Tag: Historic

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar Shrimp & Grits

Asheville, Cajun/Creole, Farm-to-Table Restaurant, Historic foodways, North Carolina, Southern cuisine

Visited the Vanderbilt Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, and stopped at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar for a late night suppose and really enjoyed their shrimp and grits. Here’s a description of the dish they serve and the recipe.

Shrimp & grits were made famous in the South Carolina Low Country, where it’s been a favorite on-the-boat breakfast for shrimpers for years. This dish was famously brought to the nation’s attention when New York Times legendary food writer Craig Claiborne, a Mississippi native, had dinner with Chef Bill Neal at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC. At Tupelo Honey they take our shrimp and grits very, very seriously but aren’t afraid to mix it up by adding goat cheese to the grits as their own signature twist.

Shrimp & Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

  • 2 Tbsp. plus 1.5 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. large uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red bell pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. Creole Spice (recipe below)
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted cold butter
  • Goat Cheese Grits (recipe below)

Creole Spice Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 5 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. white pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the shrimp and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the shrimp begins to turn a little pink.

2. Add the bell peppers and creole spice and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the peppers are heated through. Add the wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the shrimp turns pink.

3. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling the pan to combine all the liquids. Serve the shrimp over the grits and top with the warm sauce left in the skillet.

*Makes 4 servings.

Creole Spice Recipe

Directions:

Combine the following ingredients:

*Makes 1/4 cup.

  • 1 cup yellow stone ground grits
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1.5 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese
  • Finely ground cornmeal

Goat Cheese Grits Recipe

Taking their love of goat cheese to the next level, you can make this recipe in two ways. One of for a traditional dish of grits and the fry is to fry the goat cheese grits after coating them in cornmeal. The outcome? Grit croutons and grit cakes!

Read on for the recipes. And for more Tupelo Honey recipes click here.

Directions

1. Combine water and salt in a stock, put on high heat, and bring to a boil.

2. Add butter and grits at the same time and stir for a couple minutes to prevent clumping or sticking. DO NOT ADD THE BUTTER AT THE BEGINNING WITH THE WATER. Adding the butter and grits at the same time, and NOT melting the butter while the water heats up, is imperative to a creamy final product).

3. Bring grits, salt, water and butter back to a boil. Add heavy cream.

4. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-35 minutes until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. Add goat cheese and black pepper and taste for seasoning.

*Makes 4-6 portions of delicious goat cheese grits.

5. When complete, pour cooked grits into an 8×8 baking pan, ensuring even distribution, and allow to cool for at least 12 hours.

6. When completely cool, turn baking pan over and allow grit “cake” to fall out onto a cutting board.

Lake Charles, Louisiana Hosts First-Ever Louisiana Food and Wine Festival This September

Historic foodways, Louisiana, Southern cuisine

 Food and wine enthusiasts will gather in host destination Lake Charles, Louisiana, for the highly anticipated Louisiana Food and Wine Festival next month. Taking place September 14 to 17, this inaugural four-day event will showcase the best of Louisiana’s culinary offerings and local flavors. Set against one of the most picturesque areas in the region that’s nicknamed “Louisiana’s Playground,” the festival will take place at the downtown lakefront area.  

The festival will feature an impressive lineup of renowned Southern chefs, including James Beard-nominated celebrity chef and restaurant owner Tiffany Derry, a Texas native who’s made appearances on shows such as “MasterChef,” “Top Chef” and “The Great American Recipe.” There will also be winemakers, food experts, artisans and more, and attendees can partake in master classes, indulge in a wide array of delectable dishes, and sample beverages from the region. Additionally, there will be live music and a marketplace where visitors can purchase local products and crafts, further immersing themselves in Louisiana’s cultural heritage. 

Ticketed events are as follows: 

  • Louisiana’s Celebrity Chefs Wine Dinner
  • September 14 
    • This six-course dinner will feature some of the state’s most celebrated chefs, including local legend Chef Amanda Cusey, named Louisiana Seafood Queen last year. 
  • Louisiana-Inspired Master Classes 
  • September 15 
    • These intimate and interactive experiences will offer tasting bites paired with a signature beverage. Classes vary from Creole cooking to mixology to touring Bayou Rum Distillery and more. 
  • Fire on the Lake
  • September 15 
    • Pitmasters, grill masters, BBQ masters … you name it, they’ll be at Fire on the Lake and serving Louisiana’s best roasted, smoked and grilled dishes. Attendees will receive a souvenir glass and unlimited food and drink tastings for this event. 
  • Louisiana Food & Wine Festival Grand Tasting
  • September 16 
    • Demonstrations, live music, Best Taste Awards, artisan booths, and hundreds of food and beverage tastings will come together for the largest event of the festival. Tickets are all-inclusive for tastings, and guests will receive a souvenir glass. 
  • Sunday Jazz Brunch
  • September 17 
    • The all-inclusive tickets for brunch allow for unlimited beverage tastings and lavish food stations. Sushi, Louisiana seafood, salad, made-to-order omelet and carving stations, even a Bloody Mary bar will provide attendees with a drool-worthy end to the festival. 

In addition to the lakefront happenings, festival-goers are sure to enjoy exploring the lively atmosphere of Lake Charles, an area known for its expansive outdoor offerings, thriving music and arts scene, and gaming resorts. From enjoying live music performances to shelling or birding along the Creole Nature Trail (and definitely spotting a gator or two!), there are plenty of activities to complement the culinary delights. Lake Charles has put together a suggested itinerary for the weekend, which can be viewed HERE. 

