Tag: Justin Fox Burks

Categories
Food & Drink Food Reviews

Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence Release Vegetarian Cooking for Two

Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence (Photo: Justin Fox Burks)

Being stuck at home for months, Justin Fox Burks and his wife Amy Lawrence turned to the pan during the pandemic. Instead of vegetating, they wrote a cookbook about preparing vegetarian meals for two.

“We were cooking vegetarian meals for two, morning, noon, and night,” Lawrence says. “We weren’t going out to eat or having anybody over. So, the publisher came to us and we agreed on this idea. And it turns out it’s a really good idea. People are responding.”

Vegetarian Cooking for Two: 80 Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthy Eating is the couple’s fourth cookbook. “Simple” is what they went for, Burks says. “There’s nothing that takes a particular set of skills ahead of time. You’re not going to have to study up on chiffonade or brunoise your red peppers. It comes together very quickly.”

Also, he says, “We used some prepared ingredients like salsas and sauces, so you don’t think you’re making everything from scratch. One of my favorites we do is a sheet pan stir-fry with peanut sauce, and it uses any vegetables you have on hand.

“Instead of cooking it in a wok, which has you sort of manning the wok the whole time, you just spread it out on a sheet pan and stick it in the oven for 20 minutes. It’s crispier. The flavor gets concentrated and you don’t end up with a watery stir-fry like a lot of people do when they try and stir-fry at home.”

Spiked Hot Cocoa Tiramisu is one of Lawrence’s favorites. “You use marscapone cheese and whipped cream,” she says. “We put a quarter-cup of bourbon in it. We like Blue Note Bourbon. We put hot cocoa mix in it and dark chocolate chips and mini marshmallows on top.”

The book is divided into breakfast and brunch, salads and handhelds, soups and stews, hearty mains, and desserts. “The first chapter is directions on how to shop,” Burks says. “How to think about cooking every day for two.”

They instruct the reader on “how to go to the grocery store and shop for the smaller can of coconut milk or a jar of salsa that will fit this recipe, so you don’t end up with a bunch of odds and ends in your refrigerator.

“If you’re a small household, you don’t want to have to cook for four or six people and have your freezer fill up with a bunch of the same food. Or, God forbid, waste the food.”

Their goal was to come up with a recipe a day. “It takes me a lot longer to put an idea for a recipe together than Justin,” Lawrence says. “He’s pretty quick. His always seems to turn out the first time. I have to give it a few tries.”

It took a few tries to get their chickpea chicken sandwich patties together, Burks says. “Since we’re a little more health-conscious, we didn’t want to deep-fry anything, which is how you get things crispy. We figured out how to shallow-fry these chickpea patties, and they are fantastic.”

Too many cooks might spoil the broth, but Burks says, “We’re a great team. We both know our strengths. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but I’m pretty good with the savory stuff and she’s pretty good with the sweet stuff and salads.”

Burks and Lawrence became vegetarians when they were 12 years old. After getting a hamburger at a dairy bar, Burks decided meat wasn’t for him anymore. “The idea was out there that an animal was a living thing,” he says. “I’d done some reading and research. It was just at that moment it all kind of hit me.”

“It seems less cruel to avoid meat,” says Lawrence, who already cared about the environment when she was 12.

Some people have a misconception about vegetarians, Burks says. “People think if you’re a vegetarian you’re going to be this scrawny little guy. Anybody who’s seen me, I’m kind of a big dude. I bike. I run. I’ve done five marathons.”

Burks goes by “The Chubby Vegetarian” in his books and on social media. “Whenever I say I’m a vegetarian, people say, ‘Really?’”  

Visit thechubbyvegetarian.com for more information. 

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink Food Reviews Hungry Memphis

Memphis Chefs Talk Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Michael Donahue

After hearing about Memphis being recognized as the mashed potato capital of America by Idahoan Foods, I wondered how Memphis chefs used mashed potatoes at their restaurants. So, I asked around.

Kelly English, owner of Iris, The Second Line, and Fino’s from the Hill, says, “I love crawfish boil mashed potatoes — with everything you would get in a crawfish boil. Just fold some crawfish tails, crispy sautéed andouille, corn kernels, and roasted garlic into your potatoes and season with your favorite Creole seasoning. Saute a piece of fish from the Gulf and pour brown butter and lemon juice over the whole dish.”

Derk Meitzler, chef/owner of The Vault, Paramount, Backlot Sandwich Shop, and Earnestine & Hazel’s, says, “I’ve used leftover mashed potatoes to make loaded tater tots. Put the potatoes, egg, flour, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives into a bowl and mix together. Form into the shape of a tater tot and roll in panko bread crumbs. Then fry them golden brown.”

Acre Restaurant executive chef
Andrew Adams
(Photo: Michael Donahue)

Elwood’s Shack owner Tim Bednarski shared his warm German potato salad recipe. Boil two pounds of new potatoes cut into fourths in salted water until tender. Render four pieces of bacon. Drain the potatoes while warm. Combine one cup sliced green onions, one-half cup diced celery, one-half cup mayonnaise, one-half cup sour cream, two tablespoons Dijon mustard, one-fourth cup apple cider vinegar, one-half cup chopped parsley, one-fourth cup pimentos, salt and pepper to taste, and “hot sauce for a kick.” Give it “a light mash.”

Veteran Memphis chef Mac Edwards, hospitality director for The Paramount, makes Very Anglo Latkes: “To leftover mashed potatoes, add grated onion, eggs, a little flour, and baking soda. Press into a patty, pan fry in one-fourth inch of oil until crispy and brown. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt while hot. I make a horseradish applesauce to go with it.”

Karen Carrier, owner of The Beauty Shop Restaurant, Mollie Fontaine Lounge, and Another Roadside Attraction, prepares Green Herb Roasted Garlic Creamed Potatoes, made with Yukon golds and a parsley, mint, and tarragon puree, unsalted butter, roasted garlic, creme fraiche, and grana padano, with salt and pepper to taste.

Saito 2 chef Jimmy “Sushi Jimi” Sinh makes a sushi roll with mashed potatoes. “Inside would be a deep-fried panko chicken,” he says. The roll is “topped with mashed potatoes and thinly sliced avocado.”

Ben Smith, chef/owner of Tsunami, says, “Mashed potatoes don’t play a major role in my restaurant, even though it’s one of the most requested side items. They normally only accompany our grilled filet of beef, but some customers get creative. We frequently have people order our pork and lemongrass meatballs on top of mashed potatoes.

“I’ve also known people to order mashed potatoes with a side of soy beurre blanc, which is kind of overkill because our mashed potatoes are already loaded with butter and cream.”

Acre Restaurant executive chef Andrew Adams says, “When I worked in a restaurant in New Jersey, I would make mashed potato sandwiches at the end of the night when leftovers were mashed potatoes and sourdough bread. I’ve been told that I break some sort of healthy eating rule by eating carbs on carbs. Lately, I’ve been doing the same with leftover cornbread.”

Peggy Brown, chef/owner of Peggy’s Healthy Home Cooking, cooks homestyle mashed potatoes: “We use Irish potatoes. Peel, wash, slice them up, put them in a pot with chicken broth, and boil until they get completely done. I also put salt in my pot while they’re cooking. Mash them with a potato masher and put in real butter and black pepper. Sometimes we put a little cream in them.”

If you still don’t have enough mashed potatoes in your life, try making some of these dishes.

Former Memphis chef Spencer McMillin, “traveling chef” and author of The Caritas Cookbook:  A Year in the Life with Recipes, knows his mashed potatoes. “I’ve been making smoked mashed potatoes since 1995,” says McMillin, now executive chef at Ciao Trattoria and Wine Bar in Durham, New Hampshire. “Wash Idaho russets, peel them, simmer — always starting in cold water — drain, smoke with any wood but mesquite, fortify with unholy amounts of hot cream and cold butter, season — kosher salt only, pepper and garlic fight with the smoke — and serve them napalm hot. If the roof of your mouth wasn’t singed with the first bite,  they’re too cold. Smoked mash is the one side dish of mine that has been remembered, sought after, stolen, and stood the test of time.

