November 2022 Feast Magazine

BY THEO R. WELLING

PHOTO BY JENNIFER SILVERMAN

Sunday,

NOVEMBER

VOLUME

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Adams, emily.adams@feastmagazine.com

MANAGING EDITOR Mary Andino, mandino@feastmagazine.com

DIGITAL EDITOR Shannon Weber, sweber@feastmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlo e Renner, crenner@feastmagazine.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR Emily Standlee, estandlee@feastmagazine.com

FACT CHECKER

Meghan Baker

PROOFREADER

Alecia Humphreys

CONTRIBUTING

Aurora Blanchard, Elizabeth Donald, Amy Feese, Amber Fisher, Alecia Humphreys, Mabel Suen, Gaby Weir Vera, Theo R. Welling

SALES

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Kevin Hart, khart@stlpostmedia.com

MEDIA STRATEGIST

Erin Wood, ewood@feastmagazine.com

ART

ART DIRECTOR

Dawn Deane, dawn.deane@feastmagazine.com

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Laura DeVlieger, lauradevlieger@laduenews.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christina Kling-Garre , Sean Locke, Ben Nickelson, Jennifer Silverberg, Mabel Suen, Theo R. Welling

CONTACT US

Feast Magazine 901 N. 10th St., St. Louis, MO 63101 314.475.1260 | feastmagazine.com

DISTRIBUTION

at rhudson@post-dispatch.com.

PUBLISHER, Ian Caso

editor’s letter

Every holiday morning – no matter which one – my family eats Stromboli. The tradition started because the dish was both loved by all and easy to prepare the night before, and therefore led to a stress-free morning that everyone could enjoy. But now, after many years of associating that freshly baked smell and that savory flavor with some of our best memories, no special occasion would feel quite as special without it.

Food gives us cause to gather – not only on marked calendar dates but also every day of the year. Food conjures nostalgia and sparks traditions you can quite literally sink your teeth into.

On p. 22, associate editor Charlotte Renner chats with the owners of two local soul food restaurants about what their favorite dishes mean to them and how the history of soul food adds significance to everything they do.

For a taste of something heartwarming this holiday season, flip to p. 32 for the inspirational story

of Cathy Daniels – the local activist affectionately known as Mama Cat – who is uplifting and supporting her community one meal at a time.

And if you are looking for your own way to have a holiday that’s easy like a Stromboli morning, turn to p. 26 for our top picks of locally made takehome holiday staples that will both delight and save you time. Looking for more ways to simplify your life this season? Try out the recipes on p. 28 to transform all of those leftovers into dishes that impress, and be sure to check out Dierbergs’ Thanksgiving tips on p. 18.

I hope this issue serves as your helpful handbook to celebrate the holidays without the stress but with all the joy that festive feasts can offer.

Cheers! Emily Adams emily.adams@feastmagazine.com

Moist Maker Maker

The Moist Maker, made famous by the TV show “Friends,” returns as a special from mid-November until Christmas on the menu of Sisters Sandwich Shoppe. After its success as a special in 2021, the first year the Sisters Sandwich Shoppe was open, it’s bound to reprise its role as a bestselling special in 2022.

Similar to “Friends” character Monica Geller’s recipe from the show, the Moist Maker features turkey, cranberry sauce, whipped sweet potatoes and herb stuffing with an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle for mouthfeel. The flavor profile ranges from salty to sweet to sour to umami.

Co-owners and sisters Jules Karagiannis and Tracy Calabro agree that the herb

Sisters

stuffing concocted by Karagiannis’ husband is the secret ingredient. He keeps the stuffing fresh by cooking new batches for the sandwich often. Karagiannis’ daughter is a “Friends” fanatic and helped taste test during the early stages of recipe development.

“It’s Thanksgiving on a sandwich; it’s a whole Thanksgiving meal between two slices of bread,” Karagiannis says.

According to Calabro, guests were surprised by the large size last year. The dish is served with a fork and knife, and depending on one’s appetite, the sandwich could be shared or saved for leftovers.

“We hope that if people came and loved it last year, they can come back,” Calabro says. “If they weren’t able to try it last year, it’s only here for a limited time, so they should stop by before it’s gone.”

WRITTEN BY AURORA BLANCHARD PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KLING-GARRETT

Caramelized

in

North

when

and

until

a whisk

the

stir in the

smooth.

this class, we will

of

With lightly floured

a 5-inch flat disk.

minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

salt

Pour filling into

the dough

the

in pumpkin and apple

and stir into

syrup, milk and cream, and

shell. Cover the edges with foil

prevent burning. Bake for about 50 minutes or until center is set. Remove the cover from the edges, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to brown the edges if needed. Remove from oven, and let cool. Whip cream with sugar for topping, and sprinkle on toffee

WRITTEN BY AMY FEESE | PHOTO BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

PHOTO BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

Julie Lock / Executive Director of Food Outreach

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH DONALD | PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KLING-GARRETT

If food is medicine, Food Outreach of St. Louis gives patients in need some of the most important tools to survive and thrive.