The Louisiana Food and Wine Festival is a must-attend event for anyone who’s passionate about food and libations. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie, a wine connoisseur, or simply eager to explore the vibrant food culture of Louisiana, this festival promises an unforgettable experience in an unforgettable destination. For more information and to stay updated on the festival’s schedule and culinary lineup, or to purchase tickets, visit https://louisianafoodandwinefestival.com/. To further explore everything there is to do in Lake Charles, head to https://www.visitlakecharles.org/.  

Can’t make it to the festival this year? Not to worry! Lake Charles will be hosting the Food and Wine Festival annually, and the destination looks forward to growing the event and welcoming guests for years to come. Plan ahead for 2024 and beyond!  

 Peru: An International Culinary Star

Peru, Restaurants, South America, Uncategorized

With Lima’s Central winning the coveted Best Restaurant in the World Award for 2023, the culinary spotlight is shining brighter than ever on Peru. But the Peruvian capital isn’t the only city to boast extraordinary dining. 



Cusco and Arequipa also offer standout opportunities to savor Peru’s unique and distinctive gastronomy. It features traditional Peruvian dishes; chifa and Nikkei cooking influenced by a 19th-century influx of Chinese and Japanese immigrants, respectively; and Peruvian cooks who trained and apprenticed abroad before coming home to Peru as seasoned chefs ready to succeed at running their own kitchens. 

Here’s a guide to where to sample the best of Peruvian cuisine in Lima, Cusco, and Arequipa.

Lima

Since first opening in the Miraflores district in 2012, Central has been a hotspot, making the Fifty Best Restaurants list every year since 2013. Virgilio Martínez has long been known for his impressive tasting menus but also for constantly experimenting, researching native ingredients, and raising the bar with his partner and co-chef Pía León, who happens to be his wife.

With their 2018 move to a culinary complex they built in Barranco to house Central, León’s first solo restaurant Kjolle upstairs, and their research lab Mater Iniciativa, the couple unveiled a new concept that altitude dictates the way an ingredient should be used. Central’s 17-course tasting menu whose dishes each feature ingredients that are all grown at the same elevation — from sea level at the Pacific coast to the Amazon rainforest and higher elevations in the Andes. It’s about more than exceptional food. 


Relying on ingredients sourced only from Peru — such as tubers including yucca, olluco, and local potatoes — Kjolle has also racked up accolades. This year León’s restaurant made the Fifty Best Restaurants in the World list at No. 28 after earning the No. 1 spot on the Fifty Best Restaurants in Latin America in 2019, and León being named best female chef in Latin America in 2021. 


Two additional Lima restaurants made the Fifty Best list this year, Maido at No. 6 and . Lima-born Japanese chef Mitsuhara Tsumara studied culinary arts in the U.S. before moving to Japan to train in sushi-making and izakaya (Japanese tapas) in kitchens all over the country. In 2009, he came home to Lima and opened Maido to showcase a fusion of Peruvian ingredients prepared with Japanese techniques. That’s how Tsumara became Peru’s Nikkei master chef. 


Another Peruvian chef among the best, Jaime Pesaque apprenticed in Michelin-star kitchens in Italy and Spain before opening his contemporary Peruvian restaurant and pisco bar Mayta that relies on produce grown at his family’s pisco vineyard two hours south of Lima. 

Le Cordon Bleu-trained Rafael Osterling chose an old Art Deco townhouse in Miraflores for his first restaurant, Rafael, opened in 2000. Elegant meals ranging from pasta and pizza to ceviche, sashimi, and carpaccio served in intimate art-filled dining rooms have made Osterling a favorite. It’s the kind of place that calls for savoring every bite and lingering. 



Dining choices in Lima would have a big hole without Gastón Acurio. The influential chef led the way for the next culinary generation by rejecting law school in Spain for training at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and returning to his homeland with his German pastry chef wife Astrid. Once in Lima, the couple focused their elegant menu at their flagship restaurant Astrid y Gastón on the beloved traditional Peruvian dishes Acurio grew up on, honed to perfection with his refined training and French cooking techniques.

Located in a restored 17th-century mansion in the San Isidro neighborhood, Astrid y Gastón serves an ambitious 45-course tasting menu. Acurio has received a score of honors and worldwide credit as an ambassador who popularized Peruvian cuisine abroad. He also created a handful of other restaurant brands including Tanta and La Mar, his Miraflores cevichería (an eatery that specializes in ceviche). In a historical home on a corner near the plaza in Barranco, José del Castillo found the perfect spot for his restaurant named after his mother, Isolina, whose Lima cevichería La Red was an early training ground for him. There always seems to be a line for Peruvian comfort food at Isolina with a menu designed for sharing generously sized stews, saltados, and other traditional dishes.

Arequipa

Due to roadless isolation from the rest of the country during its first few centuries, Arequipa developed an independent character and unique spicy cuisine. Known for a wide selection of original dishes such as rocoto relleno, a spicy rocoto pepper stuffed with minced meat, cheese, eggs, raisins, peas, and carrots typically served with pastel de papa, layers of thin-sliced potatoes with eggs and cheese; and adobo, a pork chop stew cooked in a clay pot on an open fire. Arequipa is a happy place for those who enjoy spicy food and rich flavors.

With a barrel-vaulted stone ceiling and circular iron staircase said to be designed by Gustav Eiffel, Zig Zag rates as a cool place for Swiss and Peruvian fusion — small plates, fondue, plus fish, alpaca, ostrich, and beef cooked and served on a sizzling volcanic slab. 



