so good. We finally settled on a trio of appetizers both visits: the oysters three-way, the boudin, and the unofficial "house salad". Our second visit also featured the lobster knuckle sandwich.

The oysters were a divine thing. Two beautiful crispy cornmeal breaded oysters rested on a pool of creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing. Only two? Yes, only two. But wait. There's more. A ramekin of savory oyster bread pudding rested in the middle of the plate. Oyster bread pudding is something that I really think has to go to extremes; it's either going to be mouth-numbingly delicious, or it's going to be a sad and soggy mess. This one is very firmly in the delicious camp. Could you be perfectly content with this pair of oyster goodness? Yes. But wait. There's still more. The crowning moment of oyster happiness is a pair of oysters "polo". These are two oysters on the half shell topped with a creamy horseradish-tinged sauce and buttery bread crumbs broiled until hot and lightly toasted. These oysters will literally melt in your mouth. It was a real shame to have to share a single bite of any of it.

The boudin made me mind the whole sharing thing a lot less since someone had to share it with me. Three crispy breaded boudin balls were served on a pool of creamy Creole mustard sauce and topped with caramelized onions. I'm not sure if the boudin is house-made, but this boudin could stand up to any of the best from Cajun country.

And then there was the "house salad". Behold the humble Brussels sprout. Like the oyster bread pudding, Brussels sprouts are just one of those things can go beautifully well or horribly wrong without much space in the middle. These sprouts are nicely sauteed in butter (diet? what diet?) and paired with the most beautiful thing in the whole wide world. The one thing that could make even bad Brussels sprouts better. And what is this magical ingredient? But of course, bacon. Not just any bacon, though. Oh no. This is the epitome of all things bacon. A moment of reverence in the presence of the king, please. This is Allan Benton's bacon. For those of you who have never met Allan Benton, he's one of those quiet men who's doing something he loves that just happens to have turned out to be something that everyone else loves, too. Allan Benton makes bacon (and hams) in east Tennessee. To quote John Fleer on this bacon, "you are struck with not only the magical aroma of pig and smoke, but the spirit of Allan Benton." 'Nuff said.

The knuckle sandwich was the chef's take on an open-face lobster po' boy. Toasted bread was topped with lobster claw meat, peeled gold tomatoes and micro greens. I would eat this sandwich any time.

Entrées? Do you even have to ask? Well, there was a bit of a hitch our first night there. Papa Squirrel just had to be different. He couldn't just choose an entree like Bon Temps Squirrel and me. He had to be special and have the chef's five course degustation. Of course, we didn't really mind. That brought us two more appetizers: rich and creamy crab maison and a perfectly seasoned chicken liver terrine with champagne caviar. It also brought something equal in beauty to Allan Benton's bacon. A scallop and truffle latte. A pan-seared U10 scallop rests in the bottom of a coffee cup topped with an absolutely decadent truffle-flecked jus and a light creamy foam. If any local coffee shop sold these... Let's just say I'd have a little problem.

Now, about those entrées. Bon Temps Squirrel and the Honeybee both chose the duck confit with crispy pork belly and choucroute garni. This is a dish that layers complex flavors to create something really wonderful. The choucroute here is not pickled, rather, it's a savory combination of cabbage and greens that complement the pork and duck very nicely.

I tried the Gulf jack filet with ratatouille the first visit and the scallops with gnocchi and citrus fennel sauce the second time around. The jack is a nice portion of perfectly cooked and tender fish that sits on top of a nicely balanced ratatouille. Three huge scallops are pan seared and pair well with the citrus and fennel combination. The gnocchi are fluffy and light. This entrée was my personal favorite.

Teh Boy decided on the chef's signature dish: shrimp and grits. These are Delta Grind grits topped with a generous portion of shrimp and andouille sausage in a rich tomato gravy. I would tell you how good they were, but Teh Boy inhaled every morsel. I think it was only the barest scrap of good-restaurant-table-manners that kept him from licking the bowl clean.

Papa got a trio of pork on his first night. The pork was roasted, braised and smoked and then served on a bed of the best spicy, smoky greens and pot likker that I've ever had anywhere. The only thing missing was cornbread to get every last drop without tipping up the bowl. His second night choice was the New York strip stuffed with fried oysters and blue cheese sauce. Picture an oyster po' boy only replace the remoulade with creamy blue cheese and replace the bread with perfectly cooked steak. The only thing that could make that better would be, yep, Allan Benton's bacon. Chef English must have thought that too since the steak is served with a bacon and potato hash.

So what about dessert? We were pretty full both nights, so we really wouldn't have if we hadn't been sacrificing for the sake of you, our loyal reader(s). Papa had an apple strudel with homemade vanilla ice cream. Teh Boy had cinnamon and Chinese five spice ice creams. Bon Temps Squirrel had coconut and blood orange sorbets. The Honeybee decided on the bread pudding with brown butter caramel sauce. I just couldn't pass up the cheese plate. They were all absolutely heavenly.

I will admit, we were torn. We were excited from the first mention of Kelly English bringing his food to Memphis. But we hated so badly to give up La Tourelle. I can now happily say that La Tourelle has a worthy successor in Restaurant Iris. We'll look back with nostalgia, but we're already craving our next Iris fix.

Restaurant Iris
2146 Monroe Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 590-2828

Tuesday - Saturday: 5 p.m.- 10 p.m.
Sunday Brunch: 11a.m. - 2p.m.

