Prohibition — thank god that’s over. On April 7th, breweries across the county celebrate Brew Year’s Eve, the 73th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. Locally, you can down celebratory brewskis at Boscos Squared as they unveil their Spring Malt Tonic especially for the occasion. A portion of Boscos’ beer sales tomorrow night will benefit the Brewers Association, which benefits small brewers in the United States. For more info, go here.
What Wally wants, Wally gets. At least when it comes to truffles. During his cooking demonstration at the Distinctively Charleston Food and Wine Festival, the Memphis chef and owner of Wally Joe’s restaurant asked for a few of the tuberous fungi. Because the festival’s supplier had run out, other foodies came to his rescue. Indeed, it’s reported, truffles rained on Wally. Read more here.
The times they are a-changing at Overton Square. According to a recent article in the Daily News, the entertainment and commercial district that which enjoyed a heyday in the 1970s and ’80 is “trying to generate new interest with some fresh tenants.” That means Jeanice Blancett’s Square Foods Natural Market will be moving to a smaller but decidedly hipper hotspot — Cooper-Young.
“There’s energy in the kitchen that’s not in the dining room that people enjoy,” says Chip Apperson, managing partner of Grove Grill. “When you have a party at your house, people congregate in the kitchen.”
This is the reason Apperson and co-owner and Chef de Cuisine Jeffrey Dunham open the Grove Grill kitchen to guests for dinners.
At first, the events were sporadic since they were scheduled only after there were enough people to fill the seating in the kitchen. “I keep a list of people who have expressed interest and then call when we have enough people,” Apperson says. “We place three tables in the kitchen, and each table seats eight.”
Through word-of mouth and repeat business, the kitchen dinners have become so popular that they are held about twice a month during the cooler seasons of the year. The next one is scheduled for April 19th.
“We only do them until about May, because it gets too hot in the kitchen during the summer to be comfortable,” Apperson says.
The Grove Grill, located in Laurelwood shopping center, opened in 1997. Both Apperson and Dunham wound up in Memphis 10 years after they first became friends as students at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. In an interesting twist of fate, they met for lunch at a little restaurant called Cena to talk about going into business together. A month later, Cena closed, and Apperson and Dunham leased the space for Grove Grill.
The two transformed Cena. Now the space features a mahogany bar that runs nearly the length of the restaurant. The dining area features an open, upscale design with rich colors and a rotating selection of local artwork from the neighboring David Lusk Gallery.
For the kitchen dinners, tables are set up behind the equipment and preparation line so that guests are isolated from the fast-moving pace of the staff and are able to enjoy a five-course menu accompanied by a variety of wines. Before each event, Dunham sits down with Ginger Wilkerson, a representative of Athens Distributing, to choose wines suitable to the $75 prix-fixe menu.
“The advantage of having the kitchen dinner [is that] you know the food is going to go above and beyond the restaurant experience,” says Verna Turner of Memphis, who has attended several kitchen dinners over the past three years. “You know going in that it’s going to be a special pairing of food and wine that wouldn’t normally be available on the menu. The pairing is done by two professionals. Jeff is one of the finest chefs in the city, and Ginger is so knowledgeable about wines.”
Those who attended the March 8th dinner started out with duck liver paté and grilled chicken satay, followed by stuffed Gulf white shrimp with ginger crawfish tails and Kaffir lime-coconut nage.
“The Gulf shrimp was excellent,” Turner says. “Matter of fact, I called Chip over and suggested that it should be added to the menu. But that’s what makes the kitchen dinners unique. They can serve items that might be a little extraordinary for the average person to order from a menu, or an ingredient might be too expensive or rare to be able to offer it all the time.”
The entrée featured roast Peking duck followed by braised beef short ribs with spicy venison, chorizo, and Yukon gold potato ragout with roasted garlic cream. Dessert was raspberry-chocolate icebox pie with passion-fruit coulis.
“We have a fantastic time,” says Wilkerson, who also serves as the dinners’ hostess. “I talk about the wines and discuss why we selected a particular one, but it’s mostly just a unique way to enjoy dinner out.”
“It’s not an education-oriented night. It’s more of an eat, drink, and be merry evening,” Apperson says. “There is no participation or demos with these dinners, but Jeff will come over and discuss the menu and answer any questions.”
David Burke is a renowned New York chef whose restaurant davidburke & donatella is receiving rave reviews for its high style and cutting-edge contemporary American cuisine. One word that’s often used to describe Burke is “innovative.”
