Joe Kwon of folk rock band The Avett Brothers talks about Charleston and his own food blog
Image by Todd Roeth
Wednesday February 8, 2012
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - The Avett Brothers are coming to the North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday February 12th, 2012. We got to talk with Joe Kwon, the cello player in the band, that also happens to be a pretty great food blogger.
Charleston Food Bloggers ( CFB ) : What are some of the most commonly found snack foods found on an Avett Brothers tour?
Joe Kwon: Well we were told by an RN once that we lose too much water. So we do seem to have lots of water, sports drinks of choice, kettle chips, granola bars, cereal, milk, OJ, and mixed nuts. Pretty boring, huh? We like to keep it simple.
CFB: How is each of the members of The Avett Brothers different when it comes to food preferences?
Joe Kwon: I probably shouldn't go down that road. I have the "pleasure" of ordering food for everyone and let's just say, sometimes that's not the easiest thing to do. With the ever growing group we have it's difficult to find ONE cuisine that everyone will like. I will say that our go to places are Thai, pizza, burritos, or burgers. Can't go wrong with those categories.
CFB: What are you favorite songs to perform live?
Joe Kwon: Oh, I love Laundry Room, Indolence, Once and Future Carpenter, I & Love & You, Go to Sleep, I guess those would be my favorites but I love to play all the songs really. I get such a thrill being on stage!
CFB: Which musicians/songs are you currently really wowed by?
Joe Kwon: Interestingly enough I've been going back to my classical roots as of late. I've been getting really into listening to old symphonies with new ears. It seems as though for me classical music is constantly evolving in my understanding of the pieces and I get something new out of the pieces when I come back to them years later. I guess one song in particular I'm wowed by right now is Song of The Birds by Casals. It's a simple and yet such a beautiful piece.
CFB: Do you have any restaurants that you absolutely must go to if you are in a certain city?
Joe Kwon: I'm definitely starting to amass a list of such places. It may not always work out the way I want it to so I never make it a MUST GO type of scenario, but I will definitely try to sway the group to go to one place or another.
Image by D.L. Anderson
CFB: What do you think about Top Chef?
Joe Kwon: I think it's one of the only credible reality shows on TV. I haven't watched many episodes of the show but what I've watched I've liked. We're on the road too often to really keep current with any shows.
CFB: What would make a perfect day of eating at restaurants around where you live in North Carolina (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and drinks)?
Joe Kwon: Funny you ask this. I have this idea of what it would be like to just take a day of eating in and around my area. All of these restaurants are within 30 minutes driving distance of my home and I love them all. I would start my morning off at Guglhupf Bakery for a nice light breakfast of a quiche or bread and cheese, followed by a stop off at 3 cups to get some coffee from Counter Culture coffee which happens to be roasted just minutes from my house. I'd then stop off at one of three restaurants depending on my mood, Thai China, China Express, or Sandwhich. Each of those three restaurants has a favorite comfort dish I love to order and I can't just choose one. If money and time weren't an issue here I'd drive out to Pittsboro, NC and visit Fearrington House for a 5 course meal. At this stage of the eating game, I'd be stuffed so I'd probably need to walk around a bit to digest. I'd drive to Chapel Hill and park on the east side of Franklin Street and walk to Lantern for some dessert and a cocktail. I'd then head back to Durham for a night of beers at Fullsteam Brewery and hopefully have a DD to drive me home because I love me some beer!!
CFB: Have you ever eaten at any of the great restaurants in Charleston?
Joe Kwon: I have eaten at one but I don't recall the name. I remember they were known for their shrimp and grits. Maybe you know of the place?
CFB: I love your blog tasteontour.com do you have any other talents or hobbies?
Joe Kwon: I've recently been turned on to wood working. I'm just starting now but I'd love to get really into it. There is definitely something special about creating things with your hands. I also love to take photos, but recently I've been preoccupied with the wood working HA!
CFB: Would you share a family recipe with us?
Joe Kwon: Sure, if you ask nice.
(Joe Kwon then shared and posted his mother’s kimchi fried rice recipe with pictures on his blog)
Recipes: Mama Kwon's Kimchi Fried Rice (김치 볶음밥)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 8:20AM
Mom was over at the house yesterday and I couldn't resist having her make me some kimchi fried rice before she left. She explained to me that kimchi fried rice is a dish that everyone loves in Korea. It is a dish probably originated, yet again, in the poorer communities of a way of using up every bit of resource. Kimchi is a fermented cabbage that has iconic state in Korea. There are hundreds of different permutations of the side dish, and every family has their own recipe.
Unfortunately, I don't have the space or time (or permission) to post mama Kwon's kimchi recipe, but I can post this simple recipe for when your stash of kimchi goes past it's prime.
