Devour - January 2014

Spiceof life The

The Seasoned gourmet adds a Spice Bar for more inventive cooking

PHOTO CREDIT: HOLLAND DOTTS JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 1

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

MAG

Divulge.

Devour.

EDITOR Shea Carver ASSISTANT EDITOR Christian Podgaysky

t

ART DIRECTOR Kyle Peeler

hough winter comes with cold temps and nights spent snuggling on the couch, it’s not without its fun in the kitchen. Nothing can be more delightful than stewing a hearty soup for hours on end, and smelling the sweet, tangy and rich aromas of herbs and spices permeating the home. Turmeric, curries, herbs de Provence, fines, filé, cumin, New Mexican chiles—when paired with hearty beef and potatoes or even lighter vegetable-based soups, the perfect winter meal warms the soul.

Our cover story (pages 30-31) comes courtesy of Wrightsville Beach’s The Seasoned Gourmet, which in October added a Spice Bar to the retail shop and demo kitchen. Owner Susan Boyles holds cooking classes frequently and incorporates the spices to help educate consumers. Readers intimidated by the enormous amount of herbs and spices available will find more than a handful worthy to test out in their own kitchens this winter with ease.

More so, they’ll find adventure awaits without fuss or costing too much—the staff happily offers recipes and background info on the spices, plus folks can buy as little or as much as they please, without committing too much out of pocket.

New to Devour’s pages is a beautifully illustrated recipe section (pages 24-28), thanks to food blogger Emily Caulfield. “Food Your Feelings” not only captures the magic and wizardry of pantry-cooking, but Caulfield simply delights with her effervescent vibe to be brave and bold in the kitchen—and without breaking the bank in doing so. From her Tender Baby Party Meatballs to Two Amy’s Curried Devilled Eggs with Salsa Verde, Caulfield’s delicious recipes and whimsical drawings make food a more relatable form of art.

Competition dining fans who bite at the bit for every season of “Top Chef” most certainly will enjoy the third year of Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, which kicks off on January 27th at Bluewater Grill. The series pits local chefs from our favorite restaurants against one another in a bracket-style battle. Each week the winners move on until the four-week series dwindles with only two chefs standing to fire off for the coveted red chef coat, a chance at $2,000 and a slot in the Final Fire held every November in Raleigh.

Wanna know how to become a judge at one of the six-course dinners? Flip to page 29 and find out!

Of course, we have all of our normal readings which make Devour taste even more divine when compared to other magazines covering our local culinary scene. We have chef profiles, restaurateur stories, our own take on food porn in “What We Love to Eat,” as well as farmer and organizational stories all packed within the first 23 pages. Plus, if you’re looking for some of the best restaurant deals in town, be sure to read Rosa Bianca’s top three on pages 18-19.

It all will lead you to a funny voyeuristic story by Joel Finsel about life as a bartender, as well as direct your palate to some of the more flavorful wine and beers to drink this winter. And if you still need something to read, Gwenyfar Rohler can point you in the direction with her reviews on some of our favorite current and old books within the vast culinary field.

It’s all to be divulged. It’s all to be devoured.

We can’t wait to tempt your tastebuds even more come spring!

R

WINTE 2014

2 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

Eat & drink across southeastern NC

ADVERTISING Shea Carver, Rose Thompson, John Hitt, Kris Beasley CONTRIBUTORS Rosa Bianca, Evan Folds, Judy Royal, Bethany Turner, Joel Finsel, John Burke, Shannon Gentry, Christian Podgaysky, Amanda Greene,Gwenyfar Rohler, Emily Caulfield, Chelsea Blahut PHOTOGRAPHY Holland Dotts, Trent Williams

DEVOUR

is published by HP Media quarterly and covers the greater southeastern NC region. To subscribe to the print publication, the cost is $20 a year for four editions. Folks can sign up to subscribe at www.devourwilmington. com. The website is updated with local culinary news, reviews, events and happenings frequently.

ADVERTISING To find out how your restaurant can be included in Devour, go online to www. devourwilmington.com to download a media kit. Feel free to call HP Media at 910-791-0688 or email shea@encorepub. com. HP Media also offers advertising packages for Devour and its parent publication, encore magazine.

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INDUSTRY Into the minds of local restaurateurs, featuring Bon Appetit.

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Photo by Trent Williams

29 EAT Fanning the Flames Cover photos: Holland Dotts

Tired of digging into frozen meals as Instagram photos of immaculate delectables litter your news feed? Then, Fire on the Dock is your answer! Christian Podgaysky dishes on the North Carolina dining series’ third year. It’s one fire in the kitchen you won’t want to put out.

34-35 IMBIBE Winter Gulpdown

ON THE COVER 30-31 |

Though you can have too many cooks in the kitchen, you can never have too many spices on the rack. From Grains of Paradise to herbs de Provence, The Seasoned Gourmet near Wrightsville Beach has you covered. Their fresh seasonings will make the stuff at the store seem like dust. Shea Carver sat down with Susan Boyles to find out the essentials for your spice rack.

While you curl up with your copy of Devour this winter, why not indulge in a nice brew? Bethany Turner elaborates on all the tasty ales that will give you something to rejoice in over the cold, dreary months.

38-39 FEATURE Holy Sustenance

Food is something many of us take for granted, but the Early Bread Program reminds us of those less fortunate. Their weekly Sunday morning breakfast for the homeless offers the chance to give back. Amanda Greene of Wilmington Faith & Values delivers the scoop.

ALSO INSIDE: Chef profiles, pgs. 6-9 • Farmers and organizations, pgs. 14-17 • Best Wilmington restaurant

deals, pgs 18-19 • What We Love to Eat, pgs. 21-23 • Recipes, pgs. 24-28 • Cocktails and Conversations, pgs. 32-33 • Winter wine reviews, pg. 36 • Microbes and composting, pgs. 40-41 • Book reviews, pgs. 42-43 • Culinary calendar, pgs. 44-47

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Inside the Kitchen A look at a chef’s inspiration, business sense and background

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BY Shannon Gentry ● Devour contributor and freelance writer

hen Keith Rhodes prepared to enter the battle arena at the 2011 Taste of Wilmington Food and Wine Festival, he told me then it was more about the community than the competition.

Two years later—and after a stint on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” season 9 in Texas— Rhodes has opened an additional downtown restaurant, Phun Seafood Bar, and expanded his modern seafood restaurant, Catch (6623 Market St.) to wheels. Still, he follows the same ideology: bringing fresh, local food to the community.

“If you look at a diamond one way, you only see it one way,” Rhodes notes, “but if you put it in the right light, and move it around a little, you can see all the different nuances of that diamond, making it that much more beautiful. That is something we’re trying to do in the community: to showcase various types of food and do it well.”

Rhodes projects a calm sense of family amongst his staff, whereas in many restaurants the kitchen is often no-holds-barred with emotions and searing stress. “Overall, success in a restaurant has to be embraced with respect and discipline,” the chef explains, “not just at your job but in your personal life, and that reflects into your job.”

Between the two brick-and-mortar restaurants, and with the success of the Catch Food Truck, Rhodes makes sure a moment of spare time seems unavailable. Currently, he’s outfitting two more trucks and says he’s ready to work with more young chefsto-be who are eager to learn.

“We’ve almost got a little cooking school,” Rhodes muses. “You start here, and we move you out on the truck to work 6 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

“I’m just a chef. But like an artist, I want to feel free to express whatever’s going on within.

You might have a certain style or signature, but, when you venture outside of that, you hope it’s something that people will embrace as well.”

—Keith Rhodes, Catch and Phun Photo by Holland Dotts

INDUSTRY nice roast in the oven. Grouper is a signature fish of the area. I call it our East Coast version of halibut— the premium white fish that everyone knows. However, catfish is one of my favorites, from up in Aiden, NC, at Carolina Classics Catfish.”

But asking this chef which fish he likes most is like asking him which restaurant he loves most. “It’s almost like asking which child do you like,” he quips. “I love them all.” *

“I’ve really had to show restraint in working with chiles. Being from New Mexico, the New Mexican reds and greens are probably my two favorites; it’s kind of like Duke and Carolina here.”

—Jameson Chavez, Manna Photo by Ryan fipps independently. Then, we move to another venue to kind of experience it all.”

It’s part of the brand Rhodes wants to build. While a third restaurant dances in the back of his mind, he says it will be his last separate venture. Though different from Catch, it will embrace the same mission of perfecting great food with good, local products. More so, he wants to embrace the people who enhance it, “who want to learn and, hopefully, go off on their own in this field,” he concurs.

Per the sentimentality of his community, his finds its strengths comes from the people who work hard to encourage dining at local restaurants. It also comes from other restaurateurs willing to put out a consistent, delicious product, like Manna, Big Thai and Brasserie du Soleil.

“The fabric of Wilmington has changed a lot,” Rhodes states.

“I think the fabric of culinary arts has gotten the spotlight, but I’m just a chef. Like an artist, I just want to feel free to express whatever’s going on within. You might have a certain style or signature, but, when you venture outside of that, you hope it’s something that people embrace as well.”

Rhodes grew up eating fresh, local seafood, which inspired following this tradition in his a career. “My grandparents shopped fresh and growing up like that, having an appreciation for seafood, I just wanted to do something different in the community,” he says. “It is sometimes a little tumultuous. It’s very busy, and even outside of the restaurant alone, the demand for what we do has really grown.”

Rhodes’ fondness grows for locally or sustainably sourced fish, and he appreciates what it brings to the table. “Tuna and salmon are my favorite to work with,” he admits. “Now, I could say all sorts of other local fish, but they don’t lend themselves very broadly. As neutral fish, tuna and salmon really go well with so much, and can be prepared from a tartare to a ceviche to a really

* * * Chef Jameson Chavez likes it hot. Specifically, he likes a nice hot pepper.

A red-hot chile pepper can easily be spotted inked on his left arm as he preps in the Manna kitchen on a Saturday afternoon.

The evening’s menu is handwritten in front him, not unlike a musician’s set list before a concert.

Blanching cuts of broccoli for a bright green side for the filet entrée, smoking garlic for cream sauce, preparing brine for duck, reducing rabbit stock, he continuously moves from one station to another. He checks off his list as he moves.

“It’s kind of a lot because we’re moving small amounts of everything,” Chavez says. “We have to do this every, single day, but it ensures everything is fresh.”

Chavez moved to Wilmington from New Mexico to help open Manna more than three years ago. He worked with Manna’s original chef, Jacob Hilbert, at two other restaurants: Torch in Las Cruces and Á La Mesa in Santa Fe. In other restaurants, Chavez says he’s had to work with dishes consisting upward of 10 or 12 elements, and varying in complexity. At Manna he relies on the fresh simplicities to stand out in each concoction. “Here, it’s more locally sourced and locally driven as much as possible versus being more complicated and overthe-top,” Chavez explains.

Much of the produce the chef uses is from Cottle Organics in Rose Hill, NC. “We do run into the problem of some ingredients not being grown here, like celery root . . . but they grow really good stuff at Cottle,” he notes. “One, it’s organic; and two, it just tastes really good.”

Chavez enjoys baking bread, but coming from New Mexico, he often specializes in using chile-pepper varieties for personal touches in traditional recipes. Diners may taste an earthiness in his cinnamon cocoa mole or the “almost mole” red-chile pecan honey sauce he serves on a pork entrée.

“I’ve really had to show restraint in working with chiles,” he exclaims. “Being from New Mexico, the New Mexican reds and greens are probably my two favorites; it’s kind of like Duke versus Carolina here. Since moving, I’ve realized I have to use other chiles, and there’s a whole world of them out there, and they’re all good for their own thing.”

While Chavez says he gets the occasional Trinidad scorpion pepper or ghost pepper in his kitchen, he has to constrain himself. “I just use them for hot sauces,” he promises. “I’ve noticed that people like their vegetables here, and you’ve got to go less spicy.”

While Chavez didn’t attend culinary school, he attributes his knowledge and skill to on-the-job training—and a lot of reading JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 7

INDUSTRY making mistakes.” on techniques from greats like Charlie Trotter and Thomas KelWhile in school, Grimm learned lar. “And lots of messing things more working at the low counup,” he laughs. “I started fliptry’s Peninsula Grill, a four-star ping burgers when I was able to restaurant, as well from his peers. get a job and had to get a job.

Now, in the same shopping and I turned 15 and my parents said eatery center as his former menit was time to go to work, so I tor from Harvest Moon, James started working at [a fast-food Bain at Epic Food Co., Grimm is restaurant] Whataburger in happy to be in the same company Las Cruces.” once again.

From there Chavez made his “I was Bain’s sous chef, and he way through every station in was doing stuff 12 or 14 years the kitchen: dish-washing, teago that we’re doing now,” dious prepping, like juicing a Grimm praises. “Being a chef to case of lemons or pealing 35 me is like being in a cool fraterpounds of shrimp a day. More nity. Once you get in with some or less, he was discovered by a and you know them, it’s like a big manager who promoted him in tree branching out.” the kitchen.

Grimm specializes in what he “I would always find myself calls “Southern contemporary” looking at the line, watching the cuisine. He embraces the “farmguys cooking,” he admits. “My to-table” concept or as he calls “All of my training is hands-on. If I could manager asked me if I wanted it: “cooking the way you’re supgo back now, I wouldn’t have spent the to be trained.” posed to.” He touts the oldChavez moved on to catering school style of eating what you money on culinary school. It’s just all about and eventually found a home grow. “Everyone’s gotten away learning your craft, working with good in the restaurants of the culifrom that and can get everynary world. It consisted of more thing they need in one big-box chefs, and making mistakes.” than throwing frozen packaged delivery truck,” he states. It’s a —Scott Grimm, Pembroke’s Photo by Holland Dotts foods in a fryer or on a grill, like way of cheffing that has become line cooks often do. “There’s the easy way out, according to nothing wrong with that,” he’s quick to note, “because those are Grimm, which is why he’s reversing the trend at Pembroke’s. “We the cooks who are kind of the unsung heroes.” have seven or eight different farmers listed back there that we Like many chefs, Chavez appreciates anyone willing to trade source from,” Grimm says, gesturing to the chalkboard posted aprons. If they’re willing to cook for him, he happily obliges. “I next to an open-air window to the kitchen. “Those are the farmreally like going to family gatherings because it’s nice having ers we have to coordinate with each week, and that’s how we other people take the reins,” he says. “Of course, it makes them design our menus.” nervous because they’re like, ‘I’ve never cooked for a chef beThough the styles and techniques are similar at both Pemfore.’ But [chefs] are people, too; we like to be cooked for and broke’s and Rx, Grimm says he’s taken some menu items that aren’t judging.” have been successful at the downtown eatery and made them unique to the new location. Here, folks fancy oyster and grits over traditional shrimp. “I serve poached oysters and fried oysters with * * * * Guilford County grits that we get from our North Carolina proScott Grimm is the chef de cuisine at one of the newest res- vider,” he claims. “But the grill sets us apart; that wood-fired grill taurants in town, Pembroke’s, located in The Forum. Invited by back there is amazing.”

James Doss, chef and co-owner of Rx Restaurant and Bar on CasHe grins like a proud father. tle Street, Grimm left his former home at Dockside to take some Using flavorful woods, such as white oak, cherry, and walnut, of the pressure off of his friend’s plate, so to speak.

