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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

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DISTINCTIVE TAKES ON CUBAN CLASSICS

Greg Cox for Triangle Today

Roberto Copa Matos and Elizabeth Turnbull opened Old Havana Sandwich Shop in January 2011 with a modest menu and limited hours, at a location three blocks off the beaten path of eating and drinking establishments in downtown Durham. They made a mean Cuban sandwich, though, and in no time, their little shop was benefiting from the best kind of marketing: word of mouth. Seven years later, the place was still thriving. The husband-and-wife owners easily could have rested on their laurels. Lucky for us, they didn’t. Over the years, they expanded the menu, adding small plates and a handful of entrees. Weekend brunch followed, and a bar. A couple of years ago, the restaurant began hosting a “Lost Dishes of Cuba” dinner series. Inspired by a 19th century cookbook that Copa Matos had discovered, the recipes drew on cultural influences of Africa, Asia,

and especially Spain, and featured a surprising variety of ingredients such as celery and cauliflower, crops that had been casualties of the Cuban revolution. Looking back, it’s easy to see the trajectory that led to the couple’s inevitable next step: a bigger, more ambitious restaurant. They closed Old Havana Sandwich Shop in February, and opened COPA a few blocks away — this time in the thick of the action — in March. Taking over the address that previously had been home to Revolution, they transformed the sleek modern space they inherited into a dining room with a casual, convivial vibe accented by the warm colors of Spanish tile floors, vintage-looking chandeliers, and a series of ink drawings by a Cuban artist celebrating the growing, preparation and enjoyment of food.

The new location’s larger kitchen, including a dedicated bakery where all breads are now baked in house, allow Copa Matos to spread his culinary wings and explore his native cuisine to a degree not possible at the old restaurant. The results are especially evident on the dinner menu, where a diverse assortment of salads, snacks and tapas builds on the chef’s historical research and draws heavily on local produce — including a small but growing harvest from the couple’s 10acre family farm. A small plate offering of vegetales y casabe recently yielded a cornucopia of eggplant, summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes and corn, plus tender, pale green black-eyed peas from the family farm, spilling off a couple of crepelike flatbreads made from cassava root that Copa Matos grinds himself. Notwithstanding that “flatbread” description, this is definitely a knifeand-fork dish.

COPA’s Ropa vieja a la americana features NC grass-fed beef, slow-cooked with wine, mint, and a light tomato sauce served on crepe-like flatbreads made from cassava root. Juli Leonard COPA 107 W. Main St., Durham copadurham.com Cuisine: Cuban Rating: 4 stars

See Greg’s complete review at triangletoday.com.

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, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

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Caramelized onion dip, perfect for tailgating Fred Thompson for Triangle Today

Grape Day at the State Farmers Market 1201 Agriculture St. Raleigh, NC 27603 Friday, September 14, 11:00 AM Play & Learn at Hipp Family Farms Hipp Family Farm Corn Maze U.S. Route 401 and Ballard Rd., Fuquay- Varina, NC 27526 Friday, September 14, 1:00 PM Tar Heel Downtown 140 W Franklin St. Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Friday, September 14, 6:00 PM Mike Super: Magic and Illusion Cary Arts Center 101 Dry Ave. Cary, NC 27511 Friday, September 14, 7:30 PM 2018 Fall Pumpkin Festival Hill Ridge Farms 703 Tarboro Rd. Youngsville, NC 27596 Saturday, September 15, 9:00 AM BugFest: Crayfish & Other Crustaceans NC Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601 Saturday, September 15, 9:00 AM Opening Day 2018 Naylor Family Farm & Corn Maze 6016 US 401 North Fuquay-Varina Saturday, September 15, 9:00 AM SPARKcon Downtown Raleigh Fayetteville St Raleigh, NC 27604 Saturday, September 15, 9:00 AM

Find details for these events and more fun stuff at

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A caramelized onion is, well, just darn good with tons of uses. I try to keep a container of them in my refrigerator at all times for that sweet-savory flavor that they can impart to so many foods. Top a burger or a hot dog, add to sautéed mushrooms, stir into mashed potatoes, French onion soup – the list of uses is only limited by your imagination.