“In the restaurants, I always make way too much and find myself trying to merchandise them in other dishes or turning them into new ‘brilliant’ preparations. A kicky shepherd’s pie, creative duchess croquette, savory pancake — so good with braised pork shoulder — or cheddar-laced fritters.”

But, he says, “None of those dishes were as tasty and as simple to whip together during a mad rush as smoked potato bisque. Sweat out some leek and onion in butter, add chicken stock — not that crap in the aseptic box at the grocery store, make fresh — maybe add a bay leaf or two, bring to a simmer, whisk in an appropriate amount of day-old smoked mash — they’re better in this soup — a touch of cream and bam!”

In addition to his sandwiches, Acre Restaurant executive chef Andrew Adams uses mashed potatoes in dishes served at the restaurant.

“I like to make the super smooth extremely rich Robuchon style mashed potatoes or potato puree,” Adams says. “Five large russet potatoes, one pound butter, salt, and a small amount of hot milk. I treat the process like any emulsion, similar to a béarnaise, by slowly adding the butter and then refinishing with milk.”

Mashed potato concoctions don’t need fancy equipment, Adams says. “Years ago, I was eating at a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York City. After dinner, I was having a drink with the chefs who worked there. I was complimenting their truffle potato foam — when that was still popular — on a seafood dish. The sous chef said he spent weeks with aerators, stabilizers, and other high-tech equipment only for the chef to walk by one day and simply toss a spoonful of mashed potatoes into a white wine sauce and blend. The texture ended up so airy and balanced. Fifteen years later, I tried that. I made a simple sauce with white wine, shallots, milk. Then I added saved mashed potatoes slowly until thickened. To this, I added a little brown butter. And that was it. Last year, this made it to our menu. Now I smoke the potatoes. The final smoked potato sauce goes with our potato gnocchi and short rib dish. The gnocchi with ‘smoked mashed potato’ sauce has been a hit. It’s not listed on the menu that way.”

And, Adams says, “If I have leftover chunky mashed potatoes or some with less butter and other liquids, I will use those sometimes to mix with duck confit or duck breast ‘pastrami’ to make potato-duck croquettes. I just mix duck, mashed potatoes, and egg. That gets molded and breaded, fried.

“On days when we make potato rosemary bread, I’ll ask the crew to save the potatoes for the next day. The potatoes get mixed into the dough. The bread is usually used as the base of our country pork pate.”

Justin Fox Burks and his wife, Amy Lawrence of The Chubby Vegetarian blog and cookbooks, shared their Mashed Potato Dumplings recipe: 

2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes

1 tablespoon water

2 medium eggs (beaten)

1 cup semolina flour

one half teaspoon kosher salt

“Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe bowl with a lid or a plate to cover. Microwave on high for eight minutes and then allow potatoes to rest, covered, for another eight minutes in the microwave. Mash potatoes with a potato masher and add the eggs, four, and salt. Mix with your hands until just mixed. Pat dough out to about one half inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut dough into roughly one half inch rectangles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi for two to three minutes. When they are ready, they will float. Use a strainer to remove them from the water.

For extra credit, extra flavor, and extra texture, sear the drained gnocchi in olive oil in a skillet on high heat before tossing them with your choice of sauce.”

Burks and Lawrence serve their gnocchi with “a garlicky parsley and walnut pesto or paired with a regular jar of tomato sauce and heaps of grated Romano cheese.”

Categories
Cover Feature News

Taco Time! Eleven Memphians Share Their Favorite Local Tacos

CREDIT: Jesse Davis

Ah, tacos. Who doesn’t love ’em? A hard shell or a soft corn or flour tortilla can be the perfect, handheld vessel for any number of fillings. With the simplest of ingredients (black beans, lettuce, tomatoes) to the more unique (lamb, goat), local restaurants are making some damn-good, flavor-packed delights. We’ve asked a few folks to share their favorites. Read on, and you’ll see why every day can be Taco Tuesday in Memphis.

Fried Fish and Shrimp Tacos at Elena’s Taco Shop

Kim Vodicka — poet

This is tough because, though I love the tacos at pretty much any hole-in-the-wall restaurant or busted-ass taco truck on Summer Avenue, I wanna say Elena’s is my fave just because it stands out the most. It’s a totally different thing because it’s beach tacos, but like wow the fried fish and shrimp are excellent, especially if you get decadent and combine the two on one taco.

Jesse Davis

Their tacos remind me of the ones I had on tour in San Diego a few years ago, which were exceptional.

Maybe the best part of the whole thing is they have, like, 17,000 sauces to choose from. Pre-virus, they would set the sauces out on their own little buffet-like setup, and that’s really what made me fall madly in love. I am a fool for some sauce.

Elena’s Taco Shop is at 6105 Summer Avenue; 417-7915

Justin Fox Burks

Juan’s Tacos with Black Beans at Global Café

Justin Fox Burks — cookbook author, food blogger, photographer

There’s no magic tricks, no smoke, and no mirrors involved in this straightforward dish, and with just five ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. Juan’s Tacos ($8.95 for four vegan tacos) feature perfectly seasoned vegan black beans inside a double layer of super-soft corn tortillas. These stellar tacos are topped with spicy house-made tomatillo salsa, red onion, and fresh cilantro. Ask them to add avocado because … avocado.

Don’t sleep on the fried plantains and a side of rice to round out your meal. If you want something “wow” to wash it all down, you can’t beat The Messy MangoRita (also a Juan specialty), which features a whole dang mango doused in hot sauce as a garnish. And hey, it’s all vegan, too!

I’m the Chubby Vegetarian, and I approve this taco.

Global Café is at 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 157; 512-6890

El Mero Taco/Facebook

Fried Chicken Taco at El Mero Taco

Cristina McCarter — owner, City Tasting Tours

My favorite taco is the fried chicken taco from El Mero Taco. It’s the combo of juicy fried chicken and that damn queso with that pop of fresh jalapeño pepper for me. It’s tacos like that that I will randomly crave. You know it’s good if you drive to the ‘Dova for it. But they are in my neighborhood a lot, too. So I’ll grab a six pack of beer while picking up my tacos and brisket quesadilla. Now I want a taco!

El Mero Taco is at 8100 Macon Station #102, Cordova, or elmerotaco.com/foodtruck; 308-1661

Enrique Reyes with the asada taco from La Guadalupana

Asada Taco at La Guadalupana

Enrique Reyes — Mexican wrestling promoter

The asada taco at La Guadalupana Mexican restaurant is Enrique Reyes’ favorite taco when he and his wife go out to eat.

“La Guadalapuna is my favorite restaurant,” says Reyes, who organizes La Lucha Libre wrestling matches in Memphis, as well as makes the colorful masks worn by wrestlers. “The food is so delicious there.”

He likes to eat at home. “My girl cooks for me, but when she doesn’t cook, I go straight to La Guadalupana … once a week, something like that.”

Carne asada, Mexican steak, is his favorite dish there, but if Reyes orders a taco, it’s the asada taco, which is “just steak and onions and cilantro.” He puts guacamole on top, “’cause that makes the difference in the flavor.”

Asked how many he eats at a time, Reyes says, “Really, only four. You order with guacamole, it makes it a little bigger. I don’t eat too much. I’m good with four tacos.”

