the Bruschetta

The golden tomatoes are grown at the Urban Farms, less then one mile from our house, in the middle of tall trees and kudzu.

The basil grows next to the hill country red okra, yellow midget watermelon and the fountain of lemongrass; it grows, profusely, generously, in our garden.

The balsamic glaze was crafted by charming husband, who insists on filling the house with the piercing smell of vinegar, knowing that after you add the cinnamon and the orange, it pays off when it touches your tongue. Explosion of flavor and goodness.

And the little sourdough toasts came from the Fresh Market, a smaller-than-mega-grocery store that many of us love for its feeling of the small-town grocery. (We can't forget the feta cheese, with it's delicious tartness.)

Bruschetta.

(photo credit: Matthew Clark)

Bakers Burger Company: a review

What's the best part of a hamburger? Is it the juicy, thick-cut meat? Or is it whether or not it is carefully and tastefully seasoned, so well it hardly needs condiments? Or is it really not about the meat, but the bread surrounding it, baked fresh, careful not to be so hearty that it cancels out the meat altogether?

At Bakers Burger Company, a local restaurant in Hattiesburg, MS, it's all of the above.

As far as we are concerned, it is usually a good sign when you walk in and see this:

As soon as you walk through the doors, you'll notice the menu - short, concise, user-friendly. Translated to us, this means we're about to eat at a restaurant who knows what they do (burgers, bread), and they are doing it well. They don't need to offer three pages of food options to satisfy every person in town; they want to satisfy the people who want a great burger, sandwiched between great bread. And they are succeeding.

 

{build your own burger}

 

{build your own dog}

I chose to build my own burger, with Italian Focaccia, to which I added pepper jack cheese, with ketchup and mustard. I like a simple burger, but with this bread, it was still simple, yet memorable. The bread-to-meat ratio is also important to me, which is risky with focaccia. But this was perfect - the bread wasn't too thick, giving the meat room to be known!

Jeff got the jalapeno cheddar bun, since he likes some kick, to which he added bacon. His was a hearty burger, just like he likes it.

Though the foodie in me is a bit embarrassed to admit this, I'd never heard of putting malt vinegar on your fries until this day. But what a great addition!And these weren't just any fries - they're hand-cut fries - tasty and piping hot and so, so good. 

For this outing, my mom joined us (and, indeed, treated us to this fine lunch), remarking that when she lived in Ohio, they would put malt vinegar on their fries. There you have it... it must be a Yankee thing.

We might be in the Deep South, but we're keeping this one. Bring on the malt vinegar!

Way of the Food Truck

One distinct memory I have from China is of the early evening gathering places, people stopping after school or work, resting on benches, talking with friends, playing with children. Some are quiet; some are happy to see friends after a long day. Some are eating noodles from a small cart outside the gate of the nearby college. Some are listening to strange singing in a foreign language.

Our friends and guides helped us understand that this is normal for these city-dwellers, to gather between work and home, to stop and be together. People didn't seem to be in a hurry. And when there's strange white people there with a guitar and balloons, of course you'll stay longer!

We've just been watching a show about this "food truck revolution" happening in cities all over the U.S., and it's pretty exciting. Jeff and I have had a few opportunities - in Denver and Nashville - to visit some of these trucks. Their owners have been eager to share their stories and their food creations and seem to love what they do.

These food trucks, especially when congregated together in parking lots, city parks, etc. are creating new places for people to come together. Businessmen are buying gourmet hot dogs; bikers are buying crepes; college students are buying sushi.

While in Nashville, our friend Michelle took us to a row of food trucks, including Jonbalaya, specializing in BBQ and Cajun-flair food. I can't really do it justice except to show you these:

{Cajun Bayou Tacos: pork, ginger, cilantro, and other ingredients I'm forgetting,

but that were like "spring in your mouth," as I remember the food truck owner describing this. Delish.}

{Pork Parfait: no yogurt here! Simply layers of BBQ pork and mashed potatoes.

Ridiculous. And tasty.}

We're so excited to see the future of food trucks, especially in our own Memphis. Will there be a good truck near us? Will it help us meet our neighbors, both nearby and in other parts of the city? Will we be a part of this "revolution" in a new way?