Near Mirador de Carmen with an impressive view of three towering volcanoes (Chachani, Misti, and Pichu Pichu), Salamanto serves contemporary Peruvian food cooked with modern techniques, imaginative style, and ingredients sourced from the Arequipa region, such as 
octopus slow-cooked in olive oil with native potatoes. Integrated into the massive Santa Catalina Monastery, La Trattoria del Monasterio has three dining rooms with views into the interior of Arequipa’s oldest cloister. The menu offers a mix of traditional Italian and Arequipa cuisine: pastas, lasagna, pizza, risottos, and Arequipa-style soups and stews; Old World wines from Italy and Spain; and New World wines from Peru, Chile, and Argentina. 


Another restaurant with a mix of Italian and Peruvian specialties and fine wines, upscale Sambambaias has been a favorite in Arequipa for 30 years with live music in the garden on weekends. Off the courtyard of an old mansion, Chicha puts an inventive spin on regional cuisine by star chef Gastón Acurio, whose menu here focuses on regional dishes, seasonal products, and corn-based breads.


For hearty home-style cooking and the most authentic local specialties, dine at picanterías, which are typically open only for lunch, especially in the countryside and Arequipa’s Yanahuara district. Here are three standouts: For regional dishes such as grilled alpaca, shrimp soup, and stuffed ricoto, try La Nueva Picantería. Named for the owner’s mother, Laurita Cau Cau serves family recipes handed down for 50 years. In the cloisters of the Church of La Compañia, La Benita de Characato has been passed down from mother to daughter for eight generations of picanteros.

Cusco

There are two reasons for great dining in Cusco: a wide variety of cuisine you wouldn’t expect to find here, such as chifa (Peruvian/Chinese fusion), Indian, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and vegetarian, and restaurants close enough to organic farms in the Sacred Valley to receive just-picked produce every morning. Almost any ingredient chefs want is grown or raised in the area. Several Cusco restaurants even operate their own farms. Anywhere you eat you’ll probably notice that produce has so much more flavor than it does at home.

One of the best restaurants in town, Cicciolina is a fine-dining spot near Plaza Nazarenas and the Plaza de Armas. It’s a swanky tapas and wine bar that serves Italian-style dishes and Peruvian favorites. The chef is a biochemist who understands the science behind adapting recipes that are cooked at high elevation, such as different methods for making light croissants, al dente pasta, and crisp baguettes than at sea level. Cicciolina Café, two blocks downhill, is a wonderful casual spot for breakfast, lunch, and delicious baked goods.

On the West side of the Plaza de Armas, dine on the balcony at Calle Del Medio and be mesmerized by the magical lights around the cathedral and the hillside San Blas neighborhood while savoring classic Peruvian dishes or international fare. Two favorites are the 24-hour lamb shank and pumpkin risotto. 


On the north side of Plaza de Armas, Inka Grill serves flavorful modern versions of Peruvian dishes inspired by the Inkas with a vibe to match — high ceilings, large windows, stone walls, and spicy scents wafting from an open kitchen. Also on the north side of the square, Morena sticks to classic Peruvian fare but also offers vegetarian options that include some pastas and risottos and excels at appetizers and sauces such as uchucuta, a creamy spicy sauce made from hot rocoto peppers served on sauteed pork belly, and creamy huancaina sauce made from mild yellow chiles. 

In San Blas near the church, Pachapapa occupies an old colonial house with small dining rooms and courtyard tables. Expect classic Peruvian dishes such as lomo saltado and rocoto relleno, plus pizzas, calzones, and dinner rolls cooked in a wood-burning oven on the terrace. 

Just below Plaza Nazarenas, Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse may specialize in steak but it’s not a classic chophouse. Uchu’s sophisticated, whimsical design sets the mood for enjoying alpaca, beef, chicken, fish, and shrimp that are still cooking/sizzling on a volcanic stone when brought to the table. 


Gastón Acurio has two restaurants in town, Chicha for a modern twist on Peruvian classics, and Papacho’s, which specializes in huge, juicy burgers.

Yearning for Chinese? Go to Kion for chifa cuisine (a fusion of Cantonese techniques and Peruvian ingredients) whose colorful Chinese décor sets the mood for ordering off a menu with 43 dishes. 

Let the Count Begin: Six Months to Mardi Gras!

Adventure, Alabama, Entertainment, Gulf Coast Alabama, Historic foodways, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mardi Gras, Mobile, Parades

We may be in the midst of prime summertime, and there’s still fall and the whole holiday season ahead, but we’re getting ready and counting the days to one of the most exciting cultural events in the country. Yes, you guessed it.  Mardi Gras, the iconic Carnival celebration, is just six months away and thus it’s not too early to mark your calendars and make your plans for this incredible, weeks-long event filled with music, parades, costumes and the true spirit of the South.

In 2023, Mardi Gras lands on February 13.
We wanted to get the word out before your inboxes are completely full of haunts, harvests and holidays … because we feel compelled to remind you that all the fun of Mardi Gras extends well beyond New Orleans. We represent six destinations along the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Louisiana, all of which have a story-worthy (and family-friendly!) Mardi Gras celebration just waiting to be shared with you. (Please note that these websites will be updated with details in the coming months, so keep referring back to them as you work on stories.) 

Alabama
  • Mobile, Alabama (the true home of America’s first Mardi Gras!) 

    • 9 Culinary Festivals make Louisville an appetizing destination this August

    Louisville

    Three new food and drink festivals plus six annual culinary events celebrate the gastronomy of Louisville.

    NEW

    Louisville Black Chef Showcase | August 13

    Taking place on Sunday, August 13th, at the historic Henry Clay in Downtown Louisville, the inaugural Black Chef Showcase will celebrate some of Bourbon City’s top culinary talents with delicious tastings of a variety of dishes. Each chef will bring their own unique perspective and flavors to the table, creating an unforgettable tasting experience. The event supports the Louisville Urban League, with 100% of profits going to the local nonprofit organization.