Food Outreach of St. Louis has operated since 1988 and was originally founded to provide food support to HIV-positive and AIDS patients – people who were being marginalized, isolated and ignored, according to executive director Julie Lock. The program’s scope has since expanded to include people with cancer and now people with uncontrolled diabetes. Currently, its thousands of clients live in 160

ZIP codes in Illinois and Missouri and range in age from 18 to 89.

Food Outreach provides scratchprepared, nutritious meals packaged mostly by volunteers, designed by dieticians with a focus on nutritional counseling and support for the special needs of people with chronic illnesses. They provide two meals a day for two to four weeks at a time for low-income clients. In addition to accepting food donations, which have decreased during the pandemic, monetary donations are also always welcomed to help them continue to provide meals.

Food Outreach

 1988: Food Outreach founded by individuals cooking meals for seven friends living with HIV and AIDS.

 1996:

Satellite grocery center opens and offers staple items for a client list in the hundreds.

 1997:

Food Outreach hires its first full-time dietician.

 1999:

The organization moves into a 10,000-square-foot facility in St. Louis’ Midtown with an industrial kitchen and grocery center.

 2000: Meal home delivery program launches for clients too ill to visit.



2006:

Services are expanded to people with cancer after pilot programs at Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine.



2018:

What about these diseases leads to food insecurity? It’s very difficult, depending on what kind of treatment they’re going through, to get the proper nutrition they need to have their nutritional needs met. Their nutrition helps them maintain the body composition to be relatively well, while the virus is wreaking havoc in the body. Nutrition helps address that.

To qualify, your clients must be low-income. Is that often the case with these illnesses? For regions like St. Louis, you can map neighborhood, ZIP code, chronic illness and poverty, and they relate significantly. Poverty impacts everything related to the social

determinants of health, including chronic illnesses. Many times, people who live in neighborhoods that are disinvested start their lives with health issues unfolding very quickly. These disparities and inequities relate in urban and rural settings in the state of Missouri.

What is the biggest misunderstanding people have about your work? That our clients are all experiencing the same thing. What we learn about our individual clients is that they’re all individuals. We want to be really careful that we don’t make sweeping assumptions that one client in North County might be similar to a client in South St. Louis. We try to meet our clients where

they are, so when our clients need us or need more than what our agency can do, we are able to help them or refer them to other organizations.

The other misconception is that we have a lot of staff. We have about 14 people and 800 volunteers. It’s a shared challenge. A lot of individuals and organizations understand that what we’re doing is really critical. When we look at inequity and disparity in St. Louis, we’re doing something unique that sits on the foundation of dignity and kindness and love.

Food Outreach, 3117 Olive St., Midtown, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-652-3663, foodoutreach.org



Food Outreach named “Health Advocate of the Year” by St. Louis Community Development Administration.

2020:

The organization pivots to contactfree curbside and home delivery service in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

 2021:

Pilot program launches in partnership with VA Hospital System of St. Louis for veterans with uncontrolled Type II diabetes.

 2022:

Meal home delivery expands to 350 clients, compared to 40 prior to pandemic.

Photo supplied

Photo supplied

SCIENCEREVEALSMOREREASONS TO BANISH BOOZE

SPONSORED C ONTENT BYKATHERINELEWIS

NONALCOHOLIC BEER

Thebeermarketis overflowing withmore optionsthan ever andthatincludesbeerssans alcohol. A smallstudy published lastsummerinthe Journalof Agriculturaland FoodChemistry showedthat participantswho drankbeer —evennonalcoholic varieties —over a periodof four weekswere shown to have more “good” bacteriaintheir gastrointestinaltracts andbetter intestinalhealth overallthanthose who consumednobeer.Even athleteshavegotteninonthe trend,drinkingnonalcoholicbeers to lowerinflammationandaidin recovery afterstrenuousactivity.

NONALCOHOLIC WINE

Many ofthebenefits associated with redwine comefrom resveratrol, acompound found intheskinofgrapes When red wineismade,it ferments with thegrapes’skinsintactlonger than white winesdo, making it aparticularlygood source of resveratrol.Butitturnsout that resveratrolisalso present innonalcoholicwines, as well asingrapejuice andother red andblueberries. Althoughmore study on resveratrolisneeded, it’s thoughtthatthe compound mayreduce LDLcholesteroland helppreventbloodclots.

SPARKLING WATER

Sparkling water (or seltzer) isan excellent swapnotonly foralcohol,butalsosoda:It brings allthebubblesbutnone ofthesugaror caffeine.Plus, it’sa muchbetter wayto stay hydrated,andthere’ssome evidence thatdrinkingsparkling watermakes swallowing easier forpeople whohavedysphagia. Certain waterbrandsadd ingredients thatcrankupthe flavorin ways thatare less than healthy, though. Keepan eye out forhow muchsugarand sodium these drinkscontain.

TEA

Want totake theedge offat theendoftheday? Consider reaching forthe teakettle rather thanthebeerfridge. Certain teas,particularly chamomileand lemon balm, can ease anxiety and helpthebody prepareforsleep Tea also makes a greatafter dinnerdrink:Ginger tea may combatindigestion,bloatingand constipation, whilepeppermint teasoothesthenervesandthe stomachalike.