Foodies in Denver: burritos for breakfast

The dining room overlooks a lake, surrounded by the all-too-perfect Colorado mountains. Brunch in this eatery means buffalo carpaccio (thinly sliced raw meat, vinaigrette), crab and avocado omelet and a classic brunch item, eggs benedict. The chefs are locals, promising locally sourced fare and even the town's name sends you painting a perfect winter piece of artwork in your mind: Evergreen.

They were even kind enough to call us to confirm our reservation, but we took a detour...

We stopped at Santiago's instead.

Homemade green chile sauce is the specialty, a recipe of roasted and peeled jalapeños crafted by founder Carmen Morales' mother, though the $2 burritos which get smothered by this sauce are equally as famous.

{breakfast burrito, smothered, mild}

And how much heat can you take? They've got a mild, hot and half-n-half option (what others might call "medium"?) We ordered a little of everything, all smothered in chile sauce, some smothered in additional cheese, some mild, some half-n-half.

{smothered, plus cheese on top (it's already stuffed w/cheese!), half-n-half}

Flavor? Excellent. Stuffed with potatoes, onions, cheese, and today's burritos, with ham (this changes: sometimes you get chorizo, bacon or breakfast sausage).

Speed? To our table in a flash. When you have a small breakfast menu (and they do) with a long line out the door (and they do), you can make items fresh and speedy! Perfect combo, especially when you're eager to make a steep climb onto the slopes of Copper Mountain.

Value? C'mon, you saw the the pictures of these $2 burritos. Need we say more?

Today, we ate at Santiago's. And we declared that it was good!

{the coffee is lacking, but hey, we didn't come here for the joe!}

Let's eat what we buy!

Since the Urban Farms Market and corner store have opened up, we've given ourselves new challenges. For our first trip, we bought what was available and cooked with it. (NOTE: produce inside the store isn't necessarily local, but rather, gives priority to giving folks in our neighborhood fresh produce that otherwise isn't as readily available to them. For local produce, visit the outdoor market!)

So, we shopped.

see the sneaky sweet potatoes at the bottom? Mmmmm!

waiting to be chopped...

lovin' that fresh cilantro

Add a few spices (cinnamon, cumin, etc. etc), potatoes, carrots, onions, cilantro, and you've got something that looks like this...

Yes. Delish.

Choosing to shop at a smaller store, with a smaller selection, is an intentional decision. We're giving up the selection of a megastore and letting dinner choose instead, more or less (instead of us choosing dinner). This may seem limiting, but really, shopping at the Urban Farms corner store is much less overwhelming, personal (conversations with customers and employees), and simple.

We hope you'll visit! The corner store is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-7pm, and Saturday from 8am-3pm. The outdoor market is open on Tuesdays from 2-6pm and Saturday 8am-1pm.

Let tomorrow's meal choose you.

hello, awkward coffee shop picture!

**Edit on 5/14/11: Memphis Brew is now closed.**

This is me. Awkwardly holding up my frappe at Memphis Brew, a new-ish (new to me, at least) coffee shop in Memphis.

Jeff and I are here on a Wednesday early eve, reading and blogging, with an Americano and a sugar free vanilla frappe.

sounds || the heat clicking on and the TV a couple rooms away

sights || one other person reading, besides Jeff, scatterings of what I presume to be local art on the walls

thoughts || I wish there was some easy, low music playing, but otherwise it's really nice to have peace in a coffee shop and not constant rushing and way-too-loud music. This is actually perfect for my dull headache that's been with me for a few hours now.

layout || a variety of seating areas, some at ground level, some at a basement-ish level; couches, tables, bar stools, group tables.

I read some reviews before I came, and I hear their cold brew is really, really good. But unfortunately, they're out of it right now! So, we'll have to come back very soon, on the hunt for this cold brew.

fast food... "with avocados, please!"

When we're on the road, it often feels like we simply have no choice but to swing through the drive-thru, get our sugar-loaded Dr. Pepper, and oh-so-delish Mickey D's fries; we all know they're the best. This, we speculated, might be one of the hardest habits to break as part of our "No Chain Challenge".

But we were actually wrong.

On our last trip down I-55, towards the warmer land of South Mississippi (Hattiesburg, we love thee), we had some good food in tow. Specifically, these sammies with turkey (veggies only for Jeff), carrots, avocado, bell peppers - so good and fresh that no condiments were necessary!