    Louisville Wing Week | August 21–27

    Known for its famous fried chicken, it only makes sense that one of the South’s tastiest towns has a week dedicated to chicken wings. The inaugural Louisville Wing Week pays homage to the wing for seven days this August. Each participating Wing Week restaurant will fry up its own take on the wing — from signature sauces to secret menu specialties. Download the Wing Week App to take you on a Louisville exploration; help map out your week, try new restaurants, challenge your taste buds, and share your experiences on social with other Louisville wing lovers. 

    American Whiskey Festival | August 26

    Known for having one of the world’s largest collections of American whiskies, Watch Hill Proper Bourbon Bar & Kitchen will host its inaugural American Whiskey Festival on Saturday, August 26, at the Norton Common’s North Village Square. The event will take place from 3pm to 10pm and offers three different ticket options.

    Free admission includes access to live music and food trucks, while a $35 Whiskey Garden Ticket includes access to all whiskey samples from participating distilleries. A $150 VIP Ticket includes all-inclusive food and adult beverages and access to Watch Hill Proper and the Whiskey Garden. 

    Other Food or Drink Festivals in Louisville This August

    On the road to Lincoln-related sites

    Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Uncategorized

    From Hoosier History Live the Award Winning Show by Nelson Price; Produced by Molly Head.

    The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Spencer County includes a recreation of the log cabin the Lincolns built when they moved to the Little Pigeon Creek settlement in the wilderness in 1816. Indiana became a state that same year.

    “I love that there are still inns where Lincoln stayed,” says travel writer Jane Ammeson, who has been a popular Roadtrip correspondent on Hoosier History Live for several years.Book cover: Lincoln Road TripAlthough her radio reports, magazine articles and books cover a range of historic topics, Jane has narrowed her focus in her newest book, Lincoln Road Trip: The Back-Roads Guide to America’s Favorite President (Red Lightning Books).As most Hoosiers know, Abraham Lincoln grew up in southern Indiana. As a 7-year-old, he and his family moved from Kentucky to the wilderness area that became Spencer County; the Lincolns arrived in 1816, the same year Indiana achieved statehood.We will reach beyond the boundaries of Indiana when Jane joins Nelson as a studio guest to explore some of the inns, homes, mills and recreated historic sites with a connection to Lincoln (1809-1865), his extended family and the historical events associated with his life.


    Our itinerary for the show will include traveling to Kentucky to explore the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, which opened as an inn in 1779. Abe Lincoln was about five when he stayed at the inn; according to Lincoln Road Trip, it is considered “one of the oldest taverns in continuous operation in the United States and the oldest stagecoach stop west of the Allegheny Mountains.”

    Guests at an inn in Corydon, Indiana’s first state capital, included Josiah Lincoln, Abe’s uncle. Josiah (the brother of Thomas Lincoln, father of the future president) visited the Kintner Tavern after he moved to Harrison County to establish a 160-acre farm near Corydon in the early 1800s, according to Lincoln Road Trip. Although the original tavern was destroyed by a fire, its owner, Jacob Kintner, later opened the Kintner House Inn, which still stands.
    And here’s another Lincoln-connected bit of trivia about Harrison County: Because there are no direct descendants remaining of Abraham Lincoln – the last, his great-grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, died in 1985 – descendants of Josiah Lincoln are considered, as Jane puts it, “among the closest living kin of the greatest American president.”

    Many of Josiah Lincoln’s descendants continue to live in Harrison County or nearby.Thousands of visitors from across the country have seen the burial sites of Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and his older sister, Sarah Lincoln Grigsby, at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Spencer County. The site includes a recreation of the log cabin the Lincolns built when they moved to the Little Pigeon Creek settlement in the wilderness.
    Jane Ammeson“It was a region with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods,” Lincoln recalled later in life. “There I grew up.”Our guest Jane Ammeson notes that the Lincoln family was related through marriage to the extended family of frontier explorer Daniel Boone. So Lincoln Road Trip highlights historic sites associated with the Boones, which we also will explore during our show.

    These sites include Squire Boone Caverns in Harrison County, which Jane describes as a “magical and mystical” cave system with an underground waterfall. Squire Boone, Daniel’s younger brother, lived near the caverns in southeastern Indiana for the final 11 years of his life. When he died in 1815 at age 71, Squire Boone asked his children to bury him in one of the passageways of the cave system.

    Today, Squire Boone Caverns is a popular tourist attraction, and visitors often stop in the area that includes his casket.Also during our show, we will explore the Colonel William Jones State Historic Site near the town of Gentryville in southwestern Indiana. Jones ran a general store during Abe Lincoln’s teenage years, employing him as a clerk and discussing political issues with him. After the Lincoln family moved to Illinois, Abe Lincoln spent the night at Jones’ house during a return visit to Indiana.During the Civil War, Jones was killed at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, his former clerk serving as commander-in-chief. The house in Gentryville, which Jones designed in the Federal style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Take the Great Summer Drumstick Road Trip

    Adventure, Desserts, Historic foodways, Ice Cream, Soft Adventure

    Love the idea of an ice cream road trip? Then why not join Drumstick in celebrating its 95th anniversary and get the chance to win a new road trip vehicle. How easy is it to win? Grab your car keys and head out on the open road, traveling to all 11 stops on The Great Drumstick Summer Road Trip. Those completing the quest get the chance to win and customize a Drumstick vehicle of their dreams.

    Didn’t know you had a Drumstick vehicle of your dreams? You will after considering such options as a cobalt blue exterior or interior lighting, a motorcycle with a sidecar that doubles as a freezer, or a glove compartment that keeps Lil Drums cold and within reach?