The Flavor Spray is one of his inventions. As described on the product’s Web site “The David Burke Flavor Sprays™ contain zero calories, zero fat, zero cholesterol, zero carbohydrates and FDA-approved Food flavoring. Whether you are on a low carb, no carb, low fat, no fat, no sugar, point system, or counting calorie diet, the Flavor Spray is right for you!”
So instead of high-calorie sauces or toppings, all you do is squirt.
And among the Flavor Sprays is Memphis BBQ. For a Memphis BBQ Flavor Spray recipe, go here.
The pursuit of wine education can begin with one simple question: Why do I like this so much?
Like food, there are many facets to wine: tastes, growing regions, types, styles, etc. For many, the process can be overwhelming and intimidating. One approach to learning more about wine — besides tasting, of course — is to read about it. Whether you are a beginner or on your way to being a sommelier, there is a book for you.
One of the best all around books for any wine lover is The New Wine Lover’s Companion by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron’s Educational Series, 2003). My absolute favorite book, anyone can use it to start learning about wine. It is functional for the novice, and a great book to keep on hand as a reference. Set up in dictionary format from A to Z, it’s hassle-free, conversational, and highly usable.
The New Wine Lover’s Companion includes details on grape varieties, styles, growing regions, and winemaking techniques as well as instructions on how to read a label and how to buy, store, and serve wine. Included are maps and information on glassware, bottle shapes and sizes, temperatures, and more. The book also has phonetic pronunciations and is compact so it can be taken anywhere. It is definitely worth its price of $15.
Another essential introduction to wine is Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2006 Edition by Kevin Zraly (Sterling, 2005). The publication provides practical information and explores each wine-growing region in detail. It also covers the basics of fermentation, how to taste wines, and winemaking technology, laws, and practices from every country in the world. Zraly’s approach is easy-going with simple jargon anyone can understand. There are sidebars to help reinforce what you have learned. This book is a fabulous way to start your wine education, and it sells for about $25.
The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson (Oxford University Press, 1999) is for those who already know a little about the topic and for the more advanced person yearning to learn more about the science of wine, the particulars on winemakers’ techniques, and the geographic conditions that influence the flavor profiles of the grapes each area produces. This book is an encyclopedia, and while it’s arranged alphabetically for quick reference, there is nothing else quick about it. It is heavy and thick and not an easy read, but it has all the information you will need to continue your wine education. It sells for $65.
The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson (Mitchell Beazley, 2001) is an in-depth look at the world of wine, including the history of wine, winemaking, grape varietals, and how grapes are grown. The book details the geographic conditions, climates, appellations, laws, and production of every wine-growing region in the world and helps the wine lover know exactly how and why wines display certain characteristics. The book is 350 pages long and is designed for someone very serious about learning everything there is to know about wine. It costs $50.
twerne@hotmail.com
What does it take to start a farmer’s market in downtown Memphis? A group of neighbors with lots of determination.
“We started with this idea six months ago, and right now we’re in final negotiations with MATA to make Central Station’s Pavilion the home of the Memphis Farmer’s Market,” says Sharon Leicham, vice chair of the Memphis Farmer’s Market (MFM).
The market is scheduled to open on May 13th and will be open every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. until October 28th. The MFM is a nonprofit organization with an aim of helping regional farmers promote and sell their products while offering locally grown foods to the Memphis community.
“The local aspect is very important to us,” Leicham says, “and we definitely like to see vendors who offer organic produce.”
Local means products native to the Mid-South. The market will be able to accommodate approximately 40 vendors with room to expand. To uphold its mission, the market will give first priority to local farmers with 100 percent, certified organic produce then local farmers with conventional produce. In addition, vendors who sell homemade craft items, such as soap and jewelry, or homemade foods, such as jams, jellies, honey, baked goods, and freshly roasted coffee, will be offered space so long as the food items have been prepared, stored, and displayed in accordance with Shelby County health department regulations. Vendors can rent a space at the market for $20 per week, $60 per month, or $250 per year.
Community and consumer education is another aspect the market’s organizers want to emphasize. The MFM team plans to use this opportunity to host weekly events that center around good nutrition and healthy food choices.
May 13th kicks off with a National Safe Kids Week event, then it’s a different topic every week until the market closes for the winter. One Saturday in July will be devoted to diabetes awareness and a Saturday in September to cholesterol education. There will also be a pumpkin playground and fall festival in October.