And it only took me (Abbye) about 10 minutes to get these sandwiches together, and that's pretty ding-dang fast!

local: doesn't always mean kind

Have you ever been chastised when you walked in the door of a cute little coffee shop, the one you like to frequent on Sunday mornings with your journal and book and a mostly-good cup of coffee? Me neither; that is, until about a month and a half ago.

Oh dear, I've debated writing this blog. But, if I'm taking a "No Chain Challenge" in favor of local restaurants, telling you all the reasons that local is generally a better choice, then I also have to tell the truth about these experiences - even the ones that are less than desirable.

The victim? Poplar Perk'n (or me, depending on how you look at it). The crime? Pen marks.

What? That's right pen marks. One Thursday morning, I go in to get my coffee, and 3.8 seconds after I walk in the door, I hear, "Hey, you're the one who was in here on Sunday. You got pen on our couch." Stunned. "What is she talking about?" I think.

"What? I'm so sorry..."

"Yeah, weren't you writing over there? Well, you got pen all over our couch; we'd just gotten it that morning." ("We're not mad at you or anything," another barista chimes in.) Really? Seems you're not happy with me either.

The story could be longer, but I'll stop here. I'm sorry about your couch; I'm sorry I brought a pen anywhere within 100 feet of your couch. But don't worry; I won't be coming back anytime soon. I'm too embarrassed and shocked that I was treated like a 5 year old.

The point is this: local establishments still choose their standards; they still choose who to hire; they still choose how to (or how not to) value their customers (who, honestly, didn't mean to get pen marks on that nice, new couch). This is by far uncommon in local, Memphis restaurants (though I can think of one other coffee shop that makes me feel not-cool-enough when I visit).

But still - go there. Support local business. Figure out for yourself. But dear friend, please don't take an ink pen through those doors...

Mosa: rainbow curry recommendation

Lemongrass, coconut milk, cilantro: we could call these the trinity of goodness in this dish. This red curry (looks more orange-y, actually) is too good. Perhaps too rich for my usual lunchtime dining, but that is no complaint! The cilantro garnish - another Pates favorite - added a real clean, crisp taste. (Any cilantro lovers out there? We find that folks either love or hate our favorite herb!) Mine featured tofu, which gloriously takes on the good flavors in this dish. Of course, you can order it with your preference of meat.

Panang Rainbow Curry is the name, and you won't find it on the menu at Mosa, but you can expect to hear it as a recommendation from the owner (who has been there almost every time we've visited) and listed on the specials board.

And what is Mosa? Locally owned, dishes inspired by the many flavors of Asia, this restaurant boasts great food and an owner who isn't beyond taking orders and sauteing veggies on the stove - in other words, he knows his restaurant.

Jeff's dish: the Korean BBQ, also on the "specials" board. Since Jeff is already a lover of Korean BBQ, he really liked this dish. Though it was nice reminder of his time in Vancouver (10 weeks during college), it wasn't the same. Should you order it? "Absolutely," is Jeff's response. But if you have not had homemade Korean BBQ, you'll need to book a flight to Canada and make some Korean friends with a grill and a hankering for a good feast!

Visit them at one of two locations: 850 S. White Station, Memphis, TN; or 1825 Kirby Pkwy. As they say on their website, "...make the Mosa your day!"

Three Angels Diner: what took us so long?

Please forgive us. We've broken a very important rule of blogging: we didn't blog. We introduced ourselves, our "rebirth", and then left you hanging. So, without further ado, a word about Three Angels Diner.

Why go to Three Angels? Fittingly, three reasons: location, Urban Farms, good food.

Three Angels is just down the street from our house. As in, mere blocks. We can ride our bikes, walk, or on this particular Friday night, drive (because it's rainy, dark, and Jeff has a hurt foot). They are located in the historic Broad Avenue Arts District, which is just on the edge of Binghampton; we're proud to be living here during its revival. We try, when we can, to be supporters of business in the very place where we live - right down to the same neighborhood.

Urban Farms. As we at down on this Friday night, we were ready for the veggie specials, some of which were from Urban Farms, a new happening, also right here in our very neighborhood (volunteer workday tomorrow, 2/20, 1-3pm - join us!) Whatever seasonal veggies are growing at UF right now, you can be sure to see some of them on the daily specials menu at Three Angels. Local supporting local. Perfect!

