December 2018 Feast Magazine

P. 5 5

eastern european fare

heats up the streets

P. 6 2

P. 6 6

creates bread with character

be yond the grill 7 wood - fired recipes

retained-heat baking

Inspired Local Food Culture | M i dw e st

feastmagazine.com |

december 2018

fa n n i n g t h e flames

Live-fire cooking sparks innovation on p. 46

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From a five-course Italian dinner and wine for two to a prepared holiday brunch for six to our grand prize of a cooking class for 10 with the pitmaster at Bogart’s Smokehouse, these giveaway prizes are sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

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feastmagazine. com/promotions to learn how to win prizes!

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smokehouse.com

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800-624-5426

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32819 highWaY 87, caliFornia, mo 65018

december 2018

from the staff

from green truck bakery in warrensburg, COVER photo of the hearth at vicia in st.louis (P. 46) by judd demaline

from the PUBLISHER

| 12 |

digital content

| 14 |

feast tv

Table of contents photo of wood-fired bread missouri, (P. 62) BY ariel tustin

| 8 |

46 55 62 66

playing with fire

These chefs are experimenting with live-fire cooking as more than a source of extreme heat. From smoking tomatoes to burying cabbage in coals, they’re harnessing fire as an effective kitchen tool.

Balkan Treat Box cooks the wood-fired flavors of Turkey, Bosnia and beyond from an unlikely setup.

a change of hearth

Green Truck Bakery cranks up the heat with a custom built wood-fired oven.

turn up the heat

Seven easy recipes for wood-fired cooking at home.

What’s online this month Go South

dine

| 18 |

on trend

| 19 |

one on one

| 20 |

where we’re dining

Nontraditional tahini Gerard Craft of Cinder House

Black Market Smokehouse, American Fusion Cafe, Juniper

| 21 |

shop here

| 21 |

artisan product

| 22 |

one on one

feeling hot, hot, hot!

Fired up

John Boos Factory Showroom & Outlet 80 Proof Bakery Cakes Joe Shirley of Überdine

drink

| 26 |

on trend

| 27 |

one on one

| 28 |

where we’re drinking

Elderflower liqueur Ian Carleton and Tim Robson of Saint Fox Cider

Free Solo Coffee Co., Mackenzie Brewing Co., Flying Horse Taproom

| 29 |

shop here

| 29 |

artisan product

| 30 |

the mix

| 31|

on the shelf

Chabom Tea + Spices Annedore’s Fine Chocolates dark chocolate cordial cups Bourbon chai tea What to drink this month

cook

| 34 |

| 36 |

healthy appetite

Roasted parsnips with caramelized mandarin oranges and chimichurri mystery shopper

Chutney powder

Roasted beet-blood orange salad

| 38 |

| 40 |

quick fix

sweet ideas

Mexican wedding cookies

Volume 8

| Issue 12 | December2018

Vice President of Niche Publishing, Publisher of Feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

sales

Director of Sales

Angie Henshaw, ahenshaw@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1298 Account Manager, ST. LOUIS REGION

Michele Russo, mrusso@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1297 Account Manager, Kansas City REGION

Pete Nicklin, pnicklin@feastmagazine.com, 785.431.8025 Account Manager, Kansas City REGION

Briana Craemer, bcraemer@feastmagazine.com, 913.708.1283 special projects Editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1244

EDITORIAL Senior Editor

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com Managing Editor

Nancy Stiles, nstiles@feastmagazine.com Digital Editor

Heather Riske, web@feastmagazine.com Kansas City Contributing Editor

Jenny Vergara St. Louis Contributing Editor

Mabel Suen fact checker

Rose Hansen Proofreader

Erica Hunzinger Contributing Writers

Christy Augustin, Jordan Baranowski, Tessa Cooper, Gabrielle DeMichele, Amanda Elliott, Ana Elliott, Natalie Gallagher, Becky Hardin, Hilary Hedges, Justin Phelps, Jenn Tosatto, Shannon Weber, Amanda Wilens

ART

Art Director

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com production designer

Kelly Glueck, kglueck@feastmagazine.com Contributing Photographers

Zach Bauman, Tessa Cooper, Amber Deery, Judd Demaline, Ana Elliott, Becky Hardin, Jacklyn Meyer, Anna Petrow, Spencer Pernikoff, Drew Piester, Jonathan Pollack, Amy Schromm, Jennifer Silverberg , Christopher Smith, Mabel Suen, Emily Teater

FEAST TV

producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

Contact Us Feast Media, 8811 Ladue Road, Suite D, Ladue, MO 63124 314.475.1244, feastmagazine.com

Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Eric Freeman for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at efreeman@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned. All contents are copyright © 2010-2018 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC

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In this month’s episode of Feast TV, we head south to Peru, Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. Here, I’m in the kitchen with chef Sergio Nakayoshi, who’s creating dishes at Mango Peruvian Cuisine in St. Louis that celebrate traditional Peruvian flavors while using locally grown Midwestern ingredients. To see this episode, as well as the rest of our 2018 season, head to the Feast TV section of feastmagazine.com.

publisher’s letter

I

was introduced to live-fire cooking on a rainy night in Stockholm.

This was about five years ago, and Scandinavian cooking was gaining world-wide attention thanks to Noma’s René Redzepi and his focus on ingredients indigenous to that cold, windswept and gloriously beautiful part of the world. We weren’t able to score a seat at Noma (hardly a surprise considering it was the most famous restaurant in the world at the time), but we did manage to get a table at Ekstedt, chef Niklas Ekstedt’s ode to regional ingredients and Nordic culinary tradition. Chef Niklas had worked in the acclaimed kitchens of el Bulli and The Fat Duck, but when developing the menu and concept for his eponymous restaurant, he turned away from “modern” cooking and focused instead on what was at the heart of culinary tradition: fire.

Sitting in that tiny dining room, perched right on the edge of the pass, we were treated to a front-row seat in this completely-wood-fired kitchen. Here, tomatoes hung in the chimney to smoke as wild game roasted on the flames and vegetables, buried in embers, charred and let off puffs of steam. The approach was a revelation in its simplicity. If you want to return to traditional cooking, what else would you use but fire?

Today, live-fire cooking is imparting its smoky char on food across the U.S. Here in our region, we’re seeing an uptick in the number of bakers and chefs who are choosing to cook in this way.

It’s a challenge to cook with wood: You have to constantly pay attention, adjust and feed the flames to achieve the temperature you desire.

And that’s one of the reasons it’s so appealing.

For diners, the draw of a crackling fire and the deep flavor produced by the high heat is unmistakable. And for chefs, it’s fun.

In this, the last issue of 2018, we dig into many of the ways that chefs are cooking with wood, from a brewery in Kansas City where chickens smoke for hours in a live-fire hearth to a bakery in Warrensburg, Missouri, that exclusively uses a falling oven to a food truck in St. Louis where a wood-fired oven, coal-fired grill and gas spit roaster produce nationally recognized Eastern European comfort food. It certainly does seem that what’s old is new again in the food world, and you can’t get closer to tradition than cooking over an open flame.

Until next time,

Catherine Neville

12.18

Feast Magazine’s

annual wedding guide

anna petrow Kansas City, Photographer “Brewery Emperial is one of my go-to restaurants in Kansas City, so I was excited to get this assignment. [Chef-owner] Ted Habiger was actually one of the first chefs in Kansas City to hire me for photos, and has become such a dear friend. I won’t own up to how often I come in for a Biscuit beer and the wood-fired chicken, but suffice it to say I’m a familiar face at that bar. An added layer of serendipity to this assignment: I worked in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a newspaper photographer a few years back, where asado-style barbecue over an open flame is a point of national pride.

It was fun to be back in the pit with [chef] Andrew Dessert, shooting and trying to keep up with his quick expertise over the open flame.” (Playing with Fire, p. 46)

promotion

a feast forward guide to the big day Your wedding daY Make the most of your magical moment with Feast’s third-annual wedding guide.

Turn the page for customcatering options, trendy cakes and one of a kind ideas for venues and parties.

amanda elliott Columbia, Missouri, Writer “Writing and developing wood-fired recipes for this feature was one of my favorite projects for Feast to date. All of the recipes are diverse and get a flavor boost from the char and smoke from the fire. I think it’s a very exciting time for wood-fired cuisine at home, as there are so many oven and grill options to bring this style of cooking into your backyard – and even more choices for delicious dishes to make.” (Turn Up the Heat, p. 66)

featuring:

 Cakes & Desserts  Venues & Receptions  Catering  Rehearsal Dinners, Bachelorette & Bachelor Parties

spencer pernikoff St. Louis, Photographer “I’ve been friends with Edo and Loryn [Nalic of Balkan Treat Box] for years, and ever since my first bite of their food – a beef and cheese pide – I’ve been dying for them to open a restaurant.

If they can produce food that good on a tiny food truck, imagine how much better it can be without space limitations. When Feast asked if I wanted to shoot the feature on Balkan Treat Box, I was an immediate ‘yes!’ Partially because I love shooting its food, but mostly because I knew that meant I’d get to eat as much cevapi as I could.” (Feeling Hot, Hot ,Hot!, p. 55)

PROM OTIO

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WeDDInG GUIDe

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hilary hedges Kansas City, Writer “While I’m a firm believer that opening a bottle of sparkling wine shouldn’t be reserved only for special occasions, I’m eager to share a locally made option with our readers to ring in the New Year. Sparkling wine production isn’t terribly common in Missouri, so I was delighted to find one made in the heart of Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. This month’s pick is a limited-release, hand-riddled sparkling cuvée, a first for KC Wineworks. It’s refreshing and approachable, not to mention beautifully hand-bottled and labeled. It’s wonderful to see all the exciting and successful things that winemakers in our region are doing. Visit a local tasting room, learn about their wines and grab a couple of bottles to enjoy this holiday season.” (On the Shelf, p. 31)

YOUR N AME HE RE Whe ther you go with a tradi tiona l, trend y or unsu al desin , a wed ding cake shou ld alwa ys refle ct the style and com fort of the coup le.

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Take the extra step of meet your bake ing r. You will never know the range of his or her abilities until you can utlize vision and skill.

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SAv E t HE bES

t fOR l Rece ption ASt color s and them es shou ld be plann ed befo re your cake style is chos en. You may really want that nake d cake look, but be mind ful of how that comp limet s your tradi tona l them e. fAiRwE

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Summ er outd oor wedd ing?

Forge t whip ped crea m, merin gue and butte rcrea m.

Inste ad try fond ant whic h is hard y and does n’t need refidg eratio n.

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bY tHE SlicE

Finalize your guestlist befor order. Most e you places are priced by the slice.

Typically three teirs will feed 50-10 0 guests.

Coming in the January issue

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Call 314-475-1298 for more information Inspired Local Food Culture

d e c e mbe r 2 018

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M NA UR no od i Il m Bo . ed qu ia in um di o pl au qu e

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MO

12/1

STL

12/1

WinterFest Sat., Dec. 1, 8am to 7pm; free; 400 W. Main St., Festus, Missouri; 636.937.6646; cityoffestus.org/296/winterfest

WinterFest is a family-friendly, all-day event that helps kick off the holiday season in Festus, Missouri. There will be breakfast and visits with Santa, inflatables, face painting, a petting zoo, carriage rides, ice skating, vendors selling holiday goods and more.

Grace Meat + Three Breakfast With Santa Sat., Dec. 1, 10am to 2pm; Grace Meat + Three, 4270 Manchester Ave., The Grove, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.533.2700; stlgrace.com/events

Grace Meat + Three is hosting breakfast with Santa to celebrate its new brunch menu and the holiday season! Enjoy the brunch menu with beer pairings by 4 Hands Brewing Co., and try new Grace offerings like heirloom corn waffles and Mom’s Egg Casserole. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make appearances, and there will be kids activities, free hot chocolate, classic holiday films and more merriment. Bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit Mission St. Louis: Affordable Christmas, and earn a complimentary photo with Santa.

PRESENTED BY

Experience the best restaurants in the area at the Sample St. Charles event!

Taste from local restaurants, listen to live music, interact with local vendors and more!

T H U R S D AY

12 | 13 | 18 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

@

FOUNDRY ART CENTRE

$20

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS SPONSORED BY

LOCALLY DISTILLED

G O T O S T L T O D AY . C O M / O U R E V E N T S FOR TICKETS & MORE INFO 10

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IL

12/112/2

Country Christmas Stroll & House Tours Sat., Dec. 1 to Sun., Dec. 2, times vary; prices vary; across Okawville, Illinois; 618.243.5694; okawvillecc.com

The 35th-annual Country Christmas Stroll is full of holiday festivities around Okawville, Illinois. The weekend event includes holiday shopping at a craft fair, the Festival of Trees, a house tour of four homes and a church, decorated and open house s at Heritage House Museum sites and local businesses, and breakfast with Santa.

EXTRA VIRGIN

STL

12/1, 12/8, 12/15

STL

12/13

WinterMarkt Sat., Dec. 1; Sat., Dec. 8; and Sat., Dec. 15, 12 to 4pm; free; Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery & Biergarten, 3229 Washington Ave., Covenant Blu/Grand Center, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.222.0143; urbanchestnut.com/wintermarkt

Usher in the holiday season at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. with a traditional German market with 30 local vendors on hand for holiday shopping. Taking place the first three Saturdays in December, there will also be live music, fire pits, hot chocolate, beer specials, Glühwein, s’more kits, pretzels, borscht and more.

Schnucks Cooks: Roasted Beet-Blood Orange Salad Thu., Dec. 13, 6 to 9pm; $45; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School, 12332 Manchester Road, St. Louis; 314.909.1704; nourish.schnucks.com/schnucks-cooking-school

In this class, you’ll learn how to upgrade your favorite cheesy potato casserole with Swiss raclette cheese. You’ll also learn how to make a sticky chocolate-plum cake for your holiday table.

KC

thru

1/15

Pies for a Purpose

RYE

Through Tue., Jan. 15; $15 each; Kansas City metro-area Price Choppers; 816.508.3410; cornerstonesofcare.org/news-and-events/upcoming-events/pies-for-a-purpose

Make holiday baking and gifting easier with Cornerstones of Care’s Pie for a Purpose fundraiser, where you can buy pies to support a good cause. Purchase a Pies for a Purpose $15 certificate online or by phone, and then take it in to any Kansas City metro-area Price Chopper through Jan. 15 to receive a tasty Tippin’s pie.

For every pie purchased, $6 will go toward children and families in the community.

JANUARY 11- 20 Dine out, do good.

More than 170 of KC’s top restaurants have come together for Kansas City’s premier dining event. Enjoy 10 days of multicourse menus at an extraordinary value. Best of all, a portion of proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. KCRestaurantWeek.com • #KCRW2019 Founding Partners

Platinum Sponsors: Heartland Coca-Cola, Kim Crawford Wines, Meiomi Coastal California Wines, Ruffino Wines, Stella Artois

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this month on

feastmagazine.com the feed

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

Photography by mabel suen

Photography by aaron ottis

Our annual holiday giveaway is back! This year, we have four weeks of sweepstakes, and we're giving away tons of cool prizes from producers across the state. Just head to the Promotions section at feastmagazine.com for all the details.

At the new I Am Sushi & Grill in Columbia, Missouri, you can find Korean favorites like galbi (barbecued beef short ribs) and seafood jeon alongside traditional Japanese fare including fresh sashimi and sushi rolls.

-

Springfield, Missouri’s happy hour scene is expansive, approachable and totally delicious, offering specials on juicy sliders, upscale apps, and half-priced wine and cocktails. We rounded up 12 of our favorites.

