A look back at 2013.

We're five days away from a brand new year, so I thought I would share some of my highlights of 2013 with you.  Here we go!

In January I surprised my mother with a visit from my aunt who lives in California.  It was a perfect birthday surprise for Mom.  We had a blast bebopping around together.

Last winter my daughter and I decided to make donuts.  While we were baking, it started pouring snow outside.  She ran out and made a snowball.  It was one of those perfect little memories. And those were really great donuts.

Dan and I spent our anniversary this year in Charleston.  We had an incredibly special dinner at Husk complete with sparkling wine and a special menu just for us.  We also walked on the beach in the freezing cold and ate fresh oysters at Bowan's Island. (I'm not a fan of oysters, but it was a neat first time experience.)

 

I battled a case of severe depression during the first part of the year. (Booo!) It was rough, but one day during my funk, I had the absolute pleasure of babysitting my God-daughter.  She is a complete joy and brightened my world.  It's the little things sometimes...

My daughter and I were walking on the beach during spring break and she bent down to write something in the sand.  When I saw it, I almost cried.  We are at this neat stage before boys, before she starts claiming her independence and Mom becomes uncool.  Sierra + Mom = love.  

Joy. Joy. Joy.

We were blessed to spend a TON of time at the beach this summer. Isle of Palms is my second home of sorts and a wonderful, wonderful place to cool out and spend time with my family and friends.  

Life is not always rainbows and moonbeams.  But sometimes it is. 

My family from DC and Tampa visited!  I was so stoked to meet new additions to the family and spend some time with my cousins.  I can't wait until I see them all again! Love you guys!

Chattooga Belle Farm Dinner.  One of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. (Thank you Edible Upcountry!) 

Euphoria 2013 was a blast!  I met Kat Kinsman from CNN's food blog Eatocracy.

I held a baby pig.  I checked that off my bucket list!

Renegade Vittles Dinner.  The best chefs in Greenville cooked one of the most amazing meals of our lives. 

I met Chef John Currance, got his cookbook, then made my first homemade Guinness Whole Grain Mustard,  and brined and smoked my first beef tenderloin. Holy moly that was good eatin'! Best thing I made all year.

I made eggnog with my chef buddy John Malik and drink master at Bacon Bros, Jason Calloway. (Really, I watched and documented, but...)

I spent a lot of time at Bacon Bros this year!  Standing beside Anthony Gray while he shaved paper thin pieces off of his country ham for me to eat was pretty dang amazing. 

I hung out with Passerelle Chef, Teryi Youngblood.  One of the coolest chicks in town. 

For the first time I made a cheesecake that didn't crack.

I had the pleasure of visiting Posana in Asheville and was over the moon happy that owner and chef Peter Pollay sat down and joined us for dinner.  

The new addition to our family. 

The most awesome thing to happen this year?  I am partnering with Carolina Epicurean blogger, Laura Huff, for Greenville Small Plate Crawl 2014 coming March 24-26.  I'm excited to be partnering with her to bring her popular WNC food crawl to the Upstate.  Restaurants are already signing up and I keep hearing how excited people are about the crawl.  

Here's to more excitement and joy in 2014!

Tuesday Mish Mash: pigs, wine and a crazy new cooking store.

I totally held a pig last weekend.  And I swear it was one of the coolest things I've done in FOREVER.  We were at the Boone Hall Farm Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch and this year, God bless them, they had a petting zoo complete with a llama, a calf, goats, bunnies, a mini donkey, and baby PIGGGSSSS. I already thought they were the bees knees for having a cool corn maze and the biggest pumpkins I've seen in South Carolina, but cuddly animals too?! I went through the petty zoo twice. Well, I can check that off my bucket list.

I am in love with this wine.  Apothic Red is one of our go-to easy wines. It's $9. It appeals to a wide range of tastes. Bam.  But this new Apothic Dark is deeper and richer.  So yum.  I must stock up before it is all gone.

We make Low Country Boil (aka Frogmore Stew) every time we go to Isle of Palms, so last weekend, I decided to mix it up a bit and make Shrimp and Sausage Burritos.  They turned out really well. Shrimp, sausage, onions, peppers, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, guac, sour cream, and my father-in-law's homemade salsa.  Next time, I'm throwing in some fried potatoes, and that will about cover it, don't you think?

I am 100% obsessed with the casting of the Fifty Shades of Gray movie.  Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed.  I won't bore you, but feel free to comment.