Fizz

Thebenefitsofmoderatedrinking—namely, improvedheartandcirculatoryhealth—have beentoutedformanyyears.Butmorerecently, questionsaboutthisconventionalwisdom havebubbledtothesurface.Studiesrevealed compellingevidencethatpassingonbooze altogetheristhehealthiestwaytogo.

“Alcoholincreasestheriskofatleastfive differentcancers,includingtheriskofbreast cancerandcoloncancer,withjustafew drinksaweek,”saysYin Cao,ScD,MPH, associateprofessorofsurgeryandmedicine atWashingtonUniversitySchoolofMedicine. “Heavydrinking(>1drinkperdayforwomen; >2drinksperdayformen) alsoincreasesthe riskofliverdisease,high-blood-pressurerelatedheartdiseaseandinjuries,amonga numberofotherharms.”

Andthat’snotjustintheUnitedStates. Cao pointsoutthatalcoholisthemostimportant riskfactorlinkedtoprematuredeathinpeople ages15to49worldwide—astatisticthat’s hardtoswallow.“Afterhearingforsolong aboutthehearthealthbenefitsofalcohol,it maytakealittletimetoadjusttotheideathat drinkingzeroalcoholisactuallythesafestand healthiestchoiceoverall.Butit’ssomething wecanallworktoward,andit’seasierthan you mightthink.”

Wanttoreducehowmuch youdrink?If you’re usedtodoingsomethingintheeveningto winddown,replacehappyhourwithacoffee orteabreak.Orgrabsomefriendsandsetout onarelaxingwalk.Theupcomingholiday seasonwillbringlotsofsocialeventsthat oftenfeaturefullystockedbars,butthey’re

also excellentopportunitiestotryout some alcohol-free alternatives.“Unsweetened coffeesandteasaregreatchoices. Unsweetenedfizzywatersare,too,” Caosays. “Andmanynonalcoholicbeersandspiritscan tastealotliketheregularversions,making goodsubstitutesinsettingswherepeoplemay normallychooseadrinkwithalcohol.”

PREPARATION

Using a muddler, press the gingerin a large glass orshaker Addciderandshake.On a smallplate, combinebrown sugarandcinnamon. Using aseparate glass, firstdipthe riminto lemonjuice,theninto cinnamon-sugarmixture until rimis generouslycovered. Place ice inthesugar-rimmed glass.Add 6oz ofapple-cider mixture into glass and topwith 2oz gingerbeer Garnishwith freshappleslices

NUTRITIONFACTS

Makesabout four servings. 100 caloriesper serving.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMANCANCERCENTER

PAN DE JAMÓNPAN DEPAN DE JAMÓNPAN DE

de Jamón is an essential element of every

of raisins with the salty brine of

reminds me of

immigrating to the

table during the holidays. This unique dish – not quite a sandwich and not quite a meat pie – combines

ham

up into the warm embrace of homemade bread. The scent of all of these ingredients

waiting to buy this

my family gathered at the holiday table and my grandmother, who taught

States, it was one of the first items

YIELDS

mom and I made together in the hopes of gathering family.

/ preparation / In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yeast; mix well, and set aside until bubbly. Meanwhile, whisk together 1½ sticks of butter, the rest of the sugar and the salt until well-combined. Continue whisking, and add the 3 eggs one by one, followed by the milk and yeast mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the salt; add to the wet components a little bit at a time until the dough is formed. Let the dough rest in a clean bowl for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle additional flour on a clean surface and knead the dough until smooth. Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle, about ¼-inch thick.

Working one at a time, spread 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter in a thin layer over the top of each of the rectangles, and fold the dough into thirds, in the shape of a letter. Then, take the letter-shaped dough and fold in half, making a square. Cover each of the dough squares, and let them rest in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Repeat the process of rolling, buttering, folding and refrigerating for 4 hours one more time.

Lightly flour a clean work surface, and roll one of the dough pieces into a thin 15-by-20-inch rectangle. Begin to fill the dough by placing the ham in a single layer across the surface. Follow by placing bacon strips and a light sprinkle of raisins and olives. Working with one dough piece at a time, gently roll the dough, tucking in the fillings as you go to make sure it is tight.

When fully rolled, place the whole roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loaves with a clean dish towel, and let rise for 45 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F, and bake for 40 minutes. Mix the beaten egg and the tablespoon of sugar. Pull the loaves out of the oven, and brush the egg wash all over the surface. Bake for another 5 minutes or a bit longer until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

WEIR

BY BEN NICKELSON

ONE ON ONE ONE on Must-Try Baked Goods From The Foundry Bakery

Ray and Leah Yeh / cO-ownerS, The Foundry Bakery

Egg TarT

This customer favorite is inspired by pastéis da nata, or Portuguese custard tarts, and features more than 100 wonderfully crispy layers of buttery laminated dough filled with creamy egg custard.