Behchu kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi) is what we're working with here. Kimchi has several stages in it's life cycle. Once it's past it's prime is when there are a couple things you do with it. Make kimchi chigeh (kimchi stew) or make kimchi bokumbap (kimchi fried rice). The dish centers around this over fermented kimchi, and some sort of protein.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb over fermented kimchi
1/2 lb chicken, beef, pork, or tofu (any protein will work)
4 cups day old steamed jasmine or Korean medium grain rice
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 egg per person
Start by cutting up the protein into small half inch cubes removing all the fat and connective tissue. Next chop up the kimchi to small chunks as well, and set both aside. Bring a large frying pan to medium high heat, and add the oil and protein. Cook through. Add the kimchi, and stir fry all of it together for about 2 minutes. Add the cold rice, and incorporate into the kimchi/protein mixture. Stir fry for several minutes until the rice is heated through. Remove the pan from the heat, drizzle the sesame oil over the rice, stir, and eat right away, or heat up another frying pan to fry up your egg. The egg isn't essential to the dish, but is totally worth it.
Bon Appétit!
많이 드세요
-Joe Kwon
Some of you may be asking where to get said ingredients. Well if you find your local korean market you can find both toasted sesame oil as well as kimchi. Make sure you're buying the right kind of kimchi though. There are more than you can imagine.
Eurasia proves again why they were voted best restaurant East of the Cooper in Charleston.
Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar
http://eurasiasc.com/
| 915 Houston Northcutt Blvd | Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 | Phone: 843-606-2616 |
Food by Executive Chef Meredith Adams
Click here for the audio and scroll down for the photos
Download | Duration: 00:08:50
Raw Blue Point Oysters
w/Granny Smith Apple Mignonette
The Critic loves oyster.
Fried East Coast Oysters
w/Old Bay Beurre Blanc
Seared Bigeye Tuna Sashimi
w/Wakame~Sushi Rice~Sesame-Soy Sauce~Citrus-Ginger Sauce~Thai Heat
Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio
w/Truffled Egg Salad~Baby Arugula~Balsamic Mustard Vinaigrette
Crumbled Bleu Cheese Dressin' on Romaine Chop~Hard Farm Egg~
Cherrywood Bacon~Red Onion~Tomato~Fried Onions~Potato Stix
Reuben "In the Sky With Diamonds"
Pastrami Julienne~"Millionaire Mayo"~2 Cheeses~Fried Dill Pickles~
Sauerkraut~Hot Buttered Rye Bread
Off The Hook "Rockafella"
Smokehouse Bacon~Stravecchio~Mashers
w/Blackberry Jam with Banyuls......well it was before Stupid Mike got his hands on it!
"Ribs and Whiskey"
Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs~Knob Creek Whiskey & Peppercorn
Sauce~Roasted Carolina Sweet Potato "Smashers"~Tater Stix
Sauteed Shrimp & Smoked Gouda Stone Grit Cake
Virginia Cured Sausage~Roasted Red Peppers~Basil~Old Bay Butter
Top Chef: Texas cheftestant has Charleston ties.
Charleston, SC - Season 9 of Top Chef has a larger than normal cast and lots of talent. One of the cheftestants, Keith Rhodes, owns 2 restaurant in Wilmington, NC and has ties to the Charleston area. His restaurants are Catch and Phun. They feature lots of seafood and Southern dishes with an Asian flair. Chef Rhodes made the cut on Top Chef to progress into the final cast only to be eliminated in a controversial, cut throat, judges table. Despite being eliminated Chef Rhodes continues to stay close to the top of vote getters for fan favorite. Top Chef season 9 is down to just a few remaining contestants so we thought we would talk to Chef Rhodes about his experience on the show and his restaurant Catch.
Charleston Food Bloggers ( CFB ) : Did you know any of the chefs from Top Chef: Texas before filming started?
Chef Keith Rhodes: Everyone was new to me. I absolutely knew no one. There were several of the contestants that did know each other.
CFB: Which contestants surprised or impressed you the most?
Chef Keith Rhodes: I liked talking with Chris Jones from Moto in Chicago. I enjoyed hearing a lot about the restaurant’s philosophy. It is not all about show, there is a lot of meaning in what they do over there at Moto. It was real insightful. I talked to a lot of the chefs but as far as someone that I took some ideas home to think about it was definitely Chris.
Top Chef: Texas was unlike previous seasons that stayed centered around one home location. This season moved all around the state of Texas and included every facet of what Texas could offer. There was a minimal opportunity to cook with a lot of seafood. I have traveled a lot and eaten a lot of food different types of food but I had never been to Texas. It was my first time there and boy was it hot. It was like 110 degrees. They have a truly unique type of cuisine in Texas with lots rich influence from Mexico.