Webcomics and food: kawaii not

2008-05-08T23:26:00.001-05:00

Megan Murphy makes irreverently good comics at Kawaii Not. Her cute-gone-wrong approach makes me laugh every time. Especially today.

If you like it, pick up a copy in dead-tree form. I promise you won't regret it.

Recent audiobook lines that nearly made Papa drive off the road

2008-05-06T18:59:00.000-05:00

"You do need medication, you crazy bitch!"

And in honor of Lindsey:

"First we feast, then Ikea!"

And finally:

"Gabe Fenton watches squirrel porn!"

All courtesy of The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore.

Ramble on

2008-05-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

As Mama Squirrel has pointed out, I am now a published writer. I have made the leap from rambling about food here on the blog to rambling about food in Edible Memphis, a high quality, well-respected magazine.

A big thank you to all my friends who encouraged me to make the leap with their chants of "Jump! Jump!" Talk about heartwarming.

Since I am the king of the ramble, it is only fitting that I should drag my family and friends on a ramble through the countryside looking for good food and good folks.

The article features barbecue, pie, fried baloney, and buffalo steaks. Go pick up a copy of the magazine because of (or in spite of) the fact I am in it. Better yet, go to the website and subscribe.

Webcomics and food: xkcd

2008-05-04T20:25:00.003-05:00

Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd, calls it, "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language."

As a failed math major — math requires an attention span — I love the mathematical humor of xkcd. It's more than egghead humor though. xkcd is a frequently beautiful look at the nature of life, love, and dreams.

Food is not a frequent topic in xkcd, but Friday's mathematical homage to bacon gives me an excuse to mention an excellent strip. Strip. Bacon. Heh. Check out xkcd. It's funnier than my puns. Promise.

Squirrels in Print

2008-05-02T22:59:00.002-05:00

I know. I know. We're bad bloggers these days, but you can still get your Squirrel fix even if we don't blog the way we should. Just pick up the latest issue of Edible Memphis, turn to page 35, and go for a day trip with Papa Squirrel. Bask in his elegant prose. Laugh out loud at his comedic artistry. Cry because this post, unlike his article, is really that bad, and I can already feel you unsubscribing from our RSS feed.

Pick up the magazine anyway. There are some really great articles that will introduce you to people you've never met and maybe get you some behind-the-scenes info on people that you have. There are also great recipes and garden ideas that you don't want to miss.

Papa Squirrel is available for magazine signings, bat mitzvahs and quinceañeras.

A CSA for Memphis

2008-05-01T22:54:00.002-05:00

Lori Greene and her family at Downing Hollow Farm will have a CSA in Memphis and Savannah, Tennessee this summer.

The CSA will offer four-week subscriptions for each of three months, June, July, and August. Each week, subscribers will receive a half bushel of fresh picked produce. Pickup in Savannah is $90. Pickup in Memphis is $100 per month.

Last summer Lori raised herbs along with heirloom varieties of tomatoes, peppers, and beans. This year should be at least as interesting. For the CSA, Lori has formed a co-op with her Olive Hill, Tennessee, neighbors to bring even greater variety and volume.

Send Lori an email to sign up for the CSA or stop by and see her Saturdays at the Memphis Farmers Market downtown. The Squad has already claimed its CSA share. Hurry up and get yours.

Spring is bustin' out all over

2008-04-23T19:11:00.004-05:00

The heat today felt more like summer, but we'll take it over cold and drizzly. There are all sorts of good things happening in the next few days.

Thursday, April 24, Brooks Museum presents Storytime: An Ear for Art, stories and art activities for kids 3 - 8. Admission to the museum is free tomorrow for kids under 6. For the older folks, Brushmark Restaurant will be offering Tapas on the Terrace. You can enjoy the weather and the sweeping view of Overton Park on the museum's terrace while enjoying small plates created by chefs Wally Joe and Andrew Adams.

Also on Thursday, Paulette's is holding their monthly wine dinner. This month, they are featuring Alamos wines from Argentina.

From Restaurant Iris: On Thursday, May 1st Kerstin Klamm with Domane Wachau will be pouring & discussing her outstanding wines at Restaurant Iris. Domane Wachau produces incredible gruner veltliners & rieslings from some of the oldest vineyards in the world, some dating back to the 12th Century! Chef Kelly English promises a delicious assortment of courses to pair with these outstanding wines. The cost to attend will be $60 plus tax & gratuity. Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. Joe's Wines will be offering discounts on the wines poured that evening. Elizabeth Mall from Delta Wholesale & Michael Hughes from Joe's Wines will be on hand to discuss the growth of the Austrian wine industry & its affinity for the Memphis palate. Space is limited. To make reservations please contact Restaurant Iris at (901) 590-2828.

The second monthly Cooper-Young Night out will be on Thursday night, May 1. We went to the first ever event and had a great time. You should check it out.

That's everything I can think of for now. If you aren't already, you should be reading Ryan Jones' blog My Midtown Memphis. Ryan does an excellent job keeping up with what's going on in the neighborhood.

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

2008-04-22T22:59:00.006-05:00

Martha Foose's new book, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, arrived at our home like an old friend. After some time on the couch catching up, it was straight to the kitchen to have some fun. Like old friends chatting, our look at recipes threw structure and formality out the window. Precise measurements were replaced with "hey! what if ..."

Martha's recipes were a big part of our Christmas dinner. Sometimes we followed the rules and other times we struck out on our own.

We were actually fairly faithful to Martha's recipe for ginger-molasses cookies. Well, we did substitute Louisiana cane syrup for molasses, but I think that's reasonable. The cookies turned out great. Now whenever we go somewhere and take cookies, people are excited to see up coming. For a change.