Indie Eatery recently opened in St. Peters, Missouri, serving casual brunch items like housemade Belgian waffles and Compost Nachos with sweet potato tortilla chips, white queso, corn, smoked chicken and red peppers.

Photography by April Fleming

photo by ana elliott

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KC Beignet chef-owner Bryan Merker has brought his tribute to New Orleans to Kansas City. Try his beloved crêpes, beignets, po’boys and boudin balls, washed down with an Abita beer or a bright red Hurricane.

feastmagazine.com

dec em ber 2 0 1 8

WINNER

BEST RESTAURANT! 2018 St. Louis Magazine AList CibareItalianKitchen.com

Must be 21. Exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1.888.BETSOFF. ©2018 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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� Inspired Local Food Culture

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episode:

go south

Check your local listings

to watch feast tv on these networks:

When you want a taste of something spicy, sweet, rich and refreshing, all at the same time, head south to Central, South America and the Caribbean. In this episode, we’re exploring the flavors and textures enjoyed by our southern neighbors. The basis of much of Mexican cuisine are tortillas, sopas, gorditas and tamales made with cornmeal dough, and host Cat Neville’s first stop is with Mission Taco Joint to see how they make fresh masa from local non-GMO corn, then enjoy a taste of Havana at Kansas City’s Plantain District, known for its perfectly layered Cuban sandwich. At Mango in St. Louis, Cat learns about ingredients native to Peru and then heads to the kitchen to make Brazilian-style acarajé with shrimp salad.

feast tv is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors:

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Missouri Wines supports the more than 125 wineries operating in the state and is focused on promoting the industry’s growth and vitality.

Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. is dedicated to creating a memorable coffee experience for customers and guests via sustainable practices and education.

Ole Tyme Produce provides some of the finest produce in the St. Louis region, serving restaurants, hotels, food service and catering companies.

The Raphael Hotel is Feast’s official hotel, offering luxury accommodations and dining near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

dec em ber 2 0 1 8

fabulous holidays celebrate the season - see a show!

great gift ideas!

January 29 - February 10

December 6-9 February 22-24

March 1-3

December 11-16 March 12-17

December 26 – January 6 December 18

March 26 - April 7

Available for $20 at the Box Off ice and Guest Services in the lobby

December 22-23

metrotix.com

April 23 - May 5

May 14-26

fox gift cards also also available available

314-534-1111

Inspired Local Food Culture

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heat wave

Explore the wood-fired menu at Cinder House in St. Louis on p. 19. photography by emily teater

Cafe Berlin

nontraditional

tahini

Tahini is a standard ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine: The sesame-seed paste is a natural complement to falafel and the secret agent in hummus.

Now, chefs are using the ancient ingredient in everything from slaw to salad dressing to add a nutty kick.

Written by Natalie Gallagher

|

Photography by zach bauman

columbia, MO. Cafe Berlin has long been a favorite with

Columbia, Missouri, diners for its local focus; executive chef Jessica Bowman sources as much produce and protein as she can from mid-Missouri farms. But it’s inventive entrées like the Murphy Lee – a vegan lunch wrap packed with nutrients – that are sure to impress first-time diners. The Murphy Lee, named for the St. Louis rapper of the same name who followed a vegan diet and frequented the restaurant, features a whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with stir-fried bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, with tahini dressing, brown rice, tofu and fresh spinach. For her tahini dressing, Bowman emulsifies olive oil, lemon, garlic and white pepper with the paste. “It feels totally wholesome and appeals to a lot of customers beyond veg-heads,” Bowman says. “I think it’s satisfying to eat because of the addition of the tahini dressing.

Grains and vegetables are filling, but the nutty fattiness of tahini really satisfies the palate.”

220 N. 10th St., Columbia, Missouri, cafeberlincomo.com

Frida’s UNIVERSITY CITY, MO. Tahini makes appearances in several

Smoked beets, almonds, radish, cilantro and aji amarillo-orange tahini

dishes at Frida’s, a health-focused restaurant in University City, Missouri. Owner Natasha Kwan has found inventive applications for this versatile ingredient in soups, dressings and even pasta sauces. The most popular is in her signature Frida Burger, a housemade quarter-pound vegan burger topped with tomato and a tahini-chipotle slaw. “I love that we can offer something creamy that isn’t dairy-based,” Kwan says. The slaw on the Frida Burger has a balance of acidity (thanks to apple cider vinegar), spice and tahini’s signature earthiness. “We look at tahini as a creamy item that has an amazing scope in the kitchen," Kwan says. "It’s great in hummus, but that’s not the only thing tahini is good for!”

622 North and South Road, University City, Missouri, facebook.com/fridasstl

Extra Virgin KANSAS CITY. “Tahini is basically sesame seed butter,” says Michael Smith, eponymous chef-owner of Michael Smith Restaurant and Extra Virgin in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. “It's not as thick as peanut butter; it's still runny. In the Middle East, tahini is used in sauces and in stews and to braise lamb.” At Extra Virgin, he blends tahini with aji amarillo – a yellow Peruvian chile with herbal and floral notes – and orange and lemon juices to make a tangy, spicy orange-flavored tahini sauce for a smoked beet dish. “We smoke the beets and then add lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, parsley, cilantro and za’atar, and toss all that together and put it on the plate with the tahini sauce,” Smith says of the popular dish. For anyone who’s looking to experiment with tahini on their own, Smith adds, the ingredient can usually be found in most grocery stores.

1900 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri, extravirginkc.com

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q&A

“Your Hometown wn Grocery Store”

on

ne

n eo o

Freddie’s Market This MONTh’s LOCAL FLAVOR

gerard craft

chef-owner, niche food group; chef-consultant, cinder house Written By nancy stiles

|

Photography by emily teater

ST. LOUIS. Gerard Craft might be the most well-known chef in St. Louis – and its first James Beard Best Chef: Midwest winner – but taking on a restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis was an ambitious project, even for him. However, Cinder House, the new restaurant on the eighth floor of the swanky hotel, features a menu inspired by wood-fired South American cuisine and the cooking of his beloved childhood nanny, Dia. Craft’s offerings (executed by executive sous chef Michael Fricker) include throwbacks to the early days at Niche, his venerated fine-dining restaurant, as well as expertly cooked steaks for the business set.

You’ll also find smaller, playful bar and poolside menus to enjoy against Cinder House’s view of the Gateway Arch.

Tell us about Dia’s Cheese Bread. It’s something I ate almost on a daily basis growing up; we put it on our opening menu [at Niche], and it was a tribute to Dia. She died a couple years after Niche opened, but she did get to come out a couple times, eat Dia’s Cheese Bread and see her name on the menu. It’s kinda like a gougère, but made with tapioca starch, tons of cheese, milk and oil. How did you approach developing the menu for a restaurant inside a hotel? We’ve tried to take that into account as little as possible – “What's the traveler going to say?”

[With] the restaurant, we get to really do what we want. The good thing about this is it's kind of soul food, so it’s approachable. What are some of your favorite dishes at Cinder House? Coxinha are like a chicken croquette: braised chicken, Catupiry Brazilian cream cheese and lime, stuffed into dough and breaded, deep fried, served with aji amarillo sauce with a little cilantro. I ate these as a kid – I called them chicken nuggies. It drove Dia insane. She was like, “No, coxinha!”

The feijoada has smoked pork belly, braised beef, braised pork cheeks, Calabrese sausage, black beans cooked with smoked ham hock and rice, and then slices of orange. The crumble is called farofa; it’s manioc flour that’s sautéed with garlic and onions and a lot of butter. What would Dia think of

Gather for a special occasion in a very special place.

Now hosting Kansas City’s corporate, philanthropic and social private events.

freddie freddiesmarket.com 816.245.7331 theamericankc.com

9052 Big Bend Blvd, Bl Webster Webst Groves 314.968.1914

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Now Ot phee

c h o c o l at e p i g saint louis

chickenfried

BRUSSELSsprouts

Cinder House? All of Dia's friends have been messaging me on Facebook, and her family in Brazil, commenting on all the food. She was such a ridiculous cook. The coolest thing about doing all of this has been the flavor memories – when you taste something

that you totally connect with from being a kid. What has the customer response been like so far? Guests love that the food is comforting and full of flavor, and I think they’re totally surprised by how affordable the restaurant is for a Four Seasons. One of the biggest compliments that we receive is that there’s something for every type of diet: vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free.

That was totally unintended, but it’s been a great insight since opening. Then there’s the [dining] room and the view, which has obviously blown people away.

999 N. Second St., St. Louis, Missouri, cinderhousestl.com

3 1 4 . 2 7 2 . 3 2 3 0 t h e c h o c o l at e p i g . c o m 4 2 2 0 D U N C A N av e .

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where we’re dining From new restaurants to renewed menus, our staff and contributors share their picks for where we’re dining this month.

Juniper Written by heather riske

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photography by amy schromm

ST. LOUIS. Juniper’s new home is located just a few blocks away from the original, and the transformation of one of St. Louis’ favorite Southern restaurants is nothing short of stunning. The new space is more than twice as big, featuring striking ivy-patterned wallpaper and reclaimed barnwood, a large marble bar and playful accents like a host stand made from a Singer sewing machine. Thankfully, menu favorites like the crispy fried chicken, cornmeal hoe cakes and bread basket remain, but a new wood-fired grill and smoker give executive chef Glenister Wells plenty of ways to experiment. The reinvented shrimp and grits with red corn grits, shishito and tomatillo are a standout, and don’t miss the new grilled pork chop with country ham jus, warm heirloom tomato caponata, pickled okra, mint and micro basil. A brand-new raw bar at the front of the restaurant is another major highlight; you can enjoy your oysters raw, grilled or baked with creamed corn and Old Bay bread crumbs.

4101 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, junipereats.com

American Fusion Cafe Written by Jenny Vergara

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photography by christopher smith

NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO. Chef Tito de Dios is well-known in North Kansas City, Missouri,

for his personality and energy; he’s operated several restaurants in the area over the years. His new fast-casual lunch spot, American Fusion Cafe, serves internationally influenced cuisine from the classically trained chef, alongside a food truck of the same name. The constantly rotating menu celebrates traditional Mexican fare with European influences: The signature Mayan Pork sandwich, for example, from the Yucatán Peninsula, features pulled pork in a citrus sauce spiked with bright red achiote, served on a torta roll and topped with pickled red onions plus a side of crispy fries. Depending on the week, diners can travel from Cajun country with shrimp po’boys to Mexico with carne asada burritos to Italy with lasagna or fettuccine Alfredo.

1621 Swift St., North Kansas City, Missouri, americanfusion.kitchen

Black Market Smokehouse Story and photography by ana elliott

SPRINGFIELD, MO. At Black Market Smokehouse, a new barbecue joint in Springfield, Missouri, seasonality is key.

Executive chef Wes Johnson, formerly of Metropolitan Farmer, joins Scott Pitts and Jason Delcour to bring a farm-to-table influence to barbecue.

Black Market Smokehouse shares a focus on smoked meats supported by a rotating menu of sides, with items like cornbread, baked potatoes and fresh chips. The Black Market team has been

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known to season their baked beans with apple pie filling, and everything is made in-house, from the smoked meats all the way down to the sauces. You'll also find sandwiches like the Peace Maker: Instead of an oyster po'boy, it's a towering smoked bologna sandwich topped with pulled pork, slaw and a spicy-sweet barbecue sauce. As the name would imply, the idea of nostalgic, home-style family meals is juxtaposed with the “black market” concept. “We wanted to emphasize [that] the good stuff is harder to find,” Pitts says.

603 S. Kimbrough Ave., Springfield, Missouri, facebook.com/ blkmarket417

asian CaFe Bar & Grill

John Boos Factory Showroom & Outlet

sty food?

Hungry for ligHt’ts&wtaoking at asian cafe Ha you just can’t beat w

Written by Mabel Suen photography courtesy john boos

EFFINGHAM, IL. For the American standard in kitchenware, look no further than the John Boos Factory Showroom & Outlet in Effingham, Illinois. The long-standing maker of classic butcher blocks recently relocated to a new, expanded home.

Visitors will find everything from signature end-grain tables and utility carts to bowls and cutting boards. The majority of products are made with maple, cherry or walnut; premium olive wood items are also available. Shop the showroom to find a wide selection of goods to outfit any kitchen, including outlet store prices on factory seconds. A new stainless steel section features tables, racks, stools and more. Rada Cutlery rounds out the collection of functional and stylish utensils, along with gift packs perfect for the holidays. The shop now also has the ability to personalize items while you wait, thanks to on-site specialist Hint’s Laser Engraving.

GluTen Free and veGan Friendly

happy hour 5pm-7pm mon-ThurS

1260 Bryan road, o’Fallon, Mo 63366

(636) 272-4429

http://www.asiancafebg.com/

Sun-Thur 11am-9pm Fri-SaT 11am-10pm CloSed 3pm-5pm mon-Fri

1703 Avenue of Mid America, Effingham, Illinois, butcherblockspecialist.com

n a rt i sa ct produ

80 proof bakery cakes Written by Bryan A. Hollerbach

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photo by kelly glueck

ST. LOUIS. As an alternative to the ever-controversial holiday fruitcake, St. Louis’ 80 Proof Bakery specializes in desserts with a spirited kick. Inspired by recipes she learned from her mother during her childhood in Nigeria, entrepreneur Omobola “Bola” Taiwo-Akande bakes three varieties of Bundt cakes spiked with liquor – specifically rum, Irish whiskey and vodka – and is now in her third year of business. Moreover, she’s been experimenting with a trio of additional offerings: brown sugar-bourbon, mocha chocolate-rum and chocolate-brandy cakes. You can order the cakes online or find them at Straub’s in the St. Louis area and Piccione Pastry in the Delmar Loop.

80proofbakery.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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on

q&A

joe shirley

culinary director, 10 broadway events

KC

ne

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Written By Natalie Gallagher

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Photography by zach bauman

KANSAS CITY. Joe Shirley is best known in Kansas City for Überdine, the fine-dining pop-up restaurant he started in 2013 while he was executive chef at the Federal Reserve Bank. The Springfield, Missouri, native has also put in time at the Grand Street Café as well as Café Verona and Ophelia’s in Independence. Thanks to a partnership with 39 Bevco and 10 Broadway Events, Überdine is about to get a permanent location: 39 Bevco has purchased the landmark Garment House building at West 10th Street and Broadway Boulevard in downtown Kansas City, and is in the process of converting its seven floors into a series of dining, event and entertainment venues.

Charred eggplant cappelletti with Brussels sprouts

What all is happening at Garment House? It starts with Hush Jazz Lounge, a basement-level venue where we do refined food, classic cocktails and jazz; that’s open Wednesday through Saturday. Broadway Grille on the first floor is like an elevated sports bar. We're moving games into that space, too – darts and pool tables – and that matches with Broadway Arcade on our second floor. There are murals from [Kansas City street artist] Scribe on the walls and tons of arcade games, from Skee-Ball to Pac-Man to pinball and even four VR simulators. On the third floor, we have 10 Spot Music, a live-music venue typically open Wednesdays through Saturdays. The fourth floor is becoming a flex space with themed breakout rooms for art, virtual reality and different activities. On the fifth floor, we've installed a 20-foot-wide projector, and we're installing theater seats so that we can do movies or corporate events. The sixth floor is where Überdine comes in. We're opening a nightclub on that floor. What’s your role in all this?

I'm culinary director for 10 Broadway Events, so I write menus, recipes and handle training. On the Überdine side, I'm super involved in the cooking.