Good food. Fried egg sandwich, veggie chili (w/tofu, yuuuuuum), adult grilled cheese, to name a few. On this night, I got the fried egg sandwich - really good, though nothing to scream and shout about. This sandwich had a fried egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese on really great bread. Their homemade chips were my side item (now these are delish!) Jeff ordered mashed sweet potatoes with cumin and garlic, and if you know the Pates, we LOVE cumin! So, thumbs up for this side item!

There are many other great reasons to visit Three Angels: liveliness, art, fun atmosphere, open late. See for yourself! Check it out at 2617 Broad Ave., Memphis, 38112.

Three Angels - local, friendly, go there.

blog re-birth: The No-Chain Challenge

Foodie for Hire: a clever blog name, if my opinion counts for anything. Almost two years ago, my husband Jeff created this blog, in hopes to write about great restaurants, as well as some of his own food creations, complete with pictorial proof. (aka: he was gonna take a pictures of it.)

Alas, he doesn't have the most time for writing and now he has a job that doesn't allow space for it either. We think, though, that Foodie for Hire can still live on, in the hands of me - the partner, the wife, the one who loves to write: the one named Abbye. (with some writing from Mr. Jeffersby, Matthew Clark's affectionate name for him.)

"No-Chain Challenge"

What is this, you ask? It's the product of hours on the snowy/icy roads between the foothills of Tennessee and the Mighty Mississippi (Memphis-town). "Hey, why don't we commit to local-only restaurants and write about it?" And here we are.

We've been giving this a try for about one month now, but here we are, putting it into type and calling it a "go".

Why a "No-Chain Challenge"? Because there are so many good reasons to choose local. [Often] fresh ingredients, owners who know your city (and after only a few visits, your name and favorite drink), and good live, local music. And there are so many more reasons. Perfect? No way! Will there be some who we choose not to dine with for the long haul? I'm sure.

But overall, we think we're going to discover some pretty great reasons to choose local restaurants (and local everything else, too).

Tonight's local eatery of choice: Three Angels Diner.

Mere blocks from our house, we'll be joining a handful of our closest friends here tonight. We'll let you know how it goes...

In the meantime, may all your dinner tables be filled with good food, great friends, and loads of laughter.

Cafe Berlin

Well for those of you who don't know, along with trying new foods and New establishments I also enjoy music. My wife is a grand singer/songwriter and I play various types of drums and percussion. We enjoy traveling with a friend of ours; Matthew Clark(who is the hand model in the post about burritos). We especially enjoy playing in peoples homes. We call this event a house concert. We get to share meals and stories with people who care more about people and others lives than what is on the top 40s chart.

We recently set out on a 6 hour road trip to Columbia Missouri. We left on a friday around noon and returned by 6pm Saturday. It was quit a quick trip, but worth every moment. We enjoy listening to books on cd when we venture for long durations of time such as these. I find that listening to these books on cd gives me a break from music and oddly, I am more alert when driving. I think it is because I am such a music fan I check out sometimes and get into the music when no one is engaging me. On this particular trip we listened to Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods", of course read by the author. It's really the only way to listen to a book. we had a blast visiting our friends and playing for them and their friends. Though the trip was quick the time was well spent with our friends Eric Papp and Bethany Lindaman. These are great people with a love for music and food, but even more Love for Christ.

Every time I trek new terrain I put forth a valiant effort to dine somewhere where I have never tasted the culinary flavor. So being that Columbia was a college town I knew there had to be some great independent cafes or bistros. And since we were visiting college friends I knew they would not let me down. We asked our friends what a good place would be to savour the local flavor and they suggested Cafe Berlin.

http://www.myspace.com/cafeberlin

This place was great!! The patrons were quite an eclectic group of folk. There were school teachers, college students, business men, and hippies alike. Cafe Berlin has something for everyone. The names of the dishes are half the experience of dining there. They had names like "the starving artist" and "anonymous tacos". They even make a breakfast burrito out of a pancake.

Brilliant!!!

They also used a lot of organic, all natural and/or local products, which of course, my wife loved!! They also have a collection of various coffee mugs and plates that people have lost a love for, but Cafe Berlin redeems them for use for their patrons.

Some friends got pancakes with apples, sausage, and red onions on them. Now this combination is unlikely and probably under appreciated. It is however a fantastic surprise to those that dare to try it. The saltiness of the sausage counters the sweetness of the syrup and apples. The onion when sauteed breaks down and a sweetness comes out that goes well with the dish. It was great.