“At some point, we’d like to have a year-round market, and we’d also like to be open more than one day a week,” Leicham says. “But right now, we just want to get started.”
The space formerly occupied by the Russian restaurant Café Samovar has found a new tenant. Tsunami owner Ben Smith — along with partners Demitri Phillips, sous chef at Tsunami, and Thomas Boggs of Huey’s — is expanding his culinary territory to this downtown location, with a new restaurant to be called Meditrina.
“Thomas has been trying to talk me into opening another restaurant for a while. Demitri had talked to me about doing his own thing. And then this location became available,” Smith explains.
Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty of opening a new restaurant. The menu, which will feature Mediterranean fare, has to be planned, plus the interior has to be remodeled. Smith & Co. don’t want customers feeling like “this is Café Samovar with a different menu,” says Smith. They want the space to be a social gathering spot, where people share food, wine, and stories.
Phillips will be heading the kitchen as executive chef. He’ll be taking Tsunami’s popular small-plates menu a little further but also offering a regular menu.
“We are definitely not claiming authenticity,” Smith says. “We’re just taking influences from the foods of Spain, Greece, Italy, and the like and incorporating those into our menu.”
The restaurant is scheduled to open for lunch only in April. Dinner service will follow a couple weeks later.
Ballet Memphis’ “Connections: Food” will feature a five-course dinner prepared by Memphis chefs Karen Blockman Carrier, Erling Jensen, and Felicia Willett. New choreography by Ballet Memphis dancers will accompany each course. The event, under the direction of Dorothy Gunther Pugh, will take place on March 25th at 7 p.m. at the Bridges Center downtown.
For further info and tickets, call 737-7322, ext. 302. The price is $135 per person, $250 per couple, and $1,000 for a table of eight.
Caspar MacRae has one of the greatest jobs in the world: brand ambassador for The Macallan, the biggest name in the premium scotch-whiskey market. A former captain of the guard at Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, he now travels the world, telling people about single-malt whiskey and Macallan. He says he got the job after responding to an ad “which might as well have been the Scottish national lottery. It’s really a dream job for any Scotsman.”
MacRae will be conducting a scotch tasting on Thursday, March 23rd, at the Brooks as part of the museum’s “Art of Good Taste” series. Funds raised through the events go to support education and programming for the museum and its exhibitions.
Macallan created the position of brand ambassador in 2002 to take advantage of growing interest in high-end spirits and to help market their new “Fine and Rare” line.
“We’re keen for people to understand single-malt whiskeys,” MacRae says, “and also for people to be more aware of Macallan. Single-malt whiskey is without a doubt the most diverse distilled spirit, the flavor is all natural, and people are becoming more interested in finding out why the things they drink taste the way they do.”
For starters, MacRae likes to point out, “scotch” just means any whiskey made in Scotland, 95 percent of which is blended — meaning it’s a combination of different single-malt whiskeys. The single malts are harder to make, more time-consuming, and therefore more expensive.
Josh Hammond, owner of Buster’s Liquors and Wines and co-chair of the “Art of Good Taste,” says when it comes to production and marketing, “nobody does it better than Macallan.”
“There is more interest in scotch — maybe because it involves witty Brits,” he says. “The Macallan, in particular, has led the way in the premium category. They are spending a lot of money to teach people about their brand and what makes it so unique. They’re really the upper echelon.”
And what makes Macallan unique? They are among very few distillers who use casks previously used to make sherry, which Hammond says gives their product a sweeter flavor profile. In fact, they contract with specific foresters to get their wood, and MacRae says it takes up to six years to get a barrel ready, because it is first used to make sherry. They also use low-yield Golden Promise barley, which most makers have abandoned for higher-yield grains.
All of this, of course, makes the stuff a little pricey. Macallan’s lowest-priced product, its 12-year-old, retails for about $50. Their high end in retail, the 1952 vintage, goes for about $4,500. Collector bottles of very old vintages run as high as $60,000. The 1952 is part of the “Fine and Rare” line. Each bottle of the line is registered to ensure its lineage. And this year, Macallan is releasing a 50-year-old vintage in a special Lalique crystal bottle. Hammond says he expects Buster’s to receive one of only 100 bottles sent to the U.S. and that it will retail for about $5,000.
Do those numbers make you jump? Enter MacRae.