OMG! I have to tell you about this crazy new cooking store called Southern Season my friend told me about on Mt. Pleasant.  It's like the Fresh Market on crack.  It's a cooking school, a market and a restaurant all in one big strip.  Strangely, the market has no fresh veggies or meat department (really?!) but there is a big deli and a bakery with the craziest selection of iced cookies (one of my favorite things) I've ever seen, a huge candy department, more condiments than I thought existed, tons of gluten free dry goods (cookies, etc and baking mixes), a big house wares section with ridiculous collections of cutlery and candles and aprons... bags... it's a weird place.  But they have wine and beer.  Isn't that all we really care about?

The menus from the Restaurant at Southern Season looked pretty dang cool.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and weekend brunch with dishes like the Bourbon BBQ Porterhouse Pork Chop with Bleu Cheese Macaroni and Pickled Peaches. Are you drooling yet? When I get back to the island, I'm totally meeting a friend there for the mini-menu and drinks they serve from 3-5pm.

Here's another pig picture.  Just for kicks and giggles.

I'm so ready for Halloween.  My Halloween houses are out... all lit up and making spooookkky noises. I went to no less than five stores yesterday looking for more Halloween decorations for my house.  (Like I need anymore.) And I am all stocked up on Candy Corn.  I'll save my costume for the after Halloween party pics because I don't want to ruin my husband's big surprise costume.  What's everyone out there planning on being for Halloween?  

That's all I have for now.  Happy Tuesday!

Dinner at Old Village Posthouse

Old Village Post House Executive Chef, Frank Lee, is a rock star in the culinary South.  It's like playing Six Degrees of Frank Lee when it comes to his influence among South Carolina's most notable chefs.  He was sustainable and locally sourcing food before they were marketing catchphrases for restaurants.  Bottom line?  He knows food.

I saw him at Euphoria Greenville this year and was totally wide eyed...one of those people I just couldn't walk up to.  So I pointed and whispered to my husband, "OMG!  That's Frank Lee!" And snapped away like I was the paparazzi.  I must have been shaking like a leaf because my pictures were blurry as heck!

Okay, I'll quit doting and get to the meat of things (a very long post): 

Last weekend, I took seven members of my family to Old Village Post House, for a sampling of the Lee magic. The restaurant is located in the Old Village area of Mt. Pleasant, just a few doors away from an old time pharmacy complete with soda fountain and a boutique shop called Out of Hand, which I absolutely love. (Dining hint? Go early to avoid the crowd, get good restaurant pics, and to get maximum attention from staff.)

After you're in the door, you have no idea that you aren't in a restaurant in downtown Charleston. It totally has the white table cloth, jazzy music, downtown vibe (without the traffic and parking headache).  We settled into our table in the beautiful upstairs dining room and dug into the menu. 

I ordered the creamy and delicious, Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup and a few others ordered beautiful starter salads, the Poached Pear Salad and a Roasted S.C. Apple Salad with baby spinach, crispy country ham, toasted hazelnuts, and blueberry basil vinaigrette from the specials menu.  Warm bread slices are also delivered to the table in a Charleston Sweetgrass Basket.

Also landing on our table, was a bite size cucumber and apple salad with mint and basil... an amuse-bouche.  

What is an amuse-bouche? Get ready for today's lesson, folks!

An amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre. Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are done so free and according to the chef's selection alone. Wikipedia

(As a side note, they aren't always edible!  We were served an amuse at The Owl that we were supposed to just smell.  The waiter delivered it to the table and said, "Please do not eat the amuse.")

Onward. For our main courses, my husband ordered the restaurant's signature Pan Roasted Grouper with truffle celery root custard, okra, micro greens, and roasted mushroom vinaigrette.  The grouper was silky and delicious, but I wasn't a fan of the vinegary bite.  I did however, enjoy my perfectly cooked Cast Iron Duck Breast, with broccoli raab, butternut squash farro (heaven!), muscadine gastrique and roasted grapes. A few others at the table ordered burgers, and my mother-in-law ordered the Shrimp and Grits.  Judging by the empty plates, they were also delicious. 

The wine and cocktail menu was very  nice.  I ordered a rich Washington State Cab from Hyatt Vineyards to go with my duck.  I can't wait to get to the wine store and snag another bottle! My husband ordered the Barn Raiser made with local honey infused Maverick Bourbon, Blenheim's ginger ale, and orange bitters with an orange twist.  We love Blenheim's and liked that they use the South Carolina made ginger ale in several of their signature drinks. 

And if you've got children in tow, don't worry!  They have a perfect, child approved menu and were really accommodating to the two young picky eaters at our table.

Dessert.  We were all stuffed, but being that we were grazing the entire menu, we had to check out their sweet stuff skills!