Granddaddy Squirrel brought a smoked goose to Christmas dinner. Martha's hot fruit was a nice contrast to the smoky, rich goose. We also served a salmon croquette with a salad topped with Martha's roasted pecans. Both of those recipes we were true to, and both turned out great.

We took serious liberties with the lemon icebox pie. We took Martha's traditional pie and turned it into fun and tasty individual servings in cosmo glasses. Yeah, we're rebels, but we still had a friendly guiding hand.

The subtitle of the book is Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook. Like a good friend, it is the stories that really bring you together. In her introduction, Martha says, "all in all, this book is about my home, and I know no better way to tell its stories than through food." Martha is a superb cook, and her stories are just as delightful as her food. She really got me with her "Sold my Soul to the Devil-ed Eggs". Of course I loved the reference to bluesman Robert Johnson, but what really got me was the chickens. Martha writes about giving day-old pastries as chicken feed in trade for the eggs. The thought of fresh eggs is just one of many things that spoke to me.

Get the book. You'll love it. You'll get a great collection of recipes to enhance your Southerner street cred. And you'll get those stories. And stories is what it's all about.

16th Annual Porter-Leath Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival

2008-04-13T19:01:00.002-05:00

It's crawfish time again. The Squad attended last year and we had an excellent time. I highly recommend that youy get out and enjoy the day and support an excellent organization. Here are the details.

16th Annual Porter-Leath Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival!
Sunday, April 20th
12:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.
Wagner Pl (between Union & Beale St.)

Each year thousands of Mid-Southerners kick off their spring on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi at the annual Porter-Leath Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival. This festival, now in its sixteenth year, benefits the 10,000 Memphis children and families served by Porter-Leath.

This family event features a variety of Cajun food including 500 pounds of FREE crawfish given away at noon. There are games for the kids as well as face-painters and balloons. Vendors will be offering corndogs, snow cones and MUCH more. Wash down your hot boiled crawfish with ice cold beer and sodas! Admission is free.

Want to be a part of all the action? Join us in The Swamp VIP Tent!

Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Get your All Access Pass and join us in the Swamp VIP Tent! The tent includes all-you-can-eat crawfish and Cajun food served with beer, soft drinks & water. Enjoy the band from your own shady tent with tables and chairs. No lines, no limits. $45 per person or $80 per couple. What a deal! Tickets are selling quickly, so order yours TODAY.

For more information, contact Emily Ketner at eketner@porterleath.org or

901-577-2500 or visit our website at www.PorterLeath.org.

Costillas

2008-03-27T22:00:00.004-05:00

I know we've raved about it before, and I'm sure this won't be the last time, but if it's been a while since you've been to Las Tortugas, you need to go back. The new standing special on the menu are the Costillas Don Felix, Pepe's grandfather's specialty.

So what are costillas you ask? They're pork ribs. Quite possibly the best ribs in
Memphis, and that's saying a lot. These ribs are beautifully seasoned and slowly braised until the meat is perfectly tender, then they're crisped on the outside and served with fresh salsa and hot corn tortillas. Not your typical Memphis ribs, but they'll melt in your mouth and have you dreaming about them until you get them again.

Farewell, Al

2008-03-24T19:41:00.003-05:00

Sometime in the late 70s or early 80s, I made one of my first culinary discoveries — dirty rice. Popeye's had come to town. I grew up with good food — my grandmothers were both excellent cooks — but dirty rice was a revelation.

Later, in the mid 90s, Copeland's came to Knoxville, where I was living at the time. New Orleans was too far from Knoxville for an easy trip, but now crawfish étouffée was right across town.

The man who brought both these places into my life was Al Copeland. Copeland was an extraordinary businessman and even more extraordinary character. He was controversial too. He ultimately lost control of Popeye's. He had interesting legal issues. And, most fun of all, he really pissed off his neighbors with his massive display of Christmas lights.

Al Copeland died yesterday at age 64 of cancer. Diet or no diet, we stopped at Popeye's on the way home. Dinner tonight was spicy fried chicken, mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy, red beans and rice, and, of course, dirty rice. Yes, it was fast food, but it opened new doors for me. Farewell, Al. And thanks.

Casablanca

2008-03-15T23:51:00.004-05:00

"Some days are honey; some are onions."
Aimer Shtaya
Chef/Owner Casablanca Restaurant

Chef Shtaya is philosophical about the vagaries of the restaurant business. As with life, business has its uncertainties. Busy days, slow days, rising costs. Regardless, The Squirrel Squad has found some certainties at Casablanca: excellent food and a warm welcome.

The coziness starts at the door where a couch awaits folks picking up to-go orders. Although why anyone would be in a hurry to leave Casablanca I can't imagine. Everything is as pleasant and inviting as you could hope for. The walls are warm, vibrant colors. The floor is covered with rugs. Traditional Middle Eastern music plays softly in the background.

It is only fitting that the restaurant feel like home because Shtaya, as more than a dedicated owner, loves his restaurant and puts his all into it. "It's hard work. Some days I am here, on my feet, for twenty hours," he says.

More than making the restaurant like home, Shtaya brings his homeland into the restaurant. Shtaya imports olive oil made from olives from his father's farm in Jerusalem.

"The secret to all our food is our olive oil. We prepare everything on the menu, except the French fries for the kids, in olive oil. The hummus, we cook the chickpeas in water, but we finish it with olive oil. I go through forty bottles a week," Shtaya says.