And Reyes doesn’t use any utensils when he eats tacos. “Just pick it up like a real Mexican. You never eat tacos with a fork.” — Michael Donahue

La Guadalupana is at 4818 Summer Avenue; 685-6857

Colin Butler

Al Pastor Taco at Picosos

Colin Butler — DJ for Big Ass Truck, radio DJ on WYXR at Crosstown Concourse

I’m partial to the tacos al pastor at Picosos. Pastor, I think it means “shepherd’s style.” Basically, they grill that pork on a spit, like gyro meat, and they slice it off. It’s based on lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. So some of the spices used in al pastor include coriander, hot pepper corns, cumin, chiles, garlic. They marinate the meat in that and then they pile it up on a spit and it rotates and cooks.

They hand-make their own corn tortillas there. And they use double tortillas. They stuff that full of meat, and then use chopped onion, cilantro, and jalapeño, which is typical for street tacos.

Between the homemade tortillas, doubled, the flavor of the meat, and the fresh toppings, to me, they’re the best tacos in town. It comes with your typical red salsa, a badass salsa verde, and more of a smoky, kind of chili-based sauce. They’ll give you all three if you ask for them.

It’s super simple. They’ll give you a small bowl of limes, too. And I always ask for crema, like sour cream but different. I like the way the sour cream contrasts with the more acidic stuff.

Picosos is at 3937 Summer Avenue; 323-7003

Katrina Coleman

Chorizo Taco at Tacos El Gordo

Katrina Coleman — comedian

I haven’t left my house much, lately. Working from home, I depend on my husband to bring treasures from the Outside. One day, he came home with five street tacos from Tacos El Gordo. The beef and chicken were good, but Memphis, THE CHORIZO.

On Madison, the lot of the Marathon has an orange box on wheels. I been sleepin’ on it.

Grilled corn tortillas filled with meat, onions, and cilantro. Served with cucumber and carrot slices that are pickled so lightly, it seems as if they heard of the concept once in a dream. The red chile sauce is good, but the green will light you up like Montag himself decided you were obscene. The sausage inside is perfectly seasoned. Tossed on the grill with the onions, the texture of the tortilla and minimal crisp of the meat makes such a delightful chewing experience that one might consider that no other food has ever been good.

If you haven’t been, I have to say: WAKE UP, SHEEPLE. Treat yourself to the only chorizo ever to be perfect.

Tacos El Gordo is at 1675 Madison Avenue; 801-0936

Bianca Phillips

Black Bean Tacos at Evelyn & Olive

Black Bean Tacos at Evelyn & Olive

Bianca Phillips — communications coordinator, Crosstown Arts

This year has been a wild one, and if there was ever a time to make sure you’re putting the cleanest, most wholesome food into your body, it’s now. Greasy comfort food may be calling, but whole-food, plant-based options will provide the nutrition you need to keep your immune system strong.

Lucky for you, the black bean tacos at Evelyn & Olive are both healthy and comforting. They’re like the taco equivalent of a grandma hug, which you can’t get right now thanks to social distancing, so accept a hug in the form of a vegan taco instead. Two crispy taco shells are generously stuffed with seasoned black beans, sautéed tofu, crunchy cabbage slaw, and sweet-and-tangy kiwi salsa. They’re served with sides of fluffy Jamaican rice and peas and cool, refreshing cucumber-tomato salad.

Evelyn & Olive is open for dine-in or takeout, and when you order to-go, they thoughtfully package all the taco components separately so you can avoid the dreaded soggy takeout taco. Build your own tacos at home, queue up Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” and enjoy with a stiff Jamaican rum punch for maximum comfort effect.

Evelyn & Olive is at 630 Madison Avenue; 748-5422

Julie Ray

Goat Taco at La Guadalupana

Noelia Garcia — associate artistic director at New Ballet Ensemble and School

Happy goats perform dramatic joyous dances to the glee of onlookers — much like the fancy footwork of a Spanish dancer. Perhaps the secret to Noelia Garcia’s dance superpowers is the $2.75 goat taco at La Guadalupana.

Garcia is the associate artistic director at New Ballet Ensemble and School who studied Spanish dance and flamenco at the Institut del Theatre i Dansa de Barcelona. She lived and worked in Spain, performed throughout Europe, in China, Israel, and the Philippines, and was a founding member of Barcelona’s Increpacion Danza company before landing in Memphis nearly 20 years ago. Her favorite taco is a heaping pile of perfectly seasoned goat meat on two soft corn tortillas topped with onions and cilantro. The meat of this beast has the tender juicy texture of a pot roast with a delightful tangy taste.

Try it. Ewe’ll like it. — Julie Ray

La Guadalupana is at 4818 Summer and 8075 Cordova Road; 685-6857

Laura Jean Hocking

Al Pastor Taco at El Burrito Express

Al Pastor Taco at El Burrito Express

Laura Jean Hocking — filmmaker

“For so long, I thought tacos only had hard shells, and had cheese and sour cream in them,” says filmmaker Laura Jean Hocking. “But a street taco, or a food truck taco, is all about the quality of the protein. It’s this little showcase for meat or chicken or fish with accents, instead of gloppy, Americanized crap all over it.”

Hocking’s favorite Memphis taco truck is El Burrito Express. Ubalto Guzman started the business six years ago. “I used to be a contractor,” he says. “We moved from California to Memphis to get into the food business. This is a family business. It’s me and my wife, son, and daughter.”

Laura Jean Hocking

An El Burrito Express taco plate includes five tacos with your choice of meat. Hocking’s favorite is al pastor, marinated pork said to descend from shawarma brought to Mexico by 19th century Lebanese immigrants.

“I like al pastor because I’m a big pineapple fan. I love the subtleness of the pineapple in pastor. It’s very savory and juicy. It’s a new discovery for me. I had never had pastor until we went to L.A. in September 2019. Generally, I’m a pescatarian, but when I run into meat products that are very good, like a Soul Burger or some Bar-B-Q Shop glazed ribs, I’ll have them. Now, pastor is on the list because life is short.” — Chris McCoy

El Burrito Express is at 1675 Madison Avenue; 428-9626

Samuel X. Cicci

Smoked Brisket Taco at Elwood’s Shack

Cara Greenstein — food and lifestyle blogger

Stretching or, as I would argue, elevating the definition of a “taco,” Elwood’s Shack delivers a singular sensation you simply can’t miss on its menu: the smoked brisket taco.

Upon placing in the pizza oven, a single flour tortilla puffs into a pillowy yet crispy foundation for an unconventional combination of delicate field greens (no shredded iceberg to be found here), sliced avocado, pico de gallo, shredded mozzarella, and creamy horseradish. A generous portion of smoked brisket, a perfected in-house recipe that takes center stage across Elwood’s menu, brings this open-faced phenomenon back to its barbecue Memphis roots.

If you ask how many tacos come in an order at the counter, don’t be underwhelmed when they tell you “one.” One taco from the Shack is just right.

Elwood’s Shack is at 4523 Summer Avenue; 761-9898

Jon W. Sparks

Barbacoa Lamb Taco at Tortilleria La Unica

The workers of R.E. Michel Company — HVAC distributors

Tortilleria La Unica recently moved across the street to its new home at 5015 Summer in a one-time Wendy’s. It still has the Mexican fare that made it popular, particularly among the working people out in that area. Among those is the crew at R.E. Michel Company, a distributor of HVAC equipment. One of the bunch is Dave Godbout, a self-described Destroyer of Tacos who is particularly fond of La Unica’s offerings. A recent lunch spread at the warehouse had half a dozen varieties from chicken to beef to lamb to pork.

“It’s a perfect combination of food,” Godbout says. “You’ve got salsa with tomatoes that has lycopene in it. You’ve got cilantro, which is good for detoxifying. You got a little bit of fat, a little bit of protein, a lot of carbs. It’s the perfect street food, and especially in our area, it’s the most readily available food you can get.”

