TableScape Magazine FEBRUARY 2024

A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER

You’re Cordially Invited

By Joe Tetro

A southern breakfast isn’t all that different from breakfast in other parts of the country, except it is bigger, more varied and better than the rest. I guess if we put it that way, a traditional southern breakfast is a pretty unique thing. The rest of the country tends to key in on the grits, but we know that the breakfast options below the Mason-Dixon line are endless.

They say breakfast is “the most important meal of the day”, born of a marketing campaign for a 1944 breakfast cereal we were told that “Nutrition Experts” bestowed this moniker on our morning meal. Whether breakfast is more important than lunch or supper is irrelevant, the morning or early afternoon meal has become a time for friends and family to gather over good food, good conversation and a couple of Bloody Mary's. Join us as we celebrate the completion of another exciting Mardi Gras season.

In the February issue of TableScape Magazine; Allison Marlow looks at romantic brunch offerings, Amber Derr explores the versatility of the humble egg, and our very own Coffee Queen, Jax Petro, shares some interesting facts about everyone ’ s favorite hot breakfast drink. We also meet with small batch bacon making rebel William Stitt, as he waxes poetic about his favorite subject.

As always, there are plenty of recipes, photos, and a couple of surprises. So, belly up to the breakfast bar and enjoy, because as Julia Child once said: “People that love to eat are always the best people”.

Association Management & Consultation

For The Love Of Food

By Allison Marlow

Chace Yamagata loves food

He loves even more that a shared love of food can bring people together.

In 2021, he created Baldwi meld the two ideas. As an a real estate agent, make to South Alabama from Ha

“I needed to find a way to something I was passionate thing I like about food is th all have to do, so it's nice t Yamagata was born and ra of Southern California, and before returning to the isla moved to Alabama to help company they opened in Fa home.

“When we came here, after just three to four days, it felt like home. People are super nice, it's very similar to Hawaii in that it's a slower pace, and it’s right on the water,” he says.

Once he got his real estate license, he needed to expand his social circles. He noticed on some community social media pages, the reactions, and comments were not pleasant.

“It threw me off guard because everyone I met in person was so charming and friendly,” he says.

So, he created Baldwin County Foodies as a safe space to talk about local specialties, specifically Baldwin County food new restaurants, chefs, and dishes. Interest in the page exploded, quickly gathering more than 20,000 members.

Turns out, many people like to talk about food. Members share their favorite dishes at local restaurants, success in nabbing hard to find items in local markets, and photos of their creations in the kitchen. The response in each instance is positive, encouraging, and sometimes leads to fun conversations.

“I've made numerous connections and friends with many people through the page, ” he says. “Obviously, there are plenty of restaurant people on there, but the response in the community has been huge too.”

Many may have noticed that Chace, who hails of Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Portuguese heritage, also sees food as an adventure, one that he encourages his followers to take.

“I eat everything. I’ll try everything once. I’ll eat any part of an animal once, ” he says. “Part of being a foodie is having an open mind.

“Try it and if it's not for you, it's not for you. At least you tried it,” he says.

More important than the food, he says, are the people who make food their craft.

“I like to get to know the people who run the restaurants and the passion that drives them. I don’t care how good the food is. I'm not going to a restaurant if the people running it aren’t good people," he says.

As Baldwin County's population continues to expand at record-breaking rates, the number of new restaurant openings also continues to grow. With each new batch of construction, the Baldwin County Foodies page excitedly comes to life what will it be?

When compared to the food scene in Los Angeles, Chace said the county has great eateries but because of its smaller population size, it doesn’t have the diversity of ethnic restaurants that you’d typically find in large cities. However, he does see that slowly changing.

“I th t h t i I t t d th B ld i C t F di

Breakfast Pizza

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. bacon

1 large prepared pizza dough

1/2 cup pizza sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

4 large eggs

2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Drain the cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Stretch the pizza dough out over a pizz pan, then spread the pizza sauce evenly over the surface (leave about ½ inch of bare crust around the outer edge).

Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the sauce. Crack four eggs onto the pizza, spaced out evenly over the surface, then crumble the bacon on top.

Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven or until the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the eggs are cooked to your liking (solid whites, firm or liquid yolks).

