Grant Achatz to Introduce Southern Molecular Gastronomy to Raleigh

March 31, 2009
achatz

Photo courtesy of Alinea

In perhaps the biggest culinary news ever to hit North Carolina, Grant Achatz, the internationally acclaimed chef of Chicago’s Alinea, announced today that he will be opening a new restaurant in Raleigh this summer.  The new establishment, tentatively called “Dixie 41,” will be located downtown in the former Riviera location.  ”I’ve always enjoyed cooking with a Southern sensibility,” Achatz stated in a press release, “and I thought that combining the contemporary culinary techniques from Alinea with Southern traditions was a perfect match.”

Achatz described a couple of dishes he was toying with, including one with country-fried tobacco-infused buttermilk orbs.  ”It’s a dish that’s truly representative of the South.”  Achatz has also created two new dishes he calls “Hot Sweet Potato Cold Sweet Potato” and “Barbecue Explosion.”  ”I based those two on dishes that have become classics at Alinea, but these are highly refined variations.  The Barbecue Explosion is an orb of lard, filled with vinegar foam and a smoked pork emulsion, coated with pork rind flakes.  I expect it will be a big hit.”

Achatz will be teaming up with Greg Hatem’s Empire Eats to create 41 Dixie, with the restaurant going into a vacant Empire property.  ”I’ve done burgers, barbecue, Asian and Lebanese,” Hatem stated, “So it was a logical progression to do something a bit more exotic.  Grant had to twist my arm a bit, but when he told me about his version of the Waffle House’s Scattered, Smothered and Covered, served on a pillow filled with country ham air, I was all in.”

John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, stated, “It was only a matter of time before someone with the epicurean intellect of an Achatz decided to create a Southern movement of molecular gastronomy.  We’re damn tired of everyone thinking Southern food has to be heavy and simple.  It’s just fine for Southern food to be odd and precious, too.”

Achatz had originally hoped that the restaurant would have been ready for opening today, but that date was unrealistic.  ”An opening on April 1 would have been best, but we needed to stop fooling ourselves and take our time to get it right.”

14 Comments | Raleigh, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

22 Pounds and Counting

March 31, 2009

I’ve dropped 22 pounds so far — that’s in a 12-week period.  I’ve been stuck right around this weight for about a week, but that’s OK with me, as it’s going to get a big bump because I’m running again.  Yes, now that I’m down to 216 pounds, my knees can take a pounding.  When I go out for a 4 mile run, I burn a lot of calories, and that is very, very good.  Plus, it’s actually a lot of fun (OK, maybe not a lot of fun, but it’s sort of fun at times).  I’m going to start looking for another half marathon to run in the fall.

I may eventually have to drop my caloric target somewhat.  Right now I have an 1800 calorie budget, which is a net figure after deducting exercise.  So if I have a hard work-out, I get to eat more that day!  However, I suspect that I may drop the budget to 1700 net calories on workout days.  That’s still a lot of food, particularly the way I’ve been eating.

I’m actually a bit anxious to find out what my cholesterol and blood sugar levels are.  They have to be far better than what they’ve been in the past.  My physician might even be a bit stunned, as he’s unaware of what I’ve been doing.

Finally, I like the way I’m cooking.  I’m doing more with fresh vegetables and fruit.  My dishes are often more colorful and tastier.  My kids are eating a lot of this food, too, and they’re realizing it ain’t too bad.  This, my friends, is a very good thing.

4 Comments | General | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Help. Please.

March 26, 2009

mcdonalds-2

This post is not about food.  It’s about kids, young kids who need a lot of help.

The Lucy Daniels Center helps very young children with mental and emotional problems.  People tend to ignore — or at least, not talk about — these problems, even though they are severe.  Did you know that there are more kids with mental health problems than those with asthma?  Yet the parent with a child having emotional troubles won’t talk about it out of embarrassment, thinking it’s a parenting problem or something that the child will grow out of.

The staff at the Lucy Daniels Center goes into family’s homes to help kids in need.  These are low-income families who are not charged a dime.  The Center also has nationally-recognized classrooms to help very young children who often have troubles with other day cares.  And finally, the Center has more traditional one-on-one therapy sessions with troubled children.  Ninety percent of the families receiving services from the Center receive some form of financial assistance.  That assistance comes from the generosity of individuals like you.

What’s important to understand is that when the Center helps one child, it also helps his or her family.  Moreover, it helps that child’s classroom, as there is inevitably less disruption.  Frankly, you might not notice the work that the Center does, but you would indeed notice it if it were gone.

I’m the Vice Chair of the Lucy Daniels Center and the chair of its Development Committee.  My job is to help raise money, pure and simple. That’s why I’ve broken my personal “food topics only” rule today to make a plea to my readers.  Please think of giving a few bucks to the Center.  You can go to my Firstgiving site and make a donation by credit card.   If I get forty people to give 25 bucks, that’ll be $1,000 for the Center.  But I want more, of course, as the Center needs it.  The economy has been tough on everyone, but it’s particularly hard on non-profits.  The Center has had to cut back dramatically, and now it may need to cut services or provide less assistance to families in need.  If we do that, less children will get the help they need.  Times are desperate, and that’s why I’m reaching out to you for help.

So please go to http://www.firstgiving.com/deanmccord and make a donation.  Just eat at home one more day this week and donate what you would have spent.  You’ll be making a huge difference in the lives of these wonderful children.

Thank you.

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Bacon Popcorn Perfected

March 24, 2009

popcorn

This past weekend I ran some tests.  First, I used duck fat to pop some popcorn.  It was a noble experiment, with the duck fat adding a barely noticeable flavor to the corn, but it wasn’t life-altering (which was disappointing, as I currently have 8 pounds of duck fat in my fridge).

