Show Me Eats

Show Me Eats moving

2008-09-30T08:52:00.002-05:00

I have moved the blog over to WordPress, which will be easier to update, customize and read. Punching in ShowMeEats.com will now redirect you to a new destination, ShowMeEats.wordpress.com. See you over there.

Scott

RFT's Best of St. Louis

2008-09-25T12:29:00.003-05:00

The Riverfront Times has released another installment of its staggeringly expansive "Best of St. Louis" listing. What surprises you? And who knew Soulard Farmer's Market wasn't the best in town?

Charcuterie

2008-09-22T12:55:00.001-05:00

A new cookbook - can you ever have too many? - has got me ordering obscure salts online and curing obscure pig parts in the extra fridge. It's Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn and it's pure, food-worshiping joy. Plainly put, charcuterie is a French term for meat preservation and this tome has it all. I've started with another pork belly (for bacon) and also had the Crockers cut a jowl for me. Pork jowls usually go into sausage, part of the reason why sausage is so damned tasty. But cured and dried on its own, the lowly, disrespected jowl becomes the great Italian cured meat, guanciale (gwahnchee-AH-lay).

Easy to execute and with in-depth reportage of the origins and geographic rationales behind all of the recipes, Charcuterie is part cookbook, part historical guide. It's also been a best selling food book for several years now so I know there have got to be people in Columbia doing this stuff. I only know of one other guy right now, surely there are more. It's just too easy, too affordable and too much fun for there not to be.

So c'mon, anyone else curing meats in town?

Tapas dinner, revisited

2008-09-22T12:41:00.009-05:00

There is a certain joy to be had in properly cooking and serving good food and wine. And then there is the joy of properly cooking and serving good food and wine to seven accomplished and beautiful women. They're too different things entirely, I'm just sayin'.

The turnout to our big tapas dinner Thursday night was a few heads shy of the ten I expected, but the ladies laughing and drinking and slurping gazpacho and wine in our dining room didn't seem to mind. In fact, they got seconds on several of the courses, so that worked out in their favor anyway.

I find I get limited feedback on what worked and what didn't when attempting a Big Deal dinner. Everyone's being polite and is half-lit and is generally disinclined to foist suggestions on the person delivering course after course of good food and wine. I get that, but wish people they'd be a little harder on the food. I don't know if it was starting out Catholic, but when everyone's singing praises, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Anyway, the food.

Sliced vegetables went out with a mellow garlic dip that looked distressingly like potato salad but was actually extremely tasty. Hummus from World Harvest was a dud, again. Feta-stuffed peppers were as easy to pull off as they were wonderful to eat. Here I also shoehorned in an unscheduled salad of lardons (slim pieces of homemade bacon) and tat choi I picked up in a last-second and life-saving visit to Eric Reuter and Chert Hollow Farm (good Missourian write-up, by the way, Eric) for mizuna and other greens Thursday morning.

Some people loved the goat cheese truffles, others thought they were so-so. Depends how much you like goat cheese and prickly dried herbs. Meh. Gazpacho was good, but tasted like it'd been frozen (it had, a fact I readily admitted) to me. The girls liked it well enough that several asked for seconds.

The bruschetti were good. The favorite seemed to be the ones smeared with a little lard and topped with sauteed garlic and Eric's mustard greens. Go figure.

And then the one nerve-wracking moment: deep-fried pork belly. The 1'x2' pieces were dropped into the Fry Daddy for 2-3 minutes and pulled when they looked appropriately crispy/melty. Served with horseradish beer mustard and some of my (very easy) pickles, the bellies were a hit. Not nearly the best thing ever - I'll work on that next time - but they were, no doubt, very good. Meaty and juicy and salty, they were also less greasy than you would expect. The wife had been skeptical of serving these workout-oriented ladies unreconstructed pork fat, but it turned out very well. Leftovers disappeared quickly.

Lamb koftas were well-recieved but I'd probably left them on the grill a minute too long. Still, served alongside jury-rigged tzatziki sauce (again, another prepared-food letdown with World Harvest...what's the deal? Everything else there is great.), the lamb balls disappeared instantly.