My husband and I shared the Post House Chocolate Pie with house made salted caramel and Chantilly cream. We paired it with the suggested Fonseca Ruby Port.  It was a perfect way to end my rich and delicious meal.  I also dug my spoon into the Post House Ice Cream Sundae my daughter and her friend were sharing.  I was on a mission to get more of that Salted Caramel!  

Overall, it was a really great experience for us all.  The only problem we had was that the kitchen was a bit heavy handed with the salt. The people at our table with crushed potatoes couldn't eat them because they were WAY over salted.  I tried them out of the to-go box when we got home and totally agreed.  But I feel confident if we had said something, the plates would have been whisked away and the problem would have been remedied. This is not the kind of place that lets minor problems get in your way of enjoying the food.  

The next time you're in the Charleston area, definitely give the Post House a try.  It's the kind of place you'll keep coming back to. 

Diggin' Diggity Doughnuts and Upstate food truck news

I finally made it to Diggity Doughnuts while I was in the low country last weekend. (That's one thing off my bucket list!)  On a very rainy Charleston day, I ventured out to hunt down the truck at Whole Foods on Mount Pleasant.  I loaded up with their tasty treats, ordering the Strawberry, Blueberry Lemonade, Nutty Rooster, Chocolate and Mango.  Don't worry, I shared, and the family was over the moon happy. 

The spicy and sweet Nutty Rooster was by far the coolest.  It inspired a tasty treat of my own when I got back to the mountain. I whipped up some Peanut Butter and Sriracha cupcakes. 

Speaking of food trucks. Unconfirmed rumor in internet land is that the owner of Trappe Door in Greenville has a food truck in the works.  They didn't get back to me with details, but if it's anything like the restaurant, it's going to be a hit on the Greenville food scene.  There's are also Cajun and Crepe food trucks getting ready to hit the streets.

In other food truck news, Travelers Rest is hosting their own Food Truck Rodeo along the Swamp Rabbit Trail at the corner of Main and Church Street on May 3 from 5-9 p.m. and May 4 from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Chocolate Moose, Pies R Squared, Neue Southern and Asada will all be on hand serving up their tasty fare. Mark your calendars. 

Bucket List 2013: Charleston Edition

If you read the blog with any regularity, you know I flee to Charleston whenever possible.  It's my second favorite place (besides Greenville, of course) and I love nothing more than exploring their vast culinary scene. In honor of warmer weather soon approaching, and more frequent trips to the coast, I thought I'd fill you in on my Bucket List for this summer.

This is my Bucket List for 2013, the Charleston Edition.

1) I am obsessed with getting to FIG. Located at 232 Meeting Street, Charleston, the place has been open since 2003.  (You'd think I would have made it by now.) Meeting Chef Mike Lata is high on my list, too, and I may get my chance late summer.  Rumor is he may be one of the visiting chefs for Euphoria in September.  I hope I get to interview him!

2) The Ordinary. The classy oyster bar/ a la carte seafood joint is Mike Lata's second Restaurant venture with business partner Adam Nemirow. It opened last year at 544 King Street (coolest street in the entire State) in Charleston.  Again, if I'm gonna interview the dude, I must try his food.  That's my motto and I'm sticking to it.

3) Sugar Bakeshop. Cupcakes, cookies, tarts and pies, oh my. I'm slowly making my way around Charleston bakeries and this little bakery on Cannon Street is next on my list. The place has been in Southern Living, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine.  Are you getting the picture?  It's a must.

4) Dangermuffin.  Okay, so it's not food.  But it sounds like food and they are from Folly Beach and if I don't get to see them live this year, I will be sadly disappointed.

5) Charleston Food Truck Rodeo. I've lost count of how many food trucks there are in Charleston. I have eaten at approximately zero, so I have lots of catching up to do.  What better way to hit them all than a food truck rodeo?  Roti Rolls is on my list.  Cast Iron is on there. And Diggity Doughnuts is DEFINITELY on my list.  I think the girl who runs this truck knows my schedule and purposefully closes when I'm in shouting distance. BA!  Listen lady, I am going to try your doughnuts this summer!

And the list is growing...

a return to Husk

Last summer I found myself at Husk Restaurant in Charleston for the first time.  Mouth hanging open and eyes big as saucers I walked up the steps of the old two story house into Chef Sean Brock's Southern food mecca.  I was giddy.  Last Saturday we made the journey again and I was no less in awe.

It was our 15th anniversary dinner. When we arrived there were special menus on the table for us.  The waitress greeted us with bubbly.  Seriously?! It was awesome. I kind of emailed them ahead and to tell them it was our anniversary (not knowing they'd really care) and asked to seat us downstairs.  I like to be in the bustle and sitting where I can watch the comings and goings of the kitchen.