    Drumstick will hook you up with the ability to build your vehicle to accommodate your next adventures with Drumstick handy. 

    THE STOPS INCLUDE:

    A LITTLE HISTORY PLEASE

    According to Ohio State University, the ice cream drumstick (not to be confused with the chicken drumstick) was invented by brothers I.C. and J.T. (Stubby) Parker of the Drumstick Company of Fort Worth, Texas, in 1928.  The Parkers wanted to provide prepackaged ice cream cones but found that the cones became too soggy before they could be shipped to sellers.  To solve their problem, they reached out to Ohio State food scientists who quickly came up with the idea of coating the cone in chocolate – and the drumstick (so named because someone thought it looked like a fried chicken leg) was born. Subsequent innovations included adding chocolate to the inside rather than the outside of the cone. 

    Although Ohio State was not paid for the original work on the drumstick, Tom Parker, Stubby’s son and I.C.’s nephew became a longtime supporter of the university.  The Parker Food Science and Technology Building is named in the family’s honor.

    Flash forward to modern times. The Drumstick now comes in a variety of flavors and sizes—caramel, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla fudge, banana split…well, you get the idea. As for sizes, think classic, king size, mini drums and lil’ drums. And for those who don’t like or can’t have nuts, peanut-less Drumsticks.

    HOW THE ROAD TRIP WORKS

    • Join one of Drumstick’s biggest fans, Dr. Umstick, as he reveals his personal ultimate summer road trip, the Drumstick Road Trip.
    • Each stop is inspired by the iconic Drumstick sundae cone we all know and love, whether you’re smiling at the Smiling Peanut in Georgia, checking out the World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain in Las Vegas, or visiting Drumstick HQ in Oakland. 
    • How to enter? At each stop on your Road Trip, snap a photo or video with a Drumstick or Drumstick box and post it to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #DrumstickRoadTrip and tagging @Drumstick. 
    • Visit https://bit.ly/DrumstickRoadTrip for official posting instructions to receive entry credits.
    • Can’t hit all stops? No problem. Even if you can only make it to a few stops, be sure to tag Drumstick and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a YEAR’S SUPPLY of sundae cones or iconic Drumstick merch. Each post is an additional entry. 
    • The Drumstick Road Trip started June 21st and runs through the last day of summer, September 22nd.

    In other words, it’s time to hit the road!

    Announcing the James Beard Award Winners 2023

    Artisanal, Asian cooking, Bakeries, Bakery, Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Indian Food, Italian Cuisine, James Beard Awards, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine, Vegetarian
    Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    The best chefs, restauranteurs, bakers, and those representing wine and beverage servers, hospitality providers, and humanitarians working at giving back to their communities were in Chicago this last weekend for the 2023 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, presented by Capital One and held at the historic Lyric Opera of Chicago.

    The awards presentation was co-hosted by Eric Adjepong, chef, author, and host of Alex vs America; Esther Choi, chef and owner of mŏkbar and ms.yoo; Gail Simmons, author, producer, and Top Chef judge; and Andrew Zimmern, James Beard Award winner, TV personality, chef, writer, and social justice advocate. 1,500 guests were in attendance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Built in 1929, with an outstanding Art Deco interior, it’s the second largest opera house in the U.S.

    Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Additional presenters included Mashama Bailey, James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur, The Grey; Chris Bianco, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco; Monti Carlo, TV personality, food writer, and host of the Food Network’s Help My Yelp; Sarah Grueneberg, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Monteverde; Tahiirah Habibi, sommelier, founder of The Hue Society, and James Beard Awards Committee member; Carla Hall, cookbook author, chef, and TV personality; Tanya Holland, chef, author, James Beard Foundation trustee, and Awards Committee Chair; and Erick Williams, James Beard Award-winning chef, and restaurateur, Virtue Restaurant; among others.

    “Congratulations to the exceptional winners of this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards—whose incredible achievements and dedication to culinary excellence have left an indelible mark on our industry,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.

    . “As we celebrate, it’s important to acknowledge the significant work that these accomplished restaurants and chefs have done to push American food culture forward—using their immense creativity, passion, and talent to create extraordinary experiences on behalf of others. Thanks to them, our food future is bright, indeed.”

    Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    “As we celebrate the second year of the new awards process, we were thrilled to witness the remarkable talent showcased by our 2023 nominees and winners, who represent the true diversity of gifted chefs and outstanding restaurants that exist across the industry,” said Holland. “I am deeply appreciative to the committee members for their thoughtful deliberations that were instrumental in recognizing and honoring some of the brightest and most innovative minds in our industry.”

    “On behalf of the committee, we are excited for all of this year’s Restaurant and Chef Award winners,” said Adrian Miller, Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Chair and Allecia Vermillion, Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Vice-Chair. “We are thrilled to celebrate excellence exemplified by the quality and diverse restaurants and chefs who play a pivotal role in shaping our country’s vibrant culinary landscape.”

    Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    “As a chef, it is a privilege and an honor to co-host this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards,” said Adjepong. “Thank you to the Beard Foundation for giving us this opportunity.”

    “To play a key role in celebrating our fellow chefs and restaurateurs has been such a joy,” said Simmons.

    Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    “Congratulations to this year’s winners. Your work makes us proud to be a part of our country’s independent restaurant industry,” added Zimmern.

    The voting process for all Restaurant and Chef Award categories can be found here, and the process and eligibility for each category can be found on the Awards’ policies and procedures page, as well as here. 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Winners.

    The James Beard Awards, considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where  all can thrive. Established in 1990, with the first ceremony taking place in 1991, the Restaurant and Chef Awards is one of five separate recognition programs for the Awards.

    Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Outstanding Chef

    Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.