“I love tacos, Americanized, authentic, it doesn’t matter,” says manager James Hoffman. “I didn’t even like cilantro until I got older and now I love it more and more. And we do a lot of business in the Hispanic community and they send us tacos from their local taco truck all the time. Man, this lamb taco is really good!” — Jon W. Sparks

Tortilleria La Unica is at 5015 Summer Avenue; 685-0097

Categories
Cover Feature News

20 < 30 The Class of 2020

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

This is the eleventh year the Memphis Flyer has asked our readers to tell us about outstanding young people who are making the Bluff City a better place. We had a record number of nominees, so narrowing it down to 20 was more difficult than ever. We do this so Memphis can meet the leaders who will be shaping our future. Even though we live in a time of uncertainty, speaking to these talented 20 never fails to fill us with hope.

Here they are: Your 20<30 Class of 2020.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Special thanks to Central Station Hotel for hosting our photo shoot.

……

Austin Rowe

Austin Rowe

Realtor

Austin Rowe wants you to Make Memphis Home. He adopted the motto three years ago when he got his realtor’s license, and he’s been putting people in houses ever since — he’s on track to sell $4.5 million worth this year. “I tell people all the time that Memphis has an undercurrent of soul that can’t be seen, it can’t be heard, it just pulls you in.”

Rowe lives in Midtown with his partner Taylor and their corgi Rivendell. He is active in Friends For Life and president of the Memphis chapter of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals. “I like the diversity in my neighborhood the most. You have African-American families, young white families, and older retired people living here. You have Latino families, Asian families. It’s everything about what America is supposed to be.”

……

Jared Boyd

Jared “Jay B.” Boyd

Reporter, Daily Memphian

After three years in Mobile, Alabama, Jared Boyd couldn’t wait to return to Memphis. “You know, home is home.”

When the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media graduate was offered a job at the Daily Memphian, he jumped at the chance. “I think the big thing about working here is how many well-respected stars are in this newsroom,” he says. “It’s like coming to work for the Avengers every day.”

Boyd’s other passion is music. “I started writing and recording in my bedroom when I was 12,” he says.

These days, he is the co-host of Beale Street Caravan, the long-running syndicated radio show that highlights music from Memphis and beyond. On the weekends, he can be found in the DJ booth. “Central Station is my home base … People come there and visit from as far away as London, and I love having conversations with people about music. It’s fun to be in that space and be the total brand ambassador.”

……

Paris Chanel

Paris Chanel

Modeling Agency Owner, Social Media Influencer

This is not the first time Paris Chanel has been on the cover of the Memphis Flyer. Most recently, the owner of the Paris Chanel Agency graced these pages on Valentine’s Day 2019. “I started [modeling] when I was 12,” she says. “It was love at first sight, and I haven’t stopped.

“Growing up in the industry, there weren’t a lot of girls who looked like me. And I thought, the lack of diversity is deep here. So I wanted to do something different. I want to be able to show diversity in all forms. We represent models who aren’t the standard shape and size. We have plus-size models, and we’re looking to get plus-size men on board, too … Everybody deserves a time to shine. So that was my thing — I wanted to create a new avenue for people who probably wouldn’t have been given the chance to explore their dreams.”

……

Ethan ferguson

Ethan Ferguson

Tech Entrepreneur

The first company Ethan Ferguson founded was Augseption XR, which offered augmented reality services for education uses. The second was Cinilope, which is developing new uses for drones. The most remarkable part of the story is, Ferguson is a 20-year-old sophomore at Rhodes College. “I decided  to put down roots in Memphis during high school. I had clients in my hometown, and I really wanted to keep working with them in the future. Being able to stay in Memphis to grow my business has been an amazing opportunity for me.

“Things are changing, and much of that has to do with the education system. We need to put education first. We need to be ready for the new, more automated, high-tech economy. Many of our students are being underserved. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot to upgrade from the old way of thinking to a  new one because the technology is everywhere.”

……

Ayo Akinmoladun

Ayo Akinmoladun

Dean of Instruction, Cornerstone Preparatory Elementary

“I graduated from Georgetown in 2013,” says Ayo Akinmoladun. “When I was in D.C., I did student teaching, and I realized that a lot of educational inequality popped up in D.C. So I looked all over the world until I saw Teach For America. They matched me here in Memphis. I’ve been here for seven years. I’ve seen the effect the political and the educational landscape has on students. I think, how can I change the narrative as a black educator here? As a rising principal, how can I change the narrative so students have access to college and [the same] opportunities as their peers?”

Akinmoladun says just seeing someone who looks like them at the head of the class can help encourage students who might otherwise get discouraged. “Black male teachers make a difference for low-income black boys. [With them], they are 29 percent more likely to pursue college and 39 percent less likely to drop out of high school.”

……

Terrica Cleaborn-Thornton

Terrica Cleaborn-Thornton

Lil’ Miracles Food Truck and Catering

Terrica Cleaborn-Thornton says she got her gifts from her mother. “We’ve catered for dignitaries. We’ve catered for Tom Shadyac, the Hollywood producer and U of M professor.”

When Cleaborn-Thornton thought it was time to upgrade to a food truck, she approached her mother with the idea. “We went to her right after she found out she had stage one cancer. ‘Mom, we have a gift. People flock to your home for food — all races, nationalities, and classes. Let’s serve.’ She said she wouldn’t do it unless we were giving back. I said, ‘We’re going to make it our mission that every homeless person, or someone in need, gets to eat for absolutely free, no matter what. That’s when we came up with the Pass Forward initiative.

At Lil’ Miracles Food Truck, what would usually be tips are put toward feeding anyone in crisis, no questions asked. Thornton calls the needy people who come to her for help Wandering Angels. “If you give people a reason to give back, they will.”

……

Deveney Perry

Deveney Perry

Resilient Communities Manager, BLDG Memphis

This Spelman College alumna and native Memphian is taking on equitable community and economic development in Memphis. “I’ve been working on a national initiative that works with communities to ensure community voices and decision-making guide equitable growth and development. The growth and development will benefit their health as well as their economic opportunities.” 

Perry’s work for BLDG Memphis includes things like supporting North Memphis communities to achieve and maintain land ownership, revitalizing public spaces that actually work for the people living there, and building the trust that society needs to thrive.

“We start community engagement at the point of a transactional need. We don’t start at the point of just building relationships. … Community engagement is not a one-time thing that is based on a need or an agenda. It’s a relationship that’s built over time. That’s how we’re able to support and revitalize Memphis neighborhoods.”

……

Gene Robinson

Gene Robinson

Germantown High School Football Coach

“I played football at Whitehaven High School, and that was my way to a free education,” says Gene Robinson. “I got a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina. It was there I got my passion for being able to come back to Memphis and show these young people the opportunities. When I got there, I was like, wow, there are all types of people here, and we’re all getting a free education through the game of football. You hear, ‘This kid can’t succeed,’ but get them on a college campus and get them a degree … well, most of my friends now have good jobs.”

When Robinson returned to Memphis after his collegiate career as a letterman defensive back, he became a coach for Fairley High School football, where he led the Bulldogs to three consecutive regional championships. As 2020 dawned, he moved to Germantown High School.

“I wanted to come back to Memphis because this is where I learned my grit, my grind. I wanted to give these kids a way out.”

……

Rod Erby

Roderick Erby

IT Auditor, International Paper

Roderick Erby has always been a good student. Looking back, he says he realized that he didn’t succeed alone. “I’ve had many informal mentors who, throughout the years, have taught me things that, at the time, I didn’t know I needed … I didn’t realize the gravity of that until I got to college.”

When he’s not keeping the information systems humming at IP, he devotes himself to mentoring people. “I have a mentee in graduate school and one who is about to graduate from high school. Here at International Paper, we have a scholar group of eight or nine kids we meet with every other Monday. They’re juniors in high school. One thing I always find I can help people with is professional etiquette … More recently, I’ve become interested in positive mental health practices. That’s where I’ve helped a lot of my friends who are even my age understand what it means to take care of their mental health, to get a therapist, and to be really intentional about making sure they’re okay mentally, as well as physically and spiritually … That’s what it comes down to for me: helping people. I’ve learned things. I’ve had a lot of experiences. Anything I can do to pass that along to other people to help them, that’s what makes me feel good.”