Which finally brings us to the point, the food. Every single dish we have had at Casablanca has been excellent. For appetizers, we typically have to choose between hummus with falafel or baba ganoush with grilled shrimp. We love taking several friends with us to Casablanca so that we can order both. We also love the stuffed grape leaves. We need to get together a lot of friends so we can order all three.

All the entrées have been well-balanced and rich. The lamb is moist and flavorful in every variation. The sandwiches are huge meals on their own. Teh Boy's particular favorite is the falafel pita -- a warm pita stuffed to overflowing with fresh, hot falafel and mango yogurt sauce. Ask for hummus on it to make it even richer. The kefta kabob is simply delicious. The salmon melts in your mouth. The vegetables and rice are beautifully seasoned without losing their own flavors.

I only have two words for dessert: chocolate mousse! Casablanca makes some of the best chocolate mousse in town. It's a great ending to a meal, light, fluffy and not too sweet. Of course, the baklava isn't anything to turn your nose up at either.

If you're a fan of hot tea, don't miss out on Casablanca's Arabian tea. It's a house blend of tea and spices, made to order and sweetened with honey. It's also wonderful over ice.

Head to Casablanca. You can't go wrong with any of the food. While you're there, pick up a bottle of olive oil. It is used in other local restaurants, and it will be great in your kitchen. Casablanca's olive oil has quickly become the unofficial olive oil of The Squad. Just like the restaurant has become home-away-from-home.

Casablanca
2156 Young Ave
Memphis, Tennessee 38104
(901) 725-8557

Slow Food Memphis slow brewed event

2008-02-27T20:56:00.002-06:00

Come out and meet the Squirrels! We'll be at the first Slow Food Memphis event of the year. Here are the details.

A Slow Brewed Meeting
Featuring an Ugly Mug Coffee Tasting & Discussion
FREE

Saturday, March 1, 10am-12noon at Wild Oats Market
5022 Poplar Ave, Memphis 38117

Learn about the art of coffee roasting, brewing and tasting from the experts at Ugly Mug Coffee

Enjoy a discussion about coffee growing regions with Tim Burleson, President of Ugly Mug Coffee

Discover what Slow Food is all about, what local projects we are involved in, how to join and more

Door Prizes, Giveaways, Great Coffee and Conversation

Everyone is Invited

This event is made possible by the generosity of Wild Oats Market and Ugly Mug Coffee and is sponsored by Slow Food Memphis.

Sara Market

2008-02-18T20:42:00.003-06:00

Guajes, a hard-to-find Mexican treat
Thanks to a tip from a reader, Taterhead, we've embarked on a clandestine love affair. Yes, we're still on our diet (and shrinking at a rate of 2 pounds per week), but we've been sneaky. You see, there are some things that we just can't resist. And besides, moderation is the key, right?

Taterhead sent us over to the newly opened Sara Market. Sara carries a good variety of traditional Mexican canned goods with a nice smattering of Honduran and Salvadoran goods in the mix as well. But what really makes Sara special is the butcher shop. You see, half of the market is devoted to what I have to say is the best Mexican carniceria that we've encountered in Memphis.

The first thing you'll see when you walk into Sara is the rack of dry cured meats. Loops of dried handmade beef and pork chorizo sausages hang above the butcher counter, just radiating the intoxicating aromas of meat and spices into the air of the whole place. And if the sausages aren't beautiful enough on their own, there's also a very nice selection of thin spiced machaca hanging beside them. Fresh (undried) chorizo is available in the case below.

The back of the butcher shop is butcher Antonio's work area where he prepares not only the sausages and dried meats, but also fries beautiful chicharrones. Tune into FOX13 on Tuesday, February 19th, to watch Antonio work his magic. We were lured into trying to make our own when we saw his line of drying pork skins on our last visit. His tip to us (untested as of yet) is that they have to be fried twice at high temperature with a little bit of baking soda added on the second frying.

The meat and dairy cases also offer selections of Honduran and Salvadoran sausages, cremas and cheeses, as well as a very nice selection of fresh Mexican cheeses. We've been enjoying a ball of fresh Oaxaca with eggs and on tostadas as a treat.

Sara also sells Mexican produce that's not always easy to find elsewhere in the city. There are open boxes of ancho, pasilla, arbol and guajillo chiles available to buy by the pound. There's also a very nice selection of fresh peppers in the cooler case along with chayote. There are also beautiful nopales, yuca and even guajes.

For those of you like us who are unfamiliar with guajes, they're a lot like pepitas with a lot less work. Yes, you have to shell them, but at least you don't have to work with pumpkin guts. Guajes are a traditional ingredient in the Oaxacan mole huaxmole, and they're also great to eat toasted as a snack or garnish, especially with eggs. The flavor of the seeds in these pods is nutty and slightly garlicky. Give them a try, and you just may have a new snack.

Sara Market
3984 Park Ave
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 454-9255

I guess Fred Carl is still ok though

2008-02-17T20:32:00.003-06:00

There is no mention of squirrel on the Viking Cooking School's upcoming game cookery event. Unfortunately this class is already sold out, but there is a very interesting slate of classes coming up. Check them out.

Democrat now more than ever

2008-02-17T20:22:00.003-06:00

Mike Huckabee is a squirrel fryer!

Thanks to Perez for the head's up.

February foodie news

2008-02-03T21:11:00.000-06:00

Last week, the Food Network's Guy Fieri was in town filming at various locations for his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

We hear that they shot at Leonard's. We were at Alcenia's while preparations were underway for a fried green tomato shoot with owner B.J. Chester-Tamayo. We didn't get to meet the greatest haircut since Alton himself, but we did learn that the Alcenia's episode should air in late summer or fall.