    Outstanding Restaurant Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

    Outstanding Restaurant Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

    Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA

    The Quarry, Monson, ME – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Best New Restaurant Presented by BentoBox

    Kann, Portland, OR

    Outstanding Restaurateur

    Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street, and others), Philadelphia, PA

    Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Emerging Chef Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Mineral Water

    Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL

    Outstanding Bakery Presented by Guinness

    Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO

    Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

    Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA

    Outstanding Hospitality Presented by American Airlines

    The Quarry, Monson, ME

    Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

    OTOTO, Los Angeles, CA

    Olivia Watkins (left), Karen Washington – Humanitarians – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Outstanding Bar Presented by Hilton

    Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI

    The Quarry, Monson, ME – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Best Chefs Presented by Capital One (by region)

    Best Chef: California

    Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA

    Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

    Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL

    Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

    Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

    Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

    Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI

    Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

    Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID

    Best Chef: New York State

    Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY

    Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

    Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI

    Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

    Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR

    Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

    Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR

    Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

    Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA

    Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

    Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK

    Best Chef: Texas

    Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX

    America’s Classics – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Humanitarian of the Year Award

    The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are the co-founders of the Black Farmer Fund: social entrepreneur and impact investor Olivia Watkins, and farmer and activist Karen Washington.

    Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

    Lifetime Achievement Award

    The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress Madhur Jaffrey CBE.

    This Summer Discover 12 Great Chicago’s Exhibitions

    Art Institute, Chicago History Museum, Chicagoland Area, Design, Entertainment, Family Excursions, Field Museum, Magnificent Mile, Museum of Science and Industry, Science, Water Tower Place

    The Art Institute of Chicago has a full slate of spring/summer programming. (Neighborhood: The Loop)

    • The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints (until July 9, 2023) – Ikebana is considered a form of Japanese high art, reflecting the principles of minimalism, asymmetry, and the appreciation of space. The arrangements are designed to create a sense of balance and harmony between the flowers and the environment in which they are displayed. Today, Ikebana is practiced by people of all ages and backgrounds in Japan and around the world. There are many different schools and styles of ikebana, each with its own unique techniques and aesthetic principles. Several works on display are surimono—privately commissioned prints circulated among members of poetry circles on special occasions—featuring representations of this practice.
    • Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape (May 14 – September 4, 2023) – Between 1882 and 1890, five artists—Vincent van Gogh, along with Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard, and Charles Angrand—flocked to villages on the fringes of Paris. Each artist explored the use of discrete brushstrokes and strong colors in innovative ways, and in turn developed novel styles of painting: Divisionism, Pointillism, and Cloisonnism. More than 75 paintings and drawings from this intensely creative period—many from private collections and rarely publicly displayed—come together for this insightful presentation. 
    • Ellsworth Kelly: Portrait Drawings (July 1 – October 23, 2023) –  It is not surprising that an artist’s work reflects their artistic influences and friendships. In the case of Ellsworth Kelly, his drawings show the impact of the artists he encountered during his travels to Europe in the 1940s, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. This exhibition spans most of Kelly’s 70-year career, showcasing his evolving and wide-ranging approach to both portraiture and drawing. 
    • Remedios Varo: Science Fictions (July 29 – November 27, 2023) – The exhibition brings together more than 20 paintings created by Varo during her time in Mexico from 1955 until her death in 1963. These paintings offer a glimpse into Varo’s distinct and diverse practice and are supplemented by additional materials from the artist’s archive, including large-scale cartoons, notebooks, sketches, detailed studies, ephemera, and personal possessions. Varo was a key figure in the Surrealist movement, and her work reflects many of the movement’s core values and beliefs. Furthermore, the exhibition marks a milestone in the museum’s efforts to expand the borders of the global Surrealist movement, as it is the Art Institute’s first solo exhibition dedicated to a woman Surrealist painter and to a woman artist working in Mexico.

    Chicago History Museum’s exhibit Millions of Moments: The Chicago Sun-Times Photo Collection (until December 31, 2023) features 150 images from the Chicago History Museum’s Chicago Sun-Times. It is a first look at highlights from five million negatives spanning the 1940s-early 2000s, one of the largest newspaper photograph collections ever acquired by an American museum. As the Museum continues to process negatives from this extraordinary collection, new images will be shared through their online portal, CHM Images. (Neighborhood: Lincoln Park)

    • Back Home: Polish Chicago – Opening May 20, 2023, the exhibition features more than 90 artifacts and documents as well as more than 100 reproduced photographs to help tell the story of the Chicago area’s vibrant Polish communities from the mid-1800s to today. Explore personal narratives, music, community involvement, as well as art installations from five local Polish artists. Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more. 

    Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the College of DuPage will present Warhol: Featuring Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America from June 3 – September 10, 2023. The Warhol exhibition will feature 94 works from “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America Collection” on loan through Bank of America’s Art in our Communities® program. Aside from the Bank of America collection, which will be on display in a dedicated space in the exhibition, there will also be over 100 works from the College of DuPage Permanent Art Collection. Educational and interactive elements will include a biographical exhibition highlighting key points in Warhol’s life and career, video installation, a Children’s Print Factory area, Studio 54 and Silver Cloud Room experiences, and Central Park-inspired outdoor space, creating an immersive, multifaceted exhibition focused on the life and work of one of the most influential artists of the past century. (Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

    The Field Museum’s newest exhibition First Kings of Europe (open through January 28, 2024) explores how ancient farming villages led to the earliest tribal kingdoms in Europe, gathering together more than 700 exquisite objects from the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages. The countries represented (and collaborating in this exhibition) include Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Highlights include some of the oldest gold treasures in the world from the cemetery of Varna, the gold crown of a Thracian prince, masterpieces of swordmaking and armor, weapons, jewelry, and more. (Neighborhood: South Loop / Museum Campus)