Bryan Sparks is our executive chef at Garment House, and we do all our research for Überdine together. 39 Bevco does more than Garment House, too – we have a health-focused fast-casual concept in the works that’s going up at West 95th Street and Nall Avenue, and we’ve also taken over Jon Russell’s BBQ in Overland Park, [Kansas]. For any new project, I take over as the chef in the beginning and then pass on the reins.

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What’s the plan for Überdine? We’re hoping construction will be done by the end of the year, so we’ll open early next year, if all goes well.

Our vision for Überdine is to be open one to two nights a month, and do table service with two or three turns. The menu is set up for 17 courses with three to four snacks – so more like 20 or 21 courses total. It’s very seasonally driven, and really depends on the farms that we work with. For example, we get tons of stuff from Powell Gardens, and right now, I have 30 pounds of persimmons. That forces my hand a little bit in terms of what ends up on the menu. When my wife, Carolina, and I came up with the name Überdine, we wanted a word that meant an exemplary experience over and above anything. We knew we couldn’t do a full-time tasting room restaurant. We wanted to start slow, so we started with pop-up events. Überdine isn’t a “book on your birthday” place – it’s a destination foodie experience. Offering it for a limited amount of time means we can ball out with ingredients and not [have to] worry about how much money we might be losing. In terms of creating a truly great dining experience in Kansas City, I think it starts with offering top-notch food and beverage. To do that, you lose money; the idea with it being in Garment House is that we have all kinds of different things going on to supplement this.

1000 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri, garmenthousekc.com

[

Grapefruit, Juicy fruit

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oroblanco

in Good with

Greet the holidays with Grapefruit with hank dart,

Prevention and Control Expert at Siteman Cancer Center

Before the word “superfood” entered everyday language, there was the grapefruit. As far back as the 1930s, people turned to it for weight loss because of an enzyme that was said to melt away pounds. Though science has long debunked that the fruit has any magical properties (and doctors strongly oppose the grapefruit diet), there are many health benefits associated with it, says Hank Dart, a prevention and control expert at Siteman Cancer Center.

“They can be one part of a healthy diet focused on sensible weight loss. They are tasty, low in calories and, because they have a good amount of fiber and water, can be pretty filling,” he says. Along with other citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, grapefruit are rich in potassium and vitamins A and C, and they have been found to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. They might even play a role in lowering the risk of cancer.

Though drinking grapefruit juice is a convenient way to get some of the same nutrients found in the fruit, eating it whole is far preferable. “Fruit juice can be filled with as many calories and as much sugar as soda,” Dart says. “Whole grapefruit is the better choice overall because it is lower in calories than a glass of juice, plus it has more fiber. Fiber is not only filling, but it also helps slow the absorption of sugar into the blood stream, which has health benefits.”

Eating products that contain grapefruit can carry some

risk. One of its compounds (known as furanocoumarins) can affect the way certain types of medications — such as drugs used to treat high blood pressure, unhealthy blood cholesterol and arrhythmias — are processed in the body. Dart suggests checking with your healthcare provider to see if grapefruit products are something you should limit or avoid.

When picking out which kind of grapefruit to eat, fresh is always the best option. Look for ones that are firm and heavy for their size. Most grocery stores carry them all year.

In fact, winter months find grapefruits in their peak season.

Store them at room temperature to get the very best flavor.

Dart says that canned options can also be good choices, but make sure the fruit is packed in water, not in juice or syrup.

Though most often thought of as a breakfast staple, grapefruit can and should stretch into the day’s later meals.

It can mix in with low-fat plain yogurt for a snack. Cut into wedges, it perks up salads. And as an appetizer, it finds a terrific partner in avocado, thanks to their contrasts in flavor and texture. And — because it’s the holidays, after all — grapefruit can even do double duty at parties when the juice is splashed with vodka to make a greyhound: a bright, classic cocktail for cold winter nights.

Grapefruit Salad with honey Mint avocado dreSSinG Yields | 4 SERvIngS |

2 ½ ½ ¼ ½ ½ ¼ 2

sweet potatoes, diced yellow onion, diced cup farro, dry cup walnuts tsp salt tsp pepper tsp pumpkin pie spice Tbsp olive oil

| preparation | Make dressing by blending avocado, lime juice, mint leaves, Greek yogurt, honey and almond milk in the food processor. Add more almond milk as needed to reach desired consistency.

Assemble salad with baby spinach, grapefruit, walnuts and feta. Top with dressing. nutrition Information | 239 calories, 15g fat, 232mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 8g protein.

Though grapefruit’s tartness is its most identifiable quality, the trait is also the very thing that can make them somewhat unapproachable. Enter the oroblanco. Developed at the University of California in the 1950s, it’s a cross between a pomelo (a large citrus fruit first grown in Asia) and a white grapefruit. “Oroblanco” translates to “white gold,” and this fruit is just waiting for its star turn. get ahead of the trend and seek out this yellow-green beauty in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. You’ll be rewarded with a fruit that is sweet and juicy but leaves all of the bitterness behind.

red The family of red grapefruit encompasses many varieties, including Ruby Red, which is a favorite among juice producers.

It’s true that part of this is simply marketing — Ruby Red has a nice ring to it, after all — but there are additional benefits lurking in that red hue.

Like most fruits and vegetables, the deeper the color, the better, and Ruby Red grapefruits are no exception.

Its color is indicative of lycopene, a potent antioxidant that may improve heart health and help stave off cancer.

pink The goldilocks of grapefruit, pink varieties land squarely between reds and whites in more than just color. Often, the redder the fruit, the sweeter the taste, so it follows that pinks are more mellow all the way around. Their color is a reminder that they contain lycopene, so they rack up more good-for-you points than white grapefruit. They also are among the very best ones for juicing.

pomelo When the pomelo was crossed with a sweet orange, the result was the common denominator for just about every kind of grapefruit available today. Its skin ranges from dark yellow to green, and its rosy insides have a sweet, mild taste.

Pomelos can weigh up to four pounds each, rightfully earning their scientific name Citrus maxima. The rind and pith of these fruits are thick, so getting down to the flesh itself takes a bit of work and patience, but it’s worth it. Don’t toss the pleasantly fragrant skin: When candied, it makes for an excellent treat.

white Looking at a white grapefruit, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a yellow-colored orange or a suspiciously round lemon. White grapefruits (also known as yellow grapefruits) are the least sweet of all grapefruits most commonly found on the market. Their flesh is a light yellow color, a clue that they aren’t as sweet as the pinks and reds, so they fit in well at any meal and are a definite crowd pleaser. White grapefruits are also top-notch sources of vitamins A and C. Inspired Local Food Culture

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chai one on

Make your own easy chai tea blend for a warming bourbon cocktail on p. 30. photography by becky hardin

elderflower When St-Germain elderflower liqueur debuted in 2007, it was a smash hit.

Suddenly, the tiny white flower commonly found in the U.K. and France – which has been making a strong showing in European cordials since the Victorian era – became an essential cocktail ingredient.

With even more elderflower liqueurs available today, we’re accustomed to seeing elderflower in Champagne cocktails, but a local bartenders have found new ways to highlight its delicate floral flavor.

Social on Patton SPRINGFIELD, MO. The Cocchi Fizz at Social on Patton

in Springfield, Missouri, is, in a word, chuggable. That’s what the restaurant’s former bar manager Doug Riddle (who has since moved on to Team Taco) was going for in this low-ABV cocktail. He used Cocchi Bianco (a Moscato fortified with spices and fruit zest) for the base, then added St. Elder elderflower liqueur, Builder’s gin and fresh lemon juice, plus a splash of soda and a lemon twist. “It doesn’t take much [elderflower] to really influence a drink,” he says.

314 S. Patton Ave., Springfield, Missouri, socialonpatton.com

Written by Natalie Gallagher Photography by j. pollack photography

Herbie's South City Cocktail

Nomads Coffee and Cocktails

KANSAS CITY. Andrew Park wanted Nomads Coffee and Cocktails in Kansas City to cater his guests' wanderlust, and everything from the photos of Mount Everest and Alaska to the adventure books lining shelves in his hybrid coffee shop-bar is meant to inspire. It’s his drink list that will really take you places, though. The Bohemian – a mix of J. Rieger & Co.’s Midwestern Dry Gin, Giffard Wild Elderflower liqueur and grapefruit juice – is soft, fresh and lightly floral. “Elderflower can be such a powerful ingredient when you keep it simple,” Park says.

“There are so many subtle notes, and you can do a lot with a little. I think it works really well with gin, because it can play off the botanical elements, and the citrus in the Bohemian is just a natural complement.”

1804 W. 39th St., Kansas City, Missouri, nomadskc.com

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Herbie’s

CLAYTON, MO. At Herbie’s in Clayton, Missouri, head bartender Amanda Wilgus Manns wanted to incorporate elderflower in a strong, boozy spin on the classic Sazerac. For the South City Cocktail, she combines Woodford Reserve Bourbon, simple syrup, Giffard Wild Elderflower liqueur and a couple dashes of Fee's Plum Bitters for a sophisticated drink. Manns uses elderflower to add softer qualities to a cocktail with a strong backbone. “The thing that makes the Giffard elderflower liqueur special is that it’s made in small batches using hand-picked ingredients,” she says. “You get more flavors than just the elderflower – there’s lychee, honeysuckle and rose.”

8100 Maryland Ave., Clayton, Missouri, herbies.com

q&A

on

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ian carleton and tim robson owners, saint fox cider

Story and photography by Tessa Cooper

SPRINGFIELD, MO. From apples to yeast, Saint Fox Cider is as local as it gets: Co-owners Ian Carleton (pictured left) and Tim Robson (pictured right) ensure each ingredient in their cider is grown in Missouri. In July, the two released a traditional hard cider and a rosé cider, and they’ve been selling out ever since.

Grab a glass in Springfield, Missouri, at Cherry Picker Package x Fare, The Coffee Ethic, MudLounge Coffee & Cocktails or 4 by 4 Brewing Co.

What drew you to cidermaking? We noticed that our local apple crops were really an undervalued resource, and Missouri wine grapes have always been a passion of ours [as well]. We feel like they make a really flavorful product, but Missouri wine is often written off as this sweet wine that tastes like syrup. So that’s why the majority of our production this year will be [dry] rosé cider. –Ian Carleton Over in Scotland, cider is a big part of the drinking culture. We feel that the drinking culture here in America is moving toward cider being an all-season drink as well. There may be different varieties that are associated with the seasons, but we think it should be a part of our regular beverage options. –Tim Robson Tell us about your cidermaking process. It’s very similar to wine. We bring in whole fruit [and] crush it in-house. We don’t add chemicals at any point; that’s very important to us. We use natural techniques that focus on time and sensory evaluation, using tasting and sight to judge when the apples are ready to get pressed. –I.C.

Cage Free Corn Free range timber woodhatspirits.com

We get multiple runs out of the fruit. We do the first run, then we rehydrate the pomace into a second run. We try to get as much use of the product as possible.

When it’s through, we compost the pomace.

The cool thing about our yeast is that it’s a wild yeast, so it’s really strong and vigorous. It eats through the sugars, so it’s not a sugar-laden drink. –T.R.

What’s the meaning behind the cider’s tagline, “Long Live Rebel Saints”? For us, that tagline is about doing something really dynamic. Fermentation and beverage are in a really safe place right now, sort of a copy-and-paste atmosphere. Not a lot of it is letting real ingredients shine through. For us, [our tagline] mimics that and our hope for Springfield to be more daring and try to do awesome things for ourselves and each other. –I.C. It’s pushing the limits of flavor with the products we have available in the area, but doing it to take care of the people in the area. –T.R. instagram.com/saint_fox_cider

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where we’re drinking Check out what we’re sipping at bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries and coffee shops.

Free Solo Coffee Co.

Story and photography by Tessa Cooper

SPRINGFIELD, MO. Olivia Ross, owner of Free Solo Coffee Co., doesn’t like to do things halfway. So when she opened her coffee shop and bakery in southside Springfield, Missouri, she knew she wanted to offer her customers the highest-quality baked goods and drinks. From seasonal drink specials like the rosemary-thyme latte to a rotating selection of quiches, Ross aims to prepare everything from scratch; she makes all of the shop’s flavored syrups using

natural ingredients, for example. Customers with dietary restrictions will find solace in Free Solo: The shop’s bakery cases are full of vegan and gluten-free options. Throughout the day, the shop receives a consistent flow of natural light, and the bright pops of color and live plants can fool you into thinking it’s summer even in the middle of winter.

3049 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield, Missouri, facebook.com/freesolocoffeeco

Flying Horse Taproom Written by Jenny Vergara

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photography by christopher smith

KANSAS CITY. Trey Sabates has made the leap from liquor store proprietor to bar owner with the

opening of Flying Horse Taproom, a sister business to Brookside Wine & Spirits, which he operates next door. Sabates opened the restaurant and bar in August, serving local beers from favorites including Stockyards Brewing Co., Brewery Emperial, Torn Label Brewing Co., Free State Brewing Co. and Martin City Brewing Co. Flying Horse also serves wine, Second Best Coffee cold brew and local Lucky Elixir kombucha on tap. A whiskey man himself, Sabates offers an impressive whiskey selection: Four Roses Bourbon is his well option. The cocktail list reads like a who’s who of local distillers with Tom’s Town Distilling Co., Restless Spirits Distilling Co., Lifted Spirits, Mean Mule Distilling Co. and J. Rieger & Co. topping the list. This winter, try the coffee cocktail made with Second Best cold brew and Five Farms Irish cream liqueur. Food at Flying Horse is meant for sharing: snack on fried cheese curds, thin-crust flatbreads and even beer stein-shaped pretzels from Pretzel Boys.

Mackenzie Brewing Co. Story and photography by Mabel Suen

VALLEY PARK, MO. Mackenzie Brewing Co. opened in Valley Park,

Missouri, in August, featuring a rustic tasting room serving eight different beer styles including a minimum of three rotating seasonal taps. The small-batch, three-barrel-system brews Belgian and high-gravity styles, which use a strong wort to produce high-ABV beers. Over the course of nearly 20 years, owner Jeffrey Doss – who named the brewery after his niece – has developed 33 different beer recipes. His best-selling American brown ale features a hint of cocoa and light sweet cherry, with a slightly dry finish. Belgian dubbel is another signature, featuring natural dark fruit and cherry flavors, a smooth finish and subtle warmth. Additional selections include the Belgian saison brewed with orange-blossom honey as well as a vanilla Porter with a light flavor of dark caramel and a creamy finish from Madagascar vanilla beans.

932 Meramec Station Road, Valley Park, Missouri, mknzbrewing.com

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600 E. 63rd St., #100, Kansas City, Missouri, flyinghorsetaproom.com

Make at Home for the Holidays!

Vineyard Tours ours • Wine Ta Tasting as g • C Craft a Beer ee • Cottages Potosi, MO • www.edg www.edg-clif.com clif.com

COCKTAIL SERIES

Chabom Tea + Spices

GIN & TONIC

Story and photography by Tessa Cooper

SPRINGFIELD, MO. This holiday season, stop by Chabom Teas + Spices in Springfield, Missouri, to pick up gifts for the connoisseurs on your list. As you peruse the shelves, owners Claire and Joseph Gidman will likely encourage you to open each jar and smell the spice and tea blends.

A perfect gift option is the sample box: Customers can pair a mixture of teas, sugar and spice samples to create the perfect culinary present. “For the gift-giver, [the sampler boxes are] fun,” Gidman says. “It’s sort of like Build-a-Bear for the cook. It’s also a very personal way to create a gift.”