Lunch is returning to Circa. John Bragg is bringing back the excellent food and service that we experienced there once. Come to think of it, the day we were there for lunch was the last day they did lunch. Maybe we should stay away. You shouldn't though — lunch is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Bronte Bistro at Davis-Kidd will be featuring recipes from Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food. We love Bronte and Davis-Kidd, and of course Alice is our dawg from way back. We may use one of our diet-skipping days to stop by.

While we were at the Southern Foodways Symposium, we attended a talk of the history of absinthe and its return to the states. We didn't get to try it then, but now we can. Joe's Liquors on Poplar now offers absinthe. Thanks to Ryan for that news.

It's not Memphis news, but it is foodie news. Dinner is dead. We met Sean Kelley at the SFA Symposium last October. In addition to his work as a writer and magazine editor, Sean has been experimenting with raising two pigs named Lunch and Dinner at his home near Birmingham.

The website where Sean has chronicled his experiences is www.killingdinner.com. Yes, his intentions were clear from the beginning. This weekend Dinner breathed her last and is now sausage. We haven't gotten around to mentioning Sean's blog before, but it isn't too late for you to read it. It's poignant and funny. Check it out.

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Neola Farms and Michael and Charline Lenagar. The entire Squad is proud to call them friends. We also think their beef is an excellent product. We think if you try it, you will agree. Now, on to Neola news.

Miss Cordelia's is now offering Neola Farms beef. You don't get to chat with Michael, but you can make your selection without standing out in inclement weather.

The Tennessean Restaurant is offering a Neola Farms hamburger at lunch. In February, the dinner menu will feature Neola Farms short ribs.

I read the news today, oh boy

2008-01-31T17:01:00.000-06:00

Our good friend Deliberately at More Deliberate Every Day is the toast of the town and, indeed, the entire foodie world. The Squad has long admired and respected the passion with which he expresses his beliefs and the energy he puts into covering news that is important to anyone who eats. His excellent work has now been mentioned in the Washington Post as an example of an important site on the web for people looking for food information. (I'm honestly not sure about the Post though. In the same edition, they have a story titled It All Started With a Squirrel looking at the resurgence of game in the American diet.)

The Post article requires registration to read, but it's worth checking out. And after you read it, head to More Deliberate Every Day. If you're not already reading it, you'll soon be checking it every day. Hopefully you'll be making your own efforts to be more deliberate every day.

Webcomics and food

2008-01-27T23:49:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of webcomics. I read around two dozen comics on a regular basis. I have often seen comics that I considered mentioning on the blog. This week two comics really struck me, so here we go.

Savage Chickens by Doug savage is a one panel comic starring, well, two chickens. This strip, however, features recurring cast member Timmy Tofu. See? Chickens and tofu is food.

Yeah, chickens and tofu are food. Rabid squirrels? Well, we'll leave that bit to you to figure out.

Chris Onstad, the creator of Achewood, is perhaps the most brilliant, and bizarre, writer the world has today. His humor defies description. Sometimes his oddball sense of humor is dead on though like this strip.

Onstad writes a blog that focuses primarily on his membership in the bacon of the month club. He loves good food, but I have never really noticed political writing from him. Yes, you really need to start reading Achewood from the start to know why a cat named Ray Smuckles is running for President, but if you ignore the surreal elements, you can (or at least I can) practically hear a John Edwards campaign promise in that strip. After all, Edwards is the only candidate speaking out about the state of agriculture today. Making chicken taste like chicken again is what we all want after all.

Yes, I am reading way too much into a brilliant bit of humor, but that is what the best art does — it leaves itself open to interpretation.

So there. My first two recommendations for webcomics that you really should be reading, Savage Chickens and Achewood. Yes, I can often imagine our chickens having the conversations that Doug Savage's chickens. And no, I can almost never imagine anyone having the conversations that Chris Onstad's cats have.

Yes, it will blend

2008-01-26T19:54:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Pim, we have become addicted to the greatest viral marketing campaign the web has ever seen, the Will It Blend? series of videos promoting Blendtec blenders.

The videos, well, the videos really have to be seen to be understood. I can't even bring myself to attempt to describe their beauty. You simply have to see them for yourself.

The demo we watched at Costco wasn't quite as much fun as the videos are, but we still enjoyed it. We chatted with the poor fellow who came up from southern Florida completely unprepared for the cold weather. He whipped up smoothies of course, but he also made boiling hot soup followed by ice cream that was frozen so hard that he could turn the blender jar upside down.

As to the blender, well, we love it so far. I browned a boneless skinless chicken breast. Mama Squirrel put turkey stock, a carrot, a hunk of onion, a clove of garlic, a stalk of celery, and an Anaheim pepper in the blender. After just three minutes, we had nice hot soup. We added the chicken breast and a couple of handfuls of tortilla chips and pulsed a few times. The chicken shredded nicely and the chips broke up just enough to add texture.

For dessert, we threw in an apple, some grapes, a splash of orange juice, some yogurt, and some ice cubes. I thought that there was a bit too much yogurt. Squirrelly, Jr., thought that there was too much apple. Regardless, we all thought that our smoothie was good enough to warrant more experimentation.

After just one meal we are very happy with the blender. Our next experiment with it will be to make our own flour and bread dough. We'll let you know how that goes.