At The Foundry Bakery in Maryland Heights, Missouri, husband-and-wife duo Ray and Leah Yeh have prepared their own take on Taiwanese-centric breads, buns and pastries, alongside a colorful array of beverages and desserts, since setting up shop in 2018. Ray Yeh grew up in Taiwan and spent his formative years in Los Angeles before moving to St. Louis to pursue graduate studies in biology and biomedical science at Washington University in St. Louis, where the couple met. Leah Yeh was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and spent her undergraduate years in Singapore before coming to WashU to work on her MBA. With The Foundry Bakery, the Yehs combine their science and business backgrounds with their passion for outstanding food to create an artisan bakeshop unlike any other and offer completely from-scratch traditional Taiwanese baked goods.

What inspired you to open The Foundry Bakery? We both relish the way different flavors and textures of food bring joy to the senses and love sharing that with people. It all began with casual baking for family and friends and seeing both the smiles for the tasty treats but also the grimaces for the many failed items. My science background instilled in me a love of experimentation and understanding of the science behind baking, which drove me down a road to create, test and retest recipes. We also sought to share all the unique Taiwanese flavors and ingredients that are currently unfamiliar to many people in St. Louis. Leah has worked tirelessly using her business background to ensure smooth operation of the bakery,

establishing connections, sourcing unique ingredients and managing daily production. It has been quite a journey already, and we enjoy continually being challenged while putting all aspects of our education and skills to the test every day.

How would you describe the flavors in your Taiwanese sweets? In general, Taiwanese food is lower on the sweetness scale, [thereby] allowing flavors to come through. Taiwanese people also love chewy textures so much that they invented boba to pair with all the great teas that are grown in the high mountains of Taiwan. We aim to bring a slice of that to St. Louis by introducing ingredients and flavors that are a part of

everyday Taiwanese cuisine, such as taro, red and mung beans, as well as longan fruit. Many classic Taiwanese pastries are flaky, like our egg tarts and mooncakes.

What special desserts and drinks do you like to prepare around the holidays? We would definitely recommend our fall spiced pumpkin egg tarts. The custard is made with real pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Also, our hot dirty chai latte that is made with our freshly ground spice blend with two shots of espresso!

The Foundry Bakery, 11424 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 314-884-1116, thefoundrybakery.com

Taro globE

For this delicate dessert, laminated pastry crust with a hint of coconut is handcrafted in a spiral pattern, enclosing a housemade taro center with chestnuts.

TaiwanEsE PinEaPPlE gEm

The Foundry Bakery’s take on this traditional Taiwanese treat features caramelized pineapple wrapped in crumbly, buttery shortbread.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

WHAT IS IT?

If you’ve

of

than mute it. There’s a darkness

the

WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?

– a depth that

add it to and

The floral notes in rose harissa aren’t overt, which keeps the paste just as flexible as a

chile

use it to steer tomato sauces in a new direction, or add it to autumnal pumpkin or sweet potato soups. Add it to a marinade for beef, chicken or pork, or mainline all that flavor and use it as a condiment

Rose harissa can be

SHOPLOCAL

Visit Larder &Cupboardfora bloodorangeginger marmalade that works wonderfullyfor thisrecipe.

cup olive oil in a slow stream to emulsify, adding more as needed until a smooth paste forms. Remove from bowl, stir in salt and refrigerate until ready to use.

/ baked feta preparation / Preheat oven to 350˚F; set the feta in the center of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Use potato masher to break up tomatoes and their sauce to small chunks; whisk in ¼ cup rose harissa until combined. Pour around feta, and cook for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbling and feta is soft.

/ to serve / Remove from oven; stir marmalade and honey together in small saucepan over medium heat until hot; pour over feta chunk and around sauce. Serve hot with flatbreads or crostini.

WRITTEN BY SHANNON WEBER

BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

HanukkahMust-Haves

Kohn’s Kosher Meat

Kohn’s Kosher Meat prides itself on being the only strictly kosher store in St. Louis. For Hanukkah, the store’s potato pancakes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) are a must-try. “We make zillions over a short period of time,” says Lenny Kohn of Kohn’s Kosher Meat & Deli. “We make raspberry-filled and custard-filled [doughnuts], and we top them with either powdered sugar or white fondant or chocolate.” In terms of traditional entrées, Kohn says the store’s most popular items are the roast beef and house-smoked brisket.

Protzel’s Deli

There’s no doubt that the traditional corned beef keeps customers coming to Protzel’s Deli in Clayton. However, beyond this beloved dish, Protzel’s also serves up other classics, such as latkes, roasted brisket, matzo ball soup and rugelach. “They are traditional and our own family recipes,” says Max Protzel, co-owner of Protzel’s Deli. “Many customers crave our homemade kishka – not a traditional Hanukkah food, but a Jewish staple – particularly with roasted brisket or chicken. Also, some enjoy a traditional Jewish breakfast of our fresh, hand-sliced Nova Scotia

all of the trimmings.”

WRITTEN BY ALECIA HUMPHREYS | PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KLING-GARRETT

RESTAURANTS REVIEWED

Santa Fe Bistro

Santa Fe Bistro is a new restaurant from the owner of Oceano Bistro, Amer Abouwardah. The name and some of the menu items suggest a focus on the cuisine of New Mexico and the broader Southwest, but Santa Fe Bistro’s menu is stunningly all over the map.