    Harry Potter: Magic At Play extends its worldwide debut run in Chicago through September 4, 2023 at Chicago’s iconic Water Tower Place. The first-of-its-kind experience allows fans of all ages to engage with the Wizarding World like never before through 30,000 square feet of hands-on magical interactivity including games, exploration, sensory activations, and more that celebrate Harry’s own journey in discovering the wizarding world. Guests can explore the Dursley’s living room, step onto a boat and prepare to cross the Great Lake, attend some of Hogwarts’ most beloved classes, practice Quidditch fundamentals, and more. (Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile)

    The Hyde Park Art Center’s new exhibit, Destination/El Destino: a decade of GRAFT, the largest exhibition to date of the Puerto Rican artist, educator, and community organizer Edra Soto, will be on display through August 6, 2023. The exhibition features a new large-scale commission of the artist’s GRAFT series with porous sculptures, documentary photographs, drawings, and games that activate the Art Center’s indoor/outdoor main gallery. (Neighborhood: Hyde Park)

    The Illinois Holocaust Museum presents The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Łódz Ghetto (May 18 – September 24, 2023). In I945, a diary was discovered in the liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp written by Rywka Lipszyc, a 14-year-old Jewish girl documenting her life in the Łódz Ghetto between October 1943 and April 1944. More than 60 years after its discovery, the diary traveled to the United States, where it was translated to English, supplemented with commentaries, and published. Rywka Lipszyc’s diary, a moving memoir of life and adolescence in the Łódz Ghetto, is the focal point of this exhibition. Selected excerpts of the diary are supplemented by expert commentary from historians, doctors, psychologists, and rabbis. Blended with original artifacts and fleeting candid photographs of others’ lives in the ghetto, these commentaries help us understand the experiences Rywka describes in her diary. Through historical artifacts and documents, interactive touch screens, documentary videos, and exceptionally rare photographs, The Girl in the Diary explores the story of a young girl’s fight for survival in the Łódz Ghetto and reconstructs what might have happened to Rywka after her deportation to Auschwitz and beyond. There are no known photographs of Rywka. She exists for us only through words she wrote. (Skokie, Illinois)

    Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago’s current exhibition Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius (running through the end of May 2023), has Massimiliano Siccardi, immersive art installation pioneer, using state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence as inspiration to craft astonishing visuals inspired by the 18th-century destinations of Mozart’s world. With video direction by Vittorio Guidotti, legendary dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov’s tortured portrayal of Leopold, Mozart’s father, will enthrall audiences. Luca Longobardi re-arranged and recomposed 17 selected works from Mozart’s repertoire for the eclectic soundtrack, which also features exclusive music from the Italian composer and was recorded by a 45-piece symphonic orchestra and conducted by four-time Grammy®-nominated Constantine Orbelian. (Neighborhood: Lincoln Park)

    Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) welcomes Gary Simmons: Public Enemy (June 13 – October 1, 2023), the first comprehensive career survey of the work of multidisciplinary artist Gary Simmons. Since the late 1980s Simmons has played a key role in situating questions of race, class, and gender identity at the center of contemporary art discourse. Notable for his early application of conceptual artistic strategies, Simmons exposes and analyzes histories of racism inscribed in U.S. visual culture. This exhibition covers thirty years of the artist’s career, encompassing approximately seventy works. (Neighborhood: Streeterville)

    • This summer, visitors can also enjoy “Tuesdays on the Terrace” when it returns from June 13 – August 29, 2023. This annual, free summer concert series on the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden highlights artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. For the first time, this year’s roster of performers extends beyond a purely jazz focus to include more diverse genres and styles that have unique Chicago roots, incorporating hip-hop, house, blues, bomba, and more.

    The Museum of Science and Industry is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a series of exciting events including the museum’s first Meet Her! (Katya Echazarreta) event on May 13, 2023, which celebrates the first Mexican-born woman to go to space. Katya Echazarreta is featured in “Mission Unstoppable” on CBS, hosted the YouTube series “Netflix IRL,” and recently was honored with her own Barbie. She’s also an accomplished electrical engineer who worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Neighborhood: Hyde Park)

    Stage 773’s new immersive walk-thru experience, WHIM, blends carefully curated cocktails and a world where every art form comes together – paintings, music, sculpture, street art, and live performance – all by Chicago artists. The experience includes the “Lobby of Second Chances,” the “Second Shots Bar,” and the “Enchanted Forest,” featuring a live performance stage and a giant enchanted tree towering over it all. (Neighborhood: Lakeview)

    WNDR Museum, Chicago’s original immersive art and technology experience will, starting May 12, 2023, debut a three story immersive infinity installation by the globally iconic Yayoi Kusam. Featuring a series of floating yellow and black polka dots alongside walk-in and peep-in installations, Dots Obsession will fill WNDR’s atrium and transport visitors into Kusama’s obsession with polka dots, repetition, celestial bodies, and the experience of the infinite. (Neighborhood: West Loop / Fulton Market)

    About Choose Chicago

    Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

    Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us

    Black History, Books, Gastronomy, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine

    Lisa Kingsley quotes the French gastronome Jean Antheime Brillat-Savarin who famously wrote “Just tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are,” in the introduction to her new book, Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us that culls the vast archives of the Smithsonian Institute where just the word “food” yields tens of thousands of results. The Smithsonian, which opened over 175 years ago, is the nation’s museum, and it’s not a stretch to say that food is the nation’s passion. What Kingsley, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute, has accomplished is to provide snapshots of how our environment, availability of foods, and migration have played an important part in what our ancestors ate and what we eat now.