As far as stocking stuffers, the shop has that covered, too: Here you’ll find ornate chopsticks, Askinosie Chocolate kitschy tea infusers shaped like animals and more.

When you’re finished shopping, sip a cup of tea before heading back out into the cold.

AVAILABLE NOW pinckneybend.com

209 East Commercial St., Springfield, Missouri, chabomteaspice.com

a rt i sa n produ ct

annedore’s fine chocolates dark chocolate cordial cups

Written by Jenny Vergara

WESTWOOD HILLS, KS. Toast the holiday season with delicious dark chocolate cordial cups from Annedore’s Fine Chocolates in Westwood Hills, Kansas. These clever edible cups make the perfect hostess gift, or bring any festive meal to a sweet end. An original chocolate creation made by Annedore’s in-house chocolatier, the cups are made from 4½ ounces of dark chocolate each, and come beautifully wrapped in a package of eight for $10.95. Try them with a smooth coffee liqueur or Irish cream for an after-dinner treat.

5000 State Line Road, Westwood Hills, Kansas, annedores.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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Bourbon Chai Tea Story, recipe and photography

by Becky Hardin

Bourbon Chai Tea

I love that this drink feels sophisticated: You’re making chai tea from scratch, so you can feel proud of yourself, and no one needs to know how simple the recipe really is. This fun and festive drink is ideal for serving at holiday parties or just on a chilly winter night at home.

SERVES | 4 | 3 cups hot water

4 4 4 4 1 2 ½ 1 2 3 ¼ ½

It’s finally cold outside, and this easy bourbon chai tea is the perfect cozy sip for celebrating with friends and family around a fire.

black tea bags green cardamom pods, crushed whole allspice berries, crushed whole cloves star anise whole cinnamon sticks tsp ground nutmeg tsp ground ginger tsp vanilla extract cups vanilla almond milk cup honey cup bourbon

Becky Hardin is the recipe developer, photographer and writer behind thecookierookie.com. Her work has been featured on sites such as The Huffington Post, The New York Times and Better Homes and Gardens. Her recipes and photography have been featured in print in publications such as Women's World Magazine, Redbook and Family Circle. She is a self-taught cook who loves to create recipes anyone can make and everyone will love.

| preparation | In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, tea bags, spices, ginger and vanilla.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir in almond milk and honey, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and steep, 10 minutes.

Strain chai through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Pour into a heat-proof serving pitcher and stir in bourbon. Serve warm.

Pro Tip: Be sure to wait until the very end to add the bourbon to ensure that the alcohol doesn’t cook out.

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on the shelf : december picks

WINE

KC Wineworks’ Sparkling Cuvée Royale written by Hilary Hedges

Provenance: Kansas City Pairings: Caprese salad • Chèvre, arugula and watermelon salad

This sparkling cuvée is a first for Kansas City winery KC Wineworks.

It’s a blend of 50 percent Traminette and 50 percent Vidal Blanc grapes, all sourced from Mill Rock Vineyard in Gerald, Missouri, south of Hermann. Bottled with Champagne yeast and aged for two years, this sparkling wine was hand-riddled, a process of rotating the bottle as it ages to move the sediment from the yeast to the neck. After the sediment is removed, a small dosage – sweetened wine – is added to give it a slightly sweet finish. It’s crisp and refreshing with a bright effervescence and deep aromas of orange blossom, elderflower and stone fruit; flavors of peach, apple and citrus linger on the palate.

Only 30 cases were produced, so you’ll have to visit the KC Wineworks tasting room in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District to try it.

Happy

Holidays!

WITH LOTS OF LOVE,

kcwineworks.com Hilary Hedges worked at Amigoni Urban Winery for more than five years as the director of sales and marketing and assistant winemaker. She's currently a freelance wine writer, and marketing manager for a local nonprofit.

BEER

Public House Brewing Co.'s Giddy Goat Coffee Milk Stout written by Justin Phelps

Style: Coffee Milk Stout (5.5% ABV) Pairings: Coffee-rubbed rib eye • Chocolate fudge brownies

Sweet holiday treats are everywhere this time of year, and Public House Brewing Co. in St. James, Missouri, has a beer that will pair with just about all of them. Made with more than 400 pounds of Giddy Goat Coffee, Giddy Goat Coffee Milk Stout pours like a black cup of joe with a thin, tan head. The aroma is all coffee, while the flavor is a blend of slightly bitter roast, chocolate and a bit of sweetness from the lactose.

The lower ABV means you can have more than one, and with such a great combination of flavors, you'll definitely want to. publichousebrewery.com Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® and the founder of saintbrewis.com, a website dedicated to covering current events and trends happening in the St. Louis craft-beer scene.

SPIRIT

Loaded Vodka

SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFET at America’s Largest Hofbräuhaus

Carving Station, Made-to-order Omelets, German Favorites, Breakfast Fare and More Includes a Complimentary Beermosa or Mimosa

10 A.M. – 3 P.M.

written by Jenn Tosatto

Provenance: Olathe, Kansas (40% ABV) Try It: Over ice with a lemon twist

Celebrity spirits come and go, but comedian and Kansas City native Rob Riggle (in partnership with longtime friend Chris Seithel) has given us something quite elegant in Loaded Vodka. It's marketed as a gluten-free, non-GMO vodka appealing to a wide audience, but what really makes it special is the process used to make it. Ingredients, including water from a local aquifer, are column-distilled, then filtered through a proprietary coconut-carbon-charcoal filtration system. This process results in an exceptionally crisp and clean vodka with perfect viscosity on the palate. This vodka is perfectly fine on its own, over ice. If mixing into a cocktail, stick to simple classics, like a Martini, to really let the crispness shine through.

HofbrauhausStLouis.com/brunch

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Happy Hour Monday - Friday

Thirsty Thursday

Children 12 and under get a free kids meal with regular entrée purchase

Discounts on draft beer, rail drinks, mules and select appetizers

$10 Liters & $5 Half-Liters of house-brewed beers all day

lifeisloaded.com You can find Jenn Tosatto running the bar at Mission Taco Joint's Kansas City location. She also loves donating her skills to many charity events around the city, as well as working private events.

123 Saint Eugene Drive, Belleville, IL Less Than 15 Minutes from Downtown St. Louis

HofbrauhausStLouis.com (618) 800-BEER

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Trees

are constantly “on the job,” working for us in incredibly important and surprising ways. They provide habitat for wildlife, cost-saving shade for our homes, and a host of wood products we rely on every day. Pecan and black walnut trees right here in Missouri provide the nuts we use in our favorite recipes. .

Learn how Trees Work for you at TreesWork.org.

Discover

ature Nature

M

issouri’s issouri’s robust black walnut is the perfect complement to the zesty fresh ginger in this dipping cookie. When you dunk one in your morning coffee or tea, you’ll be so happy you made them—and so will those with whom you share a few.

black-walnut chocolate biscotti Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2½ cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root (peeled) ½ teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup black walnuts (toasted lightly; skins removed as much as possible and chopped coarsely) ¼ cup almonds, toasted lightly and coarsely chopped This T his batter can be mixed in a large bowl by hand, easier processor large but is much e asier with a food pr ocessor or lar ge mixer. ingredients (flour through electric mix er. Blend dry ingr edients (fl our thr ough mixture cocoa powder) until mixtur e is well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger rroot, oot, vanilla ingredients, beating and eggs; add to the dry ingr edients, be ating until Stir a dough is formed. S tir nuts in by hand.

Preheat P reheat oven to 350ºF. Turn dough out onto lightly floured knead several fl oured surface and kne ad sever al times. Divide thirds.

Butter flour into thir ds. But ter and fl our baking sheet. With floured each fl oured hands, form e ach piece of dough into a Flatten 10- by 2½-inch log. Fla tten lightly with hands.

Arrange logs on sheet 4 inches apart.

Bake Bak e for 25 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on Remove from a rrack ack for 10 minutes. R emove logs fr om sheet and each crosswise cut e ach cr osswise on the diagonal into ¾-inchArrange biscotti, thick slices. Arr ange biscot ti, cut sides down, on bake each two baking sheets and bak e for 5 minutes on e ach Transfer biscotti Store side. T ransfer biscot ti to rracks acks to cool. S tore in airtight keep weeks. air tight containers. Will k eep for two week s.

Optional glaze Melt 3 ounces of high-quality dark chocola chocolate te and butter 2 tablespoons unsalted but ter together over low heat.

Remove from heat he at. R emove fr om he at and add 2 tablespoons syrup.. S Stir fill fitted corn syrup tir well and fi ll a pastry bag fi tted tip.. Af After are with a small, rround ound tip ter cookies ar e cooled, chocolate squeeze chocola te in thin ribbons down the length Alternatively, of the cookie. Alterna tively, dip ends in chocolate.

Let warm chocola te. L et dry before befor e serving or storing.

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Find more wild recipes in Cooking Wild in Missouri. Order yours at mdcnatureshop.com.

'tis the seasoning

Spice up the holidays with this fiery, coconut milk-braised chicken with hearty winter vegetables on p. 36. photography by jennifer silverberg

healthy appetite

Roasted Parsnips Story and recipe by Amanda Elliott Photography by drew piester

Roasted Parsnips With caramelized mandarin oranges and chimichurri serves | 4 to 6 |

with caramelized Mandarin Oranges and chimichurri

To me, the beautiful thing about winter is the abundance of root vegetables. In this recipe, I’m highlighting one of my favorite roots that’s often underused: parsnips. Parsnips share some characteristics with carrots, but are also related to the parsley family. The roots have been eaten since antiquity and were often used as a sweetener before cane sugar was introduced to Europe. Like any root vegetable, the flavor can vary based on how and where they’re grown, so if you find parsnips that roast up super sweet and tender with little work, you know you have good ones. In this recipe, I’ve glammed up parsnips with chimichurri and caramelized mandarin oranges, perfect to serve as a bright, comforting side dish with your holiday meal.

Parsnips

1½ lbs parsnips, cleaned, peeled and halved ¹⁄₃ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp honey salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste mandarin oranges 1 Tbsp olive oil

5 fresh mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced

Chimichurri

5 1 ½ ½ ¼

cloves garlic, finely chopped cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped cup fresh parsley, finely chopped cup fresh oregano, finely chopped cup sherry vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

| preparation – parsnips | Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss parsnips with oil and honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a lipped baking sheet and roast until nicely charred and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let parsnips rest for 5 minutes.

| preparation – mandarin oranges | In a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add mandarin oranges and cook for 2 minutes; flip and cook for 2 minutes more until slightly caramelized on the outside. Set aside.

| preparation – chimichurri | In a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

| to serve | Toss roasted parsnips and caramelized mandarin oranges in bowl with chimichurri. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amanda Elliott is the chef at Peachtree Catering (peachtreebanquet.com) in Columbia, Missouri, and authors the website Rustic Supper (rusticsupper.com), where she shares recipes centered on the idea of the communal table and embracing the heritage of food through travel.

She also hosts a series of pop-up dinners in Columbia called Sunday Suppers.

BRING YOUR FAMILY

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meet:

story and recipe by shannon weber Photography by jennifer silverberg

Coconut Milk-Braised Chicken and Winter Vegetables Serves

| 4 to 6 |

Chutney Powder (Yields about 3 cups)

1 cup channa dal ½ cup urad dal 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 tsp grapeseed oil 20 dried byadji chiles, stems removed and seeded 60 fresh curry leaves ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp seedless tamarind Chicken and Vegetables

1 3- to 4-lb whole chicken salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 leek, scrubbed, halved and sliced into ½-inch pieces 1 lb carrots, sliced into 1-inch coins 1 medium turnip, peeled, sliced into ½-inch pieces 8 oz collard greens, thick stems removed and roughly chopped 2 apples, peeled and sliced into

½-inch slices ¹⁄₃ cup rice vinegar 1 13½-oz can full-fat coconut milk 6 Tbsp chutney powder, divided (recipe below)

| preparation – chutney powder | In a skillet over medium-high heat, add dals and toast until fragrant, stirring constantly, 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add next 3 ingredients to skillet and toast until fragrant; add to dal. Heat oil in skillet, add chiles and curry leaves and cook 3 minutes. Add to dal mixture.

Toast coconut in skillet until golden.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse dal mixture with coconut and remaining ingredients. Transfer to a spice grinder; pulse until powdered. Set aside.

| preparation – chicken and vegetables | Preheat oven to 375°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat, melt butter. Brown chicken on all sides; transfer to a plate.

Add next 6 ingredients to Dutch oven; cook 10 minutes, stirring. Stir in vinegar, coconut milk and 5 tablespoons chutney powder. Set chicken, breast-side up, in vegetables; add remaining powder.

Cover, transfer to oven and cook 45 minutes; uncover and cook 30 to 45 minutes more. Serve warm.

crank up the heat this winter.

Chutney Powder What Is It? Chutney powders, or chutney podi, are pulverized southern Indian spice blends built on a foundation of split pulses, byadji chiles and curry leaves. From there, they soar in all directions, using flaxseeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and spices to make each proteinand fiber-packed blend unique.

What do i do with it?

The vibrant color of chutney powder is wonderful, but its real magic is the body it adds to soups, curries and braising liquids, as well as explosive flavor to dosas, flatbreads, rice or yogurt. In this recipe, it adds exotic flavor and heat to a casual yet elegant winter meal.

The amount of chutney powder here provides a round, baseline heat; add a few tablespoons more for a bigger bang.

Looking for the perfect hostess or holiday food gift? This recipe makes more than three cups of spice blend. This particular recipe is modeled after Karnataka-style chutney powder, affectionately known as “gunpowder,” and my favorite one of the bunch. Head to your local Indian market for channa and urad dals, dried byadji chiles, tamarind and fresh curry leaves.

The coconut-milk braised chicken and winter vegetables can be served two ways: either as a roasted whole chicken with the winter vegetables and sauce over rice, or simply shredded and added to the vegetables and braising liquid in your Dutch oven for a thick, warming stew served with crusty bread.

Shannon Weber is the creator, author and photographer behind the award-winning blog aperiodictableblog.com, and her work has appeared on websites such as Bon Appétit, Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. She is a self-taught baker and cook who believes that the words “I can’t” should never apply to food preparation and that curiosity can lead to wonderful things, in both the kitchen and life.

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quick fix

Roasted beet-Blood Orange Salad story and recipe by Gabrielle DeMichele Photography by jennifer silverberg

Roasted beet-blood Orange Salad SERVES | 4 |

1

1

4

½ 2

2

4 6 ¼

large bunch red beets, tops removed, washed and dried large bunch golden beets, tops removed, washed and dried Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling beets salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste red onion, thinly sliced oranges, peeled and pith removed, sliced into wedges blood oranges, peeled and pith removed, sliced into wedges Tbsp apple cider vinegar sprigs fresh mint, destemmed cup pomegranate arils

| preparation | Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whether you loved Anthony Bourdain or loved to hate him, no one could deny his love of food – and, perhaps even more importantly, his love of sharing food with others. Some of his favorite meals were the simplest, relying more on big, bright flavors and fresh, unfussy ingredients than fancy foods or cooking techniques. This holiday-perfect roasted blood orange-beet salad with red onion is adapted from his beet, orange and red onion recipe in Appetites, his final cookbook. True to his tastes, this recipe is simple yet extremely flavorful, combining fresh winter citrus with red and golden beets.

chef’s tip PITHY CONCERNS. Peeling citrus fruit is easiest when using a sharp chef’s knife. For this

recipe, cut off the bottom of your oranges and then the tops. Following the curve of the fruit, cut off the skin and pith, turning the orange as you go until all of the skin and pith are removed.

