Southern Pies — The “Must Have” Cookbook

September 30, 2010

We all receive gifts from time to time.  A bottle of wine, a nice piece of pottery, or a cookbook.  On Sunday, my dear friend Nancie McDermott gave me a copy of her newly published “Southern Pies.”  I have all of Nancie’s cookbooks (as she has been so kind to give me copies of them), and through these books she’s taught me a ton about Asian cooking and Southern cakes.  I’ve enjoyed the books, as they’re very accessible and interesting, and all of the recipes have been winners.

But of all these gifts, this one — this book of pies — is different.  This is not only a gift commemorating a birthday, but it’s a gift for everyone.  It’s a gift from Nancie to the cooking world.  Hyperbole?  Judge for yourself, but if you take a serious look at this book, you’ll see what I mean.

Last night after dinner, I finally got a chance to sit down and take a look at Southern Pies, and my first impression is that this may be the first time I’ve had a cookbook that makes me want to make every single recipe in it.  I’m totally serious about this.  Of course, there are the expected chess, lemon and coconut pie variations, but there are a number of very interesting pies of which I’ve never heard: green tomato pie, sliced sweet potato pie, vinegar pie, bean pie, and a plum custard pie.  There are fruit pies that have added substantial amounts of cream to them.  Rhubarb and scuppernong grapes are featured.

I’ve always been a huge pie lover, but I’ve gotten away from baking them in the past year.  That’s all about to change.  I’ll be sure to chronicle my pie baking escapades here, and I suspect my kids are about to learn how to make pie crust.

Thanks again for this wonderful gift, Nancie.  It will be treasured for a long, long time.

2 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, Books, Cooking, Family and Food, General, Recipes, Southern food, Southern Food Culture | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Restaurant Review Roulette: Bella Mia

September 29, 2010

Most of the places that Greg Cox reviews are restaurants I’ve never visited, and all too often, I’ve never even heard of them.  I try to guess how many stars the place will get based on the restaurant’s website and menu, and then I look at Yelp and Chowhound to see if there’s been any discussion.  And then I guess.

This week is different, as Greg will be reviewing Cary’s Bella Mia, a coal-fired pizza joint.  I sort of know this restaurant.  Quite honestly, I’m a bit obsessed by it, having eaten there 15-20 times since they opened back in June.  I’ve become personal friends of the family that owns the place, Rick Guerra, his sons Louis and Anthony, and Rick’s sister, the ever-charming Lucie Guerra.  I’ve tried just about everything on the menu.  I’ve drunk their beers.  I’ve sampled Lucie’s desserts.  I’ve declared Bella Mia to be the best pizza in the Triangle, if not the state.  There are others who disagree, as they might not get what Bella Mia is trying to do, with their 900 degree oven, fueled with oak and anthracite.  They might not like the pizzas that are cooked in two minutes, with a thin crust slightly charred on the bottom.  But of the dozens of people I’ve introduced to Bella Mia, at least two-thirds agree with me that it’s the best pizza in the area — by far.  There will never be unanimity, but that many people cannot be wrong.

So now Greg Cox has visited Bella Mia several times and is ready to write about it.  Greg has an unwritten rule that 4 stars is as high of a rating he’ll give to a casual place, and although Bella Mia is far nicer than one would ever expect for a pizza joint, it’s still a pizza joint.  Yes, the pizza is amazing.  Yes, the beer selection is solid.  Yes, I had a clam and lardo pie last week.  But will Greg give this place more than 4 stars?  I know he won’t give it 5, because that rating is reserved for the more formal, high dollar establishments.

Bella Mia is transcendent, and it deserves more than 4 stars.  No one does anything like it in the area, and so I’m really hoping it’s a 4.5 star review.  That’ll send a message to the restaurant community that if you do something extraordinary, you’ll be rewarded.  We’ll see on Friday.

Here are this week’s odds:

5 stars — 22 to 1

4.5 stars – 5 to 4

4 stars — 1 to 2

3.5 stars — 4 to 1

3 stars — 12 to 1

2.5 stars — 20 to 1

2 stars — 100 to 1

1.5 stars — 5,000 to 1

1 star — 1 bazillion to 1

I really hope they get the 4.5 stars, but I’m expecting 4.  Let’s hope I’m wrong.