CFB: This year they expanded the number of contestants. Were you guys running all over each other?
Chef Keith Rhodes: Yeah. It was intense. It is really like stepping on a roller coaster.
CFB: How were the judges?
Chef Keith Rhodes: Padma, Gail, and Tom have seen thousands of chefs. They have tasted so much food. Even with all of that experience they were still really nice people to work around. I was honored to work with a FIVE TIME James Beard award winning Tom Colicchio. Padma and Gail brought their wonderful personalities to the table as well.
CFB: Have you changed or tweaked anything on your menu since your Top Chef experience?
Chef Keith Rhodes: No, we are still doing our own thing here. We do a lot of the modern and new techniques here at Catch already. We like to stay grounded to our Southern food with an Asian flair approach.
CFB: If dinners from Charleston eat at your restaurant for the first time what do you recommend they try first to get a good idea of what your cooking is all about?
Chef Keith Rhodes: Right now things are changing because of the seasons but I would say our NC sweet potato salad. We blanch the sweet potatoes and give them a flash fry so that they get nice and crispy on the outside. We serve it over baby spinach with a honey shallot vinegrette and some local goat cheese and sun dried cranberries. It has some onions, some sweetness, and you feel good about eating it because it is on that bed of greens. It is something that has been really successful and tasting that salad will let you know what we are all about. We are about local, simplicity, and quality.
CFB: The name of your restaurant is “Catch” which to me implies you are cooking a lot of seafood from local fisherman. Are you at the mercy of what they catch that day?
Chef Keith Rhodes: We try to plan our picks weekly based on what fish is going to be available. So there are times when things are moving and changing on a daily basis. Right now there is a lot of grouper and triggerfish. We have tons of oysters and local shrimp. All of our crab meat comes from Oriental, NC. Our catfish comes from Greenville, NC. We really try to say within the region. We buy local whole fish and local produce that keep the flavors true to our area.
CFB: Do you visit Charleston often?
Chef Keith Rhodes: Yeah, I have been down there a lot. My mother-in-law actually lives in Moncks Corner. I know Sean Brock. I have spent quite a bit of time down there.
(Chef Keith Rhodes and his wife Angela Rhodes)
(2011 James Beard nominees: Chefs Sean Brock, Keith Rhodes, and Ashley Christensen)
I really have been so honored this year and I appreciate all the support especially from down there in Charleston. That is a fantastic food scene you have down there. I look forward to meeting you guys from Charleston. When you stop by for dinner make sure you say hi.
CFB: Thanks Chef Rhodes!
Comedy festival + restaurant week = Perfect weekend for a date night in Charleston!
Tuesday January 17th, 2012
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - This weekend the stars will align in Charleston for the perfect date night! The Charleston Comedy Festival collides with Charleston Restaurant Week to give you maximum value on your date. First lets talk comedy. Local comedy kings The Have Nots have single handedly kept Charleston on the comedy radar. Year after year they continue to bring nationally known comedians to the area. This year the headliner is TJ Miller. I just saw TJ on Conan a few months ago. He can also be seen in recent movies such as "Get Him to the Greek" and "She's Out of My League". The festival starts on Wednesday Jan 18th. There are 3-5 shows on Wednesday and Thursday but the action really kicks into high gear after that with about a dozen shows on Friday and a dozen shows on Saturday. Prices range from free for the festival opener at Red's Ice House to $20 for the festival finale on Saturday. Tickets to the headline act featuring TJ Miller are $17.50.
As far as Charleston Restaurant Week goes there are 3 levels to choose from: 3 for $20, 3 for $30, and 3 for $40. Although the menu items you can choose from are very limited the quality of those items is typically very good. The restaurants want to impress you and your fellow dinners enough to get you to come back again and choose from the full menu. Typical menus for this week include choice of an appitizer, main course, and then dessert. We have a few favorites in each level. At the 3 for $20 level we like EVO, Virginia's on King, Fish, and Five Loaves. At the 3 for $30 level we like......oh wow sooo many of them. I will give you a few suggestions which are a little less traditional such as Huck's, La Fourchette, Eurasia, Cork, and Lana. At the 3 for $40 level we like Hall's, Hank's, McCrady's, Trattoria Lucca, and Tristan.
Here are a few good game plans:
#1) "The Splurge": Make reservations for an early dinner on Friday or Saturday. Make reservations at High Cotton for 6PM and then buy tickets for the 8PM TJ Miller comedy show. After the show head over to The Gin Joint or The Cocktail Club for drinks. (Dinner $30 x 2 plus ++) + (Show $17.50 x 2 +) + (Drinks $8 x 2) = $120. For $120 you and your date will get a night of entertainment that on a normal weekend could set you back twice that much.