Santa Fe Bistro, 12316

Blvd., Creve Coeur, Missouri

314-628-1001; santafebistromo.com

Tacos El Manny

to owner

the Mexican

torta

inescapable

Cleaver & Cocktail

Cleaver & Cocktail doesn’t call itself a steakhouse, and this three-month-old restaurant certainly doesn’t resemble the usual stuffy clubhouse of sleek leather and framed Wine Advocate awards. It looks instead like a modern ski chalet plunked down in Town and Country, but make no mistake, the beef is the star.

Cleaver & Cocktail, 13360 Clayton Road, Town and Country, Missouri

info 314-530-9700; cleaverandcocktail.com

steaks with seafood

PHOTO

JORDAN

LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

HEAT ’N’EAT

S& NOSH

T

GreenBeans

ONE INGREDIENT, 3 WAYS GreenBeans

Green beans are a staple on most holiday tables, but this classic rarely receives as much love and a ention as mashed potatoes, stuffing or roasted meats. This humble vegetable, with its clean flavor and snappy texture, is a blank canvas waiting to be painted with herbs, spices, fat and acid. We talked to several local chefs to get their help on turning this overlooked veggie into one of the stars of your holiday menu.

twothree

GET BACON INVOLVED

Chris Schafer, co-owner of Heavy Smoke BBQ, is an award-winning pitmaster, so perhaps it’s no surprise that his advice when it comes to green beans involves meat. “What I always do is cook a li le bit of bacon and set that aside, and then in a li le bit of bacon grease, throw onions and kind of let them caramelize, and then I’ll put the green beans in with salt, pepper, garlic,” Schafer says. He sautés everything in the bacon fat and serves them with sprinkles of the cooked bacon on top. He cautions to be sure to get high-quality, fresh green beans. “I want my green beans to have a snap, too, so I like the fresh, long-cut,” he says.

Heavy Smoke BBQ, 4270 N. Service Road, St. Peters, Missouri, 636-244-5874, heavysmokebbq.com

MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH

Whether you love or hate the classic green bean casserole, there’s a way to elevate it this holiday season. Rick Lewis, chef-owner of Grace Meat + Three, says the key is making it from scratch, rather than relying on canned goods. “Make a nice onion soup or mushroom soup and kind of braise [the green beans] down and top them with some crispy fried shallots,” he recommends. Lewis says it’s a misconception that you have to blanch or steam green beans before throwing them in a casserole. “Don’t overcook them – make sure they stay a li le snappy,” he says. MJ Stewart, part of the pastry team at Bowood by Niche, loves the idea of turning this classic dish into an elevated, savory baked good. “Take your more traditional green bean casserole, and translate that into a gale e filling,” she says. The crispy, flaky pastry crust will add a welcome crunch to the creamy green beans.

Grace Meat + Three, 4270 Manchester Ave., The Grove, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-533-2700, stlgrace.com

Bowood by Niche, 4605 Olive St., Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-454-6868, bowoodbyniche.com

BE CREATIVE

For Sco ie Corrigan, executive chef at Commonwealth, holiday cooking is an opportunity to create new traditions. When it comes to cooking green beans, he focuses on developing depth of flavor. “I think brown bu er goes such a long way; it has the nu y flavor and aroma, that rich deep bu ery flavor,” he says. Another favorite preparation is to confit green beans in duck fat, low and slow, for about 30 minutes. Brandon Panosh, head chef at Winslow’s Table, echoes the call to be inventive when it comes to holiday meals. He makes a Mediterranean-inspired green bean dish, with pickled peppers, toasted pine nuts, feta and a tahini vinaigre e. “It’s super refreshing, nu y and very healthy,” he says.

Commonwealth, 634 N. Grand Blvd., Grand Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-405-3399, commonwealthstl.com

Winslow’s Table, 7213 Delmar Blvd., Delmar Loop, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-725-7559, winslowstable.com

WRITTEN BY MARY ANDINO PHOTO BY CHRISTINA KLING-GARRETT

DISH BY WINSLOW'S TABLE

Monday:Closed Tuesday–Saturday: 11:00am–10:00pm

for the Soul FOOD

WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE RENNER | PHOTOS BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

Passing down family holiday recipes is important in any culture, but soul food recipes can hold an even deeper meaning for Black families.

“Originally, soul food [was] usually prepared and eaten by African Americans, usually originating in the Southern states,” Trezel Brown, owner of CC’s Vegan Spot, says. “To me, soul food is all about flavor; it’s about preparing foods that would awaken your taste buds.”

Soul food holiday recipes include a myriad of dishes, from fried chicken to cornbread dressing to collard greens. For Creole with a Splash of Soul owner Ronda Walker, however, chi erlings (aka chitlins) are a quintessential –though labor-intensive – holiday dish.

“It’s pig intestines; it’s so good with hot sauce and mustard and onions – my mouth is watering talking about it,” Walker says. “You fight over chitlins because you don’t make a lot. One 10-pound bucket is like a li le ball, and it takes hours to clean. To cook 50 pounds may take you a week.”