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Edit: October 1, 2010 — It’s a very strong 4-star review for Bella Mia.  Greg Cox had nothing but praise for the pizza, calling it “flawless.”  And this demonstrates the problem with any star-based review system: a place like this is unable to get any more than 4 stars.  That’s why it’s important to just read the damn review and not focus on the number of stars.  And then go get you a pizza.

14 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, General, Restaurant Roulette, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Birthdays and Cakes

September 28, 2010

Our family celebrated two birthdays this past weekend.  My youngest child, Clara, turned 10 on Saturday, and for her birthday dinner party, we had fondue.  She and five of her young friends feasted on cheese fondue with bread and summer sausage, an oil fondue with filet mignon and shrimp, and then chocolate fondue with strawberries, marshmallows, and pound cake.  The girls had a blast, and we loved following up behind them, eating the scraps.

My birthday was on Sunday, and my new tradition is to cook tacos for family and friends (and to serve a lot of tequila).  So I had 5 different types of taco fillings: Braised short rib with morita chiles; Smoked pork shoulder (with a rub of achiote, garlic, cumin, sour orange, salt, Mexican brown sugar, chipotle, and oregano), Braised chicken thigh with mustard greens, tomatillo and jalapeno; Flash fried shrimp; and Eye of Goat beans from Rancho Gordo.  I also made 4 different salsas, some pickled onions, guacamole, and other accompaniments.

It was a great weekend, but the true highlight from a culinary sense were the cakes.  I’m not talking about the amazing coconut cake that my sister-in-law made (thanks, Doro!) or the fantastic one brought by my friends at Crumb, but the two birthday cakes.

My daughter is currently obsessed with the film, “Alice in Wonderland,” and that was the them of her party.  Thus, my wife decided to make Clara an Alice in Wonderland cake.  Clara’s godmother drove up from Augusta to help, and two of our kids (along with one of their friends) all contributed in the final project.  The cake itself was a pound cake, and they used a buttercream icing.  They also made figures with fondant and gum paste.  It took them quite a lot of time, but the end result was quite spectacular.  I particularly love the top of the cake, where you see the legs of Alice as she is falling through the rabbit hole.  Absolem the caterpillar is very cool, as are the Cheshire Cat, the playing cards, and the White Rabbit.  I still can’t believe my family made this.

Clara’s birthday cake was a team effort, but mine was made solely by my 15 year old daughter, Ryan.  She knew I was making tacos for dinner, so she, of course, made me a taco cake.  Look at this thing!  I don’t know how she came up with the idea, but it was truly incredible.  I’m still breaking out into a huge grin when I think about that big ol’ taco.  And it was tasty, too!

These cake-making skills did not come from me.  I am quite competent at baking, including cakes, but I suck at decorating.  I’m happy if I just get the frosting on it evenly.  But my wife has turned into a gifted decorator, and my kids appear to be following in her footsteps.  And I love it.

6 Comments | Cooking, Family and Food, General | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
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Restaurant Review Roulette: Capital Club 16

September 22, 2010

I hadn’t really wanted to go to Capital Club 16 in downtown Raleigh, purely because I nonsensically dismissed the place for its name.  It was far too close to the “Capital City Club,” and, quite frankly, I don’t like any operation with the word “Club” in it.  As I said, it’s nonsensical.  And now I’m starting to think that I’ve been missing out on a really good place.  A somewhat upscale diner that features some German influences in its menu.

Greg Cox is reviewing this place on Friday, and I suspect he just may like it.  Just like I suspect that I would like it, too.  The chef, Jake Wolf, appears to have a sense of what would work in downtown, part hipster, part style, and lots of sensible menu choices.  The prices are incredibly reasonable, too.

Cox generally won’t give more than four stars to casual dining places, unless it has something “extra” to offer in the way of food, like Poole’s Diner (and speaking of that cap, it’ll be interesting to see what he gives Bella Mia in next week’s review, which is easily the best pizza in the area, if not the state).  So I suspect that he’ll give this place at least 3.5 stars, but I’m thinking that 4 stars would be the better bet.  We shall see.