Grimm grills pork chops, filets, duck breasts and more. Yet, there “James and I go way back,” Grimm explains. “We started cook- is one dish that continues to pique the interest of diners. ing at Dockside when we were 18 and worked [locally] at Harvest “The slow-roasted ribs already are becoming somewhat of a Moon, as well as with Sean Brock, who’s one of the top 20 chefs signature item,” he says. “We do a dry-rub, brine them for four in the world [known for his Charleston cuisine found at McCrady’s hours and slow-grill them all day while we build the fire.” and Husk],” he divulges. “We’ve known each other for a long Pork is a favorite of Grimm’s. He had a pig arrive the night time and always wanted to do something together.” before from Bev Eggleston of EcoFriendly Foods out of Virginia.

Though Grimm attended Johnson and Wales in Charleston, He hand-delivers to top-notch restaurants up and down the East SC, he honed most of his skills and know-how in the kitchen. Coast. “These are heritage pigs, bred the right way, treated the “All of my training is hands-on,” he details. “If I could go back right way,” Grimm assures. “It’s a really special product, and it’s now, I wouldn’t have spent the money on culinary school. It’s by far my favorite thing to work with.” just all about learning your craft, working with good chefs and The pig is a large part of the restaurant, even engraved in Pem8 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

INDUSTRY broke’s logo with a fish as its culinary yin to its yang, representing the working relationship between the two chefs. For now, Grimm says reasoning suggests he is the fish and Doss is the pig.

“We never planned it to be one or the other, but [James] is very unorganized and I’m very organized,” Grimm states. “One night we were looking at the menu and I looked at him and said, ‘You are the pig, wallowing in the mud right now, and I’m the fish, swimming streamline.’” *

* * * “You had me at jalapeño- and pineapple-infused water!” That’s what I wanted to say to Chef James Bain when he offered me a drink at his restaurant, Epic Food Co., in The Forum. Whether it’s cucumber, rosemary, or just plain water, Bain offers the refreshers as another way to show how simple it is to flavor the simplicities in life the right way.

Changing throughout the year, the water infusions depend on the season and what’s available. The outcome is to complement the food without overpowering the flavor. “It’s the simplest form of pairing a drink with food,” Bain says. “I’m almost embarrassed how easy it is.”

Subtle flavors, almost undetectable to taste buds, which often are accustomed to sugary drinks, shine with the first sip. Bain says that’s how it should be. “Water is the key to everything,” he explains, “and we have fun with that. It’s skipping the sodas and just offering a cool, clean way to have a drink.”

Formerly the owner of Harvest Moon on Oleander Drive, where Bain put his fine-dining training into practice, the chef says his new restaurant is just as fun and challenging. Ten years of running Harvest Moon earned Bain a break—until 2012 when he started outfitting the new space off Military Cutoff Road. “For [Epic], it’s still a lot of work, but at least I feel like I could try to open multiple units,” Bain says.

Epic’s current menu is more casual than the tablecloth-service of Harvest Moon. It’s a work-in-progress, but Epic standardizes healthy eating, and offers bowls, salads, wraps and more. Bain says customers have commented his menu is too big since it offers numerous ways to enjoy Epic: One menu comes the “Epic Way,” and the other offers build-your-own options.

“Everyone these days has a different allergy, a different diet, or what-not,” Bain explains. “We made a menu that gives them the option of really good meals or create an item just like they want it—or we suggest variations of the vegetables and flavors we think go well together,” Whether a bowl, wrap, soup or salad, topped with brown rice, beans, tofu, chicken or beef, the seasoned veggies take Bain’s skill to the main stage. “Even if I did have another finedining establishment, the vegetable still would be the most interesting thing to cook,” he notes. “Now, I love bacon, don’t get me wrong.”

Adamant about providing customers plenty of sprouts, carrots, and spinach, Bain focuses on clean cooking. It’s quite different from the rich creams and heavy butters he once worked with. “I don’t miss that necessarily,” he admits. “I think Epic’s food is a much cleaner and better way to eat. I just feel so much better, too.”

Overall, the chef and restaurateur wants to get back to the basics—an approach on a larger scale that includes community or neighborhood gardens to help shift dependency on processed foods. He wants to empower home cooks in their own kitchens.

“I’d love to teach a technique-versus-recipe class,” he states.

“That’s what we use here, and it’s not hard at all. It goes back to the home pantry. Throw everything away that’s in a packet, everything that’s in a box. I don’t even use dried herbs; I’m kind of a snob in that regard. [Fresh herbs] just make food taste much more flavorful and lighter if nothing else.”

The best basics, according to the chef, always consist of having on hand veggies from the onion family, anything that can be pickled for the pantry, and bright, fresh flavors from chiles, herbs and citrus. Most of all, quality ingredients makes any winning dish.

“You just need whole ingredients,” he promises, “and that can be done at home just as easy as it can be done here, because it’s not hard to do.”

“Even if I did have another finedining establishment, the vegetable still would be the most interesting thing to cook. Now, I love bacon ... don’t get me wrong.”

—James Bain, Epic Food Co. Photo by Holland Dotts JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 9

Successful Restaurateurs The business minds behind ILM’s eateries

BY Judy Royal ● Devour contributor, freelance writer and social-media manager

Ever wonder why your favorite restaurant is here today and gone tomorrow? It’s not easy to feed the masses; those who have tried will tell you. Volatility is a hallmark of the industry, which has a very fine line between making it and breaking it.

Here in Southeastern North Carolina, despite its frequent culinary failures, some restaurateurs fall into the former category of making it. The following three—which have been in business for at least a decade and stood the test of time—share words of wisdom from the food front. ● Photo above of Ed Thomas, by Holland Dotts • Next page photo of Gene Costa with family and chef, by Trent Williams 10 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

INDUSTRY the way I did. Start as a dishwasher and work your way up.”

Joanne and Spiro Simotas; sold to Ed Thomas Gulfstream Restaurant

“I’ve never lost faith in my ability and what I wanted to do here,” Gene Costa of Bon Appetit says. “We’ve definitely raised the bar as far as catering is concerned.”

Gene and Claudia Costa Bon Appetit Catering

Gene Costa emerges for an interview in chef’s attire, carrying an assortment of his most popular catering fare that he and executive chef James Matthews put together in minutes. He plays up the fried sweet potato cake topped with pulled pork, a treat he said he sold 9,000 of last year.

Costa and his wife Claudia started Bon Appetit Restaurant and Catering, 3704 Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington in 2001.

Costa is the third generation of his New York-native family to be involved in the restaurant industry, a passion he has been involved in for 50 years. He admits some of his ventures along the way were not as lucrative as others but feels he has found the recipe for success at Bon Appetit.

“I’ve never lost faith in my ability and what I wanted to do here,” Costa said. “We’ve definitely raised the bar as far as catering is concerned.”

Bon Appetit hand makes 100 different kinds of hors d’oeuvres for catered events, but the restaurant is a crucial ingredient of the business as well.

“The average person cannot survive as just a catering company because of the peaks and the valleys, the seasons,” he said. “There is by far no breakfast house in town that can match the creativity and quality we have. We are the most diversified food establishment in Wilmington.”

It’s not just about the food though, Costa said. He credits much of his success to being a hands-on owner, putting in 60 to 70 hours a week, and taking the time to get to know his customers.

“People like being acknowledged,” he said. “People always want to go into a restaurant where they feel appreciated. Getting to know people makes them want to come back. I don’t think you’re going to find a restaurant in Wilmington where the owner is as close to his customers as I am.”

Costa’s best advice for aspiring restaurateurs? “I honestly feel that you should have experience,” he said. “You should start

How many families can say they’ve owned the same restaurant in the same spot for 35 years, not to mention managing to stay open year-round in a highly seasonal beach town?

That’s what Joanne and Spiro Simotas have done with Gulfstream Restaurant, an old-fashioned brick landmark at 78 Myrtle Ave. in Carolina Beach. They serve breakfast anytime they’re open as well as lunch and dinner, including specials that rotate daily. The restaurant doesn’t take credit/debit cards or serve alcohol, but it does have a core group of fiercely loyal locals who keep things going when the tourists go home.

The Simotases bought the place in 1978 after following family south from New Jersey. He had worked in a diner after moving to this country from Greece, but she had no restaurant experience. Now she can run the entire place herself, and sometimes does, usually putting in 60 hours a week or more.

“It’s a very, very demanding job,” Joanne said. “You have to give almost your whole self. At least that’s how I have done it. I have dedicated my whole life in here.”

The restaurant is open seven days a week for all three meals, except Sunday when it closes after lunch so the family can have just a little time for themselves. You will find either Joanne or Spiro, and often both, working at any given time, along with frequent appearances from their two grown sons, Thomas and Dino, who pitch in at the family business in addition to their own full-time careers.

The years haven’t all been perfect – or easy, Joanne said – but perseverance has paid off for one of the oldest restaurants in the area.

“You might make mistakes, but if you are doing your best that’s what counts,” she said. “People notice that you do your best, and you work hard and you appreciate them, too.”

Shortly after this interview, the Simotases closed on a deal to end their decades-long run on the Carolina Beach restaurant scene. They sold Gulfstream to Ed Thomas of Kure Beach, who began operating it with partners Mike Daves and Rich Johnson on January 2nd.

Thomas said he has known Joanne for several years and mentioned his interest in buying the restaurant a few years ago. A serious discussion emerged in late 2013 to eventually make this become reality.

“It’s got a really good following and a great reputation,” Thomas said. “The food was very simple but good quality. Basically, it’s where Carolina Beach eats. Everybody there knows it. It’s been around for years and years, and has pretty much evolved into an established restaurant.”

Thomas, who has previously owned and operated restaurants in Charlotte and Atlanta, said loyal customers can expect to see the same menu, hours and the waitstaff they have enjoyed for years. There may be a new addition here and there, including cheese biscuits served with dinner entrées and breakfast skillet JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 11

INDUSTRY dishes, he added.

“I think it’s going great,” Thomas said. “We’ve met a lot of people, and it’s exciting. We really want to carry out the tradition that they built, and we’re not here to change it or do anything different. We’re going to try hard to maintain the quality of restaurant.”

Pierre and Marie Penegre La Catalan

Growing up in southern France, Pierre Penegre always loved cooking. But he spent most of his career in the corporate world as a chemical engineer. That all changed when he and his wife Marie came to Wilmington in 2001 and opened Le Catalan French Café and Wine Bar (224 S. Water St.) downtown on the Cape Fear River. He clearly remembers a representative from a food distributor telling him, “Cheese and pâté is never going to work in Wilmington.”

Fast forward to today and the Penegres are about to celebrate their 13th anniversary in the same spot. What’s their secret?

“You have to believe in your product, which is not only the food but your service, ambience, decoration and location,” Pierre said in his endearing French accent. “You receive so much pressure from the market, friends and other people to change, so if you don’t believe in your product you’re going to fail. You have to sometimes even resist your own doubts.

“And you’ve got to be crazy,” he added.

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“If you don’t have a bit of luck, if something hits you too hard at the wrong time and you’re not solid, you fall,” Pierre Penegre says. “Ever day I cross my fingers. You are on the edge all the time.”

There’s one more element that factors into the equation, too, Pierre said as an afterthought.

“If you don’t have a bit of luck, if something hits you too hard at the wrong time and you’re not solid, you fail,” he said. “Every day I cross my fingers. You are on the edge all the time.”

Basically anytime the restaurant is open, you will find at least one of the Penegres present—and often both. In their 13 years of ownership, they have not taken more than a fleeting weekend off together.

Both agreed that having this sort of passion is all in a day’s work for a successful restaurateur.

“You should never be complacent with yourself or your business,” Pierre said. “You should always say it’s not good enough.

You always have to push your staff. If you are happy with average, you are in danger. Average should not be in the restaurant business.”

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JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 13

Connecting With Local Food: Local nonprofit builds ties between farmers and community at large

BY Chelsea Blahut ● Devour contributor

When the Southeastern region of North Carolina faced a massive job loss and severe poverty five years ago, Leslie Hossfeld, head of the Sociology Department at UNCW, and Mac Legerton, of the Community Action in Lumberton, acted by forming the grass-roots, non-profit organization Feast Down East. By combining their respective knowledge of the Public Sociology Program of UNCW and the Center for Community Action in Lumberton, the organization developed into a “partnership of public and private institutions and agencies among eleven counties along and adjoining the I-74 corridor east of I-95,” according to www.feastdowneast.org. ● Photos:(above) Richard Thomas of Thomas Produce on his farm in Burgaw; (next page) Herbie Cottle from Cottle Organics in Rose Hill Courtesy of Feast Down East 14 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

INDUSTRY This is an integral aspect of the organization’s heartfelt intent: to deliver “a vibrant, local food system” to the area. Jane Steigerwald, the director of Feast Down East, and a licensed and registered dietitian with an educational background in nutrition education, wants the nonprofit to better the most ethnically diverse region in North Carolina, which is also one of the three major regions of persistent poverty in North Carolina.

“Because this is a nonprofit, we don’t receive any monetary gains,” Steigerwald explains. “But that’s not what this is about. It’s all about the farmers and how we can help them succeed.”

Although the first two to three years of Feast Down East were characterized by research and data collection, due to funding provided by UNCW, they have been able to assist local farmers to help build sustainable farms. In doing so, Feast Down East provides technical assistance by letting the farmers know what the demand is for certain crops.

The organization connects with local buyers, restaurants, grocers, hospitals and schools to provide better food. They also emphasize direct communication with the Buyer’s Club (a contract-based group with a personalized ordering system for both individual and commercial customers) in order to create a communal relationship among the organization. Their expansive coverage provides for an ideal market, including both rural and urban counties to “maximize opportunities and profits for both farmers and restaurants.”

“Basically, if there is any way to get the farmers’ product sold, we try to tap into that,” Steigerwald says.

Such is evident in their advertising—varying from campaigns, billboards and promotional videos, featuring profiles of farmers and local restaurateurs. For instance, on their YouTube channel, they have a dozen videos of local farmers describing their work and motive for not only a profession, but a livelihood.

Margaret Brown of Heritage Produce at Heritage Herb Farm dons a long brunette braid and overalls in her high tunnel. The farming method is made of seven-foot high-bent wires covered in tarp, which extends the farming season for her organic greens and radishes during winter.

Frankie Pridgen of Pridgen Farms in Rocky Point tells of his family history in farming, which dates back to his grandmother. She would load-up trains with okra.

Christin Deener, co-owner of Federal Point Farm, talks about her involvement with a communal farm, and promoting local growers and the importance of supporting this cause.

“There are farmers that have told us that if it wasn’t for us they never would have been able to sell their products,” Molly Rousey, processing and distribution program director, says. According to Steigerwald, through Feast Down East at least 73 jobs have been directly created within the farms and restaurants they have assisted.

Growing up on a farm in Castle Hayne, Rousey not only brings farming expertise, but developed several buying programs to both personal and commericial buyers. There are four different types with which Feast Down East deals: retail, wholesale, online, and rent-a-farm.

Retail and wholesale are typically for costumers buying large quantities or bulk itmes, such as restaurants and grocers . Feast Down East currently works with Circa 1922, Catch, Caprice Bistro, YoSake, Aubriana’s, Manna, The Basics, Cornerstone, Rx, The Bento Box, and grocers such as Tidal Creek Co-Op, Whole’s Foods and Lowe’s Foods. “For these chefs to get off the beaten path and get the best kind of food … it says a lot about them,” Steigerwald notes.