#2) "The Budget": Make reservations at Fish on Friday night for 7:30 or 8PM and buy tickets for Laugh-A-Palooza on Friday at 9:30PM. After the show stroll into to nearby watering hole Blind Tiger for a beer. (Dinner $20 x 2 plus ++) + (Show $12.50 x 2 + ) + (Drinks $4 x 2) = $80.
Click here for the full Charleston Comedy Festival schedule
Click here for the full list of participating restaurants
Lunch at High Thyme with radio personalities The Critic and Stupid Mike
Scott, Stupid Mike, and The Critic (l-r)
Download | Duration: 00:05:53
Click the arrow above to listen to the audio.
The dishes are introduced by Executive Chef Taylor Still.
Executive Chef Taylor Still
Friday December 30th, 2011
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - As 2011 comes to a close I am having lunch on Sullivan’s Island, SC at High Thyme with a few of my favorite Charleston radio personalities. The Critic (James Voigt) and Stupid Mike (Mike Fili) from "105.5 The Bridge" are joining me to talk about food, New Year’s Eve, and some of their favorite things from 2011.
High Thyme is a nice restaurant right in the middle of that great strip of bars and restaurants on Sullivan’s Island. They have been open for about 8 years and are located at 2213-C Middle Street next to Dunleavy’s Pub and the new Taco Mamacita’s. High Thyme has recently started opening for lunch on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:30AM-2:30PM.
On this particular day the sun is starting to heat up the frosty morning chill. We woke up to frozen windshields and then quickly had to peel off those warm outer layers and start questioning if we should be sitting on High Thyme’s now warm and inviting deck.
We start off with two plates. One is the arugula salad with pecans, goat cheese, dried cherries, and a basil vinaigrette and the other is a sesame seared yellow-fin tuna served over a soba noodle salad with red chili ginger honey. The arugula salad is beautiful and hit all the notes I like in a salad. I don't like raisins but have been on a big dried cherry kick lately so this was perfect for me. The tuna was also very light and delicate but packed a nice punch of complimentary flavors and just a hint of spice.
The second course was the grilled lamb salad with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, pita triangles, and yogurt dressing. The lamb part of this dish is the tricky part but I felt it was seasoned really well and had nice texture. The yogurt dressing was there but didn't smoother out all of the ingredients so I was very pleased.
Next we tried the hot dogs and BBQ. The hot dogs come in a pair and are topped with chili, cheese, slaw, and onions. It came with a side of cold macaroni salad. We had the Eastern NC style BBQ pork sandwich, with spicy red slaw, and jalapeno hush puppies (not pictured). Stupid Mike really liked the hush puppies and The Critic is a self proclaimed hot dog savant so these plates were definitely winners.
To finish off lunch we had a piece of their key lime pie with whipped cream. I grew up in Florida so I have had hundreds of key lime pies in my day. I have to say this was a really good version. Is was a perfect balance of sweet and tart with the cracker crust that was firm and not too crumbly.
I will be headed back to High Thyme for lunch again soon. I already know what I want to try next time: the shrimp salad croissant and the braised beef sandwich.
Finding a new favorite place to eat or a new favorite dish can be something special. Just like how when The Critic finds a new band or song that he likes he is happy to share his findings to the world. That same urge happens inside of me when I find or rediscover a great place to eat. There are a lot of restaurant choices on Sullivan's Island. Don't let all the choices distract you from checking out or rediscovering High Thyme.......and definitely put them at the top of your list of lunch options!
Six perfect Christmas gift ideas for foodies
SweetSophiaTreats.com offers made from scratch whoopie pies n a variety of sizes and flavors. They offer delivery from Tuesday-Saturday in the Charleston area. Besides the delicious signature flavors listed below Sweet Sophia has seasonal flavors and can color coordinate your whoopie pies for any occasion including sporting events, holidays, and even weddings. The pies are so fresh, soft, and delicate. You can taste the love in each bite.
Anyone can walk into a shop and buy a cupcake.....but how special is it to have fresh whoopie pies delivered to your doorstep!
Our favorite Top Chef and molecular gastronomist, Richard Blais, has teamed up with www.tastycotton.com to create a cooking themed line of t-shirts sure to please any hipster foodie. The price is about $25 each. The grins on their faces as they notice people reading their shirts....priceless.
My favorite part of cold winter nights is warming up by the fire, watching my favorite show, and sipping on a hot drink. My hot drink of choice is anything mulled! Mulled means a warm beverage that has spices and sugar added to it. For the liquid choose either red wine, apple cider, or hot tea. Williams-Sonoma make a great spice mix for this. It has cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and citrus peel. You can put your liquid in a slow cooker or tea pot and then add the spice mix into this metal strainer known as a tea ball or spice ball. The spice mix will run about $12 and the spice ball $3.