You may not be ready to plunk down big bucks to buy a magical does-it-all tool like the Blendtec, but you owe it to yourself to at least watch those videos. If I put the same link in a post three times, it has to be good.

To heck with milk and bread...

2008-01-26T19:15:00.000-06:00

So Friday afternoon, the weather website that we watch regularly started warning about wintry precipitation. Sure enough, it started to sleet. Mama Squirrel and I decided to leave work early and head home. We weren't too worried about driving in bad weather. We were worried about other Memphians driving in bad weather.

Like hurricanes send people scurrying to the plywood aisle at Home Depot, bad winter weather in the South sends people scurrying to the grocery store for milk and bread.

Mama and I weren't worried about stocking up on groceries. Our new focus on improving our diet has us with a well-stocked pantry. Heading home in the blustery weather, though, what we did want to stock up on was comfort.

Enter one of our favorite places, Taco Loco. We pass Taco Loco twice a day on our commute. Nothing speaks to your belly on a cold day, or just a hungry day, like hot, authentic Mexican food.

We picked up a burrito and four tacos for us. We got a quesadilla de lengua for Squirrelly, Jr., because every thirteen-year-old boy just loves beef tongue, right? Maybe not all of them do, but Teh Boy most definitely does.

It may not have been the best thing for our diet, but the comfort level was worth the calories. Mama's analysis showed us that the tacos actually weren't that bad of a choice since authentic Mexican tacos leave off the cheese and sour cream and top the meat with just fresh onions and cilantro.

So to heck with milk and bread. Give us tortillas and well-seasoned meats any day.

The Last Great Hurrah

2008-01-24T13:55:00.000-06:00

So I went to the doctor recently (something I avoid if at all possible), and I got the dreaded words, "You need to lose weight." Now, I knew I needed to; it wasn't a surprise. And it's not that I haven't wanted to. But there are lengths I have not been willing to go to. There are lengths that I'm still not willing to go to, but the time has come to focus on it.

The first part of this focus is confession time. It's easy to look at my day and say, "I didn't do so bad overall." Well, maybe not in comparison to some, but I'm not doing well enough for me.

Confession #1: I am not a morning person.

I am so much not a morning person that I avoid morning until the last possible moment. I crawl out of my blanket cocoon with just enough time to get a shower and put clothes on before it's time to walk out the door.

Breakfast? I can honestly skip it and did for years. To be very honest, the thought of food within the first 30 minutes of waking up really makes me nauseous. Carpooling with Papa Squirrel has changed all that for me. We've developed a habit. I don't have to get up any earlier, but we still get breakfast. We just stop on the way to work. McDonald's is way too convenient, and the chicken biscuit is a really tasty thing. The breakfast sandwich on grilled toast at Buns on the Run is a truly beautiful thing. Would I prefer either of those to waking up earlier and eating a cold bowl of corn flakes with nonfat milk? Do you really have to ask?

Confession #2: I hate exercise.

Always have. I'm clutzy. I trip over air. I've managed to break bones tripping over air. Coordination? Um, no.

So what about just walking? First, there's the tripping over air thing. Then, there's the question of when. You've read confession #1: morning is not a happy option. It's winter, so it's really dark by the time Papa and I get home. Are these bad excuses? Yes. Don't I know that? Yes. Have I cared? Not so much.

So what about a gym? Have you seen the people who work out at gyms? I don't look like those people. Even when I was thin, I didn't think I looked like those people. And there are mirrors. Lots of mirrors. I've never been that into looking at myself. The whole point of a mirror is to make sure that my hair isn't sticking up, that there's nothing on my face that shouldn't be there, and that my underwear isn't showing. Beyond that, not so much. Find me a gym full of fat people working out alone in the dark. Then we can talk about it.

Confession #3: I like good food.

I like butter. I have a positive love affair with cheese. If I had to choose between cheese and Papa Squirrel? Well... Foie gras? Sweetbreads? A beautiful medium-rare steak with potatoes au gratin? Count me in any day.

I work. Papa works. There are nights (usually at least one every week) when we have had bad days and the last thing either one of us wants to do is to deal with cooking something and then having to clean up the mess. Those are restaurant nights. And while I do try to be moderately sensible at restaurants, I know very well that everything tastes better because of butter. I still think that a buttery restaurant meal made from fresh ingredients is better for us than a processed frozen dinner (not to mention tasting better), but I know that it's not exactly a waistline friendly practice if you happen to agree with me on confession #2.

Food has always been a focus with us for friends and family (and the whole reason we started this blog). I'm not willing to give that up. I'm also not willing to substitute artificial fats, sweeteners, margarine or low fat cheese. I don't want to put all of those chemicals in our bodies, and you just don't mess with cheese. Should I be making things like our famous fried chicken pizza? Probably not, but I'm not going to give up the good things in life. Moderation? That's the plan.

Confession #4: I'm not a sensible dieter.

This is the hard one. I have dieted in the past. I haven't always been the size I am right now. But I've never been able to diet in a physically or mentally healthy way.

From my junior year of high school until I got pregnant with Squirrelly, Jr., I ate anything that I was in the mood to eat. Some days that was no more than sweet tarts and Sprite, but on days when there was much more than that to it, I made sure that it didn't stay in me long enough to cause a problem. I made myself get that under control for Jr.'s sake, but I know the urge all too well, and I am scared that it would be all too easy to go back to that. After all, it did work. I was a whole size 2 back then.