Sidebar: The wine, beginning to take hold, also may have prompted the gals to notice (and make much light of the fact) that half of what I was serving was coming out in ball form. Oh the jokes these lady professors and teachers and doctors and engineers made. School bus/locker room material folks, and very, very funny overheard from the kitchen.

The skirt steak turned out very bland to me but the ladies devoured it. This was due, perhaps, to they no longer possessing fully functional taste buds. Or maybe it could have been the impossibly decadent potatoes au gratin served alongside. Originally based on a recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," this dish has become a bit of a personal calling card. I made them for my wife during her first pregnancy maybe a hundred times. So easy, so good. But I've never made it with $16 a pound Swiss Gruyere and Weiler Dairy cream (to say nothing of finely chopped chilis scattered throughout to make it more summery). A splurge, and worth it.

The chocolate ganaches were ringers as well. Made with Alan McClure's otherworldly Patric Chocolate and more Weiler cream, they were the cause of much groaning and eye-rolling. If I had closed my eyes I could have fooled myself into thinking I was blindfolded on the set of a bad (or good?) porno flick. I, being a gentleman, did not do this. But to quote the late, great Chris Farley, you can imagine what it would have had been like.

The real standout of the meal wine-wise was the 2006 Byron Pinot Noir. Lush, layered and deeply grapey, this was another splurge worth the investment ($25 at Patricia's).

Mashed potatoes, without all the hassle

2008-09-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Me, I've always thought mashed potatoes a pretty hassle-free side item. But leave it up to the geniuses at Ore-Ida to make it even easier for us to "cook" dinner in 15 minutes so we can get back to watching Hole in the Wall or whatever it is they think everybody's too busy doing to cook a real meal. Apparently they didn't get the memo about Americans cooking more.

Introducing everyone, peeled, diced potatoes in a microwaveable bag.

And then this.

To complement the introduction of Steam n' Mash products, the Ore-Ida brand has launched www.ilovemashedpotatoes.com, a new Web site for moms who love to mash!

Barf.

(Hat tip: RFT's Gut Check blog)

Americans abandoning the diet (and eating food)

2008-09-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

After decades of absurd diet regimes (that means you, Atkins), hundreds of billions spent on ineffective weight-loss products and the untold misery of fatless pork, it seems American's are putting aside the diet and - at long last - rediscovering food. One study shows

The percentage of those consumers who are on a diet is lower than at any time since information on dieting was first collected in 1985.

Another found that people are even cooking more:

53 percent of consumers say they are cooking from scratch more than they did just six months ago, in part, no doubt, because of the rising cost of prepared foods.

Assuming people treat this as a lifestyle change rather than just another fad, we would be looking at the biggest change in eating habits in at least a couple of generations. Hooray for that.

11(ish) Course Tapas Dinner

2008-09-17T08:31:00.007-05:00

My wife belongs to a wine club. They meet once a month and go the the Vu and out to dinner and drink vodka tonics and make merry and take cabs home and whatnot. Most are professionals and moms and don't get out as much as they used to; so they make it count. And once in a blue moon their activities even involve wine. This month's installment also involves me slaving away in the kitchen but hey, that's usually a pretty good time.

So what's on tap is this, an 11-or-so course small plates menu with paired wines. I've picked most of the courses for ability to make ahead or quickly. I'm thinking there'll be about ten gals. Here's what I have as of now, with paired wines in italics. Some things may be added or subbed out based on what we get Thursday from the CSA.

antipasti
Roederer A/V Estate Brut
Mumm Napa Cuvee
sliced fresh vegetables with three dipping sauces
goat cheese-stuffed piquante peppers
olives and parmigiano-reggiano