Anyone into math, science, Star Wars, Star Trek, and all things geeky or nerdy will love this kit to kick start their exploration of molecular gastronomy. I have made some crazy and delicious things with this kit. So far I haven't blown anything up or poisoned anyone. Lets hope your foodie is equally as lucky. Made by Molecule-R it will run you about $60.
Here are 3 of our favorite cookbooks this year.
Marcus Samuelsson has won multiple James Beard Awards and has the hottest restaurant in New York City this year. His most recent cookbook "New American Table" is the best way to sample his brilliantly flavored food. His recipes for meatballs and soups will have your taste-buds asking why you don't cook like this all the time.
The Lee Brothers, Matt and Ted, wrote what could be considered the bible of Charleston cooking in 2007. It won the James Beard Award for Best Cookbook and the award was well deserved. If you don't own "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook" you should have a copy in your house. Think Paula Dean with less butter and bacon but just as much flavor. Their most recent book is a little less of a reference and more of a coffee table talking piece. It has the same style of recipes but with lots of bold and fun pictures. You can get a signed copy of "Simple Fresh Southern" from their website.
The Glass Onion is one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston. They just released their first cookbook this fall called "Glass Onion Classics". Don't let the simplicity of the pages inside fool you. Those recipes have complex flavors and deliver on taste. I have never had anything I didn't completely love from The Glass Onion. My favorites are Jennie Ruth's Deviled Eggs, Country Captain, and Housemade Pickles.
Piggly Wiggly does Christmas right. Most of their Charleston and Columbia bakeries have traditionally made Bullwinkel Whipped Cream Cakes around the holidays. Mr Bullwinkel and his family have served tens of thousands of these cakes to residents of the Lowcountry over the past century. Now that Mr Bullwinkel has sadly passed away Piggly Wiggly proudly continues on using his old family recipe. Sponge layers, whipped cream, and raspberries help to highlight this great dessert. They will run you about $30. Call your local Piggly Wiggly to ask about making your special order.
Last but not least, PIG SWIG! Pig Swig is Piggly Wiggly's answer to the micro-brew. Over the summer of 2011 they launched Pig Tail Ale and Pig Pen Pilsner. This winter they made one batch of Seven Swines a Swigging Ale. The fun names and cute little pigs that decorate the label make great ideas for a gift exchange or to create small talk during your Christmas/New Years party. The brews are made in South Carolina at Thomas Creek Brewery and have created QUITE A BUZZ.
Thanksgiving dinner tips: 3 ways to cheat and 3 celebrity chefs' upgrade tips
Sunday November 20th, 2011
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - On Thanksgiving most of us have a pretty long list of "must have" foods. Everyone in your family seems to have their own favorite dish. For those of you with unlimited time and resources you can stop reading now. You don't need the following information. For the other 95% of you with limited time and resources what follows is some much needed ways to cut down on your kitchen work load this Thanksgiving and add a few surprises to your menu. I am giving you 3 items that you can purchase instead if making from scratch that I am confident are equal or better than what you could make and 3 recipes from some celebrity chefs that will keep your family and friends believing that you are the best cook on the planet.
These will save you lots of time and are of top notch quality
Mashed Potatoes:
Simply Potatoes is the first and only packaged mashed potato products that I can get behind. I agree that instant mashed potatoes are horrible. These are not instant mashed potatoes. The main ingredients are real potatoes, half and half, whole milk, butter, and salt.
Buy, open, microwave, serve.
Your family might not even realize you didn't peel them.
Pecan Pie:
Pies can be very difficult to make. The crust, the filling, the consistency.....those are all major problems that could leave you without a pie on Thanksgiving Day. If one step goes wrong your in trouble. Luckily this year the pecan experts at Young Plantations in Florence, South Carolina are selling their amazing pecan pies in a Piggly Wiggly near you. The pies are only $9.95 and you can really taste the pecans. I have tasted them already and the nuts are fresh, the filling is firm and not too sweet, and the crust is perfect. These pies typically retail for much more than $9.95 when you order them online or at store in the mall.
Cranberry sauce, gravy, or any troubled dish:
This tip can vary based on which city you live in. Basically if you have a dish or area in which you have had trouble in the past......outsource it. For example Ted's Butcherblock has been doing this great Thanksgiving Day take out menu for several years. Our favorite items on the list are the cranberry sauce, gravy, or soups. If you don't live near Charleston call around to some of your favorite local restaurants and see if they are doing a Thanksgiving Day menu and I bet they would be happy to package a few items for you to take home on Wednesday night.