By buying from local farmers and relying on the types of crops that are available during each growing season, it forces chefs and cooks to become more innovative in their recipes. For instance, CAM Café substitutes peanuts for tofu in their miso soup; The Basics also utilizes pea-

nuts, buts roasts them as a side to complement different kinds of meat.

“When we show up with new food, they see it as a whole new color in the rainbow for their palates,” Rousey explains. “They’re artists, and we give them something new to experiment with.”

Feast Down East’s rent-a-farm is arguably the most innovative aspect of their initiative. It gives personal buyers a 10 to 15-dollar budget to buy different types of food from local buyers through a type of CSA. Thus, they are committed to local agriculture but within reasonable price structures.

This approach even has been extended to EBT cards, which is part of the organization’s Food Desert Program. It reaches out to underserved communities with a limited amount of fresh produce and knowledge of innovative dishes with only a few ingredients. To ease this issue, they provide recipes, such as “Radish Toast,” which consists of a toasted baguette, thin slices of radishes, butter, salt and pepper. It acts as a

“Basically, if there is any way to try and get the farmers’ products sold, we try to tap into that.”

—Jane Steigerwald, director of Feast Down East

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 15

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INDUSTRY

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14 Course “White Linen” Tasting Menu FRESH AND CLEAN FLAVORS FROM NC: Heirloom tomatoes from Feast Down East farmers, as prepared from Chef Mark at Circa 1922. Courtesy of Feast Down East.

delicious approach to the testament of giving people what they did not know they wanted.

Rousey thinks this new craze for local food really surrounds the idea of being self-sufficient—especially after coming out of a five-year recession and a lot of financial uncertainty for many households. “I think people felt vulnerable and realized, ‘Oh no, what will I do if something goes wrong?’” she questions.

Even so, the idea of growing your own food is one of the most ancient concepts in mankind, an irony that we are just now tapping back into it. Sometimes we need necessary awareness and reminders in times of need.

“Food is the one language we all speak and it breaks all barriers,” Rousey says. “It’s the one thing we can all get on the same page about.

I truly believe real, good food can save the planet.”

Future projects for Feast Down East will include urban farming, community and aquaponic gardens, which will target under-served communities that can head their own programs once they have a strong enough support system.

Also, on February 6th, Feast Down East hopes to expand its local food efforts by reaching out to government agencies, leaders and planners at their fourth annual regional conference. Scheduled for from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UNCW’s Burney Center, Dr. Marcia Caton Campbell, executive director for the Center for Resilient Cities, will kick-off the conference by speaking about urban and regional planning and how it can build resilient community food systems. The conference will include workshops for farmers, would-be farmers, chefs, food buyers, foodies, local food advocates, gardeners, and more advocates.

As well, an Agrarian Stewardship Award presentation will be held at the conference, wherein last year’s winners, Margaret Shelton of Shelton Herb Farm and Chef Tripp Engel of Brasserie du Soleil, pass the torch to the next farmer and chef who have been voted in as major supporters of connecting locally grown food to the community at large.

For more information on the event and to register, head online to www.feastdowneast.org.

RSVP Oysters & Caviar à la “Morimoto” Ceviche Tropical “Shrimp & Scallop” Crispy Cantonese Duck Spring Roll Petite Lobster Slider “New England” Style Chicken Foie Gras à la “Roberta” “Ta j Hahal” Shrimp Pokora “The Future” Jeniffers Smoked Egg Paté* Crispy Red Curry Kobe Beef Purse* Charleston Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Indonesian Curry Red Grouper “Inspired” Wild Salmon Tartar Sirachia Fried Chicken Sammy* Rasberry Panna Cotta Espresso Chocolate Torte RSVP @ $100 per person add $50 wine & cocktail pairing *Includes complimentary champagne toast for 2 *Includes complimentary boxed hand-rolled truffles for her *First 25 reservations will receive $20 Catch gift card Deadline for Reservations 2/11/14 We will be offering our greatest hits menu as well

Catch Restaurant • 6623 Market St Wilmington, NC 28405 • 910.799.3847

www.catchwilmington.com JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 17

Dining On a Dime Finding the best deals to eat around town

BY Rosa Bianca ● Devour contributor and encore magazine restaurant critic

t

ell me if this sounds familiar: You didn’t get a raise in the New Year, you never got a Christmas bonus, and your tax return barely covers your credit card bills from the holidays?

Let’s face it. To one extent or another we’re all broke. And those of us who aren’t broke manage to keep from going broke by making good choices about how much to spend. So either way, this column is for you.

We all want a taste of the good life, whether we can afford it or not. So, as my gift to you in 2014, I’ve compiled a list of the top three best bargains for dining out in Wilmington. Let me be clear about one thing. I did not compile a list of the cheapest ways to eat in Wilmington. I don’t care if dinner costs a nickel when it isn’t any good. This column is about the best bang for your buck.

Quality divided by cost equals level of satisfaction.

Furthermore, I make minimal promises about how long these deals will be available. I have been given every reason to expect that they will continue for the forseeable future. But it’s safer to bet on a sidewalk game of three card monte than it is to make predictions about the local restaurant industry. So I hope to see all three of these for a long time coming. But I promise you nothing.

#3

An old favorite, well-known to Wilmington epicures, Caprice Bistro on Market Street offers genuine French bistro dining at always reasonable prices. Whether in the cozy dining room or the upstairs sofa bar, the Port

18 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

ITALIAN LIKE GRANDMA MAKES: Cousin’s Deli offers a six-course, family-style meal for only $25 a person every weekend, offering an appetizer, antipasto, salad course, meat course, pasta course and a trio of desserts. Photo by Bethany Turner

“Food is our common ground.

A universal experience.”

—James Beard

EAT Also, they have appetizers and City’s fine-dining crowd is well acsoups on their all-you-can-eat quainted with Caprice. I would venmenu, such as dumplings, edature to say that you haven’t earned mame, fried scallops, satays and your stripes on the Wilmington food spring rolls. Plus, side items like scene until owners Patricia and Thiwhite or fried rice and steamed erry Moity know you by name. vegetables get included. It can be Now, the entire menu may be a serious meal for a seriously great reasonably priced, but reasonable price. doesn’t get you the #3 best deal in Oh, and if dinner is more your town. Caprice makes the cut bestyle, they do it the same for cause of its half-priced bar menu. $20.95 a person, which also inAvailable from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on cludes a ton of their specialty rolls. weekdays and, perhaps more interGo for the Geisha, which includes estingly, from 11 p.m. to midnight tempura shrimp, salmon, avocado, on weekends, the bar menu is the fried and topped with their special difference between a good deal house sauce and a great one.

Caprice is hardly the only place in town to offer cheaper eats at happy hour. In fact, because North I actually wish this one So what makes Caprice Bistro’s halfCarolina law forbids happy hour were more difficult, but priced bar menu, available Monday the best deal in Wilmington really drink specials (any special on alcohol must run from open to close on through Thursday, so special? How jumps off the page, in my book. any given day, so sayeth the wise Many are likely familiar with the about mussels in a curry cream sauce? lunchtime sandwiches at Cousins men and women in Raleigh), bars all over the state have used cheaper Pork cheeks? Charcuterie? It’s more than Deli, located downtown on 3rd food just before the dinner hour as Street. But they’re inexplicably less breaded chicken tenders. a lure for drinkers. So what makes famous for their weekends-only Caprice special? How about mussels dinners. For only $25, Cousins ofin a curry cream sauce? Pork cheeks? Charcuterie? Pubs take fers two seatings for a six-course dinner. your $5 and give you three deep-fried chicken tenders. Caprice A six course Italian meal, inspired by family dinners back home gives you smoked fish. in New Jersey, the evening is designed thematically to look like As a personal favorite, I recommend the Croque Monsieur. a meal from an Italian grandmother’s house. Essentially, they Technically, it’s just a ham and cheese sandwich, but I promise just keep bringing food until you beg them to stop. you that it’s so much more.

Dinner opens with a little something on crostini. Bruschetta in the summer, eggplant tapenade in the winter. Either way, I’m I’ve written before about the abundance of quality su- already hooked.

Next up, the deliver the antipasto, followed by salad, a pasta shi available in Wilmington. More than one establishcourse, the meat course, and a trio of desserts. The salad comes ment offers a few good deals. I’ll even go so far as to give an invariably glazed with Cousins’ signature white balsamic vinaihonorable mention to YoSake for their limited half-price sushi menu available from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. But getting to #2 takes grette, a secret recipe that I’m told can be yours for a mere a bit more than that. Blue Asia claims the second spot with a $100,000. The pasta course varies week to week. The meat seven-day-per-week lunch special, offering $11.95 all-you-can- course also varies by recipe, but to date it has always been eat sushi rolls—made to order! As even minimalist rolls tend to chicken. (Why always chicken? Because it’s $25. Have some cost at least $4.95, this is quite the bargain, available from 11 mercy on the poor chef.) However, in 2014, there are plans to allow diners to request other meats when they make their resa.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Granted, there are some caveats regarding which rolls qualify ervations, with the understanding that an additional fee will be for the lower price (for an additional fee, the entire sushi menu attached to the check to cover the cost. I’ll be first in line to see opens up). And you can’t order more than you can eat, or they’ll what they can do with salmon.

And did I mention that it’s BYOB? Cousins has no liquor lirevert rates to full price. But there are dozens of options and plenty of variety to keep you interested for quite some time. cense, so pop into Wilmington Wine, Cape Fear Wine and Beer, or the Fortunate Glass for a six-pack or a bottle of vino, and Just order in stages to match your appetite and avoid waste.

Much as I love raw fish, at Blue Asia it’s a waste to miss the enjoy on-premise drinking at retail prices. Now that’s how you tempura-fried sweet potato roll. The mix of textures alone de- get to be the best deal in Wilmington!

There’s no shame in saving a few bucks every now and again. lights, with the slight warmth from frying contrasting the cold I’d even recommend it. If you stick to this list, you’ll never have tuna or salmon roll. to sacrifice quality while saving money.

#1

#2

● Above photo courtesy of Caprice Bistro JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 19

All-You-CAn-EAt, MAdE-to-ordEr SuShi: Lunch: $11.95

Featuring over 35 regular rolls and appetizers, soups, salads,

Dinner: $20.95

Featuring over 15 nigiris, 14 specialty rolls, over 35 regular HOURS: Mon - Wed: 11 am - 10pm Thu - Sat: 11am - 10:30pm Sun: 12pm - 10pm 341 S. College Rd, Ste. 52 (910) 799-0002 www.blueasiabistro.info

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138 South Front Street Downtown • Reservations • 910.251.0433 • www.littledipperfondue.com 20 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

Every Tuesday is Date Night!Every Tuesday is Date Night!

3 courses 3 courses

what we LOVE TO EAT

Photos by Trent Williams and Devour staff

ITALIAN SANDWICH

Capriotti’s 3501 Oleander Drive • (910) 833-8049

WINGS AND THINGS Ogden Tap Room 7324 Market Street • (910) 821-8185

One mouthful of a sub from Capriotti’s keeps Italian sammichlovers happily sated. Their sub includes a flavorful combination of deli meats, like Genoa salami, capicola and prosciuttini, topped with provolone, veggies and all the fixin’s.

Who can go wrong with wings? They make every meal a little more spicy and, well, messy—in a good way. Ogden Tap Room serves them in various styles, from naked, to easy, to hot, to Tabasco Jack, to saloon, strawberry-jalapeño and even dry heat. A half dozen only runs $6, too.

LOUISIANA HASH

PANANG PORK CURRY

Dixie Grill 116 Market St. • (910) 762-7280 Delight in a sizzling skillet of Cajun-marinated potatoes, peppers, onions and Andouille sausage, topped with melted cheddarJack and two eggs any style you wish. We suggest sunny-side up.

Cost is a mere $8 for a hearty start to the day.

Indochine 7 Wayne Dr. • (910) 251-9229 Though it comes with a choice of chicken, beef or pork, we prefer the latter: the other white meat, for sure! Indochine’s panang curry fills the bowl with an aroma of onions, green beans, sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Extra spice truly warms the soul.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 21

what we LOVE TO EAT

Photos by Trent Williams and Devour staff

BAHN MI SANDWICH

APPALACHIAN OUTLAW BISON BURGER Wayfarer Deli and Bistro 110 S Front Street • (910) 762-4788

CAM Café 3201 S 17th Street • (910) 777-2363

A traditional Vietnamese bite, CAM Cafe’s Báhn Mì Sandwich features grilled marinated chicken, pickled veggies, herbs and jalapeño mayo on a baguette, served with a choice of side, and for only $10. Plus, you can make a day of it and enjoy the numerous exhibits showcased at Cameron Art Museum.

Hand-pattied, organic, grass-fed Carolina Bison is topped with applewood-smoked bacon, house-smoked pulled pork, scratchmade chipotle-BBQ sauce and crunchy fried onion straws, draped with melted sharp Vermont cheddar cheese and crowned with a fried farm-fresh egg on a toasted pretzel roll from Germany! What a mouthful. Bison burgers are served a different way every Thursday and repeated on Saturdays at Wayfarer.

SPICY GARLIC SHRIMP Szechuan 132 419 South College Road • (910) 799-1426 A quick stir-fry of shrimp, with bell peppers, bok choy, water chestnuts and snow peas, make for a hearty Chinese meal at Szechuan 132. Szechaun will be celebrating the Chinese New Year on January 31st. Make reservations now!

22 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

GLORIOUS CUPCAKES Hot Pink Cake Stand 114 N Front Street • (910) 343-4727 This desserterie and wine bar started downtown but opened a new Monkey Junction location just last fall, which serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. Still, their cupcakes take the cake for some of our favorite treats. Regular sizes are $30/dozen; minis are $14/ dozen

what we LOVE TO EAT

Photos by Trent Williams and Devour staff

FRIED CHICKEN MEDITERRANEAN PLATE Sealevel City Gourmet 1015 S. Kerr Avenue • (910) 833-7196 A vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free-friendly dining establishment, Sealevel Gourmet’s Mediterranean plate offers a little bit of everything deliciously healthy: toasted pita, side salad, falafel balls with sesame sauce, and quinoa and kale tabbouleh. It’s filling, and will tempt you time and again.

Sugah Mamaz’ 604 Red Cross Street • (910) 523-5467 Wanna get a taste of the South with home-fried chicken, comforting and gooey mac ‘n’ cheese and sweet, glazed yams? Head over to Sugah Mamaz’. Prices remains off-the-chain good, and they have a Kool Aid of the day—seriously!

VERSAILLES CREPE

BEEF ON WECK

Our Crepes and More!

3810 Oleander Drive • (910) 395-0077

South College Sandwich & Deli 332 S College Road • (910) 392-0002

Oh, good heavens! Nothing tops the sweet deliciousness of strawberries and bananas with Nutella, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, homemade strawberry syrup and more Nutella. Our Crepes and More! offers sweet and savory crepes, but we can never pass up this one upon each visit.

The motherload of all sandwiches can be devoured at South College Sandwich and Deli. Beef on weck features slow-roasted, melt-inyour-mouth beef on a homemade bun crusted with salt and caraway seeds, served with au jus and creamy horseradish, and a side of decadent homemade chips. It’s huge, too, so plan on enjoying leftovers.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 23

TO

EAT! Recipes to try in your own kitchen

d

sophisticated food...casual style

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espite my family’s total lack of interest in cooking during my childhood, somewhere along the line I have become obsessed with the legacy of a kitchen, of how a family’s story can be told through meals, rustic home and street food, and the golden shimmering alchemy of cooking. It is a mad scientist’s power that comes from making something wonderful, and entirely new, out of nothing really at all. A wizard magicking a fresh and awesome dish onto the table ... shazam!