……

Kevin Brooks

Kevin Brooks

Filmmaker

The two-time Memphis Film Prize winner, Sundance fellow, and youngest-ever board member for the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission started his trajectory when he saw The Matrix at age 6. “I just really loved how that movie was very entertaining, but at the same time, it has moments that I felt were deeper than just action … That’s just kind of always stuck with me. I want to make entertaining films, but I want it to cause you to really think and leave the theater different than when you came in. That same year, my dad came home with a camera, so it’s like everything kind of played together. It was just meant to be, I guess.”

After the success of “Night Out,” the short he co-directed with Abby Myers, Brooks is working on a documentary and his first-ever feature film, which he plans to shoot in Memphis. “The best artists are the ones who know how to kill the ego and know it’s about serving the audience. That’s what you’re doing: You’re making something that can touch someone, and change someone’s life.”

……

Victoria Young

Victoria Young

Attorney, Baker Donelson

Before Victoria Young went to law school, she was a teacher. “I love teaching, but the changes I want to see made aren’t going to be done in the classroom. In order for me to have the effect I want to have, I would need to understand policy and how policymakers and legislators think. … It feels like the manifestation of a dream. I am blessed not only to practice law, but to be able to practice law in Memphis at a firm that has such a rich tradition and a rich history.”

For most people, that would be enough. But not for Young. She started spin classes while in college at Duke University, and when she returned to Memphis, she started Spincult, a boutique cycling studio in the Medical District.

“I wanted Spincult to be a hub for the anchor institutions of the Medical Center, but I was also building a place for me, as a grad student, to enjoy. … I wanted it to be a place where people who do the heart work can come and get a hard workout in.”

Earlier this month, Young welcomed her first daughter into the world. “Now, it’s even more important that I’m able to show her that you have to genuinely invest in the people you care about, and the places you care about.”

……

Kevin Woods

Kevin Woods

Urban Farmer

“When I came to Memphis about six years ago, I saw opportunity. There was so much blight around, vacant lots that I could utilize. I started looking at how to acquire some of these lots and went to the land bank and purchased a few. I was just trying to make urban farming a viable option for people in the city. … My urban farm is where all the blight is, where people are not likely to end up. People don’t want to live there. I was in those kinds of communities, trying to inspire people to either grow their own food to eat or to make a viable income for themselves. I haven’t reached that point, where you can sustain yourself from urban ag, but I’m going to keep working until I can do that.”

Woods, who also works as a project coordinator for Memphis Area Legal Services, renovated a formerly blighted house where he lives with his new baby Uriah. “I think we’re fighting toward a Memphis for everybody. Memphis has so much personality, so much flavor. It’s unfair to keep it in just one neighborhood.”

……

Joi Taylor

Joi Taylor

Alumni Director, Choose 901

Joi Taylor’s job is to keep talented young people in Memphis. “I was born and raised here. This is my city.”

She started working at Choose 901 in May 2017. “We have five local partner schools in the City of Memphis,” she says. “The whole idea is, after these kids graduate from these partner schools, they enter our program. Right now, we have over a thousand alumni in this program. Our objective is to connect them with opportunities, to mentor them. Anything they need to get ahead in life, it’s our job to connect them with that. But at the same time, to equip them with the skills and know-how to apply what they’ve learned from their mentors to the workplace. … Our whole thing is to make sure that the next generation of leaders in Memphis is well-equipped to take over and be the best that they can be. We want to improve the city of Memphis and [to help people] understand the leadership that’s in place now, so they won’t be clueless when it’s their turn to follow their dreams and take their rightful place as leaders of this city.”

……

Cara Greenstein

Cara Greenstein

Senior PR + Social Media Manager, Doug Carpenter and Associates

Cara Greenstein started her first food and lifestyle blog while she was in college in Austin, Texas. “Caramelized was a school project I started in a public relations writing class in 2012. It combines my passion for writing and story time with cooking and entertaining. When it originally started, it was just to practice my writing skills in the blog medium. But after I turned it in for a grade, I wanted to keep doing it.”

Her writing gained the attention of the Austin Chronicle, and her readership has continued to grow from there. “More recently, I’ve been working with national brands and products to be their lifestyle ambassador while also balancing the great food and lifestyle scene of my city.”

As soon as she graduated, she came back home. “I was watching Memphis’ development get started. I was seeing Downtown and the energy that was being reinvested, and I wanted to be a part of it. I actually met Doug Carpenter, who is now my boss at DCA, when I was a senior and considering my next move. It was even more compelling after that conversation. … I’m looking to build a city that is better connected.”

……

Katherine King

Katherine King

Senior Engineer, FedEx

“I am looking at what FedEx will be five to 10 years out,” says Katherine King. “My work involves looking at vision systems, robotics, and exoskeleton technology, which falls into general human augmentation technology. I get pretty excited about my job!

“When I was first looking for a way to connect with Memphis, I looked for places where I could find people like me, people in my community. Coming from Mississippi, and as someone who came out in college, I didn’t really have a community that identified with me as being part of the LGBTQ community. OUTMemphis was one of the first places that I looked. They just had so many opportunities to get involved.”

King has been an advisor for the OUTMemphis PRYSM youth group and met her future wife through the Metamorphosis Project. For the last two years, she has been the director of the Outflix Film Festival. “One thing I’m excited about, and have really tried to push for at the festival, is to broaden the idea of the LGBTQ voice when it comes to film. … I think there will always be a place for the coming out story in our community, but there’s room for more stories beyond that first step out of the closet.”

……

Daniel Bastardo-Blanco

Daniel Bastardo-Blanco

Ph.D. Student, UTHSC St. Jude Integrated Biomedical Science Program

“We are interested in understanding how the immune system works — how the body defends itself against cancer, against bacteria, and infection. In particular, I’m interested in understanding the molecular processes that drive the development of specialized immune cells. We use a number of tools to dissect which molecular players are key in the development of T-Cells, highly specialized white blood cells.”

Bastardo Blanco has a talent for communication that is the envy of many in his field. He has been published in everything from Nature to The Commercial Appeal. He is a freelance journalist and blogger who has advised his colleagues on “Bringing your science out of the journal and into the world.

“I am truly fascinated by the power of science,” he says. “I really believe science has the power to change life and to make the world better. But since I have become a scientist, I have come to realize there is a disconnect between scientists and the general public. We don’t really make a big effort to bridge the two, and we depend on each other.”

He is the founding president of the Venezuelan Alliance of Memphis and the former head of the UTHSC Graduate Student Executive Council. Next month, his research in Memphis will reach its climax when he defends his Ph.D. thesis.”This is coming in great timing for me because it’s really a conclusion of a very big chapter of my life.”

……

Carrington Trueheart

Carrington Trueheart

Cellist, Iris Orchestra

Carrington Trueheart didn’t start playing cello until the eighth grade, a full decade later than most people who perform at his rarified level. But that didn’t stop the Raleigh/Frayser native from obtaining his master’s degree from the University of Memphis and playing with some of the best conductors and musicians in the world. “One thing that music has taught me is, the more you know, the more you don’t know. I feel like every time I enter a new chapter of my life, that circle becomes bigger and bigger. So if you ask me if I’m a natural, I say maybe. But I have to work at it a lot.”

Trueheart is currently the Artist Fellow for the Iris Orchestra. “Part of the fellowship is addressing social inequity in the arts,” he says. “It’s a wonderful program that allows us to do a lot of community outreach. We get to play for kids at Le Bonheur and Hope House. We travel all over Memphis teaching kids in schools. It’s been a big part of my transition from being in school to being a professional.”