Top the baked pizza with green onion, slice into 8 pieces, then serve!

Wake Up To Love

By Allison Marlow

Romance is in the air – by the sea, beside babbling river beds, deep in the humming forest.

Lucky for us, on Valentine’s Day, Baldwin County lovebirds can pick any of these backdrops for their day of adoration. And, there's no better way to celebrate amore than with a delicious breakfast for two.

Ever wanted to have an entire beach to yourself? Valentine’s Day falls on Wednesday this year. In the winter, the crowds on Alabama’s beaches are pretty sparse. On a winter weekday? You may be the only one there.

Set a romantic picnic for you and your love on any of the public beaches in the stretch from Fort Morgan to the Alabama / Florida line.

Set the sweet mood with a basket of treats from Buzz Catz Coffee & Sweets in Orange Beach. Made to order breakfast platters, bowls and sandwiches are always a hit. But for a unique morning meal, order the breakfast hollah – house made challah dough filled with fresh scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese.

Hollahs can also be filled with ham, bacon, sausage or seasonal vegetables. Easy to share with your love on a blanket on the beach and no fancy silverware or plates required. Just you, them, delicious food and the sea as far as the horizon can reach.

Still too chilly to be on the beach for breakfast? Ferry your love to Duck’s Diner, Orange Beach, 4560 Easy Street, to start your morning with a handcrafted meal that combines fine dining with a Southern twist.

The Banana Stuffed French Toast features a French roll stuffed with banana, deep-fried and dipped in sugar and cinnamon, drizzled with butter pecan sauce. This delight might be sweeter than your date.

For a refreshing morning without the extra sweet, try the Berry Pecan French Toast Biscuits or if you desire savory, order the Creole shrimp and grit cakes. Chefs here have been known to serve heart-shaped eggs on Valentine’s Day, so check in and see if it’s on the menu.

Feeling the lure of a romantic, hidden spot that feels a bit magical?

The Copper Kettle Tea Bar in Foley is that place. The walls behind the counter are lined with glass jars filled with dried tea leaves of various shape, size, and color from around the globe.

Walking past them is a bit like stumbling into an ancient wizard's kitchen. You can't help but be mesmerized.

The staff here brews each serving of loose-leaf tea one cup at a time. You can sample exotic, rare or every day varieties. There are black, green, white, rooibos and herbal blends, and you can purchase a packet of dry leaves to bring home with you. Perhaps even more magical, tea is served all day, starting at 10 a.m. for those love birds who might want to spend the romantic morning cozied up next to each other before heading out for the day.

The Copper Kettle is just a block from the Wilbourne Antique Rose Trail that runs through downtown Foley. February is a little early for roses to wake, but the camellia blooms will paint a pink path right through your day.

Deeper into the heart of Baldwin County, just before you head north into the thick woods where the last battle of the Civil War boomed, stop for a morning meal that will spice up your Valentine.

Rise, also known as Taco Tony's on Highway 31 in Spanish Fort is home to one of the most popular breakfast burritos around.

Built with chorizo, eggs, conecuh, creole cream sauce, papas, cheese, veggies – the list goes on. Each dish is a piece of art.

Taking the kids out for a sweet breakfast? Try the fruity pebble pancakes and the cocoa pebble pancakes. Yep, they are just what they sound like, topped with fruity syrup and whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

We know you want to try it too. What we wouldn't have given for a giant plate of these on Saturday morning in the 80s. Do it. There’s no shame in ordering from the kids' menu for this deliciousness.

When you ' re done, walk off those extra calories on one of Blakeley Historic State Park's trails and follow the path of soldiers on the last days of the Civil War. Nestled under long leaf pine forests, you will feel nothing but peace.

If your heart belongs to the community this holiday, support the Exceptional Foundation Gulf Coast in Daphne and visit their Valentine’s Day Open House from 8 to 10 a.m. for a breakfast with the special needs community there. You can RSVP for this event at 251-625-8955. This Valentine's Day love your love, love your community and love the food you eat.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHEESY GRITS

1.5 cup almond flour

1.5 cup water

2-3 pinches coarse sea salt or to taste

6 tbsp nutritional yeast or to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SHRIMP

4 pieces turkey bacon or pork bacon

1.5-2 tbsp ghee butter

1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined

Sprinkle coarse sea salt

Sprinkle ground black pepper

Sprinkle smoked paprika or paprika

0.5 oz garlic finely minced

2 bulb scallions chopped

Dash of olive oil optional

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CHEESY GRITS

Sieve through the almond meal. This will make the grits less gritty.

