TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018
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BURGERS food truck
AT JEFFREYS GRILL ARE THE MAIN ATTRACTION Greg Cox for Triangle Today Get Jackson Jeffreys talking about his burgers — it isn’t hard, given his gregarious personality — and you can’t help but pick up on his enthusiasm. He’ll proudly tell you that burgers are his food truck’s signature item, for starters, and that he sampled ground beef from nearly a dozen local farms before settling on Lane Angus Beef, an eighth generation family-owned farm in northeastern North Carolina. He’ll go on to explain that the beef is grass-fed and grain-finished, and that he gets it “straight from the farm, never frozen.” After tracking down the Jeffreys Grill truck recently at Jordan Lake Brewing Co. in Cary and devouring one of those burgers (with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mayo), I can confirm that Jeffreys’ pride is justified. These are old-school burgers, quarter-pound patties (order a half-pounder and you get two patties) seared on a flattop grill. Served on a sesame seed bun with your choice of toppings (all the usual suspects, plus bacon and/or egg for a $1 upcharge), they come wrapped in foil to keep the burger warm and the bun soft.
JEFFREYS GRILL Prices: sandwiches $3 (hot dog) to $10 (1/2 pound burger), chili cheese fries $3 Social media: facebook.com/jeffreysgrill919 or @jeffreys_grill
Jeffreys serves old-school burgers with topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mayo. Juli Leonard
Jeffreys Grill makes a barbecue sandwich with the Eastern style pork from Carlie C’s, topped with their own Carolina BBQ sauce and slaw. Juli Leonard
As the days cool down, the fun heats up at Kids Town! TRIANGLE TODAY’S
Find fun family-friendly events, crafts, recipes, offers and contests at kidstownnc.com.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018
FUN FOR FOODIES DURHAM FARMERS’ MARKET Saturday 8 am-Noon The Pavilion at Durham Central Park 501 Foster St., Durham The Durham Farmers’ Market is a community of farmers, growers and crafters committed to local products: every item you see at the market was produced by the people selling it, and it all comes from no more than 70 miles away. Durham Farmers’ Market has been offering fresh produce, artisanal foods and handcrafted wares in downtown Durham since 1999.
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
Cocula Mexican restaurant offers rewards of local rarities, succulent favorites Greg Cox for Triangle Today
Cocula’s Carne Asada serves up an ample slab of marinated skirt steak, buried under a mixed grill of nopales, green onions and a whole jalapeno. Juli Leonard The menu has whole categories I have yet to explore (among them burritos, enchiladas and fajitas), largely because I haven’t been able to resist the siren call of local rarities such as the pozole and mixiote.
CARY DOWNTONWN FARMERS MARKET Saturday 8 am 135 W. Chatham St., Cary The Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market is a vibrant gathering place committed to bring you the freshest local produce, meat, and eggs as well as home baked products, locally roasted coffees, locally brewed beer, fresh baked apple chips, handcrafted products like soaps, jewelry, beeswax candles and recycled totes and more. OKTOBERFEST AT MILLSTONE CREEK ORCHARDS Saturday 10 am 506 Parks Crossroads Church Rd., Ramseur Enjoy fall’s best flavors at Millstone Creek Orchard’s Oktoberfest and “Fall Carnivale”. Oktoberfest is all about pumpkins, with gourd picking in the pumpkin patch, pumpkin chuckin’ and pie eating contests, and storytime with the Great Pumpkin himself. Fall Carnivale celebrates fall’s other staple, apples. Watch a cider press demonstration while savoring Granny’s Goodies like apple cider donuts and slushies. End the day with a hayride around the orchard and a s’more by the firepit. A FEAST FOR ALL THE SENSES: BRUNCH INSIDE A MUSEUM Saturday, 11:30 am, Sunday, 10:30 am North Carolina Museum of Art 2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh Iris, the Museum’s full-service restaurant, serves contemporary American cuisine with regional and international flavors. Specializing in seasonal fare using many locally sourced ingredients, Iris features culinary works of art that showcase a complex culture of flavors. Brunch highlights include the Oak City Benedict on a sweet potato biscuit, Belgian waffles, design-your-own omelets, chicken salad, burgers and more. Read more at triangletoday.com
I can tell you that the chunky made-to-order guacamole is first-rate, though, and served in ample portion for sharing. And that the homemade corn tortillas are exceptionally light and tender.