On this Saturday morning I tried the Carey Burrito. Not sure where the name refers to, but it was surely not a disappointment. It a flour tortilla shell wrapped around scrambled eggs, feta, roasted potatoes, apples and cilantro. It was served with a side of tzatziki. Tzatziki is a greek herbed yogurt sauce commonly found in a gyro. The Carey burrito was amazing! It was fresh and the clean taste of the cilantro complimented all the components of the dish. The sauce was a nice cool addition. I especially liked the tzatziki on a bite with mostly potatoes. My beverage of choice to wash the burrito down was an espresso drink dawning the name "Dirty Hippie" which is a chai latte with espresso. Hmmmmmm... unlikely again, but not disappointing.

If you ever find yourself in Columbia, Mo you should make it a point to dine at Cafe Berlin.

Great food. Great Service. Fantastic establishment.

Reconciliation with everything on it

I had lunch today with a fairly new friend. He's a great guy who has chosen to live in the inner city and fight for reconciliation in this city and in the lives of troubled teens. I simply wanted to get to know this guy a bit better and as a foodie I always think that there is no better way than to break bead with another. When attempting to decide our culinary destination I asked if he had any particular craving and He mentioned Roxie's Grocery, I obliged, and we set out. He had told me that it kind of a secret and to me that translates into a great hole-in-the-wall place that never disappoints.

Roxie's is definitely a place thats holds true to this assumption. When we walked into the establishment The lighting was very dimly lit and there wasn't much organization. Some of the coolers didn't work and the others didn't work that well. Items for sale behind the counter had been in the same spot for months or possibly years. It was a classic old tyme grocery. I loved it. We got the Roxie special which is a burger, seasoned fries, and a "pop". The crinkle cut fries were cooked a bit too much, but hey, that happens to the best of them. The drink was Strawberry Fanta or "red drank" to some. The burger however was fantastic. we ordered them with everything (which is lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mustard, and mayo). It was seasoned quite well with plenty of pepper in the mix. Some would find this to be a bit much, but for me it was right on spot. The bun was toasted with butter on the griddle which always adds the perfect amount of crunch to the sandwich. The burger was big and hearty. It was incredible to say the least and the price the same; right under 11.50 for both of us. you can't beat that anywhere in town.

The thing that kind of took me by surprise was the fellow patrons/loiterers at Roxie's. We were the only ones of caucasian ethnicity and I assumed that we may get a few looks from our fellow dinners. But everyone was extremely nice they greeted us and told where to find the waste basket and napkins. The thing that really blew me away happened when our napkins flew down the sidewalk. A guy who was sitting in a chair got up and retrieved us fresh napkins and said "though you want some clean ones". I was slightly blown away.

How many people would do that for anyone of any color in a Wendy's in east memphis?

I believe that it is small things like this along with things like moving back into urban neighborhoods that will bring reconciliation to racially divided city like Memphis.

Bottletree Bakery

My wife and I had been wanting to go to this place for a while. We had heard how great the food is and we had even tasted the coffee before. But this fine Saturday we finally got the chance to dine at the Bottletree. We set out on our destination a little later due to some unforeseen circumstances. However, when we arrived Abbye immediately fell in love with the atmosphere. It is very homey and eclectic with missed matched tables and is adorned with random signs and paintings and pictures. We chose to sit at the bar which we later found out that it was the original bar in the building and it is over forty years old. we also discovered that this bakery used to be an old bus stop. We came in for a snack to hold us over till a friend finished his meeting, so we didn't get to try everything we feasted our eyes on. The one thing we did get to try was the breakfast focaccia. To say the least it was amazing. it had cheese, bacon, and egg. the focaccia bread was not to greasy, crispy on the outside, but moist in the middle... hmmm!!! The staff at the bakery were attentive and polite. They often refreshed our coffee and even gave us some bread as we departed. This is a one in million kinds of place. We concluded by the end of the snack that The Bottletree Bakery would definitely be a place we would frequent if lived in or even near Oxford.

Enchiladas....

Well, the other night I was in the mood for something full of flavor and with mexican components... the result was an enchiladas casserole of sort. I, my wife, and friends well know when I cook I tend to vary from a recipe a good deal. We found a recipe in an old recipe book that Abbye had from her high school days. I won't bore you with the full details of the recipe from the book, but i will attempt to guide you through my process of cooking.