In a medium soup pot, bring water to boil and season with two-three pinches of salt. Slowly stream in the almond flour, ¼ cup at a time. Whisk and stir constantly over medium-low heat to prevent lumps, about 2-3 minutes.

Turn off the heat, stir-in the yeast and mix well. Let the grits sit on the stovetop. Cover with a lid for about 15 minutes.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SHRIMP

Start with a cold cast iron large skillet, crisp up the bacon over medium heat. In the meantime pat dry the shrimp.

Set the bacon aside and leave the fat in the pan. Add the ghee and preheat the skillet again until it feels hot.

Lower the heat to medium, add the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, and add the garlic.

Sear the first side for about 2-3 minutes and the flip side 1-2 minutes. As soon as you see the shrimp in golden brown color and the garlic is no longer raw. Turn off the heat.

Divide the grits into 4 serving bowls. Spoon over a few big tablespoons of shrimp and the ghee butter sauce. Garnish with scallions and bacon crumbles. Serve immediately.

French Toast

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

Pinch of salt

8 slices Brioche bread

Unsalted butter, for cooking

Maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berries for serving, if desired

DIRECTIONS

If using an electric griddle, preheat the griddle to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow pan or pie plate, add the eggs, milk, vanilla, half of the cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined.

Dip each side of the bread in the egg mixture. Note: add the other half of the cinnamon after you have dipped half of your bread slices and mix again. This will make sure all of the slices get a good amount of cinnamon.

Melt a little butter on the hot griddle or in a large skilletover medium heat. Cook the French toast until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serve the French toast warm with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berries, if desired.

Note: to keep the French toast warm, heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheetand place the French toast on the rack. Keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

EGG-stra, EGG-stra…

By Amber Derr

Have you ever thought about the number of dishes that can be created with just a simple egg? If you are seeking ideas to elevate your brunch experience, then eggs can be the place to start. In this exploration of eggs, let’s dive into the creations that make them an integral part of the brunch experience, while learning a bit about this little explosion of nutrition.

A brunch spread with eggs satisfies your taste buds and nourishes your body. Why are eggs so important to our bodies? Eggs are considered a nutritional power source for several reasons. First, they offer a superb foundation of high-quality protein, giving our bodies needed energy for various functions. They can even be added to vegetarian dishes, giving those meals a shot of nutrition that might otherwise be missing.

Moreover, eggs are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which are necessary for proper bodily performance and self-repair. If you are looking to add variety to a balanced diet that offers flavorful combinations, then adding eggs to dishes would be a good place to start. Those little spheres pack a punch in both flavor and nutrition, whether they are used as stand alone or in baking. The ease of using eggs in the kitchen makes them a favorite ingredient for brunch fans, offering endless possibilities for mouthwatering dishes. They are so versatile, when it comes time for families to gather, brunch is a great opportunity to enjoy a feast while connecting with loved ones. Families come together during the preparations for a brunch spread, encouraging a relaxed and open environment around the kitchen with relatives where memories are created.

Moms or dads can help the kids concoct a classic dish of scrambled eggs, making sure they are light and fluffy for everyone to enjoy. Perhaps grandparents or aunts and uncles get to indulge with a plate of Eggs Benedict or a frittata filled with exotic flavors. However you experience your eggs at brunch, make sure to also include family around the table.

One of the best and easiest ways to enjoy eggs is to make a breakfast casserole. This dish is so flexible, and the choices are endless! A basic breakfast casserole will usually have eggs, cheese, meat, bread, and milk coming together in one dish. And the remarkable thing about casseroles is that a large group of people can be satisfied.