Here are this week’s odds:

5 stars — 16 to 1

4.5 stars – 8 to 1

4 stars — 4 to 5

3.5 stars — 8 to 5

3 stars — 3 to 1

2.5 stars — 8 to 1

2 stars — 11 to 1

1.5 stars — 23 to 1

1 star — 39 to 1

I’m sure many of you have been to Capital Club 16.  So how was it?  And how many stars do you think it will receive?

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Edit, September 24, 2010: Greg Cox gave Capital Club 16 a solid 3.5 star rating.

4 Comments | chefs, General, Raleigh, Restaurant Roulette, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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Teaching Kids to Cook

September 16, 2010

A food writer friend of mind has been tweeting lately that she’s giving her college-aged daughter a cooking “crash course” as she moves into her first apartment.  And that made me wonder how do people teach their kids to cook?  Do you have them stand beside you on a regular basis, where they observe and take it in?  Do you agree on a dish or two that you will make together?  Do you have them plan meals?  At what age do you let them do their own thing in the kitchen?

I’ve got four children, two boys and two girls.  The girls are 15 and 9 (soon to be 10), and the boys are 16 and 11.  My 9 year old daughter is a baking machine, constantly making cookies, muffins, and the occasional loaf of bread.  She doesn’t do anything overly fancy, but it’s almost always tasty.  She has not, however, done much on the range.

My 16 year old son can make a few things.  He knows how to poach an egg.   He can make a solid, classic alfredo sauce. Oh, and a grilled cheese, too.  But that’s about the extent of his repetoire.

My 15 and 11 year olds, however, don’t cook that much.  My 15 year old daughter can make pasta.  That’s her specialty.  Her only specialty.  My younger son doesn’t really cook at all.

I wonder why my kids don’t cook more often.  Is it because they view me as the cook, where I control the process too much?  Do they have any desire to learn?  Am I too impatient with them?

I want my kids to know how to make some basic dishes by the time they go off to college, and right now, I’ve realized that I haven’t been doing a good job of teaching.  Time for that to change.

10 Comments | Family and Food, General | Permalink
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Restaurant Review Roulette: Fearrington House

September 15, 2010

Greg Cox is reviewing The Fearrington House this Friday.  Greg Cox will award it 5 stars.  I need not even offer any odds this week, as it’s that good.

Any questions?

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Edit, September 17, 2010: Wow, Greg Cox surprised me and gave Fearrington House only 4.5 stars.  Now some of you might say, “What’s the big deal between 4.5 and 5 stars?”  It’s a HUGE deal.  And it all came down to the service he received on his second visit to the place.  He had an overly friendly, but ultimately inattentive waiter.  A place like Fearrington should not have an “off” night, particularly when a couple is celebrating a wedding anniversary, as Cox was.  The service left Cox feeling cold, and he docked them a half star as a result.  It’s unfortunate for the restaurant, as Chef Colin Bedford’s food is amazing (and confirmed in Cox’s review).  I’m sure Jenny Fitch would not be happy one bit by this review, and I suspect there’s going to be some angst over in Pittsboro this morning.

11 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, General, Restaurant Roulette, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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Egos and Icons

September 14, 2010

I received an email the other day that included a press release about a “celebrity chef” event in Charlotte.  I looked at the list of chefs participating and didn’t recognize a single one.  Now I have to admit that I don’t watch the Food Network all that much, and I couldn’t name a lot of the personalities that they on their programs, but it’s clear that television, and the Food Network in particular, has changed the public’s perception of all chefs.  No longer does a chef have to have a big TV deal, or even a cookbook, to be a celebrity.  The only requirement, it appears from this Charlotte event, is that the chef be, well, a chef.  Now I’m as caught up in chef worship as much as the next person, but we really need to remember that these chefs are just hard-working folks.  Hell, most of the chefs who are on television regularly and can truly be considered CELEBRITIES (Bayless, Batali, Keller, Pepin) are not that much different than you, me or anyone else.  And when we talk about the local chefs who might be considered “stars,” well, once again, they’re for the most part just plain folk.  Ben and Karen Barker of Durham’s Magnolia Grill have each won a James Beard Award, but they’re as humble and nice as can be.  Sure they have egos, but the manifestation of that ego is what’s on the plate.  They bust their butt to make sure that what we eat is top-notch, night after night. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, chefs, General, Raleigh, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Restaurant Review Roulette: Saxapahaw General Store