……

Goldie Dee

Goldie Dee

Entertainer

Goldie Dee, aka Micah Winter, thrives in the spotlight. “What really gives me anxiety is being in a room that is uncontrolled. When I go into an event space and I’m not an MC or a performer, I want to control it. If things are going off the rails, I feel it is my duty to jump in and contribute to the success of it. I get more anxiety being offstage watching people fail than I do being onstage failing.”

As the new historical marker at Evergreen Theater attests, there has long been an underground drag scene in Memphis. By performing in nontraditional venues and prestigious events such as the Cotton Carnival, Goldie Dee has been instrumental in bringing drag into the mainstream. “I’m on the board of Friends of George’s. It was one of the original discos here in town, which operated from the 1970s to the 1990s. We now operate as a charitable group. We have about four big shows a year under the TheatreWorks umbrella. We do three major donations a year of $10,000-$15,000.”

During the recent holiday season, she estimates she spent upward of 50 hours a month on stage. “That is my goal with Goldie: To be very visible at all times.”

……

Katrina Dorse

Katrina Dorse

Executive Director, Big Heart Fund

“I grew up in Memphis,” says Katrina Dorse. “I was one of those young people who … said ‘I’m never coming back.'”

She was pursuing a master’s degree in social work in Washington, D.C., when she became pregnant. “This was not in the five-year plan I had laid out,” she says.

Dorse returned to Memphis to have her baby with support from her family. “Kellen was born with seven congenital heart defects.”

About 1 in 100 babies are born with heart disease. Kellen spent three of his five months of life at the Le Bonheur cardiovascular intensive care unit, with Katrina by his side. “When I look back on our journey, I see I was very fortunate because we had a lot of support.”

But the other families in the ICU didn’t have that kind of support, so Dorse started the Big Heart Fund, which helps families of ill children with things like housing and other expenses. “You go through this experience that nothing in life can ever prepare you for, but at the end of it you’ve got this wealth of knowledge and experience that you can share with another family. If for nothing else, just to let them know that they’re not alone.”

……

Sherrie Lemons

Sherrie Lemons

Communications Director and Clinic Liaison, Memphis Full Spectrum Doula Collective

In 2018, Lemons was named Planned Parenthood’s Young Volunteer of the Year. One factor behind the award was her work as an abortion doula. “We’re the hand-holders of the abortion procedure. We provide physical and emotional support for each patient as needed. If the patient wants us in there with them — consent is a huge factor in what we do — we go into the room with them, we are in there throughout the procedure. … We give them whatever they need.”

Lemons is a native Memphian who is clear-eyed about the kind of future she wants to help build for the Bluff City. “I really want an equitable city. I don’t want to see Memphis associated with the level of poverty that it is currently associated with. … I truly want Memphis to be for everyone. I don’t want that to just be a tagline, putting a smile on a city that has struggled.”

Categories
Cover Feature News

Carb Wars: Why Are Alternative Diets Becoming So Popular?

By now, all us have that low-carb friend. The one who hisses at bread and pasta like a garlic-frightened vampire. The one who asks for bunless burgers at a restaurant. The person who rices (yes, it’s a verb here) cauliflower and “spiralizes” zucchinis into something called “zoodles.”

Maybe they’re just low-carb. Maybe they’re paleo. Maybe they’re Atkins. Maybe they’re keto. Heck, maybe they’re crazy.

If they are, they have plenty of company. While it’s impossible to know how many Memphians now follow some form of low-carb diet, surely there are many thousands.

But while you can’t quantify it, it is easy to see how these low-carb/clean-eating diets have risen over the last five or so years and have — for the moment — become the dominant diet trend. They are lauded and pushed by celebrities and amplified on social media.

So now Yolanda is eating a steak at lunch. Bryan says pork rinds are considered “health food.” And Aunt Dee is making her famous cookies with almond flour.

Before we go any further here, the Flyer is in no way pushing these diets. We’re not saying they’re good or bad. We’re not even suggesting that you try them. Let’s go ahead and cover our asses here and remind you that before you change your diet in any way, you should check with your doctor first.

When it comes to low-carb diets, Harvard researchers say there is “some evidence” that they “may” help “some people” lose weight more quickly and keep it off, compared to those on low-fat diets. A dietitian with Britain’s National Health Service says “not all carbs are the same” and that it’s “the quality and quantity of carbohydrates in our diet that is important.” Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, basically (and correctly), that everyone is different and their diets should be, too.

It’s all a bit confusing. To help sort it out, we turned to some Memphians with knowledge of this stuff — a nutritionist, a restaurant owner, cookbook writers, and a clean-eating food blogger. They’re working on the front lines of health, wellness, cooking, and eating, and all agree that low-carb diets are the deal right now.

Justin Fox Burks

Brandi Marter serves food up old-school at Bedrock Eats.

At the Bedrock

The breakfast rush is over, leaving Bedrock Eats smelling of coffee and bacon. Chef and owner Brandi Marter sits in a side booth in black workout gear, working on a laptop.

Much was made of the paleo-inspired restaurant when it opened in 2015 at the corner of Main and Vance. It was “paleo friendly” — the restaurant’s name a subtle nod to the caveman style of eating. Heads were scratched. But Bedrock has thrived as more Memphians seek whole foods and low-carb options.

Justin Fox Burks

Marter says her restaurant offers way more than just paleo. It’s also gluten-free and caters to people with food allergies (like eggs or nuts), vegans, vegetarians, low-carb, low-fat, “or whatever your thing is at the moment.” Sometimes, people will bring Marter lists of their food restrictions, and she works to accommodate them.

She says she was “super-strict paleo” for a long time, but that changed as she began training for endurance sports and Crossfit. 

“The longer you try to adhere to a certain set of restrictions, the more you realize life happens,” says Marter. “Every human body is different. People get frustrated because they are looking for quick answers. You have to spend time with your body and figure out what works for you, specifically.”

40 Aprons, and Costco.

40 Aprons

Cheryl Malik loves Costco. It was there that she really started to see just how big low-carb diets had become.

She and her husband did Whole30 about four years ago. On that diet, you eat only whole foods for 30 days. It’s restrictive and often has adherents scrambling to find approved foods.

“It was so much harder back then to find convenient products to eat that way,” says Malik. “Now, it’s so easy. They have grain-free tortilla chips at Costco. There’s cassava flour at Costco. I used to spend a small fortune on a small bag of almond flour from Kroger. Now, I can get a huge bag for $9 at Costco. I’m a big, big Costco fan over here, apparently.”

Malik also loves cooking and says she is “obsessed with health and wellness.”

Ten years ago, she focused that love into a blog. The blog — 40 Aprons — now has hundreds of recipes, all elegantly organized by diet — Whole30, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb. You can even search by cuisine style: Mexican, Indian, American, and more.

Malik says the most-loved recipe on the site is for her egg roll in a bowl, which fits Whole30, paleo, keto, and low-carb diets. Also look for bell pepper nachos, cookie dough, buffalo chicken dip, and more.

The blog came from a love of writing, Malik says, and of cooking, which she began in college. But the notion of eating clean and doing paleo really began when she was 8. “I knew instinctively that the way we were eating — as a culture — wasn’t right,” Malik says.

Vegetarian was the only alternative diet with visibility at the time, she says, and she followed it for long time. But when she discovered clean eating, she decided “it made a lot of sense.”

She took the dive about a year after she had a baby. Her brain was foggy. She was stressed. And she couldn’t seem to lose that last bit of baby weight. She decided Whole30 was “doable.”

All of the previous issues melted away (along with the baby fat). Her husband’s running pace improved.

“I never looked back,” Malik says. “That focus on real food made such an immediate difference for us, physically.”