We ordered two appetizers to start. Crispy "Kentuckyaki" Pig Ear Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Vinegar Marinated Cucumbers and Red Onion, Benne. The textures were amazing but it was a little bit too salty for me.  And I love the salt.  Again, apologies for my horrible pictures.  I have yet to find a phone app that tickles my fancy.

We also got Fried Green Tomatoes with Tennessee Cheddar Pimento Cheese and Benton's Bacon Jam. By the time we nibbled on both of these for a while we were pretty dang full, but main courses were yet to come.

The waitress saw us sitting there with no food in front of us, and apparently thought we needed more to eat to tide us over until our main course came out. She brought us the Sea Island Red Pea Hummus with Pickled Ramps, Ambrose Farms Tomatoes, Geechie Boy Corn Cakes and Georgia Olive Oil. I loved it.

But we were increasingly feeling like we should not have ordered a main course at all. And who turns down free food?  I swear it wasn't because they knew I blogged.  If they did know, it wasn't because I told them.  I seriously think this is just their deal there.  They want to feed you and feed you WELL.

Before the hummus was even cleared she brought us out two bowls of Chilled English Pea Soup with Alaska Blue Crab, Meyer Lemon Yogurt, Tennessee Bacon Crumble and Preserved Egg Yolk.   By far the coolest dish so far. The layering of flavors was amazing.

Then our main courses: Virginia Heritage Pork Chop from Adam Musick, Creamy Pit Beans with Smoky Tomatoes and Lacinato Kale. I could live on those beans alone for the rest of my life.  They were heaven.

And North Carolina Flounder with Carolina Gold Rice Middlins', Wood Fired Fennel and English Peas, and Oyster Benne Cream.

Let me say right here that we are not morbidly gluttonous food hoarders  I swear to you that the amount of food that crossed our table could have fed a party of 6 (at least) and if we had known that they were going to shower us with gifts of culinary greatness, we would have ordered way less to start with. I didn't even mention the rolls with toasted Benne seeds that landed on our table or the cornbread doused in bacon fat that we ordered.  Mercy!

We barely touched our main courses, not for lack of loving every morsel  we just had NO ROOM.  It is a horrible, horrible thing to go to a restaurant this good and not have room for dessert.  Like everything else, they knock it out of the park, but even looking at the dessert menu was causing us great discomfort.  We packed enough of it to go that we had meals for the next night.

I swear you have to go this place for yourself.  There's no way you'll be disappointed.  Prepare yourself for it to take a while for the main course to come out, but the waitstaff are fully attentive and keep you well occupied, glasses filled and placated until the star of the show arrives. And if you're lucky, you'll have a Brock sighting. I met him the first time we went, but the Charleston Wine and Food Festival was going on while we were here this time, so he was otherwise occupied.  Here's to a full tummy!

Bacon donuts, hobby shopping and Graze

We couldn't hit Charleston without a doughnut run.  Joey himself was manning the counter at Joey's Bag a Donuts this weekend.  We ran in for a quick Maple Bacon doughnut fix before hobby shopping.  

I will drive crazy distances to do two things: eat and hobby shop. This weekend we some driving around for both.  After a trip to Summerville to check out the AMAZING scrapbook paper selection at Scrappily Ever After, we hit The Green Dragon (aka nerd heaven) in North Charleston.  Seriously, if you're into comic books or gaming, this is a must for your next trip to Chucktown. My husband is a huge fan of the place.

While he browsed, I flipped through Urban Spoon to locate our next foodie adventure.  I found this place called Graze next to Whole Foods on Mount Pleasant. I read up on the place.  It nailed reviews across the board, so off we went to check it out for ourselves. Supposedly there can be a line out the door, but we walked right in with no problems. 

I ordered the Pulled Pork Tacos with Apple Blue Cheese Slaw and Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce with a side of Pomme Frites (hand cut fries sprinkled with truffle oil and parmesan cheese with a side of roasted garlic aioli for dipping). The flavors in the tacos were fantastic together: sweet, tart, savory... and the fries were near perfection. 

The husband ordered the special, a Cheese Steak Sandwich made from sliced, melt in your mouth tender cut beef, rich cheese and peppers and onions.

Both of our dishes were absolutely delicious.  It's definitely on our list for a return visit for their signature Pulled Pork and Collard Green Mac N Cheese. It's the kind of place you should take a crowd of people so you can sample everyone's food. I'm betting there won't be a disappointed person at your table. 

We seriously ate our way around Charleston, so I have many posts including a return to Husk for you.   In the meantime, I'm hosting a Flat Stanley for a couple of weeks and taking him around on my adventures, so here's a random beach pic:

  

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