Brown won’t be having any chitlins at her holiday table, however. Since turning to a vegan diet due to her and her family’s allergies, she’s had to find creative ways to transform traditional soul food recipes into vegan dishes

while still maintaining their signature flavor.

“When I became vegan, it was important to me to master what I like to eat,” Brown says. “I didn’t want to go without. People think because you’re vegan or you’re plant-based, you have to just eat salads all day long. I wanted to dispel that myth.”

With this mindset, Brown created vegan soul food holiday dishes to imitate ribs, mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, collard greens and cabbage. She says her family can’t tell that the ribs don’t come from an animal. “My family is extremely proud of the things I’ve done,” Brown says. “They love my cooking.” Now, Brown hosts Thanksgiving dinner out of CC’s Vegan Spot, where she sells more than 100 to-go vegan Thanksgiving meals for the holiday with the help of her family.

The holiday dish Brown can’t live without, though, is dressing. Her dressing recipe actually belongs to Brown’s sister, who comes to the restaurant or calls her on the phone to help her make it. The dressing itself is made with a seasoned cornmeal base and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. “Just those three together – the combinations with the flavor, the taste – you won’t even realize you’re not even having meat,” Brown says.

HOLIDAY SOUL FOOD REPRESENTS BOTH A CELEBRATION OF FAMILY AND THE HISTORY THAT BROUGHT THESE RECIPES TO LIFE.

me,

is all about

it’s about preparing foods that would awaken your taste buds.

BROWN OWNER, CC’S VEGAN SPOT

It’s a constant reminder of my ancestors and slavery, and what they had to do to get me to the point where I can actually own a restaurant.

RONDA WALKER OWNER, CREOLE WITH A SPLASH OF SOUL

Both Brown and Walker agree that they wouldn’t have soul food expertise if it weren’t for their families. Brown grew up in a family of chefs and absorbed their cooking methods and recipes like a sponge. Her father was a fisherman, and watching him fry fish when she was a child inspired Brown’s plant-based “ish” bites at CC’s.

Walker also learned how to cook from her father, who was a cook for the army and in charge of the mess hall. “He’s 83, and he can out-cook me to this day without even trying,” Walker says. Walker’s father learned how to cook from his own father, who worked as a cook and butler for a man in Ladue and his aunt, who ran a restaurant as the lead chef.

As a child, Walker’s holidays consisted of gathering at one of her grandmother’s houses for lots of soul food and family time. With 10 aunts and uncles and lots of cousins, the house was always full, she says. Walker says everyone slept wherever they could find a spot, whether it be a couch or the floor.

These are the memories called to mind when Walker cooks up soul food holiday dishes, but they aren’t the only ones. “It’s a constant reminder of my ancestors and slavery, and what they had to do to get me to the point where I can actually own a restaurant,” Walker says. “I think about how the foods like chi erlings and pigs feet and pig ears were given to them because they were the scraps. It was the part that nobody wanted. So they had to take those scraps and turn them into what we now call soul food, and make it very delicious and put spices and seasonings and do things to them to make them edible, basically.”

Walker cooks a medley of soul food dishes for the holidays: yams, oxtails, turkey, dressing, mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken and meatloaf. But she also makes these dishes in her restaurant every Sunday. Growing up, every Sunday, the extended Walker family would gather together to enjoy soul food. These soul food gatherings are what shape Black youth and culture, according to Walker.

“In the African American culture, with soul food Sundays and holidays, that’s pre y much what kept the youth grounded,” Walker says. “Soul food didn’t just represent our holidays or food, it was also a sense of how you conduct yourself as a child. There were certain things that you didn’t do – a certain amount of respect and love and loyalty. That’s key. That’s the center of soul food.”

CC’s Vegan Spot, 4993 Loughborough Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-899-9400, ccsveganspot.com

Creole with a Splash of Soul, 4353 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-349-2385, creolemeetsoul.com

How to the HOLIDAYS

Win

Yolklore

If your family has a sweet tooth but not a flair for baking, head to Yolklore for whole pies and desserts. Around Thanksgiving, the spot offers seasonal favorites like caramel French apple pie and pumpkin pie with cinnamon crème, as well as classics like gooey bu er cake and turtle cheesecake. Set yourself up for success on Christmas morning by preordering Yolklore’s take-and-bake sticky buns.

Yolklore, 8958 Watson Road, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-270-8538, yolklore.com

KNEAD Bakehouse + Provisions

This holiday season, KNEAD is offering its signature sourdough-based desserts in fall flavors. Try a sourdough doughnut filled with cranberry citrus jelly or the apple pie sourdough toaster pastry. “We fill our sourdough pastry with classic apple pie filling,” AJ Brown, chef and co-owner of KNEAD, says. “We make the filling by cooking local Doublestar apples in their own juices with fall spices and housemade vanilla.” This spot has more than just sweets to offer, however. You can also preorder bu ernut bisque, maple roasted squash salad and an autumn Brussels sprouts salad.