The casserole is served as is, or it can be adapted if there are certain dietary restrictions, and making substitutions can be an easy process. After the base ingredients are added, it can be made healthier by adding favorite vegetables, like bell peppers or broccoli. If a guest is lactoseintolerant, options like lactose-free milk and cheese can be used. Maybe spicing things up a bit with garlic and onion is part of the repertoire, or salt and pepper are enough to make the flavors pop. The best part about the breakfast casserole is that with a side of fruit or a glass of orange juice, it can cover all the food groups!

You can enjoy breakfast casserole at any time of day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Another bonus is that it can be refrigerated and served leftover the next day, giving those flavors time to mix and mingle. When all the flavors from the eggs, cheeses, bread, milk, and meat come together, it’s a winwin! Enjoying eggs at brunch can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, and they can and will provide the ultimate taste and nutrition for brunch that you are looking for. All through the ages, eggs have played a part in alleviating hunger, providing nutrition, and offering a culinary experience for the palette that brings us back to the table again and again. However you like them, the multipurpose egg is your go-to for a wholesome and delicious meal. So, if you are at home or at a restaurant, you will want to make sure your next brunch is an egg-stravagant meal!

Cajun Breakfast Skillet

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

12 oz. Andouille sausage sliced ½ green bell pepper diced

20 oz. Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onions

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

6 eggs salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place a skillet (fitted with a lid for later in the recipe) on medium-high heat.

Add in the Grapeseed oil, Cajun style andouille sausage, green bell pepper, diced potatoes, and Cajun seasoning into the skillet. Mix well. Let cook 3 minutes, then mix again. Repeat this 4 more times (totaling to 15 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown but not burnt).

Make 6 holes within the potato skillet. Drop each egg into the holes and then place the lid on the skillet. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until egg whites set and eggs are cooked to your likeness.

Remove the skillet from the heat source. Divide potatoes and eggs evenly among plates and enjoy.

Book Nook

withPamelaBrown

PuttingHeartandSoulIntoFood

Authentic whole-hog barbeque over an open flame, a cooking method passed down from generations, is in Ryan Mitchell’s blood. It not only paved the way for his successful career, but shaped his life philosophy.

It’s people feeding people and giving love to Southern hospitality. It’s amazing how preparing food starts with fire and we make it taste amazing with this one heat source, ” said Ryan, internationallyknown pitmaster who has cooked around the world and author of Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque with his father, Ed, a member of the Black BBQ Hall of Fame and American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame.

“In the book I’m hoping everyone sees the perseverance of how a family was able to take something of their life and turn it into hospitality for the world. It’s the power of a father-son, of family, of the craft of barbeque, and what it takes to make it,” he said.

The cookbook offers a master class in whole-hog barbeque while honoring the rich culture of the craft and the black rural southerners who shaped American cooking. Father and son, both pitmasters, a term Ed coined in 1989 to describe a culinary professional who mastered the art of cooking a whole animal through natural flames, share recipes that tell their story over four generations rooted in Wilson, North Carolina. There are time-honored recipes for side dishes, appetizers, desserts, such as Country Boy Chew Bread, and libations, including Hard Tea with Juke Joint Moonshine, peppered with family stories that trace the African American experience in the rural South.

A signature 50-year family recipe, Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter, that Ryan describes as jazzed-up cornbread, is perfect for breakfast or a side. “They’re my grandmother’s go-to when eating barbeque and for seafood dinners. They’re to beans and barbeque what tortilla chips are to salsa and guacamole,” said Ryan. “The Honey Butter gives that little bit of sweetness to offset some of the spice that was with the main courses. ”

Ryan grew up in the Mitchell family restaurant and helped his grandparents, Willie and Doretha Mitchell, at their corner store. “I was thirteen and alongside my dad and uncles I made my way around the pit and the stoves,” said Ryan.

Upon graduating East Carolina University with a degree in Economics, he worked in Corporate America, but upon the market crash his roots called him home. Ryan and his father formed a super team with Ryan managing the family business of signature rubs and sauces and a new restaurant is on the horizon.

After the Mitchells appeared on Season 2 of Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour on Food Network, Ryan credits the celebrity chef for changing his perspective on being in a family business. “Anthony showed me how I can give my love of hospitality to the next generation. He said he chose us because the same name on the building was the same people in the pits and smokehouse.”