September 8, 2010

Greg Cox will be reviewing the Saxapahaw General Store, the best little convenience store/gas station you’d ever want to visit for dinner.  I’ve heard a lot of great things about this place, but I have not been there.  Frankly, the last time I was in Saxapahaw, I was hunting for chanterelle mushrooms about 20 years ago.  That was as good as dining got in that part of Alamance County (or all of Alamance County, for what it’s worth).  Times have changed, it seems, and now Greg Cox has made it to this place where the tables sit right beside the shelves of potted meat.

I think Greg Cox will like this place.  I think he’ll like it a lot, but he just won’t be able to bring himself to give it more than 4 stars.  But this is one review where I’d be willing to put some of my own money down regarding the final rating the restaurant receives.  This will be 4 stars.  I’m not positive, but I’m damn confident.  And if I’m wrong, I’ll just claim, once again, “I’ve never eaten there.  How the hell should I know?”

Line up and place your bets.

5 stars — 9 to 1

4.5 stars – 3 to 1

4 stars — 2 to 3

3.5 stars — 4 to 1

3 stars — 7 to 1

2.5 stars —  11 to 1

2 stars — 23 to 1

1.5 stars — 35 to 1

1 star — 55 to 1

Tell me about the Saxapahaw General Store.  And how many stars it will get.  And if you really pronounce the second “a.”

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Edit — September 10, 2010: Oh, yeah.  Nailed this one!  The Saxapahaw General Store received a 4-star review in this morning’s N&O.    Now how did I know it was going to be a 4 star place?  Because the food is really good, but that food is served in a convenience store.  You combine those two elements, and per Greg Cox’s grading system, you get 4 stars.  If the environment were a little nicer, then it could get 4.5 stars (look at Poole’s Diner for an example).  But Greg Cox loved this place.

8 Comments | General, Restaurant Roulette, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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Restaurant Review Roulette: Lucky 32

September 1, 2010

I’ve gotten pretty good at guessing how many stars Greg Cox will give a restaurant, even when I’ve never even heard of the place.  But this week, I have a different challenge: figuring out the rating of a friend’s restaurant — in this case, Chef Jay Pierce’s Lucky 32.  I’ve previously written about this place, as Jay has invited me over twice to give him feedback on new menu items.  I like what Jay has done with the restaurant, making it a high end “meat ‘n 3″ place.  Frankly, the stars of Lucky 32 are often the side dishes.

The problem with this edition of Restaurant Review Roulette is that I’m not sure how well Greg Cox will like it.  If I had to put my own money down, it would be at the 4 or 3.5 star level.  Lucky 32 has a number of dishes that are 4 star level or higher, but its menu is so large that I suspect Cox will think it’s overreaching.   I’ve also heard comments from others that love several of Lucky 32′s dishes, but they’re not enamored with others.

So, I’m going to go with 4 stars, as Lucky 32 is certainly as good as other places receiving that rating, and in some instances, even better.

Here are the odds:

5 stars — 32 to 1

4.5 stars – 32 to 9

4 stars — 32 to 23

3.5 stars — 32 to 19

3 stars — 32 to 13

2.5 stars —  32 to 5

2 stars — 32 to 4

1.5 stars — 32 to 1.2

1 star — 32 to .32

The one thing we know is that Lucky 32 won’t be getting 32 stars.  How many will Greg Cox give it?

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Edit, September 3, 2010:  Greg Cox gave Lucky 32 3.5 stars in this week’s review.  This is one of those reviews where the description of the place, including the food, doesn’t really match up with the rating.  Greg is quite positive about the place across the board, with a couple of minor exceptions, which led me to think he wanted to give it 4 stars.  But I sense that Greg just couldn’t bring himself to give them that extra half star.  What I will say is that a LOT of the dishes on that menu are worthy of 4 stars,  but I also have no problem with Greg’s final verdict.

3 Comments | Cary, chefs, General, Restaurant Roulette, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

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