Some find their niche in art, design, film, and music, through which they introduce whizzbang ideas or newly minted mediums into the world. I’ve dabbled in these creative spaces, but for me, they can be fraught with fear and uncertainty, and the overwhelming feeling of “Man, I don’t know what I’m doing, and soon someone is going to find me out!” But in the kitchen, every wretched, naked, thumping fear I have about not measuring up to whatever it’s all supposed to be just falls away. I become the magician, the ringmaster.

Because in the kitchen, it really is a carnival. It is one of the ways I fill my life with warmth and light. It is a remarkable thing to be confident in providing for yourself—not just surviving, but creating, out of so little, a magical feast of food. And so easily! Circumstances demand I must often shop on the cheap, so I practice well-stocked pantry-cooking. Born out of near poverty, this style of cooking transforms the pantry into a rich hope chest or potion-master’s stocks, where I find a way—a spice, an herb—to simmer rice and beans into something magnificent. Small meals, effortless meals, cheap meals can be transformative. They can connect to home, to another country, or be, most simply, some newfangled wild and wondrous journey across the palate, which in turn makes us a conduit to the past—a traveller, a great and terribly powerful alchemist, and a frontiersman.

When I’m not in the kitchen, I read, almost as insatiably as I eat. “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel is an amazing book about love and cooking, and it’s the closest thing on paper or film that approximates how I feel about the alchemy of food and the heart of a cook. My advice before venturing into the kitchen: Read it! Or at least watch the movie. Also, buy all the spices you can in bulk, always keep citrus in the house, use cracked black pepper and good salt, and always be brave.

I began my “Food Your Feelings” blog for all of these reasons: my interest in home food and cupboard cooking, and my passionate belief that it really can be skull-numbingly easy and super cheap to cook like a boss. I thought it might be helpful to share some of these food and life hacks with whomever stumbles upon it. I hope Devour readers like it, but even if you don’t, I’ll continue to cook and share as long as I can chop and whisk. Let’s see where this all goes, shall we? And whatever comes after is after.

With love, Emily Caulfield Food Your Feelings: http://dearemilycaulfield.wordpress.com.

For eating, arting, and a little life.

TENDER BABY MEATBALLS

It’s always a party up in our little NC mountain cabin/hidey hole, and these appetizers are no pooper. They are inspired by a favorite restaurant in my hometown in DC, and a favorite mid-’90’s food movie, Stanley Tucci’s “Big Night.” I’m talkin’ ‘bout vaguely Italian meatballs, done quickly, cheaply, guessed at, and ultimately amazing.

I always have been cowed and shamed by the seemingly intense process and long list of ingredients of making meatballs—especially in Italian kitchens. Particular ingredients which include veal, have kept me

EAT

Illustration and recipes by Emily Caulfield avoiding the whole thing. Thus, I choose chicken noodle over Italian wedding on soup day, and eat cold-cut subs instead of ones loaded with meatballs. But, no more! If you were scared like me, but ready to grow and change and accept all of life’s challenges, start with this small one. I’m here for you.

Ingredients: Meatballs Ground beef, a pound Milk, 1/4 cup, maybe (just enough to moisten the mixture) Old bread 1 egg Lemon and zest Oregano Sage Garlic powder Cayenne Onion Mustard seed Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Hot sauce (I usually have Texas Pete, so there you go, but whatever zippy table condiment you have, go for it!)

Basic Tomato Sauce for Brilliant People Salted butter, 4 tablespoons 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I like Centos or Furmanos) Medium yellow or white onion, chopped in half only Clove garlic, minced Bay leaf METHOD: Tomato Sauce: Heat the first tablespoon of butter in a medium pot.

Meanwhile, peel and halve your onion. That’s it! Just chop it in half.

Watch it, because butter browns quicker than oil, and you don’t want to start over after having a small tantrum.

Anyway, when it starts to bubble, plop in half the onion. Spoon it around for like 5 minutes, until it just barely starts to brown. I like trying

to flip it over and over with a wooden spoon; it’s harder than it looks, kills time, and cooks it evenly while scooting it around and getting oniony juices everywhere. Which you want.

Pop in the diced tomatoes and all their juices. Mix it around a few times. Mince the garlic clove over the pot, and toss in your bay leaf and your second tablespoon of butter. Bring it to a simmer and then turn the heat down. Walk away.

Stir every so often and press the tomatoes against the walls of the pot with a wooden spoon to help break down and crush them up a bit. Toss in your third tablespoon of butter around the 25-minute mark. After cooking for 30-35 minutes, turn the heat off, add your last tablespoon of butter, and pull out the onion and the bay leaf. The onion will have separated its layers a little, but that ain’t no thing. Just make sure to pull out all the bits.

The thing that really clinches this sauce is blending it—either with a handheld immersion blender or in a regular blender in small batches (if you overfill a blender with hot liquid, it’s going to be Chernobyl in your kitchen; be confident but careful). Once blended, it will take on a smooth, orange-y, almost creamy texture, like a vodka sauce.

Voila! You’ve done it. It’s so unbelievably great. You can season it with more pepper, chile flakes or oregano (but I wouldn’t). This sauce works on anything: pasta, bread, a base for soups or on calzones!

Meatballs: There really isn’t much method to this one at all—unless you call blitzing some stale slices of white bread in the food processor to make breadcrumbs a step. Basically, with love, mash everything together in a big bowl and roll it into little cherry tomato-sized balls (ha!). Place in batches in a small preheated cast-iron skillet. Sauté these babies on high for 7-10 minutes, along with the amazing and magical homemade tomato sauce. Transfer the meatballs, skillet and sauce and all, into a blazing oven to broil for 2-3 minutes, until its heat scorches the tops of each tender meatball a blistering black and brown.

Serve immediately with fresh Parmesan (or even the pre-grated stuff from the deli) and flat-leaf parsley, spinach, something green, or with nothing at all, really. Fling them on some bread and make a sandwich.

It’s your meatball, and it’s really freaking great!

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 25

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Illustration and recipes by Emily Caulfield

t

his recipe doesn’t score quite as high on the everyday cupboard-availability scale, but it is a party dish that’s as effortless as it is exotic. It is my favorite small plate from 2 Amys in Washington D.C., a little glowing gem of a restaurant in which I spent most of my 20s. Every time I make it, I think of home, and every time I bring it to a party, I introduce more friends to one of the most special places I know.

Ingredients: Deviled filling Eggs Curry powder Lemon Olive oil Coleman’s dry mustard Salt Salsa Verde Olive oil (1/4 -1/3 of a cup; just eyeball it) Couple tablespoons chopped dill pickle Flat leaf parsley (a LOT) One small bunch chives Tablespoon capers Garlic cloves, 2 or 3, minced Anchovies, between 2 and a whole tin. Do it to taste; you’ll like more than you think you will.

Mustard seed, teaspoon METHOD: For the salsa verde, or green sauce, you’re really just blitzing to26 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

gether all the ingredients to make a fresh, zingy, roughly chopped and blended salsa. It’s very easy; just throw everything in the blender or food processor, and pulse slowly while drizzling olive oil over it. Just do not add salt! It’s easily oversalty and this salsa done well hits such a gorgeous tender note that I’d hate for you to miss it. Again, add and taste, adjust and taste. Refrigerate for at least a few hours (even better, overnight) before serving.

Meanwhile, boil and cool however many eggs you want. I usually make between four and eight, depending on what’s going on.

My rule for hard-boiling the perfect egg is to put the eggs in a pot, and just cover with lukewarm tap water. Bring them to just a boil, then turn off the heat and leave the pot be for 10 minutes, adding one minute for every egg—i.e., four eggs would sit and steam for 14 minutes. Then, pop the eggs in an ice bath, and wait for the party to begin.

After cooling the eggs, carefully halve them and scoop out the perfectly cooked yolks. Set the delicate hollow whites on a plate and whisk them into the fridge to firm up a bit. Dump the yolks in the food processor/blender, and add the rest of the ingredients, again pulsing while drizzling olive oil, until just combined. Don’t over oil, just watch it, and remember less is more. Refrigerate this pale golden mixture for a few hours as well, but, once more, overnight would be awesome.

When the time is nigh, scoop spoonfuls of the filling and dollop salsa. You can do this easily and without fanfare, and it’ll thrill any party guest—at least guest who isn’t vegan.

Note: This recipe tastes a lot better if you make it the day before you want to serve it. Foresight be damned, usually, but here it can be a real treat.

EAT

Illustration and recipes by Emily Caulfield

r

ecently, I had a Chess Pie with figs at a moderately cool restaurant tucked into the mountains somewhere between here and Johnson City, and it blew me away. One, because I had never heard of a Chess Pie with cornmeal before; two, because I don’t like pie, really, and this was only not terrible but actively wonderful. So, I set out to make my own.

Luckily for me, and my stylishly lean wallet, Chess Pie—also called, most adorably, “Pantry Pie”—came about like many lovely and valuable things, in comparably lean times. People just made do with what was in the cupboard. So, there’s very little effort financially. And actual physical effort? It’s a breeze. Listen here, and listen good...

Ingredients: Juice and zest of one lemon 2 fat tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 fat tablespoon cornmeal (plus a pinch more for good luck) 4 eggs, beaten 1 big cup white granulated sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk plus one tablespoon 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 tablespoons sweet cream salted butter 1 deep dish pie crust (flaky, unsweet, non-graham) 1 cup fig spread, warmed over low heat

METHOD: There’s no big mystery to this kind of baking. Just whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the liquid ingredients and pre-beaten eggs. No big whoop.

But, to break it down a bit: First, melt the butter and set it aside to cool a bit. Whisk together and just combine the sugar, flour and cornmeal. To that, add vanilla, buttermilk, and the melted and cooled butter. Crack and beat four eggs, and fluff a little air in there. Pour in, and incorporate with the rest of the ingredients.

Zest about half a lemon directly over the bowl and fold that in, along with a big, hearty squeeze of lemon over a wire colander (watch out for seeds).

She should bake at 360 degrees for 20 minutes. Tent her with foil for the next 20 minutes, so the top and crust don’t over-brown.

After 40-45 minutes, take out and place on a cooling rack—or at least away from the heat of the oven.

You can ease the heartache of waiting for it to cool while you slowly warm up some store-bought fig jam (I like Dalmatia). Or, with fig trees so prevalent in Wilmington, make some dang ol’ good fig compote from scratch—whatever you’re in the mood for.

You can spread the figs over the pie or dollop it as you serve. No one would fault you for cracking open some cool whip or getting your own home-brewed whipped cream all over this one.

Enjoy. It’s near impossible not to.

www.devourilm.com JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 27

EAT

Illustration and recipes by Emily Caulfield

i

moved to the mountains from Wilmington during the fall. While challenging, one constant bright spot came in the crisp and magical apple—the likes of which I had never seen before! Rows upon rows at the local Clemmon’s Produce: red, gold, green, speckled, rosy, bright rubies, ruddy-faced, shining, snappy apples.

The mountains of North Carolina have incredible vistas, gorgeous falls, and ... bears (I swear)! But, if you really want to experience all the exhilaration the western part our fair state has to offer, just bite into an apple.

The following recipe sits at the busy intersection of what I love most about cooking: combining seasonality, resourcefulness, and soup. As ever, and like many others, I have very little money to spend on groceries nowadays, and these kind of items are often— nay, always—standard fare in my little cupboard.

Ingredients: Smoked pork sausage (or chicken and apple sausage, or vegan substitution. Just pick one that has a smoky flavor) Apples, peeled and roughly chopped into bite-size pieces White onion, chopped finely Celery, chopped finely Salt to taste Butter, couple of tablespoons Rice, a cup or less Turmeric Cloves Nutmeg Cinnamon Ginger Cayenne

28 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

Garlic powder Herbs de Provence Honey Lemons Chicken or veggie stock—or water if desperate (really, though, stock is better—who are you kidding?), 4-6 cups METHOD: The easiness of this “recipe” is almost embarrassing. The basic rule of thumb is melt half the butter in a large stock pot over medium, and let the onion and celery souse and soften in it. Throw in some salt and garlic powder and the herbs de Provence. In another small pan, also over medium heat, add the apples and the warm lovely seasonal spices—dash of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg—with a tablespoon of honey, a squeeze of lemon, and then party it up with a teaspoon each of turmeric (health benefits!) and cayenne. While the apples bubble, return to the onion and celery mixture, and add the sausage-y bits, sliced, diced, crumbled, whatever. Let these flavors mingle for a little, 10 minutes or so, while the apples braise.

Next, pour the stock into the pot with the herby onions, celery and sausage, and bring to a boil. Once there, dump in the rice and turn the heat down to simmer. Add the spiced apples to the soup and let the whole pot just meld together, it’s a beautiful thing.

My rule of thumb with soup-making: Season every layer, and leave your spice and dried-herb arsenal at the ready until all is said and done. Once the apples and stock, and rice and sausage are all in a pot together, taste and adjust, taste and adjust—a little more lemon here, a bit more honey there, you get the idea. But you can never take back once in the pot, so go slow and build. And inevitably enjoy what you make.

TO

EAT! Events to keep you happily sated

Fanning the Flames: Fire on the Dock kicks off year three

BY Christian Podgaysky ● Devour columnist What started eight years ago as a means to boost sales during a slow season at Crippen’s Country Inn and Restaurant in Blowing Rock, Fire on the Rock, a battle of local chefs, was founded by the inn’s owner Jimmy Crippen. Since 2006, Crippen has multiplied his cookoff extravaganza across the entire state. The event welcomes culinary artists to create a three-course meal in literally a matter of hours all from secret ingredients, which have roots in North Carolina.

Quickly gaining momentum, due to its fun, delectable nature, utilized by diner voting for every course, the competition dining series takes place in Asheville/Blowing Rock (Fire on the Rock), Greensboro (Fire in the Triad), Charlotte (Fire in the City), Raleigh (Fire in the Triangle) and Wilmington (Fire on the Dock). The series culminates with a Final Fire in Raleigh to crown a state-wide winner.

Crippen—who hosts the event and boasts an infectious personality—is bringing his Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series to Wilmington for a third year on January 27th. “My favorite part of the competitions in Wilmington is the excitement of the crowds that attend,” he enthuses. “There is an attitude on the coast, a vibrancy that gets my adrenaline flowing.”

As anticipation mounts for this year’s festivities, the first-round brackets for Fire on the Dock 2014 were carefully selected by a committee, consisting of members from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Pate Dawson-Southern Foods and Competition Dining LLC. Candidates submitted applications, and the committee sifted through restaurant websites, social-media channels and other information to narrow it.

“In reality, there are many that qualify, but there are limited spots available,” Crippen explains. “It’s not easy. We also look for chefs who are committed to local sourcing or interested in learning more. We want chefs of a quality standard who will guarantee our diners a great night—regardless of what the secret ingredient is.”