Chateau Souverain Sauvignon Blanc
goat cheese truffles with herbes de provence
gazpacho

three bruschetti
Da Vinci Chianti
caprese
lardo
salt and olive oil

the rest
Riesling
deep fried pork belly with pickles and horseradish mustard

Byron Pinot Noir
Firesteed Pinot Noir
lamb koftas with tzatziki sauce

Shotfire Ridge Barossa
grilled marinated skirt steak with mizuna and parmigiano
served with summer potatoes au gratin

Warre's tawny port
chocolate ganache (truffles)

communal passed wines as needed:
Martin Codax Albarino
Alta Vista Torrontes
Gabbiano Chianti
Francis Coppolla Rosso Shiraz

Sources are as follows:
World Harvest: olives, hummus, all cheese, piquante peppers, tzatziki, balsamic
Hy-Vee: watercress, radicchio
Root Cellar/local farmers: all vegetables and fruits
Hoss': prosciutto
Cream: Weiler Dairy
Pork belly: Crocker Farms
Skirt steak: Mizzou Meats
Lamb: Suzie's Grassfed Meats
Chocolate: Patric Chocolate
Lard: homemade, from Newman Farms pig
Wines: Floyd at Patricia's

The food courses were selected on a pretty much whatever-sounded-good-and-quick basis, without any real eye to wine pairing. That part's been the toughest element, putting the right wine with the right dish. At the same time, if you're drinking good wine and eating good food with good people, you can't go wrong no matter what the pairing.

Still, comments and suggestions please! Especially regarding a good cab and a pairing for the pork belly. I probably also need to sack up and throw together some shrimp and grits just to get some seafood on there.

Paw paw update

2008-09-16T08:10:00.003-05:00

For pawpaw lovers that missed out on the delicious, suspiciously tropical fruit at the farmer's market and want to give them a shot without foraging in the countryside, Heritage Foods USA has come to the rescue. Pawpaws for sale.

Late Summer Minestrone

2008-09-15T12:23:00.005-05:00

I went on a bit of a preservation kick last week. Canned four quarts of applesauce. Made and froze fruit smoothies with the peaches and (yes) a cucumber on the far side of prime. Four quarts of quick, refrigerator pickles followed. Even pickled some beets. But the piece de resistance was the enormous batch of minestrone I made Friday night. I did a double batch and actually had to switch to the lobster pot to fit everything (twelve cups of water and all). The end result was the best vegetable soup I can remember making, though the lard I added probably didn't hurt. So here it is. Simple and remarkably tasty.

Late Summer Minestrone

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (and two tablespoons rendered lard, if you want to go from good to oh my)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup fresh corn (about two ears)
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cored, chopped tomato (canned is fine; include juice)
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves, more for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional.

1. Put 3 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion, carrots and zucchini. Cook, stirring, until onion softens and vegetables begin to caramelize, 10 minutes or so.

2. Add corn and beans; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add 6 cups water and tomato; bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until vegetables are fairly soft and tomatoes broken up, about 15 minutes.

3. Add 1/2 cup basil and adjust heat once again so mixture simmers. Cook until all vegetables are very tender, 5 to 15 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and serve, passing basil and cheese at table.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe courtesy of the New York Times.

I've already frozen a few quarts of this...may have more to do tomorrow.

Big Corn strikes back

2008-09-15T12:00:00.001-05:00

Ezra Klein over at The American Prospect takes on big corn's $30 million p.r. pushback. Seems the anti-high fructose corn syrup campaigns are hitting them in the pocketbook. But beyond the $50 billion in subsidies we've turned over to the corn companies over the past ten years, there's the issue of how it contributes to obesity in America, and particularly among the poor.

That's the primary way the syrup contributes to obesity: Not by being more fattening, but by being so heavily subsidized that it makes it far cheaper to sustain yourself on sweetened carbohydrates than on nutritious food.