    Trying a variety of foods is often called grazing, and Kingsley, who has been writing about food for more than three decades and is currently the editorial director of Waterbury Publications, a company in Des Moines, Iowa that produces and packages books for publishers, authors, personalities, and corporate brands, has created the literary equivalency in presenting a history of foods for our reading pleasure.

    “The long history of hot sauce began about 7000 years ago in Bolivia, where chile peppers grew wild,” writes Kingsley in her chapter, “Food Fads & Trends,” which also includes the history of not only our addiction to fiery sauces but also explores snacking, fermentation, the craft beer movement, fad diets, the backyard cookout, and, among others, community cookbooks and sushi. The latter had a much shorter trajectory to fame and availability than one would ever expect of a dish consisting of raw fish and rice often accompanied by wasabi paste and fresh ginger.

    “Propelled by an economic boom in Japan and bolstered by American hipster culture, what started as a street snack almost 200 years ago is now as likely to get as a hamburger or hot dog,” writes Kingsley who describes sushi spreading from California where it appeared in a restaurant right next to a Century 21st Century Fox studio to everywhere. That includes your local grocery store.

    Trends are fascinating, but so are the other subjects in this book that are highlighted in such chapters as “Innovators & Creators.” That list would have to include Irving Naxon who applied for a patent on a slow cooker he invented in 1936. Now, out of almost 123 million households in the U.S., approximately 100 million have a slow cooker tucked away in a cabinet or pantry or even on the counter. On the opposite side of slow cooking was Percy Spencer whose application of microwave technology to cooking led to the Radarange, the first microwave oven, which was both the size of a conventional oven and sold at a costly $1295 in 1955.

    In Chapter Five, we meet the “Tastemakers,” such as early cookbook authors Fannie Farmer, Lizzie Kander, and Irma S. Rombauer as well as chefs who would be the early innovators for the boom in the cult of television chef celebrities of today. Lena Richard, the host of the Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book show that aired in 1948, was the author of the New Orleans Cook Book said to be the first Creole cookbook by a person of color. She would be followed by now better-known names of those early cooking shows like James Beard and Julia Child.

    Each of the chapters is illustrated not only with historic and current photos of people, foods, and products but also full color photos of the 40 plus iconic recipes included in the book such as Beard’s Cocktail Canapes and Child’s Smoked Salmon & Dill Souffle. Of special interest are the sidebars such as “The Black Brewmaster of Monticello,” a reference to Peter Hemings, the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson.

    Kingsley’s preparation, research, and organization of this book is a wonderful account of the foodways of America and how they came about, and it can easily be read from front to back or delved into according to the reader’s interest. Either way, it’s our history and after reading this you can now look at a chunk of artisan cheese, a photo of the Harvey Girls, or a plate of Korean Fried Chicken and know how they—and so many others—became part of our national food conversation.  

    The following are from Smithsonian American Table.

    Falafel

    Serves 4.

    Southeast Michigan is home to the country’s largest Arab American population. The first influx of immigrants began in the early 1900s, when — according to local legend — there was a chance encounter between a Yemeni sailor and Henry Ford, who told the sailor that his automobile factory was paying $5 a day. The sailor took word back to Yemen, where it spread. For decades, as people fled conflicts in the Middle East, many sought economic opportunities near Dearborn, bringing their food traditions with them. This recipe comes from Patty Darwish of Dearborn, whose great-grandfather immigrated from Lebanon in the late 1800s. Note: You want the texture to be somewhere between couscous and a paste. If you don’t grind the chickpeas enough, the falafel won’t hold together, but if you overgrind, you will wind up with hummus. This recipe must be made in advance.

    From “Smithsonian American Table,” by Lisa Kingsley in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution (Harvest, 2023).

    For the falafel:

    • 2 c. dried chickpeas
    • 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
    • 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
    • 1/4 of a green bell pepper
    • 1 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped, optional
    • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp. garam masala
    • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • Vegetable oil

    For the tahini sauce:

    • 6 tbsp. tahini
    • 1 clove minced garlic
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

    For serving:

    • Pita bread, warmed
    • Tahini sauce
    • Optional toppings: pickle spears, pickled turnips, sliced green peppers, diced tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley, thinly sliced onions

    Soak the chickpeas in 3 cups of water at least 12 hours or overnight. (Be sure chickpeas are always covered with water. If necessary, add more.) Drain and rinse.

    In a blender or food processor, grind beans in batches until almost smooth (see Note). Transfer to a large bowl. Add parsley, cilantro, onion, green pepper and chile (if using) to the blender. Blend until almost smooth. Add to bowl with chickpeas and stir until well combined. Add the cumin, garam masala, chili powder and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until well combined.

    No more than 15 minutes before you cook the falafel, add the baking powder and stir well to combine. Form into patties, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per falafel.

    In a large deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook falafel 5 or 6 at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

    Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

    To serve, place falafel in the middle of a pita bread. Add desired toppings and drizzle with tahini sauce. Fold and serve.

    Lena Richard’s Crab a la King

    • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
    • 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
    • 1 c. light cream or half-and-half
    • 1 c. whole milk
    • 8 oz. lump crabmeat
    • 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
    • 3 tbsp. finely chopped green pepper
    • 3 tbsp. chopped pimiento
    • 1 tsp. Coleman’s dry mustard
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 large egg yolks, beaten
    • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp. dry sherry (optional)
    • 4 puff pastry shells, baked according to package directions

    In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in cream and milk. Add crabmeat, mushrooms, green pepper, and pimiento. Add dry mustard and salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

    Add eggs and lemon juice. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sherry, if desired.

    Serve in puff pastry shells.

    Radaranger photo courtesy of radarange.com

    This story originally appeared in the New York Journal of Books.