Out of the sea of talent, this year’s competitors include Katie Carter (The Olive Café and Wine Bar), Tiffany Eslein (Hops Supply Company), Clarke Merrell (Circa 81, Morehead City), Kirsten Mitchell (1900 Restaurant Lounge), James Riverank (South Beach Grill), Josh Petty (Sweet and Savory Café), Michael Barnes (Prime 1079), and Antoine Murray (Cape Fear Country Club). Throughout January and February, a series of face-offs will occur to pare down the competitors. January 27th will see Merrell and Eslein kick off the battle, and the stakes are high, as Merrell made it all the way to Fire on the Dock’s final round

KNIFE-OFF: Jimmy Crippen and the 2014 school of competitors for upcoming Fire on the Dock competition, set to start January 27th. Photo courtesy of Competition Dining.

last year. Murray and Barnes will go head to head January 28th; Carter and Mitchell will heat up the kitchen on February 3rd; and Riverbank and Petty will cook off on the 4th. Mitchell, Petty, Murray, Merrell and Riverbank all are alumni. After the first set of competitions finish, the winners continue battling through the following two weeks until a reigning champ of Fire on the Dock is crowned. These are big shoes to fill from the 2013 winner, Gerry Fong (Persimmons, New Bern).

Challenges are judged by a panel of culinary pro judges and paying diners. Through blind taste-testing a six-course dinner, everyone will cast their ballots through a digital voting app. Each person rates a plethora of categories from presentation to aroma to flavor and beyond. The diners account for 70 percent of the vote and official judges hold the weight of the remaining 30 percent. Past competitions have seen results come down to a hundredth of a point.

“Diners can prepare by keeping an open mind and remembering that the chefs should successfully incorporate the secret ingredient into each of their dishes,” Crippen explains.

Adventurous palates are especially encouraged to partake; a chocolate dessert featuring the secret ingredient of hybrid striped bass came from last year’s winner, Fong. The odd pairings typify the creativity chefs must exhibit to wow judges. The secret ingredient, revealed to chefs the day of the event, serves as an integral part in raising the bar for competitors. Past secret ingredients have ranged from Mountain Dew to grits; the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and a “Chef Ref” determine it for the night. “NC has more to offer than you can imagine, so the list is endless,” Crippen edifies.

Though competition remains a huge part of the experience, the dining series is really about having fun, but more importantly celebrating the local culinary scene and informing attendees on North Carolinabased ingredients. Crippen has seen a burgeoning connection built among competitors across the state since starting the series. The mutual respect and appreciation fostered among chefs by the event has led to collaborations, such as special dinners and fund-raisers. “[Plus,] so many diners leave with a deeper appreciation for who is growing, making, cooking and serving local food,” Crippen expresses.

“Our diners leave ready to support North Carolina agriculture, shop at farmers’ markets and dine with local chefs. Coming to Fire on the Dock is a way to enact your new year’s resolutions to eat local.”

Anyone wishing to attend a battle can head over to the event’s website, www.competitiondining.com. Tickets are going for $74.78; the semi-finals and finals are $87.46. All competitions take place at Bluewater Grill at 4 Marina Street in Wrightsville Beach. Interested Cape Fear residents who are unable to attend can stay informed on the results through Twitter and Facebook posts by the official Fire on the Dock blogger Liz Biro.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 29

The Spice of Life The Seasoned Gourmet adds a Spice Bar for more inventive cooking

BY Shea Carver ● Devour editor

Spices have an abundance of use: medicinally, religiously, cosmetically (i.e. perfumes and makeup) and of course within the culinary world. The beauty of cooking with spices means adding natural flavors to every dish, which also can boast health benefits. For instance, cinnamon isn’t only a lovely addition to cookies or even sauces, but it can help with the common cold and kidney troubles. Turmeric isn’t simply a sure way to add earthiness to a soup, but it benefits skin health and has been linked to treatment for allergies, cancer and Alzheimer’s. While enhancing one’s well-being always proves a plus in cooking, when it comes to getting the most from spices, freshness remains top priority. ● Photos by Holland Dotts * See The Seasoned Gourmet’s full list of classes at www.theseasonedgourmet.com 30 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

EAT The shelf life of spices differ between the filé is added—that’s the authenvarieties. “The herbs are more fragile tic way. There still should be a nutty, because of the nature of what they are,” dark brownish/reddish rue involved, Susan Boyles of The Seasoned Gourmet but the rue is more for flavor than (TSG) says. “Being essentially leaves of thickening.” plants, they lose their pungency more By far, however, the Grains of Pararapidly than say a ground whole spice dise remain the most unique spice sold like cumin.” at The Seasoned Gourmet. The whole Since 2006 Boyles has run the culinary seeds look like baby peppercorns, but retail shop and demo kitchen, where have a spiciness in flavor from the pepcooking classes are offered frequently. In per, cardamom, coriander and ginger.

2011 she founded the Cape Fear Wine “They’re great in stewed tomatoes or and Food Club, which provides educaas a spice in fruit syrup,” Boyles notes. tional and recreational events, not to Sumac, indigenous to Iran, but most mention discounts throughout the store. popular in Sicily and Turkey, also turns In 2013, she added the Spice Bar to TSG around chicken, fish, garbanzo beans to suit a niche in clientele. Thanks to findor lamb. “Sumac’s been talked about ing a true professional in Greg Patterson a lot in the new vogue culinary circles of Spices Inc., TSG provides high-quality lately,” Boyles says. “It’s definitely got ingredients that can transform any pantry old-world implications.” With a low soand meal. dium content, its stringency isn’t much “Greg’s absolutely a perfectionist,” “We incorporate herbs and spices into on its own, but it’s magic when paired Boyles notes. “He tries to source the classes we already teach. Like, I have a with other foods. “It’s like an amplifibest stuff—grinds and blends. He hander—deep red, almost purple in color,” soups class where I know my fines herbs Boyles states. blends a lot of it when I place an order, will come out. It just opens your eyes like herbs de Provence and fines [proThe Seasoned Gourmet, of course, nounced feens]. It’s all really fresh. He uticarries the popular herbs de Provence to the possibilities.” —Susan Boyles, The lizes different purveyors and growers. He (with pops of real lavendar throughout, Seasoned Gourmet makes sure it’s the best quality and that nonetheless); raw, organic cocoa powit’s not [coming from] big pesticide farms, der and raw cocoa nibs (good for rawor that it’s not mass-produced.” food dieters and delicious for baking); a blackened seasoning (made One of the reasons Boyles thinks people may be intimidated by up of domestic paprika, Mexican oregano, yellow mustard, garlic, using spices in cooking is because of their perceived hefty cost paired powder, black pepper, cumin, onion, cayenne, celery seeds and basil with cooks not having the proper knowledge on how to use them. leaves); an espresso rub (“sweet, hot—great for your next steak, but The Seasoned Gourmet offers background on the spices, and staff also good on potatoes or sweet potatoes,” Boyles says); Mediterraeven can print off recipes for customers. Because Boyles buys in bulk, nean oregano; Himalayan pink salt; crystallized ginger; a Tuscan bread it allows folks to purchase as much or as little as they choose. Custom- dipping seasoning (perfectly served with TSG’s La Coniko Europeaners can bring their own small containers to fill, or buy small jars from standard olive oil (also available through their refill program); juniper the shop for a one-time fee; the cost for refills is only for the spice or berries; as well as salt-free offerings, like a citrus-herb and a garlicherb. However, TSG also offers plastic zip bags as handlers. sesame seasoning.

“We have a scale where we can tear out the jar or baggy weight “We incorporate the spices into classes we already teach at the so they’re just paying for the product,” Boyles notes. Seeing as herb store,” Boyles states. “Like, I have a soup class where I know my fines and spice prices can be high at regular grocers or retail shops, here herbs will come out. It just opens your eyes about the possibilities.” when one buys 0.3 ounces, they truly buy that amount. “There’s no packaging involved with us, so it’s a really great deal,” Boyles states.

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Soup (SERVES 4) Currently, around 20 spices are available at TSG, including the most 1 cooked rotisserie chicken (plain, no seasoning) popular organic Saigon cinnamon powder. Native to Vietnam, the oil 2 packages More Than Gourmet Poulet Gold Chicken Stock content remains high at 5 or 6 percent, which provides greater pun2 quarts (8 cups) water gency and shelf life.

3 tablespoon The Seasoned Gourmet’s fines herbs The store also offers New Mexican chile powder, which has a dark 12 ounces egg noodles (or your favorite pasta for soup) reddish-brown hue and earthiness, backed by a piquant bite. It can Salt and pepper to taste (taste and season just before serving) turn any tamale into a work of art, and it’s perfect for sauces, rubs and, Special Equipment: 4-6 quart stock pot of course, chili and beans. “Chiles last a long time in powder-form,” Dissolve concentrated chicken stock in two quarts of water in a Boyles informs. large stock pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, remove the skin from Louisiana gumbo fans will find some of the most fragrant ground the chicken and pick the meat from the bones. Chop and add it to sassafras leaves in the store’s filé powder. The thick leaves are cooked the chicken stock, with three tablespoons of fines herbs. Simmer, covdown, dried and then ground. Filé acts as a thickening agent, so add- ered, for about 30 minutes, reducing heat if needed to avoid hard ing the powder to the end of a soup not only ups the ante on any boiling. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper, if desired. Add the taste profile but provides a thick texture. noodles and simmer, uncovered, until noodles are tender. Serve hot.

NOTE: If freezing this soup, do not add noodles. They will become “If you do it too soon, it will just be a glop,” Boyles forewarns.

“When gumbo’s made, it looks like soup until at the end, when mushy if left in the broth. Add noodles when reheating.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 31

Cocktails and Conversations Rachel’s Paint Thinner

BY Joel Finsel ● Devour contributor, mixologist and author of ‘Cocktails and Conversations from the Astral Plane’

“h

ow is the Lolita?” she asked, smiling as she leaned across the table, her shirt hanging low on her neck, revealing the scope of her chest.

“Oh, it’s very good,” I replied.

“What is it like?” She leaned closer.

“It’s not too sweet or tart. It’s got a pretty complex flavor, with the bubbles taking over the finish on the tongue.”

“Do you like it?”

“I created it.”

“OK, then, I’ll take it—and an ashtray, please.”

After a pause, she said, “You know, I once had a drink made for me.”

“Really?”

Looking down as if embarrassed, she continued, “Rachel’s… [mumbles].”

“Huh?” I nodded as I turned to place her order.

When I came back in with her ashtray, she smiled and quickly took it out of my hand, brushing her fingers slightly over mine. I smiled again at her apparent mistake, and went about fixing drinks for her and her friend. It was impossible not to overhear their discussion as it resumed: “She always takes her dates to the piano bar, and guys always end up falling in love with her because she can sing. I speak Russian and know the word pussy in 17 different languages, but no one

● Photo by Trent Williams 32 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

AUTHOR AND MIXOLOGIST EXTRAORDINAIRE: Joel Finsel is the author of “Cocktails and Conversations from the Astral Plane” and mans the bar at Manna, downtown Wilmington.

“A woman drove me to drink and I never even had the courtesy to thank her.” —W.C. Fields

IMBIBE Smiling blandly, I decided to go outside for air. loves me for it….”

For the rest of their meal, I stayed away from their end of the Who is this girl? I thought, working through the motions of bar as best I could. At some point later, I looked over at the less her cocktail. Smiling, I placed their drinks before them.

“Mmmm,” the girl I assumed was named Rachel said, her lip- lusty of the two waving her credit card above her head. The other girl wrote something on the tablecloth with lipstick. stick imprinted on the edge of the glass. “That is sooo good!”

I quickly tallied their check. She gave me the card without “Thank you,” I said, bowing my head in my usual pleasure-toeven looking at it. I smiled, ran it, neatly placed the two white be-of-service motion.

“How did your drink get its name?” I asked, searching for print-outs in a small black book and set it down, thanking them.

“Thanks,” they said together. clues.

“Thanks very much,” they repeated as they made their way Hurrying her second sip, her eyes widened. “Well, I was in New York, the Lower East Side, actually. There was this Roma- out.

Finally, when the door shut, I could breathe again. Purified, nian guy, and we got to talking. He had an accent; he was hot.

So, we talked some more, and when we got back to his place, clean, guiltless air.

“Let’s try one,” Roxanne, a regular, said. he made up this drink for me.”

I was happy to oblige.

“Is he a painter?” I asked, un“Ouch,” she said. “It makes my teeth sure what was going on.

“I took my time making her hurt.”

The two girls turned to each drink. Combining all the ingredi“Bet it works well on prom night,” other and laughed, my question Henry, another regular, added. diffusing something about the ents over ice, I shook and strained We all laughed, and life went back to mood. the mixture into a fresh martini normal. A couple of minutes later, I reFeeling completely dense, I retreated back to the solace of my glass. Passing up the maraschino membered the lipstick.

My legs stiffened as I walked over to role as server. “Would you like me cherry, I speared a piece of apple bus their table, pausing for a moment to bring you some bread with your salads?” I asked. and laid it across the rim of her above the scene: the pair of round, stemmed glasses, empty, but for the “Um, no, none for me,” Rachel glass like a chastity belt.” slightest film of red wine and sugary said. foam; the soiled napkins, spent and still, “I’ll have some with my muscloaked by the somber light; a single sels.” Her friend smiled politely.

A few minutes later their salads arrived. I offered them water, butt left in the ashtray; napkins dropped like discarded clothes: it was a tableau I hesitated to touch. but they declined.

Underneath her napkin, in a crimson smear, numbers danced “I think I’ll have a Rachel’s Panty Remover,” Rachel said, finto define gratuity. I sighed again, crumpled up the paper and ishing the last of her drink. “Do you think you can make one?”

My throat swelled. I was at a shortness of breath. I wanted tossed it in the bin. to lie down with the mousetraps, broken glass and bottle caps behind the bar; to be dripped on by slimy stalagmites, hanging LEAF RICKEY like snot from the leaking pipes, my face glued to the sticky 1.5 Oz Leaf vodka floor mats like discarded straw-paper as microscopic insects de2 dashes Angostura bitters voured by eyes. Instead, she took my silence to mean consid3/4 oz. Simple Syrup eration.

3/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice “It’s two parts vanilla vodka, one part Chambord, and the rest 2 oz. Club Soda pineapple juice,” she said. “It looks like an orange sorbet.”

To make, add the soda first to a tall glass filled with ice. Shake “Rachel’s Panty Remover…?” I was dumbstruck. the vodka, bitters, simple and lime, and strain over the soda.

“Yeah,” she said. “Unless you can come up with a better Garnish with fresh mint. name?”

When it comes to vodka, the water is often the most impor“Coming right up.” I snagged her empty glass and turned to tant ingredient. Leaf vodka comes from Alaskan Glacial Rego. I thought you said ‘Rachel’s Paint Thinner.’” serves and Rocky Mountain Springs. Both make for the ultimate I took my time making her drink. Combining all of the ingredi- salute of premium spirits down-the-hatch, whether straight out ents over ice, I shook and strained the mixture into a fresh mar- of the bottle or shaken so hard that it leaves ice shards around tini glass. Passing up the maraschino cherry, I speared a piece the meniscus of the glass. of apple and laid it across the rim of her glass like a chastity belt.

“Oh, I love it,” she said, taking a sip of the outrageously sweet, pink liquid. “You make it so good.”

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 33

Winter Gulpdown: Flavors to keep us cozy during cooler temps

BY Bethany Turner ● Devour freelancer I’ve long felt that winter in eastern North Carolina is a nearly unbearable season. No, we don’t have blizzards—but that’s half the problem for me. If it’s going to be cold and precipitating, it might as well snow. Once the last bit of metallic confetti gets swept up from the New Year’s celebration, there’s nothing left to look forward to. We’re over the honeymoon sensation of the first frost’s cuddle with a cozy blanket and a cup of chili. Once December’s done, what else is there?