Kim Thomas

Amy Lawrence and Justin Fox Burks

The Chubby Low-Carb Vegetarian

When it came time to name their new cookbook, Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence (scribes of The Chubby Vegetarian blog and cookbooks) did not bury the lede. The Low-Carb Vegetarian Cookbook is due in March, inspired by the surge of low-carb diets.

“The typical vegetarian diet — think beans and rice or sandwiches or even vegan pizza — is fairly high in carbohydrates,” Burks and Lawrence say in a statement. “We decided that we need to give our readers an off-ramp when they feel like they need some recipes that don’t lean too much on carbs.”

But the two didn’t crank out a product to fit the times. They did their homework. They consulted dietitians and nutritionists Erin Dragutsky and Kristi Edward from 901 Nutrition and Carolyn Nichols, nutrition education coordinator at Church Health, to “better understand the role carbs play in our bodies.”

“The standard American diet is crazy!” they say. “We have been tricked by marketing into believing that foods that are actually pretty terrible for us are ‘fun.’ Too much sugar and too many carbs can become a real problem.”

Meat and seafood are staples of most low-carb diets. So an already restrictive diet gets even harder for vegans and vegetarians. Burks is vegan. Lawrence is gluten-free. But they say some simple food swaps can make going low-carb and no-meat a little easier.

The easiest way, they say, may be using cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles. They swap jicama for potatoes in home fries and kohlrabi for wheat in tabouli. They also use a lot of nuts and chia and coconut in desserts. The new cookbook has a recipe for almond flour crackers and biscuits.

“The easiest of all is swapping sugar for Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener,” they say. “It has zero net carbs and tastes like sugar. It’s actually pretty amazing.” 

The Food Doctor is In

Susan W. Warner knows low-carb diets aren’t new. How? She’s a physician, a certified culinary medicine specialist, chef, and professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

Warner says that one of the earliest low-carb diets was Irwin Stillman’s plan in the 1960s. Robert Atkins followed up with his Atkins Diet in the 1970s, but it didn’t gain popularity until the 1990s. Arthur Agaston came next, with his South Beach Diet.

These are just three notable examples of numerous low-carb diets that have been created over the years, Warner says.

“The theories behind these diets have actually been around a long time,” she says. “Their popularity will probably ebb and flow, as so many have done in the past. Some are more grounded in science than others, and it is important for consumers to be aware of misleading information and pseudoscience.”

Before hopping aboard for any of these diets, Warner suggests you ask a few questions. Did the information come from a credible institution or qualified researcher? Are there other studies with the same conclusion? Who funded the study?

More than anything, though, Warner says Americans should focus on mindfulness, quality ingredients, and portion control.

While there are some risks with low-carb diets, Warner says there are benefits.

“What I like most about these diets is that most stress whole foods instead of foods that have undergone a lot of processing,” Warner says. “Ultra-processed, convenient, and fast foods, which are so readily available in our food culture, have been linked to weight gain and poorer quality of diet.”

Find Warner’s full interview on low-carb diets this week on the News Blog at memphisflyer.com.

…

low-carb

Idea: No stiff definition but focuses on restricting carbohydrates to around 50 to 150 grams per day.

Good: meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits

Bad: grains, potatoes, sugary drinks, junk food

Celebs: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Hudson

…

paleo

Idea: Focuses on foods available to and eaten by humans in Paleolithic times. No set carb limit.

Good: meats, veggies, eggs, nuts, seeds

Bad: legumes, grains, beans, dairy, sugar, potatoes

Celebs: Kobe Bryant, Jessica Biel

…

ketogenic (keto)

Idea: Very low-carb, high-fat diet puts your body in a metabolic state of ketosis, using fat stores for fuel. Fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. (A banana has around 27.)

Good: meats, low-carb veggies like kale and broccoli, low-carb fruits like berries

Bad: grains, beans, sweeteners, root vegetables, high-carb fruits like apples and bananas

Celebs: Kim Kardashian, Halle Berry

…

Atkins

Idea: Restrict carbs to under 20 grams for two weeks and slowly add them back to your diet.

Good: meats, eggs, full-fat dairy, low-carb veggies

Bad: grains, sugars, legumes, starches

Celebs: Sharon Osbourne, Alyssa Milano

Categories
News News Blog

VIDEO: Pipe Dream Road Trip

VIDEO: Pipe Dream Road Trip

Memphis Flyer reporter Toby Sells and photographer Justin Fox Burks road-tripped to Ed Duvall Landing last week, working on this week’s cover story: Pipe Dream.

The landing is close to where state officials hope to run a wastewater line across Tipton County and into the Mississippi River with the potential to pour 3.5 million gallons of waste every day. State officials say they need that line to lure a potential tenant to the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County. 

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The return of Edible Memphis.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

There was one thing Bill Ganus promised himself for 2018: no new projects. But … an opportunity arose that he couldn’t pass up. “I had the chance to tell important stories about connecting people with food systems,” he says. The conduit for those stories was Edible Memphis, which was shut down a year ago by founder Melissa Petersen after 10 years in print.

Ganus, who is partner in such businesses as Flow Cryotherapy and the Rec Room, admits he has no background in media, but he plans to call upon his skills in leveraging and team-building. For the team, he recruited as his editor in chief Brian Halweil of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn. Halweil will work on Edible Memphis from New York.

“I’m ready to see potential Edible ideas, community-building ideas, in another area,” says Halweil. He sees a bit of Brooklyn in Memphis. But it’s a Brooklyn that no longer exists. He sees it in the breweries and coffee shops, in the logos. He finds the city’s energy exciting.

Justin Fox Burks

Bill Ganus (left) and Stacey Greenberg

Another key member is Stacey Greenberg, who will act as managing editor. “She lives and breathes Memphis food,” Ganus says, pointing out that Greenberg is about as an authentic foodie as they come. “Memphians demand authenticity,” he says.

“My vision for the magazine is that it really represents Memphis. All of Memphis,” says Greenberg. “I’ve tried really hard to find a variety of writers and photographers to help us create something special. I reached out to the MABJ [Memphis Association of Black Journalists] and the internet at large to find some new voices, and I’m really excited with who I found. They’re people I’d love to get all in one room someday — until then the magazine is that room.”

Petersen, for her part, says giving the keys to Ganus made sense to her. “We had several people who were interested in taking over the magazine, but several were only interested in one or two pieces of the process. There are not-as-fun parts of creating a magazine — selling ads, doing the bookkeeping, delivering hundreds of boxes in July — but they have to be done,” she says. “Bill Ganus really did the legwork to come up with a plan for the entire process. And he’s assembled a team of people to share the work and grow things exponentially.”

Part of that growth is upping Edible Memphis‘ online game — create a usable website and posting on Instagram and other social media. What was never in consideration, however, was to make Edible Memphis online only. Ganus says that there is no substitute for opening a magazine, turning the pages, and seeing a beautiful spread of food photography. “It works best in paper,” he says.

Another part of the plan is to introduce up to five food festivals to complement Memphis’ lineup of other food festivals.

Edible Memphis will be on a quarterly release schedule, and Halweil imagines profiling local farmers and highlighting locally made products. They will not do restaurant reviews. They will not break news. He defines the editorial approach as akin to boosterism. “It will be celebratory and educational, a little bit rah-rah,” he says.

Ganus sees Edible Memphis as an invaluable source to Memphians who care about food. (We all care.) He says, “Edible Memphis will be the go-to local outlet for food and agriculture-related news. I’m committed to doing it well.”

Edible Memphis will relaunch in early November.

One byline you can expect to see in the new Edible Memphis is that of Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence, aka the Chubby Vegetarian. Burks and Lawrence are the author of two cookbooks. They’ve cooked at the James Beard House and contributed their vegetarian recipes to several local restaurants.

Amy Lawrence and Justin Fox Burks, aka the Chubby Vegetarian

Their latest venture is a partnership with PeachDish, a meal kit delivery service.