FRED’S CARAMELIZED ONION DIP

And of course, an onion dip, the ultimate get-together food.

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

What makes a good caramelized onion? Patience. It takes time to coax out that unique flavor, but the reward is worth it. I’ve seen and used lots of shortcut methods, mainly sprinkling some brown sugar over the onions as they cook, or heavily salting them to draw out the moisture quickly and both will give you passable onions in about half the time, but for that intense deep sweet earthy flavor that really sings, nothing is better than low heat and time.

1/4 cup sour cream

The method here is one that my food writing mentor and very opinionated friend, Jim Villas enlightened me on. Jim, a native of Charlotte, recently died in New York at the age of 80. He was one of the best food writers of the last several decades. I got to know him while working on the photography for his “My Mother’s Southern Kitchen” series, some of the most fun I ever had doing something called work.

Chips, for serving

His books “Pig: King of the Southern Table” and “The Glory of Southern Cooking” are well worth your time. So, Jim suggested cooking the onions over medium-high heat until they took on some color, then adding a bit of water, lowering the heat, and cooking until the onions become a darkish golden brown. The water is your fudge factor to prevent the onions from burning. The method works great, and the result is deep swee- savory goodness. From this point, you can use them however you wish. My wish was to create an onion dip that blows away any store-bought dip or one that you make with a soup packet. I worked out this recipe because I wanted clean intense onion flavor without any artificial undertones. Note that the recipe calls for granulated garlic powder, which gives a deeper flavor than garlic powder. Note, this is NOT garlic salt. I also used a toasted onion powder found in the fancier spice section, which again adds depth and earthiness. Notice there is no salt in the recipe, but feel free to add some if you like. If you can, make this dip the day before. It brightens overnight.

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 large Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon toasted onion powder 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the water and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook until the onions are dark golden brown, at least another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan ever looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Let cool completely. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Stir in the reserved onions and the chives. Chill until serving time. It’s best made the day before and lasts about a week. Yield: 6-8 servings Serve with: Of course, potato chips, but it’s great over a baked potato, and stirred into a pot of grits is unbelievable. To drink: For me, a little bourbon and ginger ale, but the dip goes with about any beverage.

TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

did you know? Slingshot Coffee Company introduces coffee sodas Drew Jackson for Triangle Today While the world reconciles with cold coffee, Raleigh’s Slingshot Coffee Co. continues to push the boundaries. The company, one of the nation’s standard bearers for cold brew coffee, is getting into the soda game. After finding success across the country, landing their drinks in Target, Whole Foods and Publix, the husband-and-wife company of Jenny and Jonathan Bonchak just moved into a new 13,000-squarefoot brewing facility in the southern part of Raleigh. In an interview at the new Slingshot headquarters, Jenny Bonchak pointed to century-old soda Manhattan Special as evidence fizzy coffee drinks aren’t as new age as one may think. Slingshot’s dabbling in sodas began in 2014, when the cold brew company still ran a sometimes coffeeshop called Weekend open on, you guessed it, Saturdays and Sundays. As bottling became the business, they couldn’t do both and closed the shop, but kept sodas on the brain. Picking the two flavors was simple, Bonchak said: cream soda is Jona-

Slingshot Coffee Co. in Raleigh, NC, is introducing Slingshot Coffee Sodas in Black Cherry Cola and Citrus Vanilla Cream Soda. Slingshot Coffee Co. than’s favorite, cherry cola is hers. “Coffee has a natural sweetness,” Bonchak said. “Sodas don’t have to be a ton of sugar and a ton of sweetness.” The sodas have 10 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce can, compared to 39 grams in a 12-ounce coke.

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