Well, reveling in craft beer’s winter warmers gives folks—or, at least, me—something new to celebrate. Both sweet and spiced, dessert-inspired porters, stouts and ales invite novices to test out new brews. Coffee tastes abound, too, satisfying those who love a good cup of Joe but don’t want all the caffeine. Twists on traditional brews transition nicely into spring’s lighter craft beers, too. For January I suggest readers curl up with a chilled mug of one of the following brews. As the calendar continues (or for those spouts of 70-degree days we get), look to some of the lighter beverages on the list, such as wheat beers and IPAs.

● Courtesy photos.

34 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

IMBIBE Breakfast Stout, Founders Brewing Company Grand Rapids, Michigan ABV: 8.3% • IBU: 60 With a 100-percent rating from Beer Advocate, Founders’ Breakfast Stout is one of the most anticipated flavors of the season. Brewed with flaked oats, both bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee, the stout pours rich and black with a dark tan head. Off the bat, the aroma is powered by roasted coffee beans. Each sip is sweet and smooth, while slightly bitter. With a dry finish, the Founders’ Breakfast Stout remains well-balanced.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale, Atwater Brewery Detroit, Michigan ABV: 5.5% • IBU: 11 The first sip of this almost-black beer elicited a wide smile and an audible “ooh,” despite the fact I was home alone watching TV. I’m admittedly a chocoholic, and I believe anyone who is a fan of Hershey’s will be smitten with this Atwater brew. It smells just like Yoo-hoo, but the flavor profile is much richer— like hot cocoa with toasted marshmallows. Still, it offers a light mouthfeel for great drinkability, and it’s not overly sweet. I’ll be heading out for a six-pack of this Atwater goodie while it’s still around.

Vanilla Porter, Breckenridge Brewery Breckenridge, Colorado ABV: 4.7% • IBU: 16 Kicking off with an aroma of sweetness and roasted nuts, this opaque brown brew reveals earthy notes throughout the palate. Made with coffee beans from Paupau New Guinea and Madagascar, Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter also frolics in flavors of caramel and roasted barley with a definite vanilla finish and a medium mouthfeel.

Thunderstruck Coffee Porter, Highland Brewing Company Asheville, North Carolina ABV: 5.8% • IBU: 26 Highland is a renowned North Carolina brewer, founded in Asheville in 1994. Their robust Black Mocha Stout, available year-round, earned silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. But I wanted to give their winter seasonal, Thunderstruck, a try.

The coffee porter proves to be another good offering from Highland. It’s full-bodied with flavors of chocolate and malt swimming along with the coffee—which is actually organic and roasted near the brewery in Black Mountain, NC, at Dynamite Roasting Company. The fruits of Dynamite’s labor can be tasted from the beginning to the end of each swallow. A java aftertaste beckons another sip. Thunderstruck—a black brew with a thick, tan head—also gives off a slight aroma and flavor of hops for just the right harmony.

Gingerbread Ale, Bison Brewing Berkeley, California ABV: 6% • IBU: 20 Bison Brewing boasts all certified-organic beers, a goal it’s pursued since its inception in 1989. Not surprisingly, it smells just like fresh gingerbread cookies, and all of the spices are organic: nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. The dark-brown brew pos-

sesses a light, tingly mouthfeel despite the flavor of dark malt and molasses. The finish of Bison’s Gingerbread Ale is dry and clean.

Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale, 21st Amendment Brewery San Francisco, California ABV: 7.9% • IBU: 45 I picked up this ale in a can, and the artwork is delightful: FDR is having a heart-to-heart with one of Santa’s elves near a roaring fire. Poured in a glass, the brew is dark brown with a nice tan head and a malty aroma. The brewery reports starting the process with an English-style ale and adding seasonal spices in an experimental style until they got Fireside Chat just right. The result is a bold and spicy beer, with nuances of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with a thicker, warmer mouthfeel than most ales.

Yard Sale Winter Lager, Uinta Brewing Company Salt Lake City, Utah ABV: 4% • IBU: 22 An amber lager, Yard Sale reveals a transparent brown color and thick, light khaki head with prominent lacing. While the scent is of cinnamon, the taste unveils notes of honey, caramel and vanilla. Yet, Yard Sale remains spicy and malty rather than sweet. With a dry finish, it’s an easy-drinking brew.

Accumulation White IPA, New Belgium Brewing Fort Collins, Colorado ABV: 6.2% • IBU: 70 This is the first time New Belgium has produced Accumulation, a winter seasonal, and it is officially my favorite new beer of 2013. I have to admit: I’ve only recently accepted hoppy beers into my catalogue; thus the ones I’ll drink must be well-done (namely Southern Tier’s 2X IPA and Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale). I won’t just order an IPA to order an IPA. Familiar with Saranac’s White IPA, and understanding the beautiful blend concocted between bitter hops and sweet citrus wheats, I ventured to taste Accumulation.

The beer pours hazy and light yellow with a billowing head.

New Belgium employs four types of hops—Target, Centennial, Mosaic and Amarillo—so the bitterness is definitely there.

However, thanks to the pale and wheat malts and ale yeast, the bitterness is cut by beautiful, bright citrus. The marriage allows drinkers to discover the spicy and herbal qualities of hops without being turned off by bitter flavors.

I recommend Accumulation especially to anyone who likes wheats and is looking to branch into IPAs—and to just about every beer enthusiast in general.

Winter White Ale, Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo, Michigan ABV: 5% • IBU: 10 Bell’s Winter White Ale is several hop-notches down from Accumulation (60 IBU’s, to be exact), so this brew is definitely for wheat-lovers. Like Accumulation, though, it’s a great transition into spring brews and an alternative to heavy winter warmers. It pours a deep golden haze with a fluffy white head, giving off an aroma of citrus and lots of clove. The clove, in fact, is what gives this brew its hint of seasonal spice. Fermented with Belgian Ale yeast, Winter White Ale comes full-circle to close with tasty orange and lemon.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 35

UN

CORKED! Reviews and rambles on vino

Winter’s Rich Flavors Made Lighter: Exploring Riojas, Sangioveses and more

BY John Burke ● Devour columnist

The changing of the season also means the changing of the diet. And I’m not talking about that New Year’s resolution diet you’ve already given up on completing. I mean that colder weather pushes us to change the way we eat and drink.

Winter brings on heartier meals, and with them often comes heavier wines. Cabernets, Merlots, and Bordeaux blends are de rigueur in the chillier temps.

But, this isn’t necessarily the best way to go. For those who aren’t particularly fond of full-bodied reds, a lot of medium and even lighter-bodied options remain on par with winter meals.

Let’s take a look at a few...

Pinot noir comes to mind immediately. Burgundies often get touted as the drink of choice amongst wine snobs, and many oenophiles will find any excuse to pour pinot noir at the table.

The typical profile of a good pinot, usually involving a cherry or other wild berry flavor, matches beautifully with wild game. Duck, venison, rabbit, and elk all hold up nicely against a medium-bodied Burgundy.

And, of course, the classic pairing with pinot noir will always be salmon. There are countless hearty preparations for Alaskan salmon to enjoy in winter (though, maybe save the grilled fish for spring).

The rich, meaty fish makes an excellent winter dish when paired with a decadent, bold sauce.

Unfortunately, the pinot-noir grape has been radically over-farmed in the last decade due to a remarkable rise in popularity, often attributed to the movie “Sideways.” As such, good pinot can be tough to find at a reasonable price.

I highly recommend the Belle Glos Meiomi. Coming in around $20, the Meiomi is the low-end offering from Belle Glos and is the best bang for your buck on the market, not to mention a killer pairing with wild game.

If you want to save a little cash, look to Spain’s Riojas. Spain is criminally underappreciated as a wine-producing region. As 36 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

such, it offers fantastic bargains. You can get all the bright cherry flavor of a pinot noir in a lighter-bodied style at a fraction of the price of a good burgundy if you know where to look.

At just over $14, take a look at the Montebuena Rioja, made from 100% Tempranillo grapes. You’ll still get that excellent cherry flavor, this time with spiced vanilla, to match with game meats. And you’ll save about 25 percent. I’m a bit of a maverick on this subject. Not everyone considers Rioja to be a poor man’s pinot like I do. But I think you’ll find it fits nicely with a lot of the same dinner plans and won’t cost quite as much.

Naturally, when we think of heartier winter fare, we think of pasta. For me it’s bolognese, but there is no shortage of full, flavorful sauces available in the Italian diet. For my money, no one does a better job of pairing wines with their diets than the Italians. I’ve had French wines that made me think of Thai food, but I’ve never tried an Italian wine without thinking of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and/ or Parmesan.

Just because the meal is heavy doesn’t mean the drink has to be. A lot of lighter Sangioveses will pair with rich and hearty Italian food. They’re easy to drink, often with a lower alcohol content, and quite pleasing as a match for things like bolognese. Look for Perrazeta Sangiovese, also in the $14 range.

It has a mixed-berry appeal that goes nicely with chicken or veal, as well as some heavier meats.

I can’t resist adding another favorite to the Italian list. Most people aren’t all that familiar with Nero d’Avola. It’s a Sicilian wine known for an earthy flavor and a mild mouthfeel. The Villa Pozzi Nero d’Avola, at only $11, will go nicely with anything garlicky. Again, you won’t have that overly potent Cabernet to deal with. Neros are light and smooth.

I hope this gives you a frame of reference to defy conventional wisdom and strike out on your own. To be clear, I have no objection to heavier red wines and look forward to a few cold days to enjoy them. Not everyone shares that passion, so these are options available to enjoy during the hearty dinners of wintertime and without having to give up wine styles of preference.

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Holy Sustenance

The spiritual influence of food

i

BY Amanda Greene ● Devour contributor; editor and managing community partner of Wilmington, Faith & Values, wilmingtonFAVS.com

t takes a while just to crack 43 dozen eggs. That’s why Deacon David Hueholt and two dozen other volunteers in the Early Bread Program start cooking around 5 a.m. each Sunday at St. Peter the Fisherman Charismatic Episcopal Church (314 South Carolina Ave.).

After cooking for a few hours, volunteers gather to pray over the large pans of scrambled eggs, cheese toast, fruit and coffee.

They open for breakfast at 7 a.m.

In 2014, Early Bread turns 15, and Hueholt estimates that in its time, the ministry has served more than 40,000 people a hot breakfast on Sunday mornings.

It started in 1999 as a way of filling a major gap in homeless feeding programs in the region. “People here realized all the feeding programs in town were Christian and connected to churches at the time, and no one had feeding programs on Sunday because of church,” he says. “There are some other feeding programs now, but the idea was to have a hot breakfast for people on Sunday morning.” Following would be a short prayer service.

On most Sundays, the church of 40 to 50 people feeds 150 to 200 people. Most of that need is filled by the partnerships Early Bread has with Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, Grace United Methodist Church and other area churches.

“Obviously, it’s something working from the body of Christ throughout Wilmington now,” Hueholt adds. “There might be five members of our congregation there on a Sunday, but we may have 25 volunteers from all different congregations and halfway houses, and folks who walk off the street to help.”

Volunteer youth groups come from a church in Raleigh some Sundays to work with the program, and a group from Wrightsboro United Methodist Church knits hats for the

38 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

THE SERVING TABLE: Early Bread served served hamburgers, tomatoes, watermelon in addition! to normal breakfast over the summer. The line often wraps around the room of folks looking for a meal. Photo courtesy of David Hueholt.

“And wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”

— Psalm 104:15

FEATURE homeless. The hats go into the ample clothing closet at St. Peter for men, women and children. Over time, Early Bread also added a volunteer nurse who checks guest’s blood pressure and counsels them on other health issues.

By the numbers, the program bulldozes a mountain of food each week. A one-week Early bread grocery list includes: 43 dozen eggs, two large bags of grits, five coffee urns (200 cups), 10 loaves of bread, one case of bananas, and five cases bottled water, lemonade or soft drinks donated by Coastal Beverage. Panera donates $600 to $800 worth of bread weekly.

Of all of that food, the ministry has become known for its cheese toast, served at every meal. It’s a concoction of cheese on bread and then broiled until it’s brown and gooey. One local man drops off extra food from his catering business to boost the ministry’s offerings.

Sometimes during the summer, the ministry will grill hamburgers and cut open watermelons for breakfast.

But the $1,500 in food each month isn’t Early Bread’s only cost.

The program is known for picking up people in its large van at Good Shepherd Center, Mercy House and other places around town where homeless people gather. Then, the ministry drops them off again.

Between gas prices, insurance and maintenance on the 12-year-old van, transportation costs for the ministry can stretch several hundred dollars in a month.

Volunteers Stacey and Joe Nemec say, somehow, each week, the church meets its financial goals and supports the ministry. When the volunteers from Wesley Memorial began, about 25 or 30 homeless people were coming years ago. Now, the Nemecs are seeing more families with young children in need of a warm Sunday meal. “The beauty of the program is it’s interdenominational,” Joe Nemec says.

“Last Sunday, we had people from nine or 10 different churches,” Stacey Nemec adds. “It’s a wonderful way to show your Christian love

when it’s not just tied to your denomination.”

“It’s been amazing to see how the Lord works miracles, and it started with a small church that had a great idea,” Joe Nemec continues, adding that one Brunswick County church got the nickname “The Green Eggs and Ham Church” because it regularly gave fresh eggs that had green shells but were normally hued inside.

Last Christmas, one of the local Celebrate Recovery programs brought enough pans of turkey and ham so Early Bread was able to serve meat two Sundays in a row.

One volunteer had been homeless in his childhood in Guyana.

While he worked for House of Raeford Farms, he donated 15 packs of chicken every Sunday.

“God’s provision is an amazing thing, and we have seen it in rather remarkable ways this summer,” Hueholt says. “In July, we were in a terrible financial situation. I was having a conversation with the Lord, saying, ‘If I don’t have $600 Sunday morning, I’ll have to announce the van isn’t running. We had to get gas and pay insurance, and I wanted to be able to buy groceries. I had to announce it a Sunday ahead of time, and at 6 a.m. the next morning, someone handed me a check for $600.”

The ministry still could use dining tables to replace its aging wooden ones, but in November, it’s luck changed. A real estate agent’s fund-raiser donated $1,000 to the ministry. One man who attended that reception wrote Early Bread a check for $10,000.

“I always say a God that wants to feed you is a God that loves you,” Hueholt states. “So, people who come in are feeling low, and the people who work here from the halfway houses, they can really tell people look there’s a place you can get to and this is what it takes.

We often say there is more going on in the kitchen than in dining room because people talk and encourage one another all while we’re working on the food.”