The recipe called for ground beef, but i substituted chicken. All I had was chicken on the bone so I boiled it and deboned it. I also put plenty of spices in the water to attempt to flavor the chicken. Next the original recipe called for refried beans, and I much prefer blacks beans so you can guess what I did. I mixed the chicken and beans with a sauce concocted from fresh cilantro, olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapenos, chili powder, and a taste of sesame oil. I pureed this concoction in a food processor and all three (chicken, beans, and sauce) in a pan to warm everything through and make sure each component got aquatinted with each other.

Next, I spooned this mixture into soft tortilla shells, gave them a simple roll and placed them in a greased casserole pan. Following this I poured a mixture of Velveeta pepper jack (16oz), sour cream (8oz), and maybe 2 oz of milk mixed that and poured on top of the rolled enchiladas. Next I drizzled a tomatillo or salsa verde sauce on top of everything and place it in a 350 degree oven till it started to bubble. I served this with more sour cream, salsa, and chips fro scooping up anything left behind.

I have to say as humbly as possible that it was pretty tasty... maybe the only i would like to try is adding some Rotel to either cheese topping mixture or even the enchilada stuffing.

here a picture of the finished product

(hand model: Matthew Clark)

Hot Wings

Most commonly chicken wings are deeep fried and smothered in a vinegar based cayenne pepper sauce. They are believed to have first been served with bleu cheese dressing, but now it is comon to find ranch with them and of course celery and carrots. You may have heard them called buffalo wings and wondered why, well it's because the "buffalo" came from New York, as in the city Bufflao, New York. Like the controversy over whose is better there is also a bit controversy about the orgin of these crispy snacks. Here are the four most reputable courtesy of wikipedia...

1.

One story is that Buffalo wings were first prepared at the Anchor Bar, located at 1047 Main Street (between North Street and Best Street) in Buffalo, New York, United States on October 3, 1964, by Teressa Belissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar with her husband Frank. Upon the unannounced, late-night arrival of their son, Dominic, with several of his friends from college, Teressa needed a fast and easy snack to present to her hungry guests. It was then that she came up with the idea of deep frying chicken wings (normally thrown away or reserved for stock) and tossing them in cayenne hot sauce. While the wings were deep frying, Teressa decided to serve left over celery sticks with blue cheese to her son and his friends to tide them over.

2.

A second version, as told by Dominic Bellisimo (Frank and Teressa's son) to The New Yorker reporter Calvin Trillin in 1980, stated: "It was Friday night in the bar in Buffalo, New York and since people were buying a lot of drinks he wanted to do something nice for them at midnight when the mostly Catholicpatrons would be able to eat meat again." He stated that it was his mother, Teressa, who came up with the idea of chicken wing

3.

The third version of the origin involved a mis-delivery of wings instead of backs and necks for making the bar's spaghetti sauce. Faced with this unexpected resource, Frank Bellisimo says that he asked Teressa to do something with them

4.

The fourth version has nothing to do with the Bellisimos or the Anchor Bar. Calvin Trillin stated in his 1980 New Yorker article that a man namedJohn Young also claimed credit for serving chicken wings in a special "mambo sauce". Chicken wings in mambo sauce became the specialty at his Buffalo restaurant in the mid-1960s. Young had registered the name of his restaurant, John Young's Wings 'n Things, at the county courthousebefore leaving Buffalo in 1970.

Hot wings also known as, but rarely referred to as "flats", and are a thing of controversy and discussions in Memphis. Many people claim to have great wings, some even claim to have the best. For most establishments I believe it's a marketing ploy much like the scene from Will Ferrell's Elf, (the scene with the world's best cup of coffee). Their is one place in Memphis that has the slogan of "the best damn hot wings". This place is Ching's Wings. This place is loved by its patrons and is an experience when you go... I have to admit that Chings is my favorite place in the city to get a good hot wing. This place is classic because of the location. It is right next to a weave store and a barber shop, which in my mind signifies the quality in itself. Let's be truthful here our African-American brothers and sisters don't stand for subpar food, as we so often do. For them it's all about the food and for us it's a combination of food quality and atmosphere, and many times atmosphere is more important. Chings surely has great food and depending on your style of decor it has a nice atmosphere. The walls are adorned with many of the city's patrons and you're sure to catch up on your ESPN while in the establishment. As far as the food goes they have simple and unique flavors. the wings come in seasoned, honey-gold,regular hot, medium hot, and suicide! The seasoned wings are my favorite and I get them every time. They also put the same seasoning on their fries. If you go you have to try the G-street punch or the Orange Mound punch, it's part of the experience. The owner's name is Lafayette and he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He always has a smile on his face and eager to accommodate your needs. Needless to say one of the gems of the Memphis food scene a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit.