At some point during my stint as a flack for an anti-hunger group in Washington, D.C. some K Street think tank came out bashing poor people for being, in general, big boned. There can't be a hunger problem in America because all the poor people are fat, so the thinking went. I got tons of media calls following that one but it was probably the easiest spin-job I ever had to pull. I couldn't believe it but most of the reporters had never in their lives considered the shocking cheapness of unhealthy, processed foods versus vegetables, meats, etc. The calls went something like this:

Reporter: You're saying 42 million Americans don't always know where their next meal is coming from.
Me: Right.
Reporter: But they're fat. How can they be hungry?
Me: People will do whatever it takes to feed their families. If that means 39-cent mac and cheese every other night, so be it. It gets the kids fed.
Reporter: So, that's good, right?
Me: In the short term. But their bodies turn the stuff into fat more than if they'd had, say, veggies, a chicken breast and some beans for dinner.
Reporter: Okaaay.
Me: So what's the most expensive thing in the grocery store? Meats, fresh vegetables, stuff that's good for you.
Reporter: Oh.
Me: Yeah, they're not eating spinach and salad and whole grains and meat. They're eating McDonalds and Rice a Roni and Hamburger Helper. It gets you fed but it's nothing but cheap calories and salt.
Reporter: Jeez, I've never really thought of it like that.

I was never really sure why the interaction was quite the epiphany it was, but it was. And corn syrup is part of the problem. Think about it. What if we eliminated corn subsidies and spent that $5 billion a year making sure low-income people had better access to fresh food?

Newman Farm University

2008-09-11T08:34:00.002-05:00

Everybody, this is where food-lovers go when they die. Wonder if we could get a discount for not needing the travel from and to Memphis? I need to start saving up for next year...goodness.

Paw paw update

2008-09-10T13:33:00.004-05:00

The Tribune's food editor Marcia Vanderlip has a wonderful paw paw write-up in today's food section. Great timing, eh? Apparently they were being sold at the farmer's market last Saturday. We missed out, big time.

Update to the update:

Heritage Foods USA works with a paw paw producer in Maryland.

Our Heritage pawpaws come from the rolling hills of Carroll county Maryland at the Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard in Westminister where Jim Davis has been raising these fruits for almost 10 years! There are seven named varieties of pawpaw he produces including the Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania Golden and the Allegheny, which is great in ice-cream. Each fruit will be marked so that you know what you are eating.

Apollo gives way

2008-09-10T12:11:00.001-05:00

The rows of Apollonian tidiness of our garden have given way to a shocking tangle of tapped out zucchini and cucumber plants, gnarly tomatoes and a smattering of various tired-looking herbs. Still, between the garden and our CSA we've got way more produce than we can hope to use. Eric Reuter of Chert Hollow Farm comes to the rescue today with a great way to use up the most-populous offenders, green peppers, tomatoes and cukes. And it looks great too.

Now, where to get a good Greek salad for lunch?

In dinners shared is the preservation of the world

2008-09-09T12:21:00.008-05:00

If I've come across another blog post that proved so mouthwatering and restorative of my faith in humanity I can't remember it. FXcuisine.com goes to Turkey and enjoys a splendid meal following nightfall on the first night of Ramadan. The photographs are haunting, delirious.

Like Adam Gopnik's line about how everyone the world over starts dinner by chopping an onion, this captures the unifying power of food. Read it and try not to get hungry. Try not to feel a little better about the world.

Native Eats: The Paw paw

2008-09-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

A friend at work who hails from Indiana and Ohio (where these things are a bigger deal) spotted a paw paw tree on the way out to Cooper's Landing over the weekend. He stopped the car and knocked one of the little fruits out a high branch, catching it before it hit the ground. He brought it into work for us to try today.

To me, it looked a little like a small, ovular pear. Or like a huge peapod. It was soft, clearly ripe and peeled effortlessly. Inside was a creamy white mass with a few black seeds. My friend sliced a bit of the flesh and handed it to me. It was lightly squishy, similar to a ripe banana. It's taste reminded me more of mango but it was clearly distinct. Delicious. For something growing on a tree in Boone County it was remarkably tropical. I couldn't help but think, "Mmm, paw paw coladas."