RED ALERT. Red beets, as gorgeous as they are, tend to stain. To avoid staining your hands, fingernails and clothing, be sure to wear kitchen gloves and an apron when working with red beets. In fact, this is the very reason we’re layering this salad, as otherwise the red beets will color all the other ingredients.

The Menu • Pork Roast With Fennel • Roasted Blood Orange-Beet Salad • Gratin Potatoes With Bacon and Raclette Cheese • Roasted Brussels Sprouts • Sticky Chocolate-Plum Cake

In this class, you’ll learn how to upgrade your favorite cheesy potato casserole with Swiss raclette cheese.

You’ll also learn how to make a sticky chocolate-plum cake for your holiday table.

Separate red beets from golden beets in two separate bowls. Rub skins with a little oil, lightly sprinkle with salt and wrap tightly in 2 separate packets of aluminum foil; roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on size of beets. When a paring knife easily pierces beets, they’re finished roasting.

Set aside to cool. Peel and slice into wedges, still keeping red and golden beets separate.

In a small bowl of ice water, add red onion. Let sit 10 minutes; drain. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 tablespoons oil and apple cider vinegar; add roasted golden beets, orange pieces and red onion to bowl; toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. In a small mixing bowl, add roasted red beets and 1 tablespoon oil; toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.

| to serve | Equally divide red beets among 4 salad plates. Top with equal portions of golden beet mixture. Scatter mint leaves and pomegranate arils over top. Serve cold.

get hands-on: Join Feast Magazine and Schnucks Cooks Cooking School at 6pm on Thu., Dec. 13, at the Des Peres, Missouri, location to make the dishes in this month’s menu. Tickets are just $45 for a night of cooking, dining and wine. RSVP at nourish.schnucks.com/schnucks-cooking-school or call 314.909.1704.

•Only Premium Ingredients •No Artificial Flavors or Colors •Made in Small Batches •20 Indulgent Flavors

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story and recipe by Christy Augustin Photography by jacklyn meyer

Mexican Wedding Cookies If you want to make your cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it for future use, frozen dough will keep for up to two months. Once frozen, place dough balls into freezer-safe bags until you’re ready to bake them.

Yields

| 4 dozen cookies |

¾ cup chopped pecans 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp plus 4 cups powdered sugar, divided 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp kosher salt 2¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

| preparation | Preheat oven to 375°F. Add pecans to a lipped baking sheet and toast until dark, approximately 8 to 10 minutes; set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour until fully incorporated. Add cooled pecans and mix well.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough into balls, evenly spacing 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Freeze dough balls until firm.

Line two room-temperature cookie sheets with parchment paper. Transfer frozen dough balls to cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes; rotate sheets and bake 10 minutes more or until cookies are a light golden color on top. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add remaining powdered sugar. Gently toss cookies, a few at a time, in sugar until well coated; transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Coat cookies in sugar a second time, dusting off excess sugar as needed.

Serve, or store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Mexican Wedding Cookies Mexican wedding cookies (polvorónes in Spanish), Russian tea cakes, pecan snowballs – these buttery, pecan shortbread cookies go by many names. Whatever you call them, they're an absolute requirement on holiday cookie trays. These cookies keep well after baking, the raw dough can be frozen for weeks and they make a festive gift when packaged in clear cellophane goodie bags and tied up with string. No leavener is required to make the dough, meaning that creaming lots of air into the butter and sugar during mixing is key. The most important part of getting the texture just right, though, comes after baking. While still a little warm from the oven, the cookies get tossed in powdered sugar to create a melty layer of icing. After cooling completely, toss them again for a finishing coat, and they’ll look just like snowballs.

Christy Augustin has had a lifelong love affair with all things sweet. After working as a pastry chef in New Orleans and St. Louis, she opened Pint Size Bakery & Coffee in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park in 2012. She calls herself the baker of all things good and evil. Learn more at pintsizebakery.com.

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PROMOTION

Governor’s the

CuP F rom 269 wines, one is crowned the best of the best in Missouri, and this year, Stone Hill Winery’s 2015 Chambourcin reigned supreme.

The panel of eight highly qualified wine experts and industry professionals awarded Chambourcin the Governor’s Cup, as well as voting it Best of Class in the dry red category.

This is the second year Stone Hill has won the top honor at the Missouri Wine Competition, and this year, Stone Hill captured a total of 52 awards, including Best of Class Sparkling for the 2013 Blanc de Blancs, Best of Class Sweet Rosé for the Rosé Montaigne and Best of Class Dessert for the Cream Sherry, plus nine gold medals.

The Governor’s Cup recognizes the best wine in Missouri and was determined by a panel of eight highly qualified judges.

During the course of the two-day competition in July, the judges tasted hundreds of wines before awarding the top honors to Stone Hill Winery.

the 2015 Chambourcin features soft tannins, aromas of vibrant black currant and cherry, and notes of toasty oak and black pepper.

The winning Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid.

The variety is late-ripening and is carefully fermented on the skins, aged for a year in stainless steel tanks and then aged for another year in French and American oak barrels. The resulting medium-bodied wine features soft tannins, aromas of vibrant black currant and cherry, and notes of toasty oak and black pepper.

1110 Stone Hill Highway Hermann, MO 800.909.9463 stonehillwinery.com

For a full list of all gold, silver and bronze medal winners, visit missouriwine.org.

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PROMOTION

Missouri 2018

wine

Augusta

norton

GOLD WINNER

Made from the Norton grape indigenous to the area, the 2016 Estate-Bottle Norton from Augusta Winery is a dry red with a deep burgundy color.

The rich bouquet of raspberry and black cherry, with a hint of cigar, complements the full body that consists of cassis and black cherry with soft, jammy overtones.

Also winning the 2018 C.V. Riley Award for best Norton in Missouri, it’s similar in style to a Cabernet, yet with the spiciness of a Zinfandel. The finish lingers with hints of spice, vanilla and raspberries.

5601 High St., P.O. Box 8 Augusta, MO 636.228.4301 augustawinery.com

Best

of class

Awards

Balducci

ChambourCin GOLD WINNER

EditEd By Bethany Christo

Raise a glass to the 2018 winners at the Missouri Wine Competition!

A panel of wine experts and industry pros awarded 230-plus medals, including gold to these winners – full list is available online.

Noboleis

Vignoles

Aged in French oak, the 2016 Chambourcin from Balducci Vineyards presents aromas of plum, blackberry, cinnamon and subtle earthy notes. The 5 percent Vignoles grapes give this wine a pleasing bouquet, while the French oak offers delicate – yet creamy – baking spice complexity.

Also of note in the Balducci portfolio is its fruity 2017 Natalia, which blends Vidal Blanc and Vignoles and was also awarded a gold medal this year.

GOLD WINNER

6601 S. Highway 94 Augusta, MO 636.482.8466 balduccivineyards.com

100 Hemsath Road Augusta, MO 636.482.4500 noboleisvineyards.com

Noboleis Vineyards’ 2017 Dry Vignoles was made with estate-grown grapes from two fields on its 84-acre property in Augusta, Missouri.

The resulting wine presents aromas of pineapple and green apple and flavors bursting with melon and lychee. Noboleis showed off the range of its grapes with its semisweet Vignoles, which also earned gold at this year’s Missouri Wine Competition.

Sparkling Stone Hill Winery 2013 Blanc de Blancs

Sweet White Stonehaus Farms Winery Vignoles

Sweet Red Montelle Winery Stone House Red

Dessert Stone Hill Winery Cream Sherry

Dry White Adam Puchta Winery Dry Vignoles

Dry Red Stone Hill Winery 2015 Chambourcin

Dry Rosé Les Bourgeois Vineyards 2017 St. Vincent Dry Rosé

Late Harvest/Ice Wine Montelle Winery 2017 Vidal Blanc Icewine

Semidry White St. James Winery 2017 Dry Vignoles

Semidry Red Augusta Winery Estate-Bottled Alluvium

Sweet Rosé Stone Hill Winery Rosé Montaigne

Distilled Montelle Winery Peach Eau de Vie

Inspired Local Food Culture

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New KC Location. COMING SOON!

voted Best mexican

missiontacojoint.com

St. Louis Delmar Loop, Historic Soulard Central West End

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dec em ber 2 0 1 8

St. Charles Streets of St. Charles

Kansas City, MO East Crossroads

Kansas City, MO MTJ South Plaza,5060 Main St. OPENING MId-dECEMbEr

| 46 |

playing with fire

These local chefs are experimenting with live-fire cooking as more than a source of extreme heat. From smoking tomatoes to burying cabbage in coals, they’re harnessing fire as an effective kitchen tool.

| 55 |

feeling hot, hot, hot!

Balkan Treat Box cooks the wood-fired flavors of Turkey, Bosnia and beyond from an unlikely setup.

| 62 |

a change of hearth

Green Truck Bakery cranks up the heat with a custom built wood-fired oven.

| 66 |

turn up the heat

Discover seven recipes for wood-fired cooking.

photo of menu items at balkan treat box in st. louis

(P. 55), BY spencer pernikoff

These chefs are experimenting with live-fire cooking as more than a source of extreme heat. From smoking tomatoes to burying cabbage in coals, they’re harnessing fire as an effective kitchen tool.

Written by Nancy Stiles BREWERY EMPERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA PETROW VICIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUDD DEMALINE

C

hefs will be the first people to tell you that it seems silly to say that wood-fired cooking is a trend in the restaurant industry – it is, after all, the oldest cooking method on the planet. Yet in the past decade, cooking over a live fire has been heating up in kitchens across the country. As the wave of using modern gastronomy techniques like foams, spheres and even sous vide has cooled, chefs are seeking the added dimensions of smoky flavor and char that cooking over a live fire can impart.

At The Dabney in Washington, D.C., for example, chef Jeremiah Langhorne became famous for opening a restaurant in 2016 with no gas lines: Almost everything is cooked over a live fire. Langhorne was inspired by Argentine chef Francis Mallmann; live fire, is, of course, essential to Argentina’s cuisine and asado culture. Both Sean Brock at Husk, in Charleston, South Carolina, and Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York, also feature wood-fired dishes prominently at their acclaimed restaurants.

Diners can watch the flames jump, sparks fly and smell a pleasant smokiness in the air as fish is seared to order in a screaming-hot pan or an entire goat shoulder roasts above the flames, enhancing an open-kitchen experience even further.

It’s not uncommon, for example, on a cold winter evening, for Andrew Dessert to notice someone hovering at the chef’s counter at Brewery Emperial, holding up their phone to snap a photo. “Dude, go over there,” he’ll say, beckoning the diner into the open kitchen and toward the large brick grill. “Get up there. Ask questions!”

As former chef de cuisine at the restaurant and brewery in Kansas City’s East Crossroads district, Dessert knows that the 8-foot-wide, custom-built wood-fire grill in the open kitchen, which takes up almost an entire wall at the back of the restaurant, is a draw for customers.

“I think people really, really like it,” he says. “You don’t see it too often: It’s different.” Dessert joined the team about six months before the restaurant opened. He and chef-owner Ted Habiger – who was already well-known for wood-fired cooking at local favorite Room 39 and the late, great Café Allegro – only had about three weeks to get a feel for “the grill,” as they call it, before the brewery and restaurant opened in December 2016.

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r

The grill at Brewery Emperial Wood-fired half chicken with tortillas, roasted jalapeño, cilantro-onion-radish salad, lime, salsa and crema

The grill was built by Eddie Rice, a mason who had designed fireplaces before, but never a restaurant grill. The metalwork was built using iron from the original Golden Ox steakhouse in Kansas City (the outdoor smoker is also from Golden Ox). The team knew the grill would need to be used for different types of cooking, varying heat levels and wanted the option to be able to move things around.

“I think that was the influence [for Ted],” Dessert says of the menu. “He was like, 'If we’re gonna have a restaurant, let’s do it right – open kitchen, [with] that [live fire] so that people can sit at the chef’s counter, look in and enjoy themselves.'”

“You want it like this at all times,” he says, gesturing to the grill, which is crackling steadily. “I couldn’t even tell you temperature – [it’s] instinct, feel. Visually, you can sit there and touch it all day and see if it’s ready or not, but you just gotta know.”

One of the signature dishes at Brewery Emperial is the wood-fired half chicken, which runs on special every Thursday.

When the kitchen crew arrives in the morning, they light the The chef's counter overlooks the grill at Brewery Emperial.

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The cook working the grill has to make sure the fire is fed with oak logs, and that the coals and embers are being stoked constantly to produce varying levels of heat and smoke. When a guest orders the whole grilled trout, for example, the cast-iron skillet set on the grill has to be much hotter than for other dishes, or the skin will stick.

“We throw it right on there, skin on – you gotta make sure that

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The three-walled brick grill features iron bars across the top, close to the hood and relatively far from the flame; vegetables and other ingredients can sit up there and absorb smoke at a low temperature. On the bottom, a small stack of wood, aided by scraps of newspaper, and hot coals can be moved around wherever they’re needed. There’s a metal firebox, which Habiger likens to a “bottomless breadbox.” It can be set over the grate and closed on the top to get convection-type heat going on both sides of a piece of meat simultaneously.

The iron grill-grates are in a stack of three over burning coals for different levels of heat, although they can also be moved around. The configuration allows for multiple fires to be going in various spots in the grill. The grates can also be easily removed to accommodate, say, a whole hog, or a rotisserie. Dessert can even set a cast-iron spoon on the coals and fry an egg.

Back in 2016, when he was still working to open Brewery Emperial, Habiger admitted that this wasn’t the easiest way to cook in a restaurant. The fire is temperamental; the technique more intuitive. Dessert tends to agree, and he stresses that cooking on the grill usually takes several weeks of training for even experienced cooks.

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grill at about 9:30am, “throw a couple chickens” on hooks from those top racks and essentially have chickens cooking and smoking all day, “because if we run out, we’re kinda screwed.”

The chickens on special are grilled; the ones smoking on hooks are destined for salads and other dishes.

grill’s hot, otherwise you’re going to ruin the dish, because you want skin crispy and the rest firm,” Dessert says. “You can tell when whoever’s on the grill messed it up because they sit there and stab at it [because the skin sticks]. ‘Where’s the skin, man?’ You want it to be nice and crispy.”

Check out these other local restaurants focused on wood-fired cooking.

STL Balkan Treat Box in St. Louis is known for its bright-blue food truck, which includes a mammoth wood-fired oven. Chef-owner Loryn Nalic turns out Bosnian specialties like pide and cevapi. (Turn to p. 55 to learn more about Balkan Treat Box's wood-fired fare.)

COMO Flyover cooks more than pizza in its custom wood-fired oven in Columbia, Missouri; try the mac ‘n’ cheese, made with wood-fired trottole pasta, Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze cheese sauce, Patchwork Family Farms’ smoked bacon and herbed bread crumbs.

KS In Lenexa, Kansas, Ignite Wood Fire Grill elevates comfort food with dishes like flatbread with wood-fired beef tenderloin, caramelized onion, goat cheese and chile oil.

STL Cinder House, the latest restaurant from chef Gerard Craft, focuses on South American-inspired eats cooked on an open hearth in Downtown St. Louis. (Turn to p. 19 to learn more about Craft's menu.)

At Lawrence Beer Co. in Lawrence, Kansas, chef Ken Baker severs up slow-roasted porchetta, applewood-smoked bacon and more on a wood-fired grill.