Brother Junipers

Today I had breakfast at a local Memphis favorite. Even on a Tuesday morning this place was buzzing with many different types of people; businessmen talking about a new venture, lawyers talking about the current economy, and even a few pastors discussing theology. Brother Junipers is a rare and eclectic place. It’s rare in the sense that people from all walks of life are patrons here and they are all willing to wait for a seat. The reason they are willing to wait is not because they have the most comfortable seats, but rather the food is amazing. It’s eclectic because the food variety will please many, but yet simple at the same time and you will many types of people on any given day.

Let me expound on this description of the “amazingness”. The menu is both simple and creative. The foodie and the pauper alike can fond a dish to please their palette. You can be pleased with a simple meat, egg, and bread dish, or you can have waffles or pancakes. They also have two specialties sure to excite any foodie, which are open-faced omelets (a huge pile of ingredient goodness atop an egg scrambled like an omelets not folded. The other specialty is my personal favorite the potato dishes! Brother Junipers has a signature side item called home fries which are basically crispy cubed potatoes, which are scrumptious, even by their lonesome. They take these home fries and cover them with the same or similar pile of goodness. They are also sure to have a couple of specials of the day.

Brother Junipers uses as fresh as possible ingredients (as the menu says) that include, but of course not limited to, lamb, chorizo, spinach, feta, Swiss cheese, chipotle avocado spread, and even delectable black beans. This morning I conquered a potato dish called the Pacific North Western, which has feta, spinach, cheddar, ham, and because I love their black beans (which are cooked with dill) I added them. To say the least this dish was stood true to my made up term “amazingness” as Brother Junipers always seems to deliver.

As if that was not enough reason to go the staff is everything you would want in a staff; attentive, polite, and efficient. They really work as a team. Their service each others tables and as a former server I know how huge team work is in this setting. The owner/manager is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet in any profession. You don’t even have to talk to him long to tell what kind of person he is and what kind of establishment he runs. To sum things up Brother Junipers is one of a kind.

Christmas Ham

As apart of this blog I also want to write about dishes that I have prepared and cooked myself. I want to blog about this for the sake of collaboration and passing good recipes along. This entry is long overdue seeing how the title is Christmas ham. But, everybody said I should blog about my ham, and by everybody I mean Abbye and my parents. But, none the less I will proceed.

On christmas we had a big group of people over and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pre-prepared ham, plus I have always really wanted to cook my own. When I cook I tend to go overboard with flavor and spice, but I call it being creative. I have to remember that my palette is broader than most. I really wanted to try an espresso chile glaze, but I sided against it because I wanted everyone to enjoy it.

Here is the ingredients you'll need

• 9-pound (or so) ham, bone-in, scored 1/4-inch deep in a diamond pattern
• 10-15 cinnamon sticks
• oranges, lemons, and limes cut into slices (to put on the cinnamon sticks)
• 10 bay leaves
• black pepper
• One 13-ounce jar orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch ground cloves

Here are the directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the ham, cut side down, in a large roasting pan. Insert the cinnamon sticks partially into the scored ham at even intervals. Skewer 1 orange slice 1 lime slice, and 1 lemon slice onto each cinnamon stick and push the slices down so that they fit snugly against the ham. Tuck the bay leaves around the fruit slices. Sprinkle the ham with the black pepper. Bake the ham, uncovered, until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 4-6 hours. Baste the ham with the glaze during the last hour of cooking.

Make the glaze when the ham first goes into the oven: Combine the marmalade, brown sugar, orange juice, water, hot sauce, ginger, and cloves in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture reduces to a glaze consistency and coats the back of a spoon. If you don't have ground cloves you can also stick whole cloves into the ham itself.

The best part of making this ham for me was scoring the ham in a diamond pattern. when the ham came out of the oven the scored edges were the perfect crispness and he hot sauce added just enough spice to the citrus. The ham was moist and tender and the citrus flavor was great. It also made for a good breakfast ham the next day. Needless to say it was fun to cook the ham and everyone loved it and it looked pretty goodtoo. Here are some pictures to look at.