I tend to be a little bit OCD about this whole diet thing. I have tried without going back to the errors of my youth, but I found myself panicking if I ate more than my allotted 1000 calories or 10 grams of fat. I ate less than what the WHO labels as starvation in third world countries, and I weighed obsessively three times a day. I kept spreadsheets and calculated every calorie as soon as I had swallowed it. And when my weight loss plateaued, I wasn't able to keep my "stay healthy" thoughts ahead of the "get skinny" thoughts. I had to push the whole idea of it out of my head and work on liking me the way I was. The weight I had lost came right back as soon as I ate like a normal person. I've done ok with that for the most part, but I am worried about getting into that "get skinny" mindset if I start dieting again.

Now I have Papa Squirrel. He'll keep the insanity from getting too much out of control. Yes, I have started a spreadsheet, but I'm basing it on the FDA recommended 2000 calorie diet. I'm trying to do it more as a record than as a constraint. Am I feeling the urges, though? You better believe it.

Papa Squirrel and I had our last "bad" day this week. I didn't just look at our portion size and say that we did ok. I actually hunted down the nutrition information for what we ate, and it really was a wakeup call. We did have our McDonald's breakfast. And then because we were in a hurry at lunch, we had McDonald's for lunch, too. We went well over the FDA recommendations before we ever took a bite of supper. We're not going to do that again.

You see, I am changing my ways, and Papa's by default. We've been waking up and eating corn flakes at home in the mornings even though we have been less than thrilled about it. We are planning to start walking together (together so that Papa can pick me up off the ground when I fall). Those unplanned restaurant nights are going to turn into salad nights instead. Delivery pizza is going to turn into homemade pizza. We'll still go to restaurants, and I'll still be able to enjoy a good meal there, but we don't need to do that as often as we have been. Here at home, I'm not going to stop using butter and cheese, but I am paying attention to how much we use, and I'm not planning on making Paula Deen's fried butter balls anytime soon.

Will I lose weight? Maybe. Whether I do or not, it's not going to hurt us, and it will make us healthier parents for Squirrelly, Jr. Am I going to obsess over it? I'm going to try my best not to, and Papa promises that he won't let it get too crazy. Are you still going to see good food on this blog? Yes. We're not going to eat processed foods just because they claim to be what dieters need. You may see healthier foods here, but I promise, they'll still be good.

Awkward

2008-01-08T22:51:00.000-06:00

I think I recently sort of had "the talk" with Squirrelly, Jr. Over IM because we're progressive that way at the Squirrel Nest.

Teh Boy: "Karen was doing something weird when I went out to check for eggs."

Mama Squirrel: "Oh?"

Teh Boy: "He was pecking Della on the back of the head. Then he climbed on her back."

A pause of stunned silence. I really wasn't sure what to type.

Mama Squirrel: "It's ok. He's not hurting her."

Waiting in dread, hoping this conversation wouldn't happen. No such luck.

Teh Boy: "But why is he doing that?"

Another long pause. One of those "I don't want to say this" pauses.

Mama Squirrel: "Well, that's just chicken sex."

It was Teh Boy's turn to pause, and he did. And then he replied.

Teh Boy: "Awkward."

I've been wondering about the connotations of that "awkward" ever since. What did he mean by that? Was he saying that this was an awkward conversation? Or did he maybe mean that it was an awkward situation in general? Or did my little baby mean that it seemed like an awkward position? I'm not going to ask. I don't want to know.

Karen is no lady

2008-01-06T17:27:00.000-06:00

Karen, already looking like an old man, and the beautiful Sam
It seems that we have no choice but to reveal our family's dark secret. Yes, Karen is no lady. We can no longer pass off the daily crowing as the hijinks of a tomboy. Edible Memphis is about to out Karen in its Winter issue. I figure the least we can do is step up first and admit what we have tried to hide for so long now.

Karen is no lady.

The misunderstanding was an honest one. Initially all the ladies (and Karen) were the cutest little puffballs you ever saw. We were very specific in requesting girls when we placed our order for the ladies (and Karen).

As they grew up, they really all looked the same. Karen was a bit dorky and klutzy, but we thought it was endearing, not a sign of more sinister things. Perhaps we should have seen then, but, as it is for humans, adolescence is not an easy time for chickens. It was a rough time for the ladies (and Karen), so we ignored any signs there might have been.

It wasn't until the morning that we thought a cat was dying that we just couldn't overlook the signs any longer. The cat was fine, but that first crow wasn't pretty. Karen had come out.

The crows really haven't gotten much better, but Karen is becoming a handsome young man. He always greets us warmly every day when we go out to check on them. He's always the first to come up when we say, "Hello, ladies! Hello, Karen!"

Karen is no lady.

What my father ate

2008-01-05T08:56:00.000-06:00

I just learned that a friend's father died. I find myself wanting desperately to say something comforting, but I know from experience that there is nothing to be said.

I remember two things that my father ate and taught me to love. The first is ketchup and scrambled eggs. Dad's mother was an excellent cook. Ketchup on eggs had nothing to do with her cooking. Instead, it was a product of her practical nature.

With the Korean Conflict raging and my father at the right age for the draft, his mother did the only sensible thing. Since this story isn't about poutine, you know it doesn't involve Canada. No, my grandmother took my dad to the Navy recruiting office. She couldn't keep him out of the war, but at least she could keep him out of the line of fire.

My dad didn't make a career out of the Navy, but his tour did take him to places that few Mississippi boys growing up on dairy farms ever had the chance to see. He saw San Francisco. He saw Hawaii. He saw Hong Kong. He saw Tokyo. And all along the way he saw lots of powdered eggs. Apparently, the only way to salvage powdered eggs is with liberal doses of ketchup. Even when he came home to good eggs, he liked ketchup on them.