KNEAD Bakehouse + Provisions, 3467 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-376-4361, kneadbakehouse.com

St. Louis caterer Butler’s Pantry has been around since 1966, so the team knows its way around a holiday spread. The creative sides are the true standouts here. Choose from spaghe i squash arrabbiata, maple pecan roasted yams, green bean mushroom casserole and a brusche a trio. The whole roasted turkey with cranberry sauce is sure to impress your guests. Finish off on the sweet side with a pumpkin cheesecake made with Biscoff cookie crust.

Butler’s Pantry, 1414 Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-664-7680, butlerspantry.com

Winslow’s Table

Compose your perfect holiday meal with mix-and-match dishes including roasted local turkey, whipped potatoes, mushroom and kale stuffing, roasted carrot salad, cranberry chutney, dinner rolls and more. Head chef Brandon Panosh says, “The stuffing has mushrooms, and it gives it a meatiness that everybody and vegetarians can enjoy.” Its bakery offers scratch-made pies, cinnamon rolls and pastries. Keep an eye on its website to learn when preorders open.

Winslow’s Table, 7213 Delmar Blvd., University City, Missouri, 314-725-7559, winslowstable.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUTLER'S PANTRY

Butler’s Pantry

SqWires

SqWires has two different holiday options. Order dishes, mains and desserts à la carte, or order complete plated dinners for up to six people. In addition to a whole turkey, enjoy braised collards, sweet potato Gruyere bake and green beans and wild mushrooms. For dessert, choose from pumpkin pie, apple pie or pumpkin bread pudding.

SqWires, 1415 S. 18th St., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-865-3522, sqwires.com

Russell’s

With locations in Fenton and the Macklind business district, Russell’s is ready to satisfy your family’s sweet tooth. You’ll have your choice of traditional or creative baked goods. Options include pumpkin pie, orange zest bu ercream cake, Christmas tree sugar cookies and chocolate cream pie. And don’t skip the gooey bu er cake; Russell’s has more than a dozen flavors.

Russell’s, multiple locations, 314-553-9994, russellscafe.com

Grace Meat + Three

Grace Meat + Three sells out of its preorder holiday meals quickly, so be sure to get your orders in early. The restaurant offers ham, turkey and prime rib for mains, plus classic sides. One of its most popular offerings is its dressing. Chef-owner Rick Lewis says, “It’s an herbaceous bread dressing with some homemade sausage [and] box-grated mirepoix; it’s really pre y savory. We use a lot of smoked turkey stock.” Another bestselling side is the bourbon and molasses sweet potatoes with streusel topping.

Grace Meat + Three, 4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 314-533-2700, stlgrace.com

DoLeftovers

WRITTEN BY AMBER FISHER | PHOTOS BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

Thanksgiving is over, and the kitchen is finally (almost) clean. As

stare blankly into the refrigerator, chock-full of the fruits of your labor, leftover fatigue starts to creep in. These five recipes will transform your old leftovers to refreshingly delicious dishes that will get you in and out of the kitchen and back on the couch in no time.

Crab Cakes With Tartar Sauce

think we can all agree that stuffing is the crown jewel of Thanksgiving.

end up with a cup to spare, you may want to consider this no-fuss,

crab cake and tartar sauce recipe.

/ In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the tartar sauce; add salt to taste. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. With a rubber spatula, carefully fold in crab meat and stuffing until just combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the mixture set. In a large, nonstick pan, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it shimmers. Using a ½-cup measuring cup, scoop crab mixture and gently drop into the hot pan; lightly press down to flatten with a rubber spatula. Cook each side for three to five minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a serving platter, and serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

preparation

drain

pancetta, slowly rendering out some of the fat, about

Heat about ½ teaspoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat.

Crank up the heat to medium-high, and sauté until crispy; set aside

a plate with a paper towel. Melt butter in a large pot over medium

Add leeks and garlic. Sweat until tender and soft, stirring and adjusting heat as necessary to avoid browning. Add the broth, thyme and bay leaf; turn down low, and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and then pour leek mixture into a blender with the mashed potatoes; blend until smooth. Return soup to the pot, and bring to a simmer; stir in heavy cream. If the soup is too thick, add a little stock to thin it out. If it’s too thin, gently simmer until thickened. Salt to taste. Garnish with crispy pancetta,

and cheddar

Turkey Tinga Quesadillas

In this recipe, leftover shredded turkey is simmered in a smoky chipotle sauce, piled onto a flour tortilla with Oaxacan cheese and pan-fried to perfection. If you cannot find Oaxacan cheese in your supermarket, try substituting with a whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella instead.

leftover turkey, shredded

chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped

canned crushed tomatoes

red onion, thinly sliced

cup leftover turkey stock

cloves garlic, minced

Tbsp olive oil

tsp oregano

kosher salt

tsp cumin

cups Oaxacan cheese, shredded

10-inch flour tortillas  cilantro, chopped (for garnish) sour cream (for serving)

/ preparation / Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add chipotle peppers, turkey stock, tomatoes, oregano, salt and cumin; stir and bring to a simmer. Stir in turkey, and cook until most of the turkey stock has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and set aside. Heat a nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, and brush lightly with cooking oil. Lay a tortilla on the pan, and spread a few heaping spoonfuls of turkey tinga followed by a handful of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla and cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 4 to 5 minutes each side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Garnish with cilantro, and serve warm with sour cream.

