As the Asheville culinary community grows, big ideas abound. For some of WNC's rising food stars, unearthing, preserving and improving traditions seems to be the trend. While working toward the common cause of elevating the food scene, they say, returning to roots may be the quickest way to get there.
Tag: Straight Dish
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Raising the bar
Cultural preservation through food and drink fits well with this area's hyper-local focus and reverence for handmade goods, says Cynthia Turner, a recent transplant to Asheville from New Orleans. Turner is impressed by the prevalence of artisan items and the fervor for local beer and food. "You feel it, you see it and people are […]
Rooted in the past
Cúrate's Katie Button cut her intern teeth at one of the most creatively advanced kitchens of our time, Ferran Adrià’s elBulli, the five-time “best restaurant in the world,” according to Restaurant Magazine. Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, bumped the now-closed elBulli out of first place in 2010 and still holds the title. Helmed by chef René […]
When pigs fly
Michael Moore made a quiet splash in Asheville when he began the Blind Pig supper club in 2011. The concept is simple but exciting and long-overdue in this area. Much like other similar events across the country, talented chefs collaborate to present a themed dinner in a secret location that ticketholders don't learn about until […]
Small is the new big
Lately, my big ideas have all been about appreciating small. There's a sort of "runaway American dream" that says we should get bigger, grow, dominate and take over the world. But when we look back, we usually yearn for the days when things weren't so big. Small. Manageable. It's the difference between having five friends […]
Breakfast off the beaten path
If you live in Asheville, you likely know about Tupelo Honey Café's sweet potato pancakes and Early Girl Eatery's egg biscuits. Chances are also good that you've stood in line for Sunny Point's huevos rancheros or Over Easy's smoked-trout omelet. If you've missed out, get thee to these standbys before tourist season returns. But even […]
Let it grow
I'm standing in an urban oasis. Under bright grow lights, Thai, Genovese and Italian sweet basil grow surprisingly big and almost impossibly green. The low trickle of the hydroponic system lightly gurgles, while strains of classical music infuse the room with tranquility. In one corner sits Dr. Robert A. Sweeney (he has a PhD in […]
They’ve got the golden ticket
Dan Rattigan gently places a chocolate bar on the table, followed by a handful of beans. The bar is wrapped in shiny, food-grade foil, and it glints like the prized golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In this case, the prize is the chocolate, and this is no standard bar. For one, it […]
Spiced Apple Butter
Yield: 4 half-pints. Ingredients: 5 lbs cooking apples 2 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger Method: Peel, core and chop apples. Place in a large stainless-steel pot along with water. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent […]
Holiday Rounds
Local honey gets the spotlight in ASAP’s Get Local campaign this January. Try using local honey in this recipe (especially with the recent news that some grocery store honey sometimes contains little in the way of actual honey). Find yours at area tailgate markets and at grocery stores that sell local foods. Visit FromHere.org to […]
Chevre, Cranberry and Pecan Spread
This recipe uses dried fruits, fresh herbs and local maple syrup, which is available from Maple Creek Farm in Yancey County. Yield: 1 ½ lbs. You will need: 1 lb chevre 3 ounces Tawny port 4 tbsp maple syrup, divided into two portions ½ cup pecan halves ½ cup dried cranberries Pinch of sea salt […]
Cider cocktail
Want a bubbly cocktail that won't pack too much of a wallop and has a local focus? Parris Benight of 5 Walnut Wine Bar recommends making cava-cider cocktail, an easy-to-throw-together drink that 5 Walnut sometimes serves on Sundays. "It's half cava (sparkling wine from Spain), half-pear cider, which has alcohol in it, and just a […]
Tips from the pros
Several local oenophiles offered suggestions for holiday wine. Les Doss of Vinsite wine shop located on 64 Broadway St. (http://www.vinsiteasheville.com) recommends the following bottles, which he and co-owner Kathy Taylor stock at the shop: For a sparkler, try a Gruet Blanc de Noirs sparkling NV ($15.99). "It's rich and toasty with juicy, light raspberry flavors, […]
Snacks, sausages and smoke
Home for the holidays is a nice notion, but having family around for too long can get claustrophobic. Whether you want to round up the troops and head out or just make a solo escape, chances are good that you won't want to eat heavily before any of the inevitable big meals. In talking to […]
Eschewing the eggnog
The holiday season is a celebratory time of year, full of friends and family — many of them getting all kinds of snookered on liquid cheer. And, although it’s hopelessly heavy, eggnog certainly has its place. But we think wine — red, white or rosé — is the best way to celebrate with a little […]
Chow down and put up
Now is not the time to put away your aprons, Thanksgiving-weary chefs. There are still traditional holiday meals left to make (like the New Year’s suggestions in this section) and ‘tis the season to “put up,” or preserve, food for the winter. Lucky for us, this time of year is ideal for filling and sealing […]
Gifts for the foodie
Has your little foodie been particularly nice this year? Do you have family members who squeal over gifts of locally made jams and pickles? Asheville's gotten on the gift train in a very real way this year, making it easier for you to have a very local holiday. Deck the halls with bowls of jelly […]
Meet your matcha
In the West, we're likely to associate any kind of powdered food or beverage with inauthenticity. Powdered lemonade, powdered cheese sauce and powdered milk — they all smack of the artificial. Matcha, a dried, finely milled, shade-grown Japanese gyokuro green tea, busts the notion of powdered food as inferior alternative, and is emerging locally as […]
He’s got your goat
Goats have an undeserved bad reputation. They’re charged with eating absolutely everything and smelling fiercely bad while doing it, like a teenage boy, but with more facial hair. At least in our beef- and chicken-centric corner of the world, the bearded ruminant's rather lowly status has kept its meat off the mainstream menu, but times […]
Goat chops
2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper 3 crushed garlic cloves 2 tablespoons dried marjoram 1 pound goat chops Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, salt and pepper the chops to taste. Sprinkle the chops with a fairly heavy coating of marjoram on both sides. Add oil and […]
John Fleer eyes Asheville
Asheville, we're about to get another feather in our culinary cap. John Fleer is looking at our area to open his first restaurant. You may have heard Fleer's name before; he was the executive chef of Blackberry Farm, an Eastern Tennessee resort, for almost 15 years — and simultaneously the general manager of the resort […]