Why is it that I've never had one of these before? The answer has to do with its poor reaction to transport, the tree's deep taproot (making transplanting difficult) and the fact that its flowers are self-incompatible (which, Wikipedia told me, means two different varieties of the plant are required to achieve pollination). We're also close to the westernmost reach of the plant.

Still, this seems like a pretty poor excuse. The paw paw is a big deal in Ohio and Indiana, and seems at least relatively widespread in Missouri. It has a long history in the state as well. From a camp where the Chariton River meets the Missouri (near Keytesville, about ten miles northwest of Glasgow) Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition wrote:

we saw very little appearance of deer, Saw one bear at a distance and 3 turkeys only to day. our party entirely out of provisions Subsisting on poppaws. we divide the buiskit which amount to nearly one buisket per man, this in addition to the poppaws is to last is down to the Settlement's which is 150 miles. the party appear perfectly contented and tell us that they can live very well on the pappaws.

Five days later the Corps of Discovery would lumber, after an absence of nearly three years, into St. Louis, their journey completed. And what carried them those remaining days was an underappreciated, tropical-tasting fruit called the paw paw.

And now you know...the rest of the story.

Off the Beaten Path: Los Cuates

2008-09-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

Acting on a tip from someone over at the Trib's food forum, I stopped in to Los Cuates today to try their tamales. Then I saw the "6 Tacos, 8 Dollars" option and forgot why I'd even come. Listed were azada, adovada, carnitas, cueritos, pollo, barbacoa and a couple of other choices. I'd never heard of cueritos before, but my waitress said they're like chicharrones (yes, some Spanish ability and prior exposure to authentic Mexican food would help at Los Cuates). Me? I just knew chicharrones had something to do with pork skins. Anyway, I ordered one of each of the options listed above and most were outstanding. Only the dried out pollo was truly lackluster. The side of refried beans were above average (not saying much, but still); rice, the pointless standard around here.

The tortillas seemed homemade, so I asked the waitress about it. In broken English and Spanish I determined (I think) that they are made in town but not actually at the restaurant.

The space seems designed to become a nightclub after dinner service, an awkward arrangement I've encountered in Mexican places as far flung as Birmingham, Alabama and northern Virginia before. It's also a meat market of sorts. Steaks, pork chops, etc. There was some thin-sliced pork (looked like prosciutto, actually) and lots of pig odds and ends marinating in vinegar. A guy was working the slicer while I ate, breaking down steaks into retailable portions. Nothing's labeled or priced, so they're not banking on the English-mostly-gringo crowd keeping them afloat. Oh well, something - along with the tamales I forgot about - to explore on a future visit (or maybe with my friend from Mexico).

Los Cuates

2908 Paris Road (beside Gerbes)

(573) 814-1545

Second location:

2517 Bernadette Dr.

(573-445-4364

Eatless in Seattle

2008-09-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

So the wife and four year-old are off to Seattle for the week. She's working during the day, but grandma's tagging along to show the youngster all Seattle has to offer in the way of McDonalds' and bags of chips and candy. That's what grandparents do, but hopefully there'll be a vegetable thrown in there from time to time (and for heaven's sakes, the kid likes sushi...and you're in Seattle). I've never been to the former home of the SuperSonics, but know there's some kind of badass fish market and Mario Batali's dad has a place. That's where I'd be, but where should they go?

On the Apocalypse

2008-09-08T08:26:00.004-05:00

I'm not really sure why this is, but I've always had a bit of a post-apocalyptic fascination. It's possible I was exposed to "Omega Man" too early, though one could argue against exposure to that particular film at any age. "I Am Legend," "28 Days Later" and the haunting Cormac McCarthy novel The Road followed. The resulting complex, no matter how I came down with it, has not (I repeat, not) driven me to stockpile weapons (I have nothing more lethal than a 7" chef's knife), hoard canned goods (just canned my first applesauce - three quarts! - last night) or board up the windows.