Fried shallots on your green bean casserole: Top Chef: Masters contestant John Currence from Mississippi was featured in Bon Appetite Magazine this month talking about his favorite Thanksgiving Day recipes. A trick he told me about a few months ago was using fried shallots on your green bean casserole instead of French's Fried Onions. Slice the shallots thin, batter, fry and top on your casserole. Think "blooming onion" goodness!
Tom Cholicchio's Herb-Butter Turkey: If you have had troubles with dried turkeys or just have ran out of ideas try Tom Cholicchio's recipe. He gives you good tips on making the gravy from the turkey neck and wings and also how to rub butter under the skin of the breast to keep it moist and end up crisp.
Paula Deen's Garlic Cheese Biscuits: Heavy on the cheese and heavy on the butter this recipe is sure to please everyone except your doctor.
10 course meal at FIG wows local rockers Dangermuffin (a vegan, a vegitarian, and a pescetarian)
The chef: F.I.G.'s Chef de Cuisine Jason Stanhope
The band: Folly Beach's own Dangermuffin
You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter for info on their music and upcoming shows
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - When I discovered the eating preferences of the guys from the Charleston band Dangermuffin I was intrigued. The musical trio features lead singer Dan Lotti (a vegan), on drums Steven Sandifer (a vegetarian), and lead guitarist Mike Sivilli (a pescetarian... which means he will also eat fish). The guys are hosting "Turkey Jam" Saturday November 19th, 2011 at the Pour House. Proceeds will benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank. There will be about 15 performances both on the main stage and deck stage.
As I am setting up a dinner interview with the guys I pretty quickly realized that not too many Charleston restaurants cater to guests who have made these types of dietary choices. F.I.G. Restaurant however was up to the challenge. Talking to them in advance they said this was absolutely not a problem for them. We would be in the hands of F.I.G.'s Chef de Cuisine Jason Stanhope. Stanhope formerly was Chef de Cuisine in Kansas City working with two James Beard Award winning chefs Debbie Gold and Michael Smith at 40 Sardines.
Chef Jason Stanhope came out and introduced himself to the guys and told them that he is always happy to cook for guests who enjoy fresh produce. He said that a majority of the current mid-summer veggies this day came from Thornhill Farm (Our Local Foods Kitchen Table Cuisine) in McClellanville, SC or Blackbird Farms in Hendersonville, NC. Blackbird Farms and Thackerary Farms on Wadmalaw Island, SC are considered sister farms due to the longtime friendship of the farmers.
Our server Tim brought us some vegan bread which was from Normandy Farms Bakery here in Charleston. On the side was some olive oil, butter, and salts.
As we sit around and talk Mike says he was the first of the group to experiment with vegetarianism. He grew up in an Italian family and his mother was a great cook. She cooked lots of great vegetables and sides but there were always also lots of meats included. He says just like any other kid he just accepted that if he ordered pizza it had pepperoni or if he ordered a sandwich it had turkey. It wasn’t until he got older that he realized that the foods you choose to eat are truly your own personal choices and that meat isn’t a requirement. One day he just decided to experiment with being vegetarian and never looked back. Mike admits that sometimes but not often he will have some seafood so he currently considers himself pescetarian.
Dan explained that his transition to veganism started in 2006. Mike and Dan became roommates and Dan would see some of the great things Mike would have to eat. Until then he had never even thought twice about his daily intake of meat. Then in 2007 he decided to make the move and started eating vegan. He said within the first month he lost about 10 pounds and noticed his energy level was raised.
First Course: Roasted peaches with thyme, cress, olive oil, aged sherry vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
What an amazing plate. It was both beautiful and delicious. This level of quality was to continue throughout our meal. The acid from the garnish and vinegar perfectly balanced the sweetness that came from the peaches. The slight roasting helped to caramelize just enough of the natural sugars to really bring out the sweetness of the peaches. A slash of salt on top.....brilliant start.
As we ooohhhed and aaaahhhed over the peaches we discussed how South Carolina really produces more peaches than Georgia despite Georgia maintaining their reputation as “The Peach State”. Steven chipped in with a smile “gotta let Georgia have something I guess.” The New York Times this summer said that South Carolina ships 90,000 tons of peaches a year compared to Georgia’s 40,000 tons a year.
Mike led a pretty interesting discussion on how fast food companies focus on 99 cent meat products like hamburgers but nobody is doing the same with veggies. Companies are making food products using the cheapest ingredients they can get with the goal of making money rather than focusing on what is healthy and tastes good, Steven added. Dan noted that he was encouraged recently when big mass merchants like Wal-Mart announced that they are stocking more organic products because of demand from consumers.
One of Dangermuffin's most memorable recent meals they tell me came in Milwaukee, WI at The Riverwest Co-Op. They picked up some great black bean burritos while they were in town to play. They played at the outdoor Bastille Days event with Los Hombres Calientes from New Orleans. “It was cool to share the stage with those guys”, recalled Dan. “It felt like the whole town was out. There was like 10,000 people just walking the city, eating, checking out all of the different stages, and listening to lots of different types of music.”