Ryan proudly continues in the footsteps of his family to lead the next generation of barbeque enthusiasts. “I’m fortunate people remain in the older technique the way my grandparents cooked,but I offer ingenuity, teaching barbeque in a somewhat easier fashion – crockpot methods and smaller gas cooking. I teach them to apply the effort to get quality food,” he said.

Just like slow cooking barbeque, Ryan advises cooks to take time to enjoy the process. “Don’t be afraid. It doesn’t have to be made to perfection,” he said, referencing his dad’s advice of letting the art of barbeque speak for itself. “It’s less about the actual recipe and more about the love of the craft that you give to people. My grandmother said the secret ingredient is love.”

Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter

SERVES 3 TO 5

These corn cakes are to beans and barbeque what tortilla chips are to salsa and guacamole the perfect vessel for scooping up food. We source our bourbon-infused honey from a local beekeeper at Garden Supply Company in Cary, North Carolina. If you can’t find it, mix a few drops of good bourbon, like Woodford Reserve Single Barrel, into your favorite honey. These silver dollar corn cakes will have you licking your fingers, savoring every bite.

SMOKED HONEY BUTTER

1/2 to 1 cup (1 to 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup bourbon-infused honey (see directions below)

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter

CORN CAKES

1 cup old-fashioned stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs

1 cup almond milk or oat milk

1/3 cup cold water

2 tablespoons light molasses

(not blackstrap or robust)

1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Hot honey or molasses, for serving

PREHEAT YOUR SMOKER TO 200ºF WITH OAK OR PECAN WOOD CHIPS.

MAKE THE SMOKED HONEY BUTTER: IN A MEDIUM STAINLESS-STEEL BOWL, COMBINE THE BUTTER, PAPRIKA, PEPPER, SALT, AND GARLIC POWDER. ADD THE BOURBON-INFUSED HONEY, TWO SMALL SHOTS OF A GOOD BOURBON AND 1 TABLESPOON OF HONEY.

MIX THE BUTTER.

PUT THE BOWL ON THE GRILL AND SMOKE THE BUTTER FOR 8 MINUTES.

DO NOT LET THE BUTTER SCORCH.

LET THE BUTTER COOL FOR 3 MINUTES.

ADD CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, AND NUTMEG.

MIX WITH A SPOON OR AN ELECTRIC MIXER.

LET COOL AT ROOM TEMPERATURE UNTIL THE BUTTER SOLIDIFIES.

COVER AND STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR NO MORE THAN 2 DAYS.

Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter

MAKE THE CORN CAKES: IN A LARGE BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE CORNMEAL, FLOUR, BROWN SUGAR, AND SALT. IN A MEDIUM BOWL, BEAT THE EGGS.

WHISK IN THE ALMOND MILK, WATER, AND MOLASSES UNTIL BLENDED. STIR THE WET INGREDIENTS INTO THE DRY INGREDIENTS UNTIL JUST COMBINED.

HEAT A LARGE, HEAVY-BOTTOMED SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ONCE HOT, ADD JUST ENOUGH VEGETABLE OIL TO COAT THE PAN, 1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS. WHEN THE OIL SHIMMERS, DROP THE BATTER BY 1 FULL TEASPOON INTO THE SKILLET FOR TRUE SILVER DOLLAR-SIZED AS T/O

CORN CAKES. SEAR EACH CORN CAKE ON THE FIRST SIDE UNTIL LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN, 1 TO 2 MINUTES.

USING A METAL SPATULA, FLIP THE CAKES AND COOK UNTIL LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN ON THE SECOND SIDE, ABOUT 1 MINUTE MORE.

DRAIN THE CORN CAKES ON PAPER TOWELS. REPEAT UNTIL ALL THE BATTER HAS BEEN COOKED, ADDING OIL TO COAT THE PAN BETWEEN BATCHES. SERVE THE CORN CAKES WITH THE SMOKED HONEY BUTTER AND HOT HONEY OR MOLASSES.