Devour Book Club

Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM at Old Books on Front St. 249 North Front Street Downtown Wilmington

January - An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler February - My Life in France by Julia Childs March - Stalking the Blue Eyed Scallop by Euell Gibbons April - Catering to Nobody by Dianna Mott Davidson May - The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee June - Cooked by Michael Pollan

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 39

Compost of Gut Landscape Microbes play good role in food growth and health

BY Evan Folds ● Devour contributor and owner of Progressive Gardens, www.progressivegardens.com There is another universe under our feet. The soil is teaming with life in a quantity and diversity of organisms that truly boggles the mind. Just like plankton in the ocean, it is the balance and diversity of the micro-organisms in the soil that manifest the strength and health of the ecosystems we rely on as humans. Microbes are so small we take them for granted, but they are of vital importance. There are actually more microbes in and on a human body than there are human cells. In fact, it is estimated that up to 500,000 bacteria can fit in the period of the exclamation point at the end of this sentence! A mere teaspoon of native grassland soil contains 600 to 800 million bacteria, comprising 10,000 species, plus approximately 5,000 species of fungi—the mycelia of which could be stretched out for several miles. In the same teaspoon, there may be 10,000 individual protozoa of over 1,000 species, plus 20 to 30 different nematodes from as many as 100 different species ... all in one teaspoon of soil. ● Graphic by Kyle Peeler 40 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

FEATURE Microbes are extraordinarily pro“The way we eat can dramatically affect them as often as possible into our landscape, using techniques such as lific. According to the book “Secrets our gut flora. For instance, switching to keeping a compost pile or brewing of the Soil,” a single microbe reaching maturity and dividing within less a diet heavy with meat and cheese, and compost tea. Then, we feed the microbes inoculated into the soil with than half an hour, can, in the course very few carbohydrates alters trillions of organic fertilizers. When we do this, of a single day, grow into 300 million we win. more. In another day, it can grow to microbes living in the gut.”

This process does not happen more than the number of human overnight, but can accomplish a beings that have ever lived. In four days of unlimited growth, bacteria can outnumber all of the pro- thriving soil food web in the landscape in one or two growing seasons. tons and even the quarks estimated by physicists to exist within the To be blunt, it is not a matter of if this works, it is how it works. It is the entire universe. smallest organisms that take care of the largest, including ourselves.

Consider the idea of adding yeast to make bread: Very little is needIt turns out that the biological process alive in healthy soil happens ed to make a fundamental difference. In point of fact, the microbe as well in our digestive systems. That’s right, the compost pile is the defines the process as it consumes sugar and excretes carbon dioxide gut of our landscape. The parallels are life. When we dine, we are and alcohol. In the same way, microbes are magicians in the soil, the never alone. Trillions of microbial guests, residing in our guts, eat with original alchemists, who execute services and maneuvers no human us, help us to digest food, and convert it into energy and fat. The way could even imagine, let alone perform. Microbes are so important to we eat can dramatically affect our gut flora. For instance, switching healthy plant growth, it is estimated that over half of the energy gen- to a diet heavy with meat and cheese, and very few carbohydrates erated through photosynthesis is exuded into the soil as a meal to alters trillions of microbes living in the gut, based on a new report attract beneficial microbes. in the journal Nature. The change happens quickly. Within two days, Put it this way: It is not possible to fertilize the soil into health. Fertil- the types of microbes living in the gut shuffle around. And there are izer and biocides from a big-box store are not healing the landscape signs that some of these shifts might not be so good for us. One type or helping us in any way. They are attempting to treat our symptoms of bacterium that thrives under the meat-rich diet has been linked to and are no better than fast food for plants. Soil health is accomplished inflammation and intestinal diseases in mice. through mineral balance and biological maturity. Consider a forest.

The human digestive system harbors a complex community of miTrees get a diet of leaves and nothing else, yet they grow into huge crobes that affect many aspects of our health. Many known benefiliving giants, all without the addition of any fertilizer. How can this be? cial microbes have been turned into probiotics easily purchased from Trees don’t eat leaves; they eat what the microbes in the soil make for health food stores. For instance, studies have shown that microbes them. The more organized the soil food web, the less-responsibility from lean people helped prevent mice from becoming obese—but the human has to fertilize. It’s that simple. only if the animals ate a healthy diet.

Imagine you took all of the leaves out of a forest. Imagine you took Dr. Jeffrey Gordon at the Washington University School of Medicine all of the plankton out of the sea. This is what we are talking about showed that obese and lean human twins have clear differences in when we bag our lawn clippings and put them on the curb or when their gut microbial communities. Most notably, the communities from we use fungicides and herbicides to try and kill the microbes that are obese twins have less diverse bacterial species. This research could eating our plants. When we do this, we kill everything, including those result in new treatments for obesity. Could the microbes that inhabit microbes responsible for keeping pests and diseases in check, and the our guts even help explain that old idea of “gut feelings”? There’s vicious cycle continues. Soil microbes make perfect plant food called growing evidence that bacteria in our digestive systems may help “humus.” Microbes turning the falling leaf into plant food is called mold brain structure as we’re growing up, and possibly influence our “composting.” Composting is a natural process harnessed for human moods, behavior and feelings when we’re adults. The initial results are benefit and happens everywhere in soil not affected by human activi- startling. Studies showed that connections between brain regions difty. Most homeowners don’t start a compost pile because they feel too fered depending on which species of bacteria dominated a person’s much responsibility toward the process. In fact, the microbes do all of gut. The hypothesis being that the specific mix of microbes in our the work. It is not necessary to turn compost piles to be successful. guts might help determine how our brain circuits develop and how The best compost doesn’t get turned at all. Most of the time, that’s they’re wired. just compensation for not inoculating a proper diversity of microbes Other researchers have found changes in both brain chemistry and in the first place. behavior by studying microbes in mice. One experiment involved reThe yeast was never added to make bread. placing the gut bacteria of anxious mice with bacteria from fearless The “compost” one can purchase in bulk in Wilmington is gener- mice. The mice became less anxious, more expressive. And it worked ally turkey manure and pine bark. Each has been steamed and turned the other way around, too—bold mice became timid when they got aggressively to stabilize. It’s not humus; it’s simply aged manure. And the microbes of anxious ones. there is a huge difference. It may look and smell like compost, but According to new research, transferring the gut microbes from a the microbes that make plant food in the soil are different than the mouse with colon tumors to germ-free mice makes those mice prone microbes that make manure in an animal intestine. So, manure is basi- to getting tumors. There is even a correlation between onset of rheucally high-end mulch; organic matter does not just melt in the soil. matoid arthritis with the prevalence of a certain microbe—Prevotella Soil microbes don’t occur on our food or jump over the fence. They copri and evidence that probiotics can play a role in curbing autistic cannot find their way into the landscape or compost bin in any sort of behavior. proper diversity, as they are generally absent from soil in property that There are huge implications here. Projecting these ideas and findhas been developed or treated chemically at some point in its history. ings onto our personal health and the sanctity of our soil mean that, Maximum success with gardening and composting comes in seek- with the proper microbial teammates in tow, we can skip degenerative ing out a known diverse microbial inoculant—or “mother”—prefer- disease, grow healthier crops and live better lives. And drink beer and ably from a working organic or BioDynamic farm. We must deliver eat kimchi.

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 41

TO

READ! Cookbooks and other reviews

Devouring History and Eating: A few book reviews for insatiable reads

BY Gwenyfar Rohler ● Devour columnist, freelance writer and business owner of Old Books on Front Street Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

By Michael Pollan Penguin Press, 2013

Michael Pollan is arguably one of the most famous people writing about food in America today. He blends a reporter’s voice with history, science, agriculture and memoir to create very approachable work on subjects like agribusiness, GMO’s and botany. At first glance, such topics would be daunting for a mass audience, but in Pollan’s hands they become approachable talking points for anyone with a highschool education and an interest in eating. Writing of that caliber is more than just craft; it is a gift to make such topics so clear and simple.

“Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation” opens with Pollan’s observation that the rise of industrialized prepared food parallels the rise of food entertainment. Now that we spend less time actually cooking, we spend a tremendous amount of time watching other people cook on TV. From that observation he segues to barbecue—or the age-old tradition of men standing around a fire, cooking meat together and talking. In other words, community entertainment.

As a North Carolinian, I was pleased to notice his research and training in the art of barbecue began in the Tar Heel state. I knew immediately he was on the right track. The barbecue section, and indeed much of the book, talks about the loss of community and connection which has largely been associated with cooking and eating together. It’s a loss that Pollan correlates with the rise of microwave convenience foods and the breakdown of the family dinner, due to both parents working.

To give Pollan credit, he faces head-on the likely criticism of his call to return to cooked family dinners. He acknowledges the gender stereotypes such a plea would dredge up; in fact, throughout the book he speaks very directly about gender divides (professional chefs are men; home-cooks are women) and racial divides (especially in barbecue). Food occupies a very interesting place in the human experience: Everyone eats, but what we eat, how we 42 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

eat it, and when we at are all cultural and social markers that serve to separate us rather than unite us. Pollan manages to discuss it without making his book a political diatribe. More page space gets devoted to the biology of aroma than to agribusiness.

Part of why books like this have such an appeal is that when someone with Michael Pollan’s clout decides he wants to learn to cook, he can study with a famous baker in San Francisco, visit with

FEATURE a Basque grill master, and get fermenting help from Sandor Katz— the man who wrote the book on fermentation—or Pollan can visit the Kimchi museum in South Korea. The rest of us lack the time, opportunity, money, resources and cache to turn such possibilities into reality. Instead, we read books like this to find out what it would be like to work alongside the rock star of sourdough bread.

Not only does Pollan make his experiences very real and personal, but he also communicates what he learns so clearly that we, his readers, become convinced we can replicate the same experiences at home. (Half-way through the bread chapter, I found myself in the kitchen investigating our baking-dish situation, determined I was going to have hot, oven-fresh bread before I went to bed that night.)

Pollan does include a selection of recipes that he worked with in

the writing of the book, so one can experiment alongside him. Like all of Pollan’s writing, the recipes are clear and direct. In the chapter on baking bread, he talks at great length about the two minds that approach cooking: the liberal artist’s experimental mind and the computer programmer’s mind. Pollan’s recipes are a very good blend of directions for both groups—enough specific measurements and steps for one, and discussion with room for experimentation for the other. But this is not specifically meant to be a cookbook.

The book accomplishes what it sets out to do: Make the audience re-think the journey of the frozen, microwave dinner, and compare its cost in time and money to the investment of a home--cooked meal. If you liked Pollan’s other books, you will love this one. If you never have read any of his books before, this is a wonderful introduction—one that will leave you salivating for more.

TASTY LEFTOVERS Books we love to indulge in again and again!

Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Apicius Dover Books Reprinted, 1977

Antiquity cooking, or the practice of cooking foods from specific times in history, with the tools available then, is a fascinating practice. From a historical point of view, few things tell us more about the day-to-day life of a people than their eating habits. As a historical tool this book is invaluable, as an interesting conversation piece; it

is priceless.

Recipes range from stuffed sardines (so tedious!) to cooking flamingoes and parrots. But the shocking nature of some of the recipes aside, the illustrations alone are worth the cover price of the book. The ‘Craticula’ on page 182 is a fascinating depiction of a mobile grill designed to accommodate stew pots, as well as sides of meat. It looks like a small upholstered chair. The picture on page 124 shows a wine bar at Pompeii; their stock room puts our idea of wine storage to shame.

For a fascinating first-hand look at an important piece in the western evolution of food history, this book is not to be missed.

My Life in France Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme Anchor Books, 2006

Julia Child is the most famous TV chef in America. She is personally responsible for introducing French cooking to suburban households across our country. Her memoir, co-written with her greatnephew Alex Prud’homme at the end of her life, chronicles the time she and her husband, Paul Child, spent in France.

For anyone who has ever wondered how a gangly, oversized diplomat’s wife transformed herself into one of the most famous chefs of the 20th century, look no further. The answer is in this book. Child discusses her first trip to the market in France, falling both in and out of love with the cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, into the creation of her seminal cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Illustrated throughout, with remarkable photographs of Paul Child, it is not just a story of a woman finding her purpose in life but a loving chronicle of post-war France.

—Gwenyfar Rohler

JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 43

Select Indulgences Culinary calendar of events

~events & happenings~ STEP UP FOR SOLDIERS 1/25, 9:30am: 30 teams will take to their grills, forks in hand, secret recipes folded and stashed in pockets, all for the glory of the title and the satisfaction of knowing they’ve helped to raise a significant amount of money for Step Up For Soldiers. Everyone will have the same meats, be in the same location and have the same time constraints, but there will be individual rubs, sauces or marinades, grill temperatures and methods of cooking that will leave someone going home with braggin’ rights for the next year. Lake in Carolina Beach, junction of Lake Park Blvd. and Atlanta Ave. Admission is free. Tickets can be purchased to sample the BBQs after the double-blind judging is completed. Music w/The Cut, Bibis Ellison and headliner Machine Gun. Raffles, arts and craft vendors plus more food and drink for purchase. Prizes will be awarded at 4pm. All to benefit Step Up For Soldiers. Janet Knott: janlknott@ gmail.com or call 910-431-8122.

NATIONAL HOT TEA MONTH Through 1/31, Senior Resource Center will be celebrating by holding a free sampling event every Wed., 11am-1pm, throughout January senior citizens and local hot tea fans are welcome to stop by the main lobby and try some tea. DIfferent flavor each week to sample. 2222 South College Rd. 910-798-6409.

WILMINGTON WINE & CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Grand tasting, 1/31, 7-10pm, featuring heavy hors d’ouevres, live entertainment w/The Schoolboys, chocolatiers, food and wine purveyors, artisan markets, cash beer and cigar bar, comedians from Nutt St. Improv. $45-$50 • 2/1, 11am-7pm, $15-$20; 2/2, noon-4pm, $10-$15: European-style street marketplace, with live entertainment, food demonstrations, chocolate and wine samples, and lots of goodies for sale. Coastline Event Center, 503 Nutt St. www.wilmingtonwineandchocolatefestival.com

AUTHOR’S LUNCHEON Fri., 2/28, noon: Luncheon at Hilton Riverside. Join Avon Authors, Candis Terry and Jennifer Bernard for a kick off to the Tasty Authors Weekend 2014. The luncheon will include a meet and greet, a Q&A with Candis and Jennifer, a Fabulous Lunch at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, and a limited signing for those 44 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

THEATRE NOW Enjoy a slew of decadent food and entertainment at Wilmington’s one-stop dinner theatre. TheatreNOW will host a Sunday jazz brunch with the Lee Venters Jazz Trio from noon to 2 p.m. on January 19th ($15-$20); a movie and dinner night, featuring a fourcourse meal and wine tasting over the screening of “Chocolat” at 7 p.m. on January 28th ($48); and a special Valentine’s production

by Jonathan Rand, “Check Please,” which runs January 14th through February 15th ($18-$28, or $45/$80 a couple for Valentine’s Day seatings, includes three-course meal) on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. Buy tickets at theatrewilmington.com. who will not be able to attend the signing on Sat. Limited seating, intimate setting.

CAPE FEAR BEER FEST Sat., 3/1, 1-5pm, Wilmington Convention Center. Festival is a true beer tasting (and wine) event featuring a wide variety of beer styles from the most creative brew masters in the world. $35/adv or $45 VIP (early admission, noon); $45 day-of. http://capefearbeerfest.com.

WILMINGTON WINE & BEER WALK Sat., 2/22: Bi-annual self-guided tour of downtown Wilmington’s restaurants and bars. Two free samples from each location while you tour some of your favorite drinking establishments and maybe

visit a few different locations too! Tickets: $15 for indv., or two for $25. www.wineandbeerwalk.com.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL Sat., 3/15: Annual Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Water Street in Downtown Wilmington. The Friends of Hibernians 15th Annual Parade will kick off at 11am down Front Street from Walnut to Dock streets and heads down to Water Street North. Festival on Water St. will be held at Riverfront Park, noon.Traditional Irish music, dancing, food, beverages and fun for the whole family! http:// wilmingtonstpatricksdayfestival.com.