According to Burks, PeachDish followed them on Instagram and became fans of the Chubby Vegetarian. Amy reached out to them and suggested a collaboration.

PeachDish suggested they veganize their recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes Po’boy with their Cold Oven Sweet Potato Fries.

Fried Green Tomatoes Po’boy

Burks says what sets PeachDish apart from other meal-kit services is their commitment to use only local produce. The company also keeps packaging waste to minimum.

Ultimately, Burks says, he’s for anything that gets people in the kitchen and cooking.

The Chubby Vegetarian meal kit will be available September 10th, peachdish.com.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Rendezvous Ups Its Nachos Game

Two exciting developments on the Rendezvous BBQ Nachos Beat:

• On Tuesday, they introduced a vegetarian version of their famous barbecue nachos, and

• They now deliver — in the mail, y’all! — their nachos, so you can send them to your friends, family, and most precious loved ones.

“We are what we are. We don’t change much,” says Anna Vergos Blair.

But, that doesn’t mean the place is completely static.

In an irony that would make Alanis Morrisette’s head explode, Blair is vegetarian, has been since she was 2 or 3. You can credit her, in part, for the vegetarian offerings on the menu, including the red beans and rice and the Greek salad.

Recently, Flyer friend and perhaps Memphis’ best-known vegetarian, Justin Fox Burks, was at the Rendezvous taking pictures. He had had the salad before, but never the red beans and rice. Blair brought him some and he said that the restaurant should make it into a sandwich. So, Blair fetched a bun. It was good but messy.

And that’s how the beans wound up on the nachos. It’s the same Rendezvous BBQ nachos, sans the meat.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s good,” says Blair.

Blair says the plan is to get the nachos into the FedExForum.

As for the delivery, that idea came from Goldbely, the gourmet food online store. They were in town and at the Rendezvous for a TV shoot with the Food Network, according to Blair.

“They were all eating nachos, and they said, You should ship these,” remembers Blair. The Vergos fam just about dismissed the idea out of hand … until they didn’t.

They realized that they could pack the ingredients individually and include instructions on how to put them together. And then they picked up the phone: to Pancho’s for their cheese dip and to Felicia Willett for her her Flo’s Homemade Goodness pickled jalapeno’s. Each box contains 2 pounds of pork, sauce, seasoning, a tub of Pancho’s, a jar of the jalapenos, and a bag of chips.

A box of the nachos is $99.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

A Chubby Vegetarian Dinner Party

Last Saturday, I invited Flyer friends Amy Lawrence and Justin Fox Burks, aka the Chubby Vegetarian, to dinner. Pam and Bianca were there too.

The plan was that I would cook from TCV’s newest cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian. (I was later told that cooking for the cookbook author from the cookbook author’s cookbook is weird for the cookbook author, so don’t do this.)

For starters, the Figs in a Blanket (along with some vegan pigs in a blanket for Bianca).

Made with figs, cheese, walnuts, and crescent rolls. This was maybe my favorite dish … sweet, salty, crunchy, cheesy and easy to put together. A surprise! 

Next up, the Bagna Cauda Smashed Chickpea Dip … 

Ain’t gonna lie, I just googled “Bagna Cauda,” which means hot bath. I think that’s in reference to the wine it’s cooked in? Also, very good. I made this early in the day and put it in the fridge. I’m wondering, if it might have been even better warm. 

This is the Fresh Cucumber Noodles with Cashews and Mints. Light and refreshing. The noodles are made in a zoodler or whatever those things are called. 

This is the main event … the Italian-style Eggplant Sausages. 

These are made with peeled Japanese eggplants that are marinated, put on a grill pan, and topped with sauteed potatoes and onions and peppers. Oh boy! 

One thing I began to appreciate as I was putting all this stuff together is how very artful TCV is with spices. Everything smelled so good even before it hit the stove and no being pummeled with cumin. 

Finally, the Frozen Peanut Butter and Banana Pie … 

This is speckled with dates and has a peanut crust. This one is quick and easy to put together. 

I consider myself to be a mostly-okay, sometimes disappointing, sometimes pan-ruining cook, but I wasn’t intimidated in the least by these approachable dishes. 

TCV is having a booksigning Thursday, October 27th at 6:30 p.m. There will be snacks, so I suggest y’all go. And I suggest you pick up the book. 

There’s also a book release party at the Second Line on November 6, 5-7:30 p.m.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

New cookbooks from the Chubby Vegetarian and Marisa Baggett.

It all started with a bowl of pasta and a few too many habaneros for Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence.

“That was the first dish we cooked for each other,” Burks says. “We went together to the grocery store. We thought the habaneros were real pretty. It was so hot, but we ate it because we had made it.”

They’ve come a long way since that first dish they cooked together as a couple, creating a blog, chubbyvegetarian.com, that now has more than 3.5 million visits, appearing on the Food Network, lecturing and cooking at the James Beard House, and now coming out with their second cookbook, The Chubby Vegetarian (Susan Schadt Press).

“A lot of really fortunate things have happened,” Burks says.

The Chubby Vegetarian is a follow-up to their first cookbook, The Southern Vegetarian (Thomas Nelson), which has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Kitchn, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Style.

“The first book looked inward at our Southern culture and tried to fit what we live,” Burks says. “The second is a look at other cultures, particularly cultures that already eat a lot of vegetables.”

There is the Veggie-Packed Napa Cabbage Wraps with spicy Peanut Sauce, or the Samosas with Raita Dipping Sauce, and the Asian-Inspired Taco Bar, or the Egg Foo Yung with Sriracha Gravy.

There are also some typical American dishes but with a veggie twist.

Like the Charred Carrot Hot Dog — a carrot charred on the grill, then smoked inside aluminum foil, topped with all the fixings, and served in a hot dog bun.

Or the Olive-Bar Puttanesca with Cauliflower Chops — big chunks of cauliflower roasted in the oven and made to look like pork chops topped with a spicy puttanesca sauce using things found at an olive bar.

“We were trying to keep things light. We don’t want it to be intimidating or to make it super serious,” Lawrence says.

“We’re taking vegetables and transforming them with just some simple alchemy,” Burks says.

The couple has several events planned for their book launch, including a booksigning at Booksellers at Laurelwood Thursday, October 27th at 6:30 p.m. and a book launch party Sunday, November 6th at the Second Line at 5 p.m.

For Marisa Baggett, it started in a locked bathroom with a

bottle of Jack Daniels.

Eleven Japanese businessmen had shown up at her Starkville restaurant wanting to try her “sushi.”

“All of my employees were concerned and knocking on the door saying, You’ve got to come out of the bathroom,” Baggett says. “I said, No, I’m not coming out.”

Eventually she came out, made her version of sushi that she had learned from books on Japanese cuisine from the library, and promptly enrolled in sushi school.

“After that, I said, You know what, I want to be able to stand in front of anybody and feel comfortable with what I make for them,” Baggett says.

She graduated from the California Sushi Academy with a job lined up at a new sushi restaurant opening in Memphis under the leadership of Karen Carrier — Do.

All the while she was thinking there must be more people like her out there who would like to be able to make their own sushi at home and who may not have access to elaborate Asian markets.

She pitched her idea to several publishers, but no takers, until after she started sharing her knowledge and experience on a blog, and Tuttle Publishing approached her about writing a sushi cookbook for home cooks.

And Sushi Secrets: Easy Recipes for the Home Cook was born.

Baggett recently released her second cookbook, Vegetarian Sushi Secrets: 101 Healthy and Delicious Recipes.

“I knew as soon as I turned in my first book, I was going to do something on vegetarian sushi,” Baggett says. “I was a vegetarian from the time I was in seventh grade until about age 25. It doesn’t seem fair the things they put in front of people and sell as vegetarian.”

Baggett’s books can be found at Booksellers at Laurelwood as well as most bookstores and ordered online. For more information, visit marisabaggett.com.