KS

The fire is finally allowed to die out at the end of the night, but the bricks don’t cool off until 5 or 6am. In a few short hours, it’ll be lit again.

Meat, of course, benefits most from the wood-burning, live-fire grill. Earlier this year Dessert used it to cook a whole hog: He hung it up by its trotters from the top of the grill, removed the metal grill grates, covered the three walls of brick with hot coals and cooked it for about 18 hours, feeding the fire with a piece of wood every once in a while and rotating the pig a few times. “[We do it] to be different – you gotta separate yourself a little bit,” Dessert explains. “Anyone can use a smoker.

Not everybody has the opportunity to use an open wood-fired grill, and we gotta utilize it as much as we can.”

For example, this afternoon, Dessert has a tray of tomatoes smoking on the top rack of the grill at the same time that a row of eggplants for caponata are charring at the very bottom, directly on the coals. Both will end up puréed, but a hint of smoky flavor will remain. The grill is not only a vehicle for heat; its use alone can change the flavor of an ingredient or dish.

“Those are tomatoes for a sauce for [fried] pickles – smoked tomatoes with garlic and parsley, then just purée that up. We let it sit there for an hour or so,” he says. “I could just purée those tomatoes or roast them in the oven, but it’s not gonna have that flavor. I think the smoke represents Kansas City quite a bit. We do a little bit of barbecue, but [the grill] deepens that flavor.”

That flavor, he says, is smokiness, yes, but it’s not the same smoke you’ll find with meat cooked in a smoker or the instant smoke flavor of mezcal.

“The smoker’s obviously going to intensify that [smoke] flavor [more] because it’s 200ºF and you’re just circulating that around,” Dessert explains, “whereas in here, the hoods are pulling up some of that. You’re still going to get that flavor, but not as strong. It depends on what you want.”

Ribs go in the smoker, for instance, and chicken on the grill, but peppers work in both: The hearth actually smokes and dehydrates the peppers simultaneously for Dessert to use in chorizo meatballs or as a chicken rub.

Dessert says he hopes to see even more restaurants in Kansas City experiment with wood-fired cooking.

“I know there’s a few places in Johnson County that do wood fire… I would like to see others in Kansas City,” he says. “It’s intimidating when you first get [into it]: One, it’s hot, [and] two, you [have to] constantly move and go back and forth between the oven. Time management with the rest of your team is the true challenge.”

The owners of Green Truck Bakery in Warrensburg, Missouri, built a custom wood-fired oven themselves to turn out breads, crackers, laminated pastries and more. (Turn to p. 62 to learn more about Green Truck Bakery's custom oven.)

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COMO A food truck houses the wood-fired oven at Manzo’s Wood-Fired Pizza in Columbia, Missouri, where oven-roasted lasagna, a seasonal winter menu favorite, shares space with the signature sourdough pizzas.

In Kansas City, Kansas, el pollo rey is the definition of no frills. Order a whole or half wood-fired chicken (the only offerings) to make one of the best burritos in town, with toppings in plastic bags, tortillas and rice in a Styrofoam container. Don't forget to ask for avocado.

KCK

The wood-fired oven is in full view at Red Door Woodfired Grill in Kansas City, albeit behind glass; don’t miss the classic wood-fired Kansas City strip steak served with herb butter, steak frites and a flame-grilled baguette.

KC

KC In Kansas City, The Russell serves wood-fired fare in a fast-casual setting, including wood-fired salmon, grilled bread and fire-grilled chicken sandwiches. (Turn to p. 74 to learn more about The Russell.)

Sierra Grill uses a Grillworks grill, a chef favorite, in Lenexa, Kansas, to cook wood-fired steaks, including a rib eye with chimichurri sauce and a filet with grilled asparagus.

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With practice and experience, Dessert and his team have found success in exploring how to best maximize the grill. Similar experimentation on the tiny rooftop wood-fired grill at Blue Hill New York City is what first captured chef Michael Gallina’s interest in live-fire cooking.

“You couldn’t produce much off of it, but we would just kinda play around and grill some things here and there,” Gallina recalls. When he transitioned to chef-owner Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns, though, that live-fire experimentation flourished.

“At Stone Barns, right when I started working there, we had just got this brand new, state-of-the-art, huge outdoor grill from Grillworks in Michigan,” Gallina recalls. “I loved playing around with it, whether it was filling it up with vegetables or hanging things on top of it. Between Blue Hill and Stone Barns, wood-fired cooking really interested me.”

Gallina and his wife and business partner, Tara, always knew the wood-fired component would be a big part of Vicia, the innovative farm-to-table restaurant they opened in St. Louis in March 2017. They designed their grill located in the restaurant’s covered patio space, complete with a prep station and a grill-side chef’s table.

“We really looked for something similar to a big pit that we could completely cover with coals,” Gallina says, noting the poles up top to hang things from, as well as a stack of horizontal racks to place ingredients closer or further from the flames, depending on the desired amount of heat. The gray-stone hearth was created by Sasha Aleksandr Malinich, who designed Vicia’s sleek space with rustic touches. In the winter, one of the courses on Vicia’s lauded tasting menu is served here.

“It’s a nice break in the tasting menu: You have a couple courses inside, and then we get you up and kinda take you on a field trip out to the grill,” Gallina says. “We have a cook out there interacting with the guests, and it becomes both an educational experience and a fun eating experience. This course lasts for 15 minutes, during which guests have the opportunity to eat something while talking around the table. People really, really enjoy it.”

Gallina feels that the wood-fired hearth is an advantage for the kitchen, despite the training and attention it requires. Its versatility is key, he says, and makes things like Vicia’s grill sauce possible. Root vegetables that are in season, such as beets, carrots, parsnips, onions and garlic, are put on the grill – “We just char the heck out of [them],” he says – and then cooked at a very low heat, overnight, to make a vegetable stock.

The stock is then reduced down into “a super sweet and kind of charry reduction that’s really delicious with other vegetables or meats.”

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The spent vegetables are later used to make a charred-vegetable mole; Gallina says making the mole over a live fire adds flavor and personality not afforded from a pot cooked over a gas range. “You get that nice roasted flavor, but I think the char adds a whole other dimension,” he says.

Adding that flavor dimension was a big reason the Gallinas wanted to include a live-fire hearth at Vicia. Even changing something like the type of wood – Gallina typically favors Missouri oak, persimmon and cherry wood – can alter the flavor in subtle ways. It’s easier to cook large cuts of meat evenly, as well, without more modern cooking methods and tools.

“There’s so much sous vide now in cooking. Wood fired is simply going back to how we used to cook,” he says. “There are many different types of wood you can cook on and so many different techniques you can use, whether it’s putting vegetables directly in coals, letting things smoke up high or slowly cook. It’s a nice way to cook things instead of sous vide, roasting and basting something. Wood-fired cooking adds a whole other level of depth, with all the smoke and the char.”

However, cooking over the live fire or smoking in the hearth can be especially tricky; Gallina says the team has recently been nailing down cooking larger portions of meat like whole pork legs for grilled ham and whole pork bellies or whole loins, which stay in the hearth at a lower temperature for a longer period. Although grilling is often associated with summertime, Gallina gets more excited about the myriad vegetables they’re able to source during cooler months that can stand up to being totally buried in the embers and coals in the hearth.

“You can do a lot of fun things on the grill in the summer, like zucchini,” he says, “but in winter, you can really cover [the grates] with squash and sweet potatoes and cabbage and really fill it up. A lot of those vegetables tend to be able to hold [up to] shoving them inside the coals and really getting that flavor.”

Instead of just heating the cabbage to soften it, for instance, burying it in coals creates a charred outer shell while steaming the inside. The result is added smoky flavor, as opposed to just roasting the cabbage or slicing it raw.

“Just like the ingredients themselves, there is a seasonality to grilling, too," Gallina says. "In the spring and summer, when produce is tender and delicate, just a few short minutes over the flames or sitting up high to absorb some of the smoke is all you need. When you get to the fall and winter and produce is heartier, you can transition to using the coals and hanging things for longer periods. The difference in the wood from season to season also contributes to the flavor.”

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The grill at Vicia

Gallina and his team tend to rely on their farmers, like David Bohlen of Bohlen Family Farms in Perryville, Missouri, to guide the menu: For example, Bohlen has been supplying baby gai lan – Chinese broccoli – that Gallina serves as part of the tasting menu. It’s flash-fried in a bit of garlic oil on the grill and served with a steamed egg yolk vinaigrette. “We take this lightly charred green and dip it through the acidic, creamy, fatty egg yolk, and it makes a really nice bite” Gallina says.

Another advantage to the grill, he says, is that it allows ingredients like the baby gai lan to shine by themselves while pulling out a more complex flavor.

“You’re adding another layer of flavor to it,” Dessert says. “ [Even] if it’s only one ingredient on the plate [with smoky flavor], we try to get it on there to just add that depth.”

Both Gallina and Dessert agree that some of the best restaurants nationally are focusing on wood-fired dishes.

“I think you’re seeing it all over the country: More restaurants now, more than ever, are doing a lot of wood-fired cooking,” Gallina says. “Whether they’re lucky enough to have one inside the kitchen, or they have a flattop [grill] and then a smaller [wood-fired] setup. It’s nice to get some of that char, even if you don’t love smoke – [and] I don’t think it’s really smoky. There’s so many different ways you can go." feastmagazine.com

“I think [wood-fired cooking] is a trend; I think it’s become cooler,” Dessert says. “It’s fun, and I think it’s a good challenge for chefs and cooks to try and overcome that fear or defeat it in a sense. And you smell good when you work this station; you smell like camping! It brings me back to my childhood.”

Once the eggplant is charred to his satisfaction, Dessert will peel and chop it, add salt and purée it for a simple take on baba ganoush.

Today it’s destined for the charcuterie board at Brewery Emperial, which takes a nontraditional approach – instead of cured meats and cheeses, it features housemade pâté, rillettes, beer sausage, pickled vegetables, Djion mustard, crostini and flatbread. The eggplant is perhaps the most surprising element on the board, as its time on the hearth gives it an unexpected hit of smoke.

“The gai lan have natural sweetness and these incredible flavors that if you just threw it in a pan – it could be sautéed with a little hot oil, but I don’t think it necessarily brings out all of the best flavors that the live fire does,” Gallina says.

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Back in the kitchen at Brewery Emperial, Dessert pokes his eggplants; the skin is black and shriveled, indicating they’re just about ready to come out.

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Editor’s Note: Since the writing of this story, chef Andrew Dessert left Brewery Emperial for The Local Pig in Kansas City.

Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St., Kansas City, Missouri, breweryemperial.com Vicia, 4260 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, viciarestaurant.com

“There’s so much sous vide now in cooking.

Wood fired is simply going back to how we used to cook. There are many different types of wood you can cook on and so many different techniques you can use, whether it’s putting vegetables directly in coals, letting things smoke up high or slowly cook. It’s a nice way to cook things instead of sous vide, roasting and basting something. Wood-fired cooking adds a whole other level of depth, with all the smoke and the char.”

- Michael Gallina

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Balkan Treat Box cooks the wood-fired flavors of Turkey, Bosnia and beyond from an unlikely setup. written by Heather Riske photography by spencer pernikoff

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1. wood-fired oven

If you can’t stand the heat, you probably wouldn’t last five minutes aboard

balkan treat box.

That’s because Loryn Nalic’s food truck is hot – and not just in terms of its red-hot reputation.

2. coal-fired grill

In just a few square feet, the food truck features no less than three forms of heat: A wood-fired oven baking airy Turkish flatbread, a coal-fired grill lined with Bosnian cevapi sausages and gas-heated spit roaster slowly spinning shaved-to-order chicken. It’s a unique setup, and one that's proved instrumental in creating the wood-fired flavors that have cemented Balkan Treat Box’s reputation among St. Louis’ best restaurants – roaming or otherwise.

Although the truck has been on the streets for less than two years (earning its share of raves, including a mention in Food & Wine), Balkan has been a longtime labor of love for Loryn, who owns the business with her husband, Edo. Loryn has worked in the restaurant industry for years, including overseeing pastry and bread service at the now-shuttered Luciano’s Trattoria as well as Tavern 43 and also working special events for the venerable Pappy’s Smokehouse. She credits her childhood best friend, who is Croatian, with first introducing her to cevapi, though it wasn’t until she met Edo – a Sarajevo native who arrived in St. Louis with his family in 1998 seeking refuge after the Bosnian War – that she truly fell in love with Balkan flavors.

“It just spoke to me: really slow-style food, beautiful to make and beautiful to watch people make,” Loryn says. “That style of cuisine was really moving for me, and of course it brought back amazing memories for [Edo].”

3. gas spit roaster

“It’s very important to make it as authentic as we can. Back home, somun is something they’ve been doing since the late 1500s and, as you can imagine, they cooked with wood. So it just has to be done with wood.” X Edo Nalic

After they met, Loryn and Edo frequented St. Louis’ many Bosnian restaurants in the Bevo Mill neighborhood. She dreamed of opening her own place and began mapping out plans in her head, but first, she knew she had to go straight to the source.

In 2013, Loryn traveled to Sarajevo, where she spent two months working in restaurants, bakeries and home kitchens, furthering her knowledge of Bosnian flavors and cooking techniques. She traveled alone, and actually met Edo’s parents on the trip for the first time after seven years of marriage.

“When I was over there, they were willing to share [recipes],” Loryn says. “The culture itself is very hospitable – I felt like they were really excited that somebody cared and wanted to learn about what they were doing. Being true to what I was taught and what I saw is really important.”

“They really embraced this American woman wanting to cook their recipes,” Edo adds.

In particular, Loryn learned the techniques for preparing cevapi, and how – although styles change from region to region – the dish relies on a simple, straightforward combination of spices.

She also fell in love with somun (a soft, chewy Bosnian bread similar to pita bread), and saw firsthand how cooking the bread with fire imparts a flavor that can’t be mimicked in other ovens.

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somun

“You’re in this big city of Sarajevo, and people are walking the streets, and you catch wafts of fresh-baked breads and meats grilling over wood, and that’s not something you forget,” Loryn says. “Everything else around you goes quiet. You walk up to this tiny little shack with a giant wood-burning oven and order a loaf of bread, and they pull it out of the oven, put it in a piece of paper and put it in your hands. It’s just a magical moment.”

Once back in the States, Loryn and Edo set to work on what would become Balkan Treat Box. They decided to start with a food truck to test the concept, with the eventual goal of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Although Loryn started on her recipe for somun that same year, it wasn’t until two years later, in 2015, that she knew she had it right.

She took a test batch to Gerard Craft’s Pastaria and baked the somun in the restaurant’s wood-burning pizza oven, having previously only made the bread in standard ovens at a much lower temperature. At a higher temperature, the moisture evaporates more quickly from the dough, which then puffs up with a light, aerated texture. “A home oven is inconsistent, because if you open the door, the temperature drops 50ºF,” Loryn says. “Once I finally got that recipe and flavor profile right and took it to Pastaria, it was full-on tears.

I was sitting at Pastaria with Edo’s brother, Emir, and he just started laughing.”

“It’s very important to make it as authentic as we can,” Edo adds. “Back home, somun is something they’ve been doing since the late 1500s and, as you can imagine, they cooked with wood. So it just has to be done with wood.”

So that’s what Loryn and Edo did. They outfitted Balkan Treat Box with not only a standard food-truck kitchen, but a wood-fired pizza oven as well. Although the bakeries Loryn visited in Sarajevo used wood-fired bread ovens, which are typically longer and shallower, she knew a pizza oven would be more feasible for the truck, where space constraints are, of course, a major issue.