The other thing he liked, the thing that reminded me of him this week, was open-faced roast beef sandwiches. I think that the Platonic ideal of the open-faced roast beef sandwich goes like this: a slice of white bread goes on the plate. Another slice cut in half is laid down, one slice on either side of the first slice. Next, hunks of roast beef are laid out on the first slice. Yes, hunks. If you have to slice your roast beef, then your roast beef is too tough.

After the nice, tender roast beef, a serving of extra creamy mashed potatoes. I usually like my mashed potatoes to be a bit lumpy. That way you know they aren't over-processed and haven't had their spirit beaten down. Finally, a good pour of gravy. And a fork.

You can't pick up an open-faced sandwich. You can't even close an open-faced sandwich. They make for good eating though.

My friend is a beautiful storyteller. I am sure she has her own beautiful stories. I know that no one else's words help. I know that your own stories can help. And best of all, they're always with you.

Sweet on Bittersweet

2008-01-04T21:02:00.000-06:00

Mama Squirrel and I had a rare opportunity for a long lunch yesterday, so we tried a place she has been wanting to go to, Bittersweet.

Located in a strip mall in Germantown, Bittersweet takes good advantage of the blank slate of a strip mall bay to create a warm space. White tablecloths and good service can do a lot to distract you from the SUVs in the parking lot and the bric-a-brac and pet stores just down the way. Sitting with your back to the window helps too.

Don't let my mixed feelings on locations distract you though. Bittersweet has a nice menu in a nice space. The first thing we noticed was a strong presence of lobster on the menu. We counted no fewer than six lobster dishes. There was lobster salad, salad with lobster, lobster bisque, a lobster wrap, a lobster roll, and lobster pie.

Mama went for the lobster pie. It was creamy and chock full of lobster. Rather than a crust, it was topped with a crisp triangle of puff pastry. It may not have been a traditional pot pie, but it was delicious. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans, the dish was quite a hearty meal.

I ordered the open-face ribeye sandwich. I should have known that something was amiss when the menu said the sandwich came with fries. I substituted mashed potatoes for the fries thinking I could right a wrong. I couldn't. The steak was very good, but it wasn't an open-faced sandwich. It was a regular sandwich that just hadn't been closed yet. It was a darned good sandwich though.

For dessert we went for the chocolate ecstasy. Our server described it as a chocolate cookie crust topped with fudge topped with a chocolate soufflé. It was a good cake, but I wouldn't call the top a soufflé. I'm not sure what I would call it. It was more dense than a mousse but less dense than cheesecake. All in all it was a good dessert.

Bittersweet is a bit pricey to be a regular lunch spot, but it would be good for special occasions. We're also looking forward to going back to try dinner.

Bittersweet Restaurant
7685 Farmington Blvd, Suite 102
Germantown, Tennessee 38138
(901) 624-9499

More reasons to visit The Tennessean

2008-01-03T23:07:00.000-06:00

The Tennessean Restaurant on the town square in Collierville will host its monthly wine dinner on Tuesday, January 15. The Tennessean's wine dinners are on the third Tuesday of each month. Visit their website and join their email list for updates on special events.

There is no menu for the dinner yet, but not to worry. We attended the first ever wine dinner at The Tennessean and found the food to be superb. Everything else there has been excellent as well.

Also, The Tennessean is about to begin using ground beef from local favorite Neola Farms in its hamburgers and meatloaf. Chef Dave Krog will hopefully also be experimenting with other Neola cuts.

Stop by The Tennessean. Have yourself a fine meal. And while you're there, say thanks for their support of quality local products.

The Tennessean
123 North Rowlett St.
Collierville, TN 38017
(901) 853-9447
Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 to 2:00
Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday 5:30 to 9:00

New year's eve at Marlo's Down Under

2008-01-02T18:22:00.000-06:00

Our great friends, Michael and Charline Lenagar of Neola Farms, let us know about a special dinner at their favorite restaurant, Marlo's Down Under. Poor things. Before they knew what hit them, their romantic New Year's Eve dinner for two turned into a wild party for six.

Marlo's Down Under is in the basement of a building on the town square of Covington, Tennessee. Looking from the town square, the ground floor of the building is a dress shop. The top floor is apartments occupied by the very elite of Covington society. Walking down the hill away from the square brings you to the back of the building where you can walk directly into the basement.

Marlo's Down Under is one of the best restaurant spaces we have been to in quite a while. The older building means that the walls are gorgeous exposed brick. A dark ceiling makes the space cozy without being claustrophobic. Columns manage to make separate spaces without taking away the open feeling of the room. I love it. You need to drive up and see it. And eat there while you're at it.

This is the first time we have eaten at Marlo's Down Under. Our New Year's Eve meal was excellent as was the glass of champagne we had at, well, at 10 p.m. I'm old, and I was ready for bed. I'm looking forward to returning to try the regular menu.

Marlo's Down Under
New Year's Eve Dinner

Appetizer
New England blue crab cake spring rolls with homemade remoulade

Soup
Shrimp and corn bisque

Salad
Baby greens with strawberries, walnuts, and applewood bacon tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette

Entree
Pan seared filet bernaise with a Riesling poached cold water lobster tail over sweet potato risotto and haricots verts

Dessert
Dark chocolate dipped, ruby port poached bosc pears

Marlo's Down Under
102 D.U. East Court
Covington, Tennessee 38019
(901) 475-1124