No, perhaps my utter helplessness is part of the reason I occasionally worry "Hey, what would we do if the power went out and didn't come back on? Other than slowly at first and then quickly starve, I mean." I am not sure if this is normal weight of the world dad stuff or a sign that I could use some time on a nice therapist's couch. Regardless, I'm trying to get a little more proactive about it. There's said applesauce in three Mason jars downstairs. I made bacon the other day, which turns out to be just about the easiest thing in the world (Pork belly, salt, Ziploc bag. Seven days. Bacon.) I bought Michael Ruhlman's masterpiece on the preservation of pork, Charcuterie, yesterday and have read eleven pages.

So I guess I should be fine. Whew, that's a load off.

But putting low-grade, fiction-induced psychoses aside, the preservation of food was something virtually every household did up until at least fifty years ago. You had a farm, a few pigs and a bunch of produce. And a family to feed all winter. So you dried and ground corn, cured and smoked hams and, with the arrival of Mason jars in 1858, canned stuff.

I'll give those and more a shot. And just in case the zombie hordes/environmental disaster/nuclear holocaust do materialize, at least we'll have applesauce and tasty bacon for a couple of days.

Welcome all

2008-09-03T14:35:00.003-05:00

If you're stopping in after reading the story in the Tribune's food section today, welcome. This blog is about us, or more specifically, what we eat here in Missouri. Where it comes from, who grows it, who cooks it. We have options when we eat a meal - something most of us do at least three times a day - and this is about finding the best of what's out there and telling others where to go. Sometimes we're discussing obscure Italian hog-roasts, other times I'm yammering on again about the #17 at Chinese Wok Express. It's a mixed bag, all-over-the-map and (hopefully) at least slightly entertaining and helpful.

So comment away. Or email. Tell us where to eat and from whom to buy the good stuff. Given the history of heart disease in the men of my family, I've probably got about 50,000 meals left. There's not a moment to lose.

Sincerely,
Scott

ps: if you're not familiar with Columbia's other food resources online, I suggest you check out the Tribune's food forum, CoMo Whine and Dine and the other links along the left side of this page.

Photo by Nick King of the Columbia Daily Tribune.

The Great Porchetta Quest: Fruition (again, but better)

2008-09-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

Marcia's piece in the Tribune just about says it all. My second go-round with porchetta (this time purchased from the extremely friendly and helpful Jim and Deanna Crocker) was more of a success than the first. I dropped the amount of rosemary used, cooked about a third of the meat as the first time and added a healthy dose of chopped garlic to the rub. Much, much better.

One of the best things about porchetta turned out to be its resilience. I sliced the pork at about 4:45 Saturday night and thought people would start eating when they showed up beginning at 5:00. Wrong. It was 6:00 or 6:30 before people really started getting into pork, mounding heaps of the stuff onto plates and buns. I thought surely the chafing dish keeping everything warm would by now leave us all with banquet room hockey pucks but no, it'd stood up quite well. Thanks no doubt to the ample amount of fat in the meat it was still terrific after two hours in a hot steam-bath. Try that with a boneless porkchop.

You're going to like Bleu. Probably a lot.

2008-09-02T12:55:00.012-05:00

If the other brand-new tapas place downtown is an earnest Triple-A team learning the ropes, Bleu Restaurant is the Yankees, all class and professionalism and easy elegance. After admittedly just a single visit, Bleu looks and tastes ready for prime time.

Some purists may scoff at the menu's global approach to tapas (fried green tomatoes, lemon-marinated olives and steak frites all adorn the same menu) and wonder where the Spanish stuff is. Me? I'm just looking for something good to eat. And at Bleu, it looks like that will be just about everything.

The lunch menu is extensive, offering everything from two-dollar pickled vegetable plates to hanger steak and fries. A selection of sliders - pick any three for nine bucks - jumped out at me immediately. I chose the apple and housemade chicken sausage, the beef and muenster and the bison with balsamic onions gorgonzola and arugula. Each one is served on a rich, buttery brioche bun that resembles a biscuit in texture and flavor but manages a certain lightness at the same time. They also each had a well-executed contrast of textures and tastes (heavy gorgonzola cheese and snappy onions, earthy mushrooms and melty muenster, tart apple and sorghum mustard). The whole effect was thrilling.