The oven is direct-vented and mounted on the outside of the truck so that only the face of the oven is inside. It bakes at between 800ºF and 900°F – roughly twice as hot as your standard home oven – and that's essential to emulate those old-world flavors Loryn fell in love with during her travels. Upon walking up to the truck, the massive oven, glowing orange with flames, is the first thing you’ll notice, even from down the block.

At the walk-up window, the unmistakable smell of hardwood smoke permeates the air.

pide döner

The truck, which officially hit the streets in St. Louis in December 2016, features a deceptively simple menu that highlights two traditional wood-fired breads: the somun and pide, a boatshaped Turkish flatbread. The pide is the truck’s most famous – or, at least, most-Instagrammed – dish, topped with seasoned meat, kajmak (a dairy condiment made of cream and cheese), ajvar (a tangy roasted red pepper spread), herbs and cabbage.

Loryn makes the dough for the somun and pide from scratch each day at around 4am. The truck rolls up to its spot around 9am, when Loryn will light the oven. Because the oven is 100 percent wood-fired and doesn’t rely on a gas or propane starter, it typically takes around an hour for it to get to temperature.

About an hour before service begins, Loryn will start throwing loaves into the oven. The same hydrated sourdough is used for both breads, which only bake for about a minute and a half to two minutes in the oven at around 700°F or 800°F. After its turn in the oven, the somun rests for eight to 10 minutes on a wire rack – where the bread continues to cook from residual heat – before it can be cut open.

The pide dough is par-baked ahead of time with either beef and cheese or just cheese, then baked to order with the customary sauces and fresh herbs. The second time the pides go into the oven, it’s at a slightly higher temperature – around 900°F – which Loryn achieves by feeding more logs into the fire.

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The pides are only in for about 30 seconds – that’s all it takes for the cheese to start bubbling up. In the early days, Loryn made the pides to order from start to finish, but that quickly proved unfeasible: Whereas Balkan used to fire 35 orders in a single service, the truck now does up to 100.

As with most food trucks, the weather is a constant battle; if it’s too hot outside, for instance, the dough will quickly overproof. So Loryn regularly monitors the weather and adjusts her recipes; if the temperature hits about 93°F or higher, she’ll add ice to the dough. Balkan frequently sells out, with the pide usually the first to go. “Knowing how many people will come is a huge challenge, because we don’t reheat or save product,” Loryn says. “I came from Pappy’s, where there’s a philosophy that it’s better to sell out than put out an inferior product. That was really ingrained in me.”

cevapi

Somun, a round bread cut lengthwise to resemble a sort of sandwich, is the base for Balkan’s other two dishes. The cevapi features somun stuffed with the namesake grilled beef sausages, plus kajmak, onion and cabbage, while the döner is packed with chicken (spit-roasted and shaved to order on the truck), onion, cheese, cabbage, tomato, lettuce and house sauce.

The cevapi are grilled over open flames on a half-gas, half wood-assist grill, and the wood smoke gives the sausages a snappy, crisp exterior while the inside stays perfectly juicy.

As the little sausages cook, Loryn presses them down with a piece of somun to steam them. “It’s kind of the same way they do it at White Castle,” she says with a laugh.

After perfecting the somun and pide, the cevapi sausages were one of the hardest recipes for Loryn to emulate from her trip in Bosnia. “Little things would set it off – if the sausages were pressed too long, or if there was too much [black] pepper,” Loryn says. “I just loved them so much when we were in Sarajevo, so I wanted to get it right.”

But those learning curves only helped set Balkan Treat Box up for more success: Soon, Loryn and Edo will open a brick-andmortar location in Webster Groves, Missouri. The fast-casual restaurant features around 40 seats for diners and a similar – albeit much larger – wood-burning oven, as well as a spit roaster and wood-assist grill. In the new oven, Loryn can fire about twice as much bread as on the truck. The larger space will also allow her to expand the menu to include specials she used to run on the truck before it got too busy, like lahmacun (Turkish pizza), patlidzan (grilled eggplant) and balik ekmek (grilled whitefish) served with somun.

lahmacun

Really, though, it doesn’t matter if your first taste of Balkan’s wood-fired fare is enjoyed standing outside a blistering hot food truck in Downtown St. Louis or huddled around a table in the likely-to-be-crowded Webster Groves restaurant. Wherever you are, Loryn Nalic’s cooking will transport you back to that magical moment she first experienced in Sarajevo.

balik ekmek with somun 58

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“It’s the most flattering thing when someone says they feel comforted by this food because it reminds them of home, and maybe they haven’t been home in a while,” Loryn says. “It’s a little bit of magic; somehow, some way, you feel part of a family.

As somebody who did not grow up eating this food, making it right and taking the long way to do things pays off because of those customers.”

8103 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, Missouri, balkantreatbox.com

Rockfair Tavern A Classic for More than 30 Years

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Restaurant and Lounge 3 Blocks South of Route 66 506 S. Franklin St., Cuba, MO 65453 573-885-7518

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One S. Broadway | St. Louis, Missouri | 314.241.8439 | 360-stl.com

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BEThAny ChRiSTo hese festive drinks, made with regional spirits or from local bartenders, are sure to get you in the holiday spirit – pun intended. For those tired of sugar cookies, the Pecan Pie Float using Stumpy’s Spirits flavored whiskey provides a drinkable sugar kick reminiscent of a root beer float.

For a cocktail that’s almost too pretty to drink, the STL Sour from Westport Social tastes even better than it looks. Or, take on a classic with the Sazerac-inspired Monkey Business from Boundary at The Cheshire or a French 75 using gin from S.D. Strong Distilling.

Make one for yourself while you’re decking the halls, or make a few for friends and family while roasting chestnuts over an open fire – merrymaking is sure to be had no matter the occasion.

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Corner

PECAN PIE FLOAT

FRENCH 75

Stumpy’s Spirits has a toasty take on the classic root beer float. Don’t be afraid to pour this over ice cream.

This refresher is a classic for a reason – perfect balance of brightness and bubbles.

Serves | 1 | 1½ oz Stumpy’s Spirits Old Monroe Pecan Pie Flavored Whiskey 1½ oz Chila ’Orchata Cinnamon Cream Rum ice 4 oz root beer | Preparation | In a cocktail shaker, mix whiskey and rum. In a rocks glass, strain over ice. Top with root beer; stir.  Recipe created by Laura Stumpf and Brandi Radny from Stumpy’s Spirits, 1727 Centerville Road, Columbia, Illinois, 618.281.7733, stumpysspirits.com

Serves | 1 | 2 oz S.D. Strong Distilling Pillar 136 Gin ¾ oz fresh lemon juice ½ oz simple syrup ice 2 oz chilled dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne twist lemon peel, for garnish | Preparation | Combine first 3 ingredients, add ice and shake. In a chilled Champagne flute, strain liquid, top with sparkling wine and garnish with lemon twist.  Recipe created by Steve Strong from S.D. Strong Distilling, 8500 NW River Park Drive #136A, Parkville, Missouri, sdstrongdistilling.com

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Simple Syrup

The French 75 – and many other cocktail recipes – incorporates simple syrup as a sweetener. As the name implies, it’s incredibly easy to make: In a saucepan over medium heat, add equal parts sugar and water, and stir until sugar dissolves.

MONKEY BUSINESS A take on a classic Sazerec, this winter warmer was the brainchild of Ray Edwards.

The Lillet Blanc lightens up the scotch while creating a canvas for the banana to come through.

Serves | 1 | 2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch 1 oz Lillet Blanc ¾ oz Giffard Banane du Brésil ¼ oz Giffard vanilla syrup dash angostura bitters ice absinthe, for rinse grapefruit peel, for garnish | Preparation | Stir first 5 ingredients together with ice. In an absinthe-rinsed glass, strain mixture. Garnish with grapefruit peel.  Recipe created by Kyle Mathis from Boundary at The Cheshire, 7036 Clayton Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314.932.7818, boundary-stl.com

CIDER WISHES, CAVA DREAMS The mulled cider syrup really brings this cocktail together. Don’t be afraid of the scotch in this one – it just makes things a little more interesting.

Serves | 1 | Spiced Cider Syrup 2 cups apple cider 2 cups Sugar in the Raw 5 allspice berries 5 kernels black pepper 10 whole cloves 2 sticks cinnamon 5 whole coriander seeds Cider Wishes, Cava Dreams 1¼ oz Courvoisier VS cognac ¼ oz Bowmore 12-year single-malt scotch 1 oz spiced cider syrup (recipe below) ½ oz lemon juice ice cava, to top

STL SOUR This cocktail is all about pairing chocolate and Cabernet. The sweetness of the cocktail is balanced by the dryness of the red wine – not to mention it’s beautiful.

Serves | 1 | 1½ oz Knob Creek bourbon ¼ oz Giffard vanilla syrup ¾ oz Giffard Crème de Cacao ¾ oz lemon juice ice 1 oz Cabernet Sauvignon | Preparation | Shake first 4 ingredients with ice; pour into glass. Float wine on top.  Recipe created by Kyle Mathis from Westport Social, 910 Westport Plaza Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.548.2876, westportsocial-stl.com

| Preparation – Spiced Cider Syrup | In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes; strain out spices. | Preparation – Cider Wishes, Cava Dreams | Shake first 4 ingredients with ice, and strain into wine flute. Top with cava.  Recipe created by Kyle Mathis from Three Sixty, 1 S. Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.241.8439, 360-stl.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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PHOTO BY ARIEL TUSTIN

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PHOTOS THIS PAGE COURTESY GREEN TRUCK BAKERY

10-inch ceramic-fiber insulation

A

t Green Truck Bakery in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri, Carl and Ryan Schick bake a rotating menu of 15 to 18 breads, plus crackers, granola, biscotti and laminated pastries in a massive new custom 17-ton wood-fired oven they built themselves. Enclosed on three sides by fire-brick walls, floor and ceiling, the oven bakes using retained heat. A live fire is built directly on the hearth and burns until it reaches the desired temperature. The coals are then spread out across the hearth to even the heat; any ash is brushed out before baking. As the temperature slowly lowers over the next few days, it provides the oven with ambient heat – what’s known as a falling oven.

fire brick

“Retained heat is really a matter of how much thermal mass you have, and we decided we wanted a lot of thermal mass,” Carl says. “Our thermal mass, the product that holds the heat for us, is just fire brick. And our oven, all parts of our oven – the back, the sides, the floor, the top – they’re all 9-inches thick of fire brick.

That’s the mass that retains the heat.”

Green Truck is a family business for Ryan, (who's head baker), Carl and his wife, Carmen. Up until this year, the preservative-free bakery has vended at the farmers’ markets in Warrensburg and Sedalia, Missouri, and offered a subscription service to customers. Last month, the Schicks celebrated the opening of Green Truck’s first brick-and-mortar bakery in Warrensburg, complete with the custom falling oven built by Carl and Ryan over the course of eight months.

The falling oven has a 10-inch layer of ceramic-fiber insulation that runs in between the fire brick and the outside of the oven to create a thermal break. This ensures that heat doesn’t travel away from the fire bricks to the exterior of the oven.

Instead, heat continually rises into the air of the interior of the oven chamber.

12 thermocouple sensors throughout the oven floor and dome

“We’re expecting it to hold heat for about five days,” Carl says.

“So we’ll be able to start baking things that require a higher heat the day after we build the fire, and then our baking schedule is based on the rate that the oven cools off. For example, we’ll heat it up until the inside surface of the oven is about 850ºF, and we close up the oven and the heat evens out. When it reaches close to 500ºF, we’ll start baking the bread."

Father and son also installed six thermocouple sensors in the hearth’s floor and six in the top dome so they can easily gauge the temperature of the massive oven.

“We can dial our gauge to any one of those six thermocouples in the hearth, and it will tell us what the temperature is right at that point,” Carl says. “So when our oven is hot enough that the thermocouple that’s 8 inches away from the surface hits around 500ºF, that’s time to stop putting wood in it.”

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The oven can bake 70 loaves of bread in 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the type. As the fire dies and the temperature falls, dough that requires less heat is baked; at Green Truck, that includes crackers, flatbreads, laminated pastries like croissants, and soon, personal pizzas, pretzels and bagels.

The size of the oven and its potential for firing at higher temperatures were just two upgrades Carl and Ryan wanted to add to the new oven. The oven door is set up to eventually have an automatic loader installed – as Carl says, “I’m a little older, and my son realized that he may not have as much help in the future” – though for now, Ryan wants to keep using a peel to load up the oven. In all, there are three sets of interchangeable oven doors: blast doors for when they’re building the fire and heating up in the oven, plug doors to hold heat inside the oven and ensure it stays even, and slapper doors for keeping heat and moisture inside the oven when opening and closing them during baking. This flexibility is a big change from their original backyard oven, which was only built with one set of doors.

carl installing the plug doors on the oven.

ryan using a peel to load bread into the oven.

“We decided that the easiest route to go was to have several different door options,” Carl says. “So during the cooking cycle, we can take one door off and put the other door on if we want to change the function of the door.”

this lever pulls open the oven's flue.

“This is going to be a learning experience,” Carl says. “We’re not starting from scratch, but we’ll have to learn as we go.

We’re expecting that the crust of the bread should have a more even and attractive shine to it. When artisan bread is baked, depending on the amount of moisture in the air, it can either be a very dull appearance or a somewhat shiny appearance. The moisture in the air keeps the crust flexible for a few more minutes, and it can expand a little further as the bread rises. And then that extra moisture in the air creates a slightly shiny coat on the surface of the bread. So we’re expecting that to be different. We think what we’re really going to have to learn is what order to put [which] bread in [the oven].”

both cube-shaped areas will soon be covered by doors. extra oven doors are stored below the hearth here.

As a result of these modifications, the Schicks are hopeful that the new oven will improve the quality of their products as well as their volume and efficiency.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the Schicks at the new bakery, though, will be baking in front of an audience.

this is where the ashes go after being scraped from the hearth.

“In our backyard, there [was] nobody else there,” Carl says with a laugh. “With our new oven, people can walk by the front of the bakery and just look in and see us baking. When you walk in and look to your right, there’s the oven. It’s the main feature.”

127 W. Pine St., Warrensburg, Missouri, greentruckbakery.com PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY AMBER DEERY

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sourdough

four-seed multi-grain

garden bread

PHOTO BY ARIEL TUSTIN

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p Turn U

s t o ry a n d r e c i p e s b y a m a n da e l l i o t t

photography by drew piester

Recipes for Wood-Fired Cooking at Home Flank Steak With Smoked Almond-Olive Relish I’m a huge fan of bistro fare, and I love to find steak cuts that are more flavorful and economical. Flank steak is both, with a robust, meaty flavor and fine texture.

Serves | 4 to 6 |

2

½

¼

1 ¼

1

1

1

2

lbs flank steak salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste cup mixed olives and Peppadew peppers, roughly chopped cup olive oil, plus more to serve shallot, finely diced Marcona almonds, roughly chopped Tbsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped Tbsp fresh tarragon, roughly chopped tsp lemon zest Tbsp canola oil

| preparation | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to 750°F using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large glass baking dish, combine all remaining ingredients except canola oil; season mixture with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In a large cast-iron skillet, add canola oil and place in hot oven or on grill. When pan starts to smoke, remove from heat and add steaks; return to heat, placing pan as close to the fire as possible. Sear for approximately 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until medium-rare to medium in doneness.

Remove pan from heat and rest steaks on a plate for 5 minutes.