PLEASURE ISLAND CHOWDER COOKOFF Sat., 4/12, 10am-5pm. Carolina Beach Lake Park, Carolina Beach.

14th annual event feat. chefs from restaurants on Pleasure Island and Wilmington. Sample and vote on the best chowder. Live music, events for the children. Gates open at 11:30. $5 for adults.

~classes & workshops~ CAPE FEAR WINE & FOOD CLUB Cape Fear Wine and Food Club memberships: $15/person/year and receive 5% discount on all merchandise and 10% discount during classes at The Seasoned Gourmet. All classes/programs include a generous portion of menu items and wine pairing samples for adults. Schedule: 1/25, 11am: What the Pho? with Susan Boyles, $20. Learn the Vietnamese tradition that is Pho, a beef bone broth and noodle soup dish that is pronounced “Fuh” and features star anise, ginger, and garlic in its delicious flavor profile. • 1/28, 6:30pm: TBA w/1900’s chef, Kirsten Mitchell, $45. • 2/2, noon: Master It: Knife Skills, $35. Learn to hold, hone, and wield your cook’s knife using a safe and effective method taught in culinary schools, while learning to make Rainbow Matchstick Salad, roasted chicken with root vegetable hash, and applecinammon bread pudding. • Thurs., 2/6, 6:30pm, “At the Table with Liz Biro—Food Writer, Chef, and Foodie Tour Guide,” $35.

Inaugural women’s gathering with the female movers and shakers of the Wilmington area. Dish about area restaurants, hard-to-find ingredients, and the best of the best of everything food, over a three-course meal. • 2/8, 11am: Sushi 101 with Linda Issitt, $45.

Roll your own sushi, and learn to make delicious miso soup and a salad with ginger dressing. • 2/14, 6:30pm: Date Night Valentine’s Dinner with Susan Boyles, $90/couple. Roses and chocolate, and a great evening learning to cook together, feat. hearts of hearts salad, beef tenderloin filet, oven-roasted potatoes and chocolate souffles. • 2/16, 2pm: Master It: Perfect Eggs, $25. Learn the tricks to perfect eggs three ways: hard boiled with a perfect creamy center, poached to perfection, and fried to a perfect over easy • 2/22, 11am: Kale Caesar! and the Prince of Pork, with Susan Boyles, $40. Playing around with some classic dishes, lightened up for a healthier meal, feat. kale Caesar salad, pork terndeloin and more. • 2/26, 6:30m: The Anatomy of Soup with Susan Boyles, $40. Three basic soups with warm, crusty bread and creamy compound butters. Butternut squash, cream of mushroom and chicken and dumplings. • 3/2, 2pm: Master It: Gratins, $25. Learn about even slicing, careful arrangement in the baking dish, and not too much sauce. If done right, you can unmold a gratin and cut it into squares for serving, and yet it will have a creamy mouth-feel.

• 3/12, 6:30pm: TBA w/1900’s chef, Kirsten Mitchell. Stay tuned for details! • 3/14, 6:30pm: Date Night: Italy with Susan Boyles, $90/couple. Traditional Italian dishes w/ample leftovers to reheat for a weekend free of cooking so you can amp up the fun. Two easy sauces to make a classic meat lasagna, and a besciamella (béchamel) that we will use to make a chicken Alfredo; also an-

ENCORE RESTAURANT WEEK Encore Restaurant Week features more than a dozen participating restaurants in and around Wilmington, from March 19th through the 26th only. Prix-fixe menus set at reasonable prices, and all palates are sated, from French to Indian, Italian to American and all things in between. Just ask for the restaurant week menu and order away!

Encore Restaurant Week Menu Guides are out at free-standing locations at the end of February. www.encorerestaurantweek.com. tipasta platter and Sicilian almond cookies. • 3/16, 2pm: Master It: Bechamel, $25. Learn a classic Mother Sauce, the white cream sauce base of everything from Alfredo to Mornay. • 3/22, 11am: Budget Gourmet: No-Tomato Italian, w/Susan Boyles $35. Beautiful and delicious Italian-inspired meal is budget-friendly, feat. mellon and prosciutto salad, lemon oregano chicken, w/polenta and Balsamic onions, and orange-scented olive oil cake. • 3/30, 2pm: Master It: Tomato Sauce, $25. Learn the French way espoused

by Escoffier and referred to as one of the five Mother Sauces, and the Italian way with which most of us are acquainted. • 4/9, 6:30pm: Classic Spain, w/Susan Boyles, $45. Roasted red pepper and garlic sauce on crusty bread, Castelvetrano olive, fennel and orange salad, seafood paella, and classic crèma Catalana.

• 4/13, 2pm: Master It: Sauté, $15. The art of sauté is one part temperature and two parts technique, but the pan matters, too.

Learn this great quick-cooking technique and banish your wooden spoon or spatula to the drawer forever. • 4/18, 6:30pm: Date Night: South of France w/Susan Boyles $90/couple. French-style comfort food, like warm Provençal vegetable salad, Vichyssoise (chilled potato leek soup) and roasted lemon-pepper salmon, and rustic almond and pear tart. The Seasoned Gourmet, 1930 Eastwood Rd, Ste. 105, 910-256-9488.

~tastings & things~ WINE PAIRINGS Developed to help you select wines to pair with whatever meal you may be enjoying. Taste 5-6 wines each paired with an Hors d’oeuvre. Reservations are required. 2/4 and 3/4, 6:30pm, $15: Enjoy 6 wines each paired with an hors d’oeuvres and learn about growing conditions, wine making process, and more. The Seasoned Gourmet, 1930 Eastwood Rd., Ste. 105, 910-256-9488.

HOMEBREW SUPPLY COMPANY Free craft beer tasting every Friday 4pm-7pm • Free all-grain brewing demonstration Every Saturday starting at 1:30pm at Wilmington Homebrew Supply, 4405-A Wrightsville Ave. wilmingtonhomebrew.com

WILMINGTON WINE SHOP Join us to sample five new delicious wines we’ve brought in just JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 | DEVOUR 45

for our customers during Free Friday Wine Tasting, 5-8pm. Have a bottle or glass of your favorite with friends afterwards in our cozy shop or on the back deck. And beer lovers don’t fret, we’ve got a fridge full of craft and micro-brews. 605 Castle St. 910-202-4749. www.wilmingtonwine.net

FERMENTAL Every Friday: Free wine/beer tasting, 6pm. No reservations required. Fermental. 7250 Market St., www.fermental.net.

SWEET ‘N’ SAVORY PUB

Sweet ‘n’ Savory Pub: Free beer tasting every Wednesday night from 5-6:30pm, through 2/26/14. 1611 Pavillion Pl., (910) 256-0115

RED BANK WINE Red Bank’s wine of the week, Sat., 1-4pm. 1001 International Dr. 910-256-9480.

FORTUNATE GLASS Free wine tasting, Tues. 6-8pm. • Sparkling wine specials and discounted select bottles, Wed. & Thurs. • Monthly food and wine pairings. 29 South Front St.

CAPE FEAR WINE AND BEER Mon Flight Night: $18 for nine 4 oz. samples of local, nationallyrenowned & international brews. Also, Massage Monday: $10 for a ten-minute shift with our licensed, registered therapist Josh Lentz.

• Tues., DIY Trivia with our host Greg Jaeger. Prizes include beer from us and gift certificates from AzioMedia and Memory Lane Comics. 9pm. $1 off glasses of wine, ciders, mead. • Wed: YouTube Video Competition. Submit the wackiest, funniest, zaniest video & win a bomber of beer & a Chop’s Deli sandwich! Hosted

by Capt. Video, 9pm; select $10 pitchers. • Thurs: Beer Infusement Thurs. See what ingredients Randall the Enamel Animal will enhance on delicious beer. 9pm. Thrifty Thursday: select $3 bottles and $1 off select draft. • Fri.: Bartender’s pick. You never know what you’re gonna get! • Sat.: Think local, drink local. $1 off all bottled NC beers. • Sun: Beer Church Purchase select beer and keep your glass for free. 139 N. Front St.

THE WINE SAMPLER Weekly feat. five wines to taste during sampling hours, Thurs., 3-8pm; Fri., 3-8pm; and Sat., 11am-7pm. 10% discount as well toward purchase. 4107-C Oleander Dr. (910) 796-WINE (9463). thewinesampler.com

~markets & tours~ FARMERS’ MARKETS Fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, honey and more! Poplar Grove, Apr-Nov, Wed, 8am1pm. Poplar Grove Plantation, 910-686-9518. pgp@poplargrove. com. www.poplargrove.com • Riverfront Farmers’ Market open on Water St., downtown, every Sat., 3/30-12/21, 8am-1pm. Food, arts & craft vendors and live music. www.wilmingtondowntown. com/farmers-market • Carolina Beach Farmer’s Market every Sat., 5/11-9/28, 8am-1pm, around the lake in Carolina Beach.

Free parking; vendors align the lake, from artists and crafters and musicians. www.carolinabeachfarmersmarket.com or email Janet Knott, carolinabeachfarmersmarket@gmail.com. • Wrightsville Beach Farmers’ Market, 21 Causeway Dr. Fresh NC-grown produce, seafood and other locally produced consumables. A variety of unique craft vendors have also been added to the market this year. Mon., 8am-1pm, first Mon. in May through Labor Day. • Town of Leland Farmers’ Market at Leland Town Hall, alternat46 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014

ing Sundays, 11am-3pm, May-Aug. This market is focused on local food and agricultural products. • Oak Island Farmers’ Market, Mon., April-Nov., 7am-1pm. Middletown Park, Oak Island • Southport Waterfront Market, Wednesdays, May-Sept., 8am-1pm.

Garrison Lawn in Southport, NC. • St. James Plantation Farmers’ Market, Thurs., May-Oct., 4-7pm, at the Park at Woodlands Park Soccer Field.

CULINARY ADVENTURES TOUR Eat your way through Wilmington’s food history and delights!

Culinary Adventures Tour with food writer/chef Liz Biro; under a mile, wear comfortable shoes. Top Chef Farmers Market Tour and Cooking Class, Heart of Downtown, Drinks Downtown, Downtown Brunch Stroll, Foodie Shopping Tour, custom and special-group tours and more. $25 and up. www.lizbiro.com 910-545-8055

TASTING HISTORY TOURS Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours.

From its beginnings as a tourist destination, the island has weathered destructive fires, tragic hurricanes, naval battles and more.

Tasting History takes you through the streets of Carolina Beach and into a few of the restaurants to taste some of what the locals have to offer. Join us for an afternoon of interesting history and tasty eats. $32.50, www.tastinghistorytours.com 910-622-6046.

FSB BREWERY TOUR Learn how Front Street Brewery brews their beer. Tours given daily, 3-5pm, with brewer Kevin Kozak and assistant brewer Christopher McGarvey; samples provided. Tours take place at 3pm, 3:45pm and 4:30pm. Simply sign up at the host stand; 9 N. Front St.

~clubs & organizations~ CAPE FEAR CROP MOB Cape Fear Crop Mob, FoodCorps North Carolina and AmeriCorps VISTA - Volunteers In Service To America for our second annual mob of LINC Urban Farm (222 Division Dr.), on MLK Day, 1/20, 10am-2pm. We are aiming for about 25-30 volunteers to: clear more undergrowth, help turn over compost, assist with general garden maintenance, and build new raised beds! We will share a meal together. RSVP via e-mail: capefearcropmob@gmail.com

SEED LENDING PROJECT The downtown New Hanover County Public Library will kick off the Seed Lending Project on 2/22, 11am, to facilitate the growth of open-pollinated seeds among residents of New Hanover County.

Check out seeds from our lending library with your library card, plant the seeds and grow beautiful healthy plants, save seed and return to the library and check them back in for others to grow!

Workshops on seed saving and container gardening, as well as info from local groups like garden clubs. Justine Roach: (910) 7986355). Andy Meyers: (910) 599-7447

PORT CITY SWAPPERS Port City Swappers is a monthly food and beverage swap where members of a community share homemade, homegrown, or foraged foods with each other. Swaps allow direct trades to take place between attendees, e.g., a loaf of bread for a jar of pickles or a half-dozen backyard eggs. No cash is exchanged, and no goods are sold. Diversify your pantry and go home happy and inspired while meeting your neighbors! facebook.com/PortCitySwappers.

FOOD PANTRIES Good Shepherd House Soup Kitchen, 811 Martin St. Pantry Hours: 6am-3pm everyday • Mother Hubbards Cupboards, 211N 2nd St. (910)762-2199. MTWFS,1-3pm • Bread of Life Immaculate Con-

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS A 12-step organization for anyone who has issues with food and/or eating. Stop your compulsive eating habits and start living a healthy, rewarding life. No dues, fees, or religious affiliations. Mon., 7 p.m., Myrtle Grove Baptist Church Bldg 2, 5524 Myrtle Grove Rd., Suzy, (910) 599-4545; Wed., noon-1pm, Pine Valley United Methodist Church, 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Steve, (703) 973-2499; Sat., 9:30-10:45am, Church of the Servant (off College Rd.), 4925 Oriole Dr., Steve M. (703) 973-2499. www.triangleoa.org

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ception Church, 6650 Carolina Beach Rd. (910)791-1003. Never had a food pantry, used to give food to the homeless on Saturdays but not anymore. • Catholic Social Ministries, 4006 Princess Dr. (910) 251-8130. Tues-Fri., 9-11:30am • First Fruit Ministries, 2750 Vance St. (910) 612-9353. Tues/Sat, 11am-1pm; Wed,10am2pm. • Bethany Presbyterian Church, 2237 Castle Hayne Rd. (910) 762-7824. Wed, 11:30am-2pm. • New Covenant Holiness Church, 1020 Dawson St. (910)762-7376

FOOD BANK OF NC Established in 1980, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a non-profit organization that provides food to people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. In 2008-09, the Wilmington branch distributed over 4 million pounds to our four county service area. Stop Summer Hunger (formerly Kids Summer Stock) is a community-wide food and funds drive held during June and July to provide the additional food needed to support these children and their families, as well as supporting summer meals programs. Helps to fill the empty shelves of Food Bank warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Sandhills and Wilmington during the summer when donations tend to slow down. http://wilmington.foodbankcenc.org

REALLY, REALLY FREE MARKET AND FOOD NOT BOMBS Wilmington’s Free Market welcomes people to donate reusable housewares, music, car items, games, clothing, haircuts, blankets, and anything else of need! No barter or trade; everything is free!

Do not leave items and run; take with you what does not get taken.

Volunteers always needed to teach a short lesson on urban livin, gardening, recycling, holistic remedies, or offer free haircuts, sew torn clothing—anything educational and or useful/helpful. The Really Really Free Market is held in conjunction with Food Not Bombs to provide free vegan and vegetarian meals to the hungry. By sharing food we start a revolution. Food is a right, not a privilege. All our food is grown in the Food Not Bombs garden, and donated by local businesses, restaurants, farms, and people. Anyone can donate, and if you are unable to donate food, then donating your time is enough.

Monthly meetups first Sunday each month at Greenfield Lake Park at picnic tables by the water. www.ilmfreemarket.moonfruit.com or FB group, “Wilmington’s Really Really Free Market & Food Not Bombs!”

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come home to casey’s

Family owned & operated by Larry & Gena Casey

5559 Oleander drive • 910.798.2913

Between Dogwood Lane & French Street, across from the batting cages.

48 DEVOUR | JANUARY - APRIL, 2014 voted best buffet & soul food by encore magazine readers