Second course (seen below): Cherokee purple tomatoes, small sun gold tomatoes, radishes, Saba , basil, olive oil, and salt.
Dan tells me, "A lot of people think it is hard to eat vegetarian and more so vegan while on the road but it is not that hard. There are more resources now. Just like how we are able to use (GPS) navigation the iPhone has certain apps. One of them is called Happy Cow that helps us find co-ops or restaurants that are vegan friendly. A lot of the best places seem to be ethnic like Mexican, Indian, Chinese, or Thai."
Steve says the only time they ever have problems eating good is if they are in a big hurry. "We can find these great places for fresh great food but sometimes we are on a tight schedule trying to get to the next gig. If we are traveling on the interstate and just get to stop for a minute then Subway tends to be our only choice or Moe's."
"Try being vegan and getting something in a gas station….impossible. Everything has milk or honey products or is nothing but sugar", added Dan.
Third and fourth courses (seen below):
Roasted peppers Shimla and Nardello peppers roasted, radicchio, pickled garlic, parsley, and olive oil.
Lipstick peppers and eggplant which were poached in acidulated water and marinated overnight. They added some pickled garlic, raw crooked neck squash, Marcona almonds, parsley, aged balsamic and rustic torn croutons.
Fifth course (seen below): Shaved raw sprite melon, cucumber, tossed with lemon confit, lemon juice, lemon agrumato (citrus infused into olive oil), and garnish
Seventh course (see below): vegetarian version (not vegan) of Ricotta Gnocchi with squash blossoms
Eigth course (see below):.....why don't you guys guess. I can't tell you everything
Ninth course: Blueberries, creme fraiche,and lime zest
Tenth course: perfectly ripe figs and peaches lightly dressed and balanced
Wow what an amazing meal of 10 vegetarian/vegan dishes they we got to share family style. I have a lot of respect for what Chef Jason Stanhope is doing at F.I.G. as Chef de Cuisine under Executive Chef Mike Lata. I can't wait to come back to F.I.G. and I bet next time I will not think of meat as a requirement.
Honey is off limits for vegans. I don’t really see it but "rules is rules". -Dan
Pork belly…I call it Pig stomach. -Steven
Bend Oregon. They take their beer pretty seriously there. -Dan
I love me some roasted beets. -Dan
Jason is a super talented guy. -our server Tim
Tour van, no trailer. It feels like a Tetris game each night when we pack up. -Steven
Something I would like to get into is jarring and canning things. -Steven
We should invite Danger Mouse to one of our shows and see what he brings. -Mike
Each of the guys was asked to express themselves with a marker and a napkin. Their ability to be creative and spontaneous was put to the challenge and they all passed with flying colors. Here is what they turned in for their quick art projects.
Dan Lotti came up with a geographic representation of where they have recently toured. Above the map appears to be an almost Dangermuffin version of the US flag.
Steve Sandifer nicely sketched a homage to the dinning area of F.I.G. The spacing of the lighting, art on the walls, and tables was very spot on.
Mike Sivilli drew his inspiration from pepper stems of the third and fourth courses.
Recap of the Zac Brown Band's 3 day music and food festival
Zac Brown Band during one of their 3 performances during the festival
October 23rd, 2011
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - I was really excited when I heard that the Zac Brown Band would be putting on a 3 day music and food festival in Charleston. It was called the "Southern Ground Music and Food Festival". I have been a big supporter of blending the two worlds of music and food together. Many of my posts have been interviews with musicians over dinner just talking food. I almost lost my breath when I saw the list of bands and chefs that were going to be participating. I thought now there is an all star line up. The festival was to include bands such as My Morning Jacket, Fitz and the Tantrums, Brett Dennen, Blind Pilot, Train, etc, etc, etc and super chefs such as Charleston's Sean Brock and Mike Lata. I truly enjoyed the weekend of food and music and I definitely have a higher of level appreciation for the genius of Zac Brown and crew.
Hits:
#1) Band selection: I loved that a mix of genres was included and that hot touring acts were booked. It would have been easy to fill the line up with sleepy acts that haven't made records in 10 years or that nobody had ever heard of but they picked some fantastic performers. Anyone that missed My Morning Jacket really missed out.
#2) Sound quality: The sound system was loud enough throughout the stadium but was never uncomfortably loud even in the front rows. Feedback was extremely rare and bands were coming on back to back to back without crowds waiting on painfully long sound checks.
#3) "Cookie": The concessions from Zac Brown's trailer "Cookie" was really fun and creative. I loved that some of Zac's recipes were featured and the Chef Rusty accessible during the weekend.