Transfer almond mixture to hot cast-iron skillet and return to heat for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Remove from heat and spoon relish over steaks.

Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve hot.

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The appeal of wood-fired cooking is simple: The romantic charm of a hot, glowing live fire and the

smoky, intoxicating aroma it produces when charring meat and vegetables is irresistible. As a chef, working with live fire is invigorating, as it adds rustic and primal flavor to food. Many home cooks have experienced this sensation while cooking over a gas or charcoal grill in their backyard, but the versatility of a wood-fired oven or grill has been less accessible until recently.

As live-fire cooking heats up in restaurants, it has, in turn, expanded options for home cooks, as well, with more residential-friendly wood-fired ovens and grills on the market. Browse a handful of ovens and grills at a range of price points below, and then get cooking with seven easy wood-fired recipes perfect for heating up cold winter nights.

Buying A Wood-Fired Oven or Grill The key to working with any wood-fired oven or grill is giving it ample time to get up to temperature.

These cooking systems get very hot – upwards of 750°F to 900°F – so patience is required. Yet once it's to temp, cooking happens rapidly. I personally like to create a base heat with coals and then add wood to build the fire, but some of these grills and ovens have taken the guesswork out for you by using wood pellets. Before you fire up one of these cookers, though, invest in a set of cast-iron pans if you don’t already own them – they are essential for wood-fired cooking at home.

kudu grill This trendy wood-fired grill comes with all the accessories you could dream of to master live-fire cooking at home. The elevated grate system allows you to control the level of heat for cooking different foods and can grill, sauté, sear, fry, boil, smoke and steam over an open fire.

Available at kudugrills.com; $499.99

traditional brick pizzaioli wood fire oven

I’m always a fan of something bright and herby paired with a rich steak, making this smoked relish the perfect combo.

This authentic wood-fired oven has rave reviews for being an attractive, sleek yet traditional wood-fired oven. It’s a more permanent fixture and the most expensive oven on this list, but if you’re serious about wood-fired cooking and can afford it, this will surely up your game.

Available at authenticpizzaovens.com; $1,795

sunnydaze dual campfire cooking swivel grill system Intended to be used over a campfire or in a backyard fire pit, this rustic grilling accessory features two racks: one holding up to nine pounds of food and seven on the other. You can adjust the height of both racks and swivel them on or off direct flame.

Available at amazon.com; $125

uuni pro outdoor pizza oven This oven is extremely versatile, as it can be heated with wood, wood pellets or even gas.

Available at williams-sonoma.com; $599.95

ravenna talavera wood-fired clay pizza oven This five-star reviewed oven is simple and small but gets the job done – and affordably, at that.

Available at amazon.com; $199.99 Inspired Local Food Culture

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Wood-Fired recipes

Woo d - F i r e d P i z z a W i t h Bu r r ata , S p i c y S opp r e ss ata a n d Hot Ho n e y This wood-fired pizza features all my favorite flavors. It’s spicy and creamy with a hint of sweetness.

If you like heat, I recommend making hot honey a staple in your pantry – my favorite is Mike’s Hot Honey. True to Neapolitan-style pizza, we’re using 00 flour for our pizza dough; this Italian flour is very finely milled and incredibly soft. Look for 00 flour at Italian markets and specialty grocery stores. I recommend having a wooden and metal pizza peel for making pizza in a wood-fired oven at home; the wooden peel for inserting the pizza into the oven, and the metal for either turning or removing it.

The burrata cheese adds an extra bit of lusciousness, while the hot honey accents the heat of the soppressata. yields

| 4 personal pizzas |

Tomato Sauce

4

1 1 1

olive oil cloves garlic, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 28-oz can crushed tomatoes tsp granulated sugar bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped

| preparation – pizza dough | In a large mixing bowl, add water, yeast and sugar and stir; set aside for 5 minutes while yeast activates. Add flour and salt and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove dough to a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes; transfer to an oiled mixing bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Divide dough into 4 equal balls and let rest for 15 minutes.

1 ½ cup lukewarm water 1 package active-dry yeast 1 tsp granulated sugar 4 cups 00 flour ½ Tbsp kosher salt

Turn 1 dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press out dough, using your hands, into a rough 8-inch circle, leaving the outer 1-inch slightly higher than the center. Gently stretch or roll dough into a 10- to 12-inch circle, about ¼-inch thick. Repeat until all 4 dough balls are rolled out to crusts.

Assembly

| assembly | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to between

Pizza Dough

2 16

12

tomato sauce (recipe below) 4-oz balls burrata cheese slices spicy soppressata hot honey (to serve) fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (for garnish) crushed red chile flakes (for garnish)

| preparation – tomato sauce | In a medium saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, add oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes and sugar; cook approximately 5 minutes and add basil. Cook 5 to 10 minutes more. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.

750°F and 900°F using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer.

Transfer 1 pizza crust to a floured wooden pizza peel. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Spread ¼ of mozzarella over pizza; top with ¼ soppressata. Using the wooden peel, transfer pizza to oven or grill, rotating regularly for even cooking, until edges are puffed and lightly charred and bottom is crisp, about 2 minutes.

Remove pizza from oven using a metal pizza peel and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 1 minute. Top pizza with a drizzle of hot honey, basil and crushed red chile flakes; slice and serve.

Repeat assembly with remaining crusts and ingredients.

Ov e n - C h a r r e d Ta b b o u l e h Tabbouleh, a parsley-rich grain-based salad, is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. I love adding some char to the vegetables to give this fresh and vibrant salad added depth of flavor. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves | 4 to 6 |

1 ½ 2

4

1 1 1 1 1 2

pint cherry tomatoes, halved medium red onion, finely diced cups fresh cauliflower florets, finely diced Tbsp olive oil, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste zest and juice from 2 lemons bunch fresh mint, finely chopped bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped tsp honey Tbsp sherry vinegar cup cooked bulgur Persian cucumbers, finely diced

| preparation | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to between 750°F and 900°F using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer.

In a large mixing bowl, toss cherry tomatoes, onion and cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a separate mixing bowl, add next 5 ingredients and stir to combine; set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a cast-iron skillet and place in hot oven or on grill.

When skillet starts to smoke, remove from heat and add cherry tomato mixture. Return to heat, placing skillet as close to the fire as possible; cook for 5 minutes. Turn skillet so alternate side sits close to fire; cook 4 to 5 minutes more.

Remove from heat; let cool for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine roasted vegetables with lemon-herb mixture.

Add cooked bulgur, raw cucumber and remaining oil; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Wo o d - Roa s t e d Salmon Steaks W i t h R e d C u rry S au c e You can find shrimp powder at your local international market or Asian grocery store. We only use the fatty cream resting on the top of the can of coconut milk in this recipe; reserve the actual coconut milk for a separate dish.

Serves

| 4 to 6 |

Red Curry Sauce

3 small stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped 2 shallots, finely diced 1 1-inch knob ginger, finely diced 3 Thai chiles, finely diced 2 small red bell peppers, finely diced ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish 1 Tbsp shrimp powder 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp coconut oil kosher salt, to taste ¹⁄₃ cup brown sugar 1 can full-fat coconut milk 2 limes, zested and juiced Salmon

4 6-oz salmon steaks salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tsp olive oil

| preparation – red curry sauce | In the bowl of a blender, combine all ingredients except brown sugar, coconut milk and lime zest and juice; blend until a thick and fine paste.

In a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, add brown sugar and caramelize slightly, approximately 2 minutes. Add curry paste, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes more. Add only the cream resting on the top of coconut milk and lime zest and juice; stir to combine. Season with salt to taste and set aside.

| preparation – salmon | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to between 750ºF and 900ºF using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer.

Season salmon steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat a cast-iron pan in oven until almost smoking; remove from oven and add oil to hot pan and then salmon steaks. Return to oven and cook for 2 to 3 minutes; turn pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove pan from oven and pour curry sauce over salmon. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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Wood-Fired recipes

C oa l - Roa s t e d S w e e t P o tat o e s W i t h S a lt e d S a f f ro n - H o n e y Bu t t e r Whole-roasting root vegetables in the char and ash of a live fire is as enchanting – and simple – as it sounds. The exteriors of the vegetables get blackened and hit with intense smoke flavor while the insides are juicy and tender from the blanket of heat. If you have a wood-fired oven and don't want to use coals, this recipe will work just as well by placing the potatoes as close to your fire as possible.

I’m always torn between two of my favorite Thai fish dishes: Clay–pot salmon and

fried whole fish with red curry.

This recipe combines the two, featuring bright, sweet and tangy red curry with juicy, tender salmon, which caramelizes ever so slightly when it hits the hot cast–iron pan.

Serves | 4 to 6 |

1 2 1 ¼ 1 4

tsp saffron threads Tbsp hot water stick room-temperature unsalted butter cup honey tsp salt, plus more to taste small or medium sweet potatoes, cleaned and dried freshly ground black pepper, to taste

| preparation | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to between 750ºF and 900ºF using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer. Arrange hardwood coals in the center of grill, if using.

In a small bowl, combine saffron threads with hot water; set aside for about 10 minutes to bloom.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine butter, bloomed saffron and water, honey and salt. Whip for 5 minutes until light and fluffy; set aside.

Using barbecue tongs and wearing heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts, place sweet potatoes either directly in the coals of your grill or as close to the fire as possible in a wood-fired oven. Rotate or turn potatoes every 10 to 15 minutes until the exteriors are charred; 30 to 45 minutes total. Remove from heat. Slice into potatoes, taking care not to cut all the way through, as you would with a baked potato.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons saffron butter to each potato, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

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Wood-Fired recipes

The warm cumin undertones and roasted tomatillos and peppers make for a rich, hearty breakfast that’s perfect almost any time of day.

Green Shakshuka

Shakshuka, a popular dish in North African and Middle Eastern countries, is traditionally made with red peppers and tomatoes. Here, we're making a green version with tomatillos, green pepper and herbs.

Serves | 4 to 6 |

Wo o d - C h a r r e d Egg p l a n t W i t h D r i e d M i n t, Wa l n u t s, Dat e s a n d L a b n e h Eggplant can be a controversial vegetable: You either love it or hate it, and not necessarily because of its flavor, but for its texture. This is my favorite recipe to convert people into eggplant fans – and it’s also easily one of my favorite dips! The creamy texture is in part due to labneh, a thick yogurt cheese popular in the Middle East; look for it at international markets or Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Serves | 4 to 6 |

1 large eggplant, large dice ¼ cup canola oil salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ cup olive oil

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped 4 medjool dates, roughly chopped ½ cup dried mint 1½ cups labneh

1 tsp honey 4 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped pita bread (to serve)

| preparation | Heat wood-fired oven or grill to between 750ºF and 900ºF using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer. Place a cast-iron skillet in oven or on grill to preheat.

In a large mixing bowl, toss eggplant with oil and

season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove cast-iron skillet from oven or grill and add eggplant; return to heat and place skillet as close to the fire as possible; cook for roughly 8 to 10 minutes, carefully turning skillet every few minutes to get a good char and soften eggplant. Remove from heat; let eggplant rest.

Heat a small cast-iron skillet in oven or on the grill. Once hot, remove from heat and add olive oil, walnuts, dates and mint, and season with salt and pepper to taste; return pan to heat for approximately 3 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add labneh, honey, walnut mixture and charred eggplant and stir until combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita bread.

1 1 3 1

2 1 ½ 2 2 2 8 ½

lb tomatillos, husked and halved medium yellow onion, roughly chopped cloves garlic, roughly chopped Tbsp canola oil salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste green peppers, charred, peeled and julienned cup unsalted chicken stock Tbsp ground cumin cups fresh mint cups fresh parsley cups fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish eggs cup cotija cheese, crumbled (for garnish)

| preparation | Heat wood-fired oven to between 750°F and 900°F using oven gauge or a digital laser infrared thermometer.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat on your stovetop, add tomatillos, onion, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tomatillos begin to break down and onions are translucent, 5 minutes.

Add green peppers, chicken stock and cumin; cook until reduced to a stew consistency, 5 to 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse mint, parsley and 2 cups cilantro until an herby paste forms, 2 minutes. Add paste to tomatillo mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a 12-inch cast iron skillet.

In a small bowl, crack 1 egg. Make a well in tomatillo mixture and add egg. Continue until all eggs are evenly distributed across the top. Transfer skillet to wood-fired oven, placing it as close to the fire as possible; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Turn skillet so the other side sits near fire; cook 2 to 3 minutes more until egg yolks are just set. Remove from oven and let rest 1 minute, spooning some green liquid over egg whites but not disturbing yolks. Garnish with cotija cheese and cilantro; serve.

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Culinary entrepreneur Heather White and chef Amante Domingo opened The Russell in spring 2017, and it quickly became one of the go-to lunch spots in Kansas City. Open from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday, The Russell specializes in wood-fired fare: Nearly every dish is cooked over an open flame, from grilled half chicken to sumac-rubbed grilled beef. We recently caught up with Domingo and White to learn where they like to dine and drink when they’re off the clock. –Jordan Baranowski

with Heather White owner,

& Amante Domingo chef-owner,

the russell

photo by zach bauman

Imagine you have one entire day to dedicate to dining out in Kansas City: Where would you grab breakfast, lunch and dinner, and what would you be ordering at each spot?

nguyen pho grill

shio ramen shop

the antler room

For an early lunch, I would pick either Nguyen Pho and Grill or Shio Ramen Shop – anything with a broth and deep flavor. It’s very different than most of what’s out there, and it feels healthy.

–Heather White Definitely. Both of those restaurants have passion and love that you can taste in the food. For dinner, The Antler Room and The Rieger know how to combine bold flavors into unique dishes.

I like to try their dishes that sound like the biggest risks – they’re usually the best. –Amante Domingo

abc cafe

“ABC Cafe in Overland Park, Kansas. I don’t think there is another restaurant in town as impressive.

Everything is made with so much love; there are a lot of special things happening there.”

Who or what do you believe is a hidden gem in the Kansas City food scene?

ABC Cafe in Overland Park, Kansas. I don’t think there’s another restaurant in town as impressive. Everything is made with so much love; there are a lot of special things happening there. –A.D.

harry’s

Kobi-Q is only hidden because it opened not too long ago.

Everything they do is so good, but their Korean fried chicken wings are one of the best bites in the city. They’re good no matter which preparation you order, but the dry rub is my favorite. Sichuan peppercorn is extremely popular right now, and they do it so well. –H.W. the rieger

kobi-q

What’s your favorite drink, and where in Kansas City are you ordering it? photography courtesy Instagram users

There isn’t anything more satisfying than a Coors Banquet on the patio at Harry’s. It isn’t exciting, but it’s what I like. –A.D. I like a dirty Martini. The Rieger puts together some complex cocktails, but after a long week, sometimes its simple Martini is exactly what I need. –H.W. Where do you go for late-night eats and/or a nightcap?

This might sound kind of boring, but our favorite spot after a long day is a place like Harry’s or Chez Charlie. Throwing some darts and enjoying a few cheap beers is the best way to unwind. –A.D.

chez charlie

888 International market

What’s your go-to specialty market, grocer or farmers’ market – and what are you buying there?

When I want a break from the hectic day-to-day, I head to 888 International Market. There are so many fascinating things to check out there: I can wander through the [rare types of] seafood, load up on ramen noodles and tea, snack on some pork buns and grab a dozen different varieties of duck sauce. Best of all, I can completely blow up Google walking through, looking up ways to use the products I find there. –A.D.

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