“Part of my job is to explain why it’s become more expensive,” he says. “Between the barrel and the aging, an 18-year-old whiskey takes 25 years to make, so you have to predict 25 years in advance how much to make. Twenty-five years ago, we were not such a global brand. Now, for every bottle we make of 18-year-old, five or six people want it. There’s a lot of demand.”
At the Brooks event, MacRae’s job will be to entertain the crowd, tell them about Scotland and its whiskey, and pour samples of five single malts which, were you to buy them all in bottles, would set you back about $5,000. The fun starts at 6 p.m. with light food from the Brushmark restaurant.
So, what does Macallan’s brand ambassador carry in his hip flask? “I’m bringing some 1952 to pour in Memphis,” he says. “But in my very well-guarded flask I also have some 1946. It’s definitely one of the perks of the job!”
Looks like the Brooks Museum moved the time of a Thursday-night event to accommodate the Tigers game against Bradley. From an e-mail from the Brooks:
THURSDAY, MARCH 23
NEW TIME: 5 p.m.
The Macallan Scotch Tasting
Treat yourself to samples of five single malts from The Macallan, universally recognized as one the world’s greatest scotch whiskies. The evening includes gourmet tastings from the acclaimed Brushmark Restaurant. You can do both! Enjoy the Macallan Tasting and Watch Tiger Basketball!
Because of the U of M game scheduled for 6:37 tip-off, the Macallan Scotch Tasting has been bumped up to 5 p.m.
5 – 5:30 pm cocktails; 5:30 – 6:15 pm seminar
Questions and Answers to follow, but avid fans can still make it home for the game.
“I always open the menu with trepidation,” says Irish-American chef Margaret Johnson, author of six cookbooks on Irish cooking, including The Irish Pub Cookbook.
She’s talking about Irish-themed restaurants. “[Even if] you put an ‘o’ on Buffalo chicken wings, I don’t care how you slice it, they’re still just Buffalo wings!”
Johnson, who traveled here as a guest chef when Memphis In May honored Ireland in 2005, explains, “A country that suffers through a famine never really gets the chance to develop a culinary legacy.”
Things are changing, however. “In the 1990s,” Johnson says, “Irish chefs realized they had to catch up with the times. Now, the economy there is the fastest-growing in Europe. Everything is ultramodern, and the food scene is undergoing a natural evolution.”
Because of this evolution, Johnson says Irish pub owners could easily devise an all-Irish menu that would please 90 percent of their American customers.
“Every chef has a great potato recipe,” Johnson says. “The boxty is a popular potato cake that can be made many different ways. Some people use leftover mashed potatoes. Others use cooked and grated potatoes, and others use raw potatoes so it looks like a latke.”
Corned beef, she states emphatically, is not authentic Irish cuisine.
Memphians hoping to find the pot of gold at the end of the culinary rainbow can go to Cooper-Young’s Celtic Crossing or visit Dan McGuinness’ East Memphis or Peabody Place locations, where menus featuring potato soups, fish sandwiches, and hearty rib-eyes aim for authenticity.
“We did a lot of research,” says Dan McGuinness general manager Jody Clark. “We found a degreed chef who was born and raised in Ireland, Rita Burk, and retained her help for the initial recipes here.”
Of Dan McGuinness’ menu items, which include Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, cod battered in Harp lager, and beef tips marinated in Guinness stout, Clark notes that “a good 60 percent is true Irish cooking, while we’ve Americanized the other 40 percent. Our chef, Victor Banks, worked directly with Rita.”
At Celtic Crossing, Amanda Naylor, an Irishwoman raised in London, heads the kitchen, baking soda bread fresh daily and churning out genuine Irish faves like boxty crepes, potato and leek soup, battered-and-fried cod with Galway tartar sauce, and the “Delicious Dublin Duo,” which is shrimp wrapped in Irish bacon that is served with a tangy Guinness sauce.
“I make the soda bread in huge batches in about 15 minutes every morning,” says Naylor, “and then it takes about two hours to bake. I don’t get homesick, but I like the Irish breakfast. The bangers and rashers [sausage and bacon] definitely remind me of home.”
Most Irish food, she says, is comparable to soul food because both are essentially country cooking.
“I think Irish cooking has a reputation for being very bland, but by mixing it with an American influence, I’m able to make it more exciting,” she adds.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Naylor expects to pull a long shift, serving up hot plates for her fellow countrymen and American celebrants alike. “I’ll be here all day, coordinating the whole structure of the kitchen,” she says, “making sure the food’s going out quickly and hot.”