Look up pozole rojo in a dictionary of Mexican culinary terms, and you’re not likely to come across the word “serendipity” in the definition. But that’s precisely what comes to mind when I think of the pozole rojo de puerco I had the first time I ate at Cocula. I had never heard of the restaurant, for starters, until I stumbled across it a couple of months ago while running a few errands. Considering how seldom I travel that stretch of Fayetteville Road on the southern fringe of Raleigh (so far south that locals think of it as Garner), it’s something of a minor miracle that I did discover it within months of its May opening. What’s more, as luck would have it, this was around dinnertime when I spotted Cocula — on a rare weekend night when I didn’t already have a dinner on my schedule. Clearly, the gastronomic gods were inviting me to check it out.
I accepted the invitation, and was rewarded with the best pozole I’ve had in recent memory. Loaded with succulent chunks of pork and hominy in a brick red broth as complex as a mole, it was served in a large terra cotta cazuela, with a plate of shredded cabbage, lime wedges, cilantro and chopped onions on the side. Oh, and the pozole is available only on weekends. Talk about serendipity. You won’t be surprised to learn that this was not my only visit to Cocula. So far, I’ve only been able to scratch the surface of an extensive menu that runs the gamut from create-your-own combo plates to regional specialties such as mixiote de borrego: Mexican-style barbecued lamb shank, falling-off-the-bone tender beneath a sauce redolent of ancho and guajillo chiles.
You can get those tortillas wrapped around your choice of more than a dozen generous taco fillings, including a few surprises (fried avocado, black beans and purple onion, to name one) in addition to all the usual taqueria meat suspects. I find it hard to resist lengua (beef tongue) and cachete (spicy beef cheek) when they’re available, so I saved the carne asada for a full entree order on a subsequent visit — an ample slab of marinated skirt steak, buried under a mixed grill of nopales, green onions and a whole jalapeño. Rice, beans, a side plate of avocado salad and — of course — some of those homemade tortillas — made for a fine roll-your-own taco feast. COCULA 1428 Garner Station Blvd., Raleigh coculamex.com Cuisine: Mexican Rating: 3 1/2 stars Read the full review at triangletoday.com
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
4 HEALTHY SNACKS FOR THE KIDDOS Kids Town for Triangle Today
Peanut Butter Banana Balls Who of us doesn’t love some peanut butter now and again? Whether young or old, these peanut butter balls can make healthy eating a delight; and best of all, this recipe only uses 4 ingredients, so it’s super easy to make!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018
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Avocado Cream Sauce with Sweet Potato Flour This one is great for those nacho-loving kids that just want a snack to tide them over ‘til the next full-on meal. The simplicity of this recipe is wonderful: mash up the avocado and combine the ingredients!
I think we’ve all found ourselves scrambling around in between work, school and errands to feed our families something yummy and nutritious. We want to keep those growing bodies healthy and energetic, but also serve up food that the kiddos will enjoy. Instead of running around without a plan, what are some easy-to-make snacks that we can think about ahead of time? Here are four ideas that might just do the trick!
Beet Jelly A staple of simple, nutritious eating for many families is some PB and J on toasted bread. This is a variation on your typical store-bought jelly — and it is much healthier! Berry Oatmeal Bars This one takes a little more time to prepare, but is super tasty, and is a convenient snack for the family on the go. Fresh berries combine with sweet potato or pumpkin flour for a scrumptious and energizing treat!
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Get the recipes at kidstownnc.com/healthy-kids
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
hts! g i n t rea g o tw m o r f se Choo
2018
AT DUSK
for the holidays
December 4th & 5th, 6 to 8 p.m. The Mayton Inn, Cary Buy your tickets, $40/person, at indulgeatdusk.com Join us for a special after dusk holiday affair featuring live entertainment, fabulous food tastings from popular restaurants, luxury libations and more merriment.
Featuring a decadent spirits-infused culinary competition! Presented by McClatchy
indulgeatdusk.com