PHOTO CREDIT AND RECIPE: EXCERPTED FROM ED MITCHELL’S BARBEQUE © 2023 BY ED MITCHELL AND RYAN MITCHELL. PHOTOGRAPHY BY BAXTER MILLER. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION OF ECCO, AN IMPRINT OF HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Eggs Benedict

INGREDIENTS FOR HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

4 egg yolks

1 to 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, to suit your taste

1 tablespoon water

⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch ground white pepper

1 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon hot water, or more as needed (Optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

INGREDIENTS

FOR EGGS BENEDICT

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

8 eggs

8 strips Canadian-style bacon

4 English muffins, split

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Eggs Benedict

DIRECTIONS

To make the Hollandaise: Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water, Worcestershire sauce, and white pepper in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Add melted butter, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, while whisking yolks constantly. If Hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all of the butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on the pan to keep sauce warm.

To poach the eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, pour in vinegar, and keep water at a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl then gently slip egg into simmering water, holding the bowl just above the surface of water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook eggs until whites are firm and yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon, dab on a kitchen towel to remove excess water, and place onto a warm plate.

Meanwhile, set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Brown bacon in a medium skillet over mediumhigh heat.

Toast English muffins on a baking sheet under the preheated broiler.

To serve eggs Benedict: Spread toasted muffins with softened butter and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

In this edition of 350 , we had an opportunity to sit down with Bill E. Stitt, owner of Bill-E’s Restaurant and Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon in Fairhope, Alabama.

TS: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Bill E: I am the owner of Bill-E’s restaurant and Bill-E’s small batch bacon here in Fairhope, Alabama. I opened the Bill-E’s restaurant about 12 years ago and the bacon company about 6 years ago.

TS: Tell us about your food journey.

Bill E: I’ve always been around food from having a great family dining experience with my mom, dad, and brother, our grandparents, and aunts, uncles, and cousins. But, dad sold packaging - empty bags and boxesso we didn’t go on family vacations, we went on business trips.

So, growing up in Yazoo City, Mississippi, he’d throw us in the car real early and we’d wake up in St. Louis or Cincinatti or Philly or wherever, and he was calling on customers like in Southern Illinois - little town called Chester - and helping them with their packaging solutions from microwave popcorn bags to flour or sugar bags to boxes and all that, so I got to be around a lot of really cool food manufacturing facilities and things like that.

TS: Is that what sparked your interest in getting into the food business?

Bill E: Yes, by all means.

TS: Do you have an area of passion?

Bill E: Definetly bacon. I love the proteins. And I love the mother of all proteins - bacon. Pork, that is. Yup, bacon is my passion.

TS: What do you do with the bacon that might be a little bit different than the norm?

Bill E: Just bringing it back to the way it started. Very traditional cure, traditional smoke. Not necessarily looking for a target flavor, because the flavor is going to happen as long as you follow the steps and processes along the way. Not adulterating the pork too much. I want my bacon to still taste like pork. I don’t want it to be so smokey or so covered in some sort of different seasoning or spice that you forget that it’s pork, and that’s where we landed.

TS: What do people not know about bacon?

Bill E: There’s a whole lot of companies that make bacon, because bacon is wonderful. I don’t really think there’s bad bacon. I just think that so many companies rush the process, push their needles to hit targets and goals, which I totally understand at times. But, when you slow down and cure it, smoke it, and chill it properly, and you have good people taking their time with their hands to make sure it's a great product before it gets wrapped up in a package, it makes a big difference. And not that the other folks aren’t doing that, it's just that everything got so automated that a lot of their steps get skipped.

TS: Can you tell us a little more about the process?

Bill E: So, we get fresh bellies in 2-3 times a week. We get them from small farms that commit to no hormones, no growth antibiotics. They commit to raising the hogs humanely which basically means they’re not hemmed up in a 10x10 or a 12x12 pen for 8 months. It means that the hogs can go outside and play in the clover if they want to, or come inside and write in coloring books. I say that a lot and I think it’s kinda funny. Basically, the pigs are treated well.

TS: Do you really sing to them?

Bill E: I don’t, personally. You don’t want that. I think that would negatively affect the bacon I can karaoke to it, but that’s about it But, we do make it behind our music stage, which means all of our bacon is serenaded by songwriters. And savored by carnivores.

TS: So, once you get them here, what happens?