So then I tried popping the corn in some bacon grease that I had rendered from that morning’s breakfast.  Again, the grease added a very subtle bacon flavor to the popcorn, but it wasn’t enough for me.

And then the proverbial light bulb went off.  I melted some more of the bacon grease.  I then ground up a slice of crispy bacon into a powder (a spice mill or coffee grinder works well here).  I put the popcorn in a paper bag, poured the bacon fat over it, and shook it vigorously in the bag.  I then added the bacon powder, shook it again, and ended up with exactly what I was seeking: popcorn that wasn’t soggy or heavy, but with a fair amount of bacon flavor.  You could taste corn and bacon, which was the balance I was seeking, and I’ve now found a new snack for the Varmint household.

I’m not going to give you a recipe for this, as anybody knows how to make popcorn.  But here are some tips.

First, render the bacon fat over low heat, and then strain it through a paper towel to get rid of the sediment that can burn.

Then be sure to cook your bacon until it is very crisp.  I’ve heard that freezing the bacon can facilitate turning it into powder form.

Pop about a half cup of popcorn in 3-4 Tbsp. of filtered bacon grease.  Don’t use high heat, as bacon fat has a fairly low smoke point.

Put the popcorn in a large paper grocery bag.  Drizzle about 2-3 Tbsp. of melted, filtered bacon grease over the popcorn and shake vigorously to distribute the grease.  Add the bacon powder and shake some more.

Eat.  With lots of beer.

15 Comments | Cooking, Family and Food, General, Recipes | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

And How Could I Forget About John T?

March 23, 2009

John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, is also being honored by the James Beard Foundation by being inducted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.  John T. Edge is not only a great food writer, but he is a great eater, a better teacher, but perhaps more importantly, he is a chronicler of life.  He understands people of all types and always makes them feel good about themselves.  And then he writes about it in a style that captivates me.  There couldn’t be a more deserving inductee.

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Way to Go, Bill!! You, Too, John!! And Kathi, Too!!

March 23, 2009

My buddy, Bill Smith, Chef of Chapel Hill’s Crook’s Corner, received a great honor today when he was named one of the five finalists for the James Beard Award‘s Best Chef  in the Southeast.   Another friend, John Currence of Oxford, Mississippi’s City Grocery, was nominated again for Best Chef in the South.  And Kathleen Purvis, the fantastic food editor of the Charlotte Observer got a nomination, too, for her piece, “The Belly of the Beast.”

I couldn’t be happier for all of these folks, as they are three of the kindest, most generous individuals in the world.  Bill Smith would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.  And Johnny Snack (as Currence is known) was the primary force in the re-building of Willie Mae Seaton’s Scotch House in New Orleans.  Kathi always has a great answer for me when I have a food question.

Additional congrats to Sean Brock of Charleston’s McGrady’s for his nomination as the Rising Star Chef, honoring those 30 and under, and Hugh Acheson of Athens, Georgia’s Five and Ten.  I’ve enjoyed tossing a few drinks back with these guys, too.

All of these folks are members of the Southern Foodways Alliance, the single best food organization in the country.  But more importantly, they’re my friends, they’re great people, and boy oh boy, I hope they win!

3 Comments | chefs, Restaurants, sfa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Triangle Man v. Food Episode to Air

March 17, 2009

The Man v. Food episode filmed in the Triangle in January will be airing tomorrow night on The Travel Channel.  In this episode, host Adam Richman eats some Time Out chicken biscuits, whole-hog barbecue from The Pit, and then tackles a hot dog eating challenge at The Roast Grill.

The episode will be broadcast at 10 PM tomorrow, March 18.

6 Comments | Events, General, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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New Chef Hopes to Make Herons Fly

March 13, 2009

scottcrawford

Scott Crawford, the new chef at the plush Herons restaurant in The Umstead Hotel, is my home boy.  Yup, Crawford grew up in the big metropolis of Guys Mills, PA — population 133 (not counting livestock) — which is less than 20 miles away from my hometown of Titusville (the big city with a whopping 6,100 residents).  We’re talking about a mix of small town and country.  Dairy farmers.  Tool and die makers.  Folks generally don’t make it to the big time by staying here, and the vast majority of my high school friends left to explore the country and look for more exciting things. Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments | Cary, chefs, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Help Me Grow a Garden

March 10, 2009

gardenI want to grow a garden.

I have never grown anything edible in my life.

I need your help.

Here’s the deal.  I am looking for volunteers to help me grow some vegetables and maybe some fruit.  I don’t have great land next to my house, and I’m not sure it gets enough sun.  The soil might be complete crap.  But I want to grow something.  Anything.  I’ve got 4 workers who happen to be my children, and they can help with the weeding and watering duties.

I need your help because I’m a complete ignoramus when it comes to growing things.  I don’t know how to fertilize or till or plant.  I don’t know what should be started as seeds in the house versus in the ground.  I don’t know what items require lots of sun and what can tolerate shade.  I’m clueless about watering.  And I won’t even begin to pretend that I have any idea about organic methods.  Be serious, people.

We can come up with a weekend day that we can commit to the Varmint Garden.  So, anyone willing to help me out???

24 Comments | Family and Food, Farms, General | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Vietnamese Catfish in Clay Pot

March 4, 2009

catfish5

When I lived in Milwaukee back in the 90s, there was this one restaurant that my wife and I hit when we wanted something “different”, something Asian but not Chinese.  The restaurant was the West Bank Cafe, and it was a French-Vietnamese place that had one dish that I always ordered: Spicy Catfish in Clay Pot.  The catfish was surrounded with a rich, slightly sweet, dark sauce, loaded with umami and a touch of heat.  I could never get enough of this dish, nor could I ever get it out of my head. Read the rest of this entry »

12 Comments | Cooking, General, Recipes | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

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