Spaghetti With Brussels Sprout Pangrattato

Pangrattato, which means “breadcrumbs,” is an Italian condiment made from stale bread (think leftover dinner rolls), butter or oil, garlic and herbs. Leftover Brussels sprouts are used here to add a nutty, slightly bitter complementary flavor. Want to take it up a notch? Serve with a poached egg on top!

SERVES

spaghetti

leftover Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

freshly stale breadcrumbs

olive oil, more as needed

small anchovies, chopped

cloves garlic, crushed

Tbsp capers

Tbsp butter

Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped

crushed red chile flakes zest and juice of one lemon pecorino, grated (for serving) black pepper (for serving)

/ preparation / Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add anchovies and capers. Fry until the capers begin to split and the anchovies are mostly dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in Brussels sprouts and breadcrumbs; sauté until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook according to package directions; drain well, and reserve ½ cup pasta water. In a mixing bowl, toss in hot pasta, pasta water, butter, parsley, lemon juice and zest and the Brussels sprout pangrattato; toss to combine. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of grated pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper.

When she was a little girl growing up in New York City, Daniels learned firsthand about the joy of cooking and community from her parents.

“I was 3 when I moved from Harlem to a Bronx tenement,” Daniels says. “Go in the backyard, I ain’t bragging, but my mom and dad threw down. The ribs were the best.”

Flash forward nearly six decades. In June 2020 – in the backyard of her former home in Florissant with her two elderly but energetic dogs, Curly and Rocky – Daniels recounted how she started PotBangerz, a group of volunteers who make meals for the unhoused. The group received worldwide attention in the summer of 2014 when Mama Cat spent each night feeding the throngs of people who gathered in Ferguson to protest the killing of Michael Brown.

“It was surreal at first, and then it got normalized,” she says. “I remember when I first went out there. I had some snacks and some water.”

One night, Daniels met Dontey Demeko Carter, one of the founding members of the Lost Voices. The group’s Twitter bio reads, “Youth raising their voice and action to get justice for #MikeBrown and all those slain by police brutality.” She asked Carter if there was anything she could do to help during the protests, and he replied, “A little homecooked meal won’t hurt nobody.”

The next day, Daniels returned to the protests with homecooked spaghetti, garlic bread and salad.

CATHY DANIELS – BETTER KNOWN AS “MAMA CAT” – BEGAN THE NONPROFIT POTBANGERZ IN 2014 TO PROVIDE HOMECOOKED MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED.

“I could have just handed them the food and walked off, but I sat down, and I broke bread with these kids,” she says. “I learned about them, and I learned what their passions were and why it was so important that they were out there, you know, and I heard them, and I felt that. I know why I went out there – because I have sons and grandsons and have girls, too. I mean, that could have been any one of them, God forbid.”

From that point on, Daniels returned to the protests every evening with her grandson to provide nourishment to her community members. The movement gained enough momentum to eventually expand into serving another vital purpose – helping St. Louis’ unhoused community by providing weekly meals for 150 to 200 people.

PotBangerz has also catered several post-funeral receptions for families grieving after the death of a loved one. Since PotBangerz’s inception, the organization’s mission has only gained momentum and evolved in ways that have expanded its reach across the St. Louis area, even though Daniels now lives in Jacksonville, Florida.

In September 2021, for instance, Daniels addressed the Pine Lawn City Council with the goal of winning its approval for a women’s transitional house, Mildred’s Casa De Paz or Mildred’s House of Peace, named after a close friend who donated the house for all women in need.

“I don’t want to just give you food; I don’t want to just give you a blanket,” she told the council members. “I want to get you to your tomorrow.”

Currently, the house is undergoing some structural updates from a grant and will be opened fully in the future as more funds become available.

Above all, Daniels is known as a fighter, advocate and voice for her community. Dr. Deborah Krause, president of Eden Seminary, met Daniels in Ferguson in 2014 and awarded her a Doctorate of Humane Letters.

“I think she models that sense of responsibility that we can – with or without huge amounts of money –pool our resources, and we can do wonderful things,” Krause says. “I think she inspires people to be better people and to take better care of the village.”

Much of Daniels’ work happens behind the scenes, where she fosters relationships among individuals in the St. Louis area, connects people in need and elevates voices to directly affect change.

“When resources are needed, she’s spoken truth to power; when there weren’t particular operations, she’s helped to coordinate to bring those to be,” says St. Louis director of human services Yusef Scoggin. “She’s been out there and actually transporting people. So it’s really a function of fighting for overall system change through awareness, etc. But it’s also actually boots on the ground as needed to fill in the gap where necessary.”

As an individual who has experienced homelessness, Daniels says she has great empathy for people in need and understands that anyone, at any time, can find themselves unhoused or unable to get a meal for themselves or their children. That understanding is the driving force behind her efforts to continually feed, house and help people in need in the St. Louis community.

“Food offers comfort,” Daniels says. “And when you break bread, you break down walls between people.”

Visit potbangerz.org to learn more.

- CATHY DANIELS

Food offers comfort. And when you break bread, you break down walls between people.

Togetheragainfor theHolidays