Bill E: So, they come in and they go through the cure process with heavy kosher salt, dark brown sugar made with real molasses, and they’re encrusted - tops, bottoms, sides, the cavities, and when you think you ’ ve got enough of that cure on there, you do it all over again. And then you lay them into a dry pan, so it starts as a dry cure, and they stay under refrigeration for 8 days - not 7, not 9, but 8 days. We found that to be our magic sweet spot. Then, after 8 days of cure, they roll all these lovely trolleys into our smoke room where they go into custom made smokers. Spread out - not crammed all in there, because you want that smoke to evenly roll around them, and they’re smoked with hickory. Hickory is available everywhere across North America. It’s what our ancestors smoked with. It’s a great smoky flavor. Doesn’t get too hot, doesn’t burn too quick. It’s cured and smoked traditionally.

TS: Tell us the most unique way you have found bacon used?

Bill E: Oh wow, okay. What a great question. I have some chefs that just really understand it. They don’t just use it as a topping or as an afterthought or just a breakfast protein. They’ll wrap shrimp or make a little platform underneath a scallop. Some will literally take a huge thick slice of it, confit it, and serve it with a beef tenderloin, like a filet. So, instead of surf and turf, you ’ ve got surf and belly. The pizza toppings - if you ’ ve been a pancetta fan your whole life and you ’ re looking for something with that similar flavor and flair, bits and end pieces are perfect on your pizza. With the huge outcry for everyone to have their own pizza oven at home right now, that’s been our big move. People are jumping at those bits and end pieces. They want to cook those pizzas 60 seconds to 3 minutes because it’s so hot in there, so they’ll pre-cook the bacon in the broiler in advance and then top the pizza with it to crisp it up a little bit. But, the neatest thing would be that I know someone who puts a little bit underneath all of his oysters, and then he serves them as an appetizer with a couple of delicate sauces over the top

But First, Coffee

By Jax Petro

Many of us associate coffee with mornings. It’s the thing that we need to kick-start the day. But science says because of our brain chemistry, it’s actually a few hours later, that coffee gives us its full effects.

So, why did we even start drinking coffee in the morning?

Well, it was better than alcohol.

The introduction of coffee to Europe was said to have a sobering effect on the “alcohol-soaked” continent. The caffeinated drink in many instances replaced alcohol, which was standard breakfast fare.

Different social circles in different countries had different traditions regarding their morning beverage, but there are many references to alcoholic and fermented drinks throughout history. The Romans ate bread soaked in wine, British soldiers in the 1890s are said to have kicked off their days with rum and tea, children in the US used to drink hard cider, and in Germany, a beer soup was the morning drink of choice.

The arrival of coffee in the late 1700s went from a drink for the upper echelons of society to something more democratized, thoroughly changed Europe. As Mark Pendergast writes in Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed the World, “the drink of the aristocracy had become the necessary drug of the masses. ”

And it kept the Industrial Revolution humming.

During the Industrial Revolution, coffee kept textile workers going during long days that often interfered with regular meal times.

“Because coffee was stimulating and warm, it provided an illusion of nutrition,” writes Pendergast. When coffee came to the United States, it was embraced as well, even becoming the patriotic drink of choice in the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party.

A buzz (but no hangover).

Drink a cup of coffee (or two) and you know what it feels like when the effects kick in. You feel alive, excited, and ready to take on the world. You have a bit of a buzz. But of course, that buzz doesn’t go in the same direction as it does when you are drinking alcohol. It makes sense that this alert feeling that we get from coffee would fit perfectly into our morning routine.

In other words: Do we drink coffee because it gives us a buzz but doesn’t leave us drunk? Regardless of what the reasons our forefathers opted for this new beverage in the early hours of the day, coffee as a morning drink was here to stay.

Coffee became so synonymous with breakfast that Mark Twain wrote in A Tramp Abroad, published 1880: “the average American’s simplest and commonest form of breakfast consists of coffee and beefsteak.”

Coffee is, after all, not just a morning drink. It’s a pick me up for late mornings and early afternoons, it is said to have fueled the intellectual ideas of the French Revolution, and it is often served after a good meal.

Coffee may not be just a morning drink, but there’s something in its characteristics and properties (warm and caffeinated) that have made it part of our morning routine.