#4) Musical interaction: The guitar station set up with guitars, amps, and headsets so that anyone could walk up and play them on their own was nice. There was also an opportunity to win guitar lessons from a member of the Zac Brown Band at the Honest Tea tasting tent.
#5) Venue: Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island was clean, open, close parking, and had above average bathroom facilities for a festival.
#6) Weather: They picked a great time of year for an outdoor concert. Warm in the day and slightly cooler at night made spending the day outdoors very enjoyable.
#7) Local food venders: The selection of food vendors and chefs was a really good fit. I think there is some room to add a few more for next year. Maybe a couple of our local food trucks?
Misses:
#1) music and food together: I would like to see next year's event blend food and music together more. There should be some interaction with the bands and the food that is fun and visible to the fans. What about a simple cooking challenge on stage....3 top musicians compete to make 15 PB&J sandwiches the fastest (just a simple example but you get the picture). What about having Sean Brock doing an on stage demo (some molecular gastronomy....on a big stage). Let him get creative. Giving a chef the main stage and the rock star a kitchen would have been fun and something new.
#2) Dividing up the crowd: There were so many options with the tickets. You had to choose between general admission, stadium seats, pit area, VIP, stage seats etc. The main pit area was completely divided into 2 areas by the cat walk. There was almost always a visible gap of 10 yards between the fans in the pit and the general admission fans. When you think of festivals like Woodstock and Lollapalooza you imagine a sea of people......with this first year's set up there were lots of pockets all over the place. Also the gated spot in the center of the lawn area for the main musical act and family felt more like caged animals at a zoo. I am sure it felt awkward for them too. I am sure the event organizers will change a few of these things up for next year.
#3) Timing of the meals on the stage boxes: I like wandering around and going to the other stages throughout the day so maybe there could be some light indicator or a dinner bell rung when courses are served so that people know to return to their seats to eat each course. In that cold night air the food can and did get cold quick.
If you didn't make it to the festival this you keep an eye out. Every food and music lover needs to come experience this event. My ears and mouth are still very happy. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the weekend.
Saturday: Fitz and the Tantrums
Charleston Food Bloggers Scott and Crystal Wink with Fitz and the Tantrums lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick
Saturday: I love some Brett Dennen tunes! We got to interview Brett the week prior to the show. Check it out.
Saturday: My favorite new band.....Blind Pilot
I got to meet and get a quick photo with Blind Pilot!
Saturday night: Train
Train really worked the crowd and catwalk. At one point they had about 100 of their Trainettes on stage with them.
BBQ all weekend!!!!
Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ: Big Texan had pork, cheddar, slaw, bacon and sauce....delicious!
Marcus Samuelsson came to Charleston (of Next Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters )
CharlestonFoodBloggers Scott and Crystal Wink with Chef Marcus Samuelsson (center)
Wednesday Oct 25th, 2011
by Scott Wink of CharlestonFoodBloggers.com
Charleston, SC - On October 20th the winner of Top Chef Masters Season 2 and current Next Iron Chef contestant ( #NextIronChef ) Marcus Samuelsson came to Charleston to give a cooking demo in West Ashley at Signature Appliance Center showroom. Samuelsson has won multiple James Beard Awards and is owner of hot NYC restaurant Red Rooster. The event was sponsored by the company Bluestar which makes restaurant quality gas ranges for use in the home. Several features of the stove that Marcus highlighted made my wife's mouth water at the thought of owning one.....my mouth was watering while smelling Marcus cook. Getting high enough heat for a wok was one of the most impressive features. Also impressive was the amount of customization you had when it comes to choosing your range. There are thousands of combinations and almost 200 colors you could choose from to create your own unique range.
During the demo Marcus cooked dishes from his cookbook: New American Table. Dished included meatballs, tacos, soup, salmon, spiced cake. Marcus was able to seamlessly prepare his dishes while interacting with the crowd. He seemed to enjoy sharing his thoughts on the constant evolution on what is considered American cuisine. Marcus had a chance to try some Charleston food earlier in the day. He mentioned having lunch at Alluette's Cafe downtown on Reid St.
The portions were humorously tiny but delicious. You could fit 2 complete tacos on the end of a fork (see below). The soup was probably our favorite dish. I was surprised at how well almonds and mushrooms blended together. We are going to have to get his cookbook and try some of his recipes out at home. Here was the full menu:
-Appetizers-
Prosciutto Flatbread
Corn Pancakes with Chili-Covered Gravlax
-Entrees-
Salsify Soup with marinated Mushrooms
Chorizo-Style Meatballs with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
Chicken Sate with Baby Spinach and Garlic Feta Dip
Fish Taco
-Dessert-
Malva Pudding
Scott Wink
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