A bit less successful was their cured salmon carpaccio, which came out with a lemony olive oil, capers and rather punchless arugula. Salmon can be a pretty assertive fish and this was a case in point, enhanced by the intensifying curing process. Salmon aficionados will be right at home but fence-setters should beware.

At this point I was having so much fun I ordered the marinated olives as well (c'mon, they're only three bucks). Out came a bowl of pitted Spanish and kalamata olives tossed with lemon, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and dill. Bleu's own pita slices came on the side. The olives were so bright and summery that I hated to not be sitting outside, catching a few rays and swirling a glass of Cotes du Rhone or something.

That brings up the wine, the second half of Bleu's resume. The by-the-bottle listing is fairly extensive, if a little heavy on the domestics. Still, most are affordable and a few treasures can be found (I've never had anything I didn't like from Thorn-Clarke's Shotfire Ridge operation, for instance). And I only see one Cotes du Rhone on the menu, though it is one of their by-the-glass offerings.

The partners behind Bleu endured countless delays and barriers to getting this place open. But it's clear they weren't wasting their time. My server had actually tried the food and wines and could discuss both with confidence. Food came out quickly and was excellent. One minor mishap (the computer at first double-billed me for my sliders) was handled quickly and with an apology. A general sense of self-assured competence permeates the place. Things may hairy for their first few busy Saturday nights, but there's no question a strong hand is at the wheel.

Columbia, your dining options just got better.

Bleu Restaurant and Wine Bar
23 S. 8th Street
Columbia, MO
(573) 442-8220
www.bleurestaurantandwinebar.com
(website's not yet live...perhaps casting some minor doubt on my Yankees/professionalism comment)

Blue, open.

2008-09-02T07:58:00.003-05:00

The long and harrowing process of renovating the southeast corner of the Tiger Hotel is completed. After a few trial runs last week, Blue Restaurant and Wine Bar will officially open today, beginning with lunch.

From the sidewalk, the place looks gorgeous, equal parts elegance and comfort. Blonde wood floors in the bar area give way to tightly-woven tan carpet in the dining areas. The lighting, the gently curving room dividers and the twin rows of wine globes give the space a modern feel that still manages to look comfortable and inviting. Just getting to this point has been far more of an exercise in patience than the owners expected; now, the real fun starts.

See you at lunch.

Missouri Mills

2008-09-01T21:10:00.002-05:00

I've been buying my grits (or polenta, if you like) and some of my wheat flour from the 250 year-old Old Mill of Guilford near Greensboro, North Carolina for a while now. They're the real deal, shipping you a bill with your order on the premise (hope?) that you'll mail back a check. They don't do credit cards.

But surely the Missouri Ozarks, littered as it is with the fast-flowing streams necessary to turn the stones of a mill, still has a working operation. Turns out, not so much. And it's sad. After all, mills were a centerpiece of frontier life in Missouri. As families carted sacks of grain to the local mill for grinding, entire towns sprung up around them. They were part commerce, part social gathering place. Few remain; those that do are tourist sites rather than working mills.

Madeline Matson in Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew says most Missouri mills had closed by the middle of the twentieth century. The closest thing I can find was the familiar Hodgson Mill company, which I didn't recognize as a Missouri operation. You can find their products all over town but they're a fully modernized outfit these days, located in Gainesville, Mo (down by West Plains).

The next project: a side-by-side tasting of Hodgson and N.C. grits, both sporting a little lard I've got in the fridge and maybe a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Wonderful, and miles away from that instant crap most of us have had.

Free tours and open house at Jefferson Farms

2008-08-29T05:14:00.002-05:00

The Tribune had a story in Thursday's paper about an open house that might be of interest this Saturday.

Residents don’t have to wait until an official opening to check out the farm. A free open house is scheduled Saturday to give the public a sneak peek of the operation. The four-hour event will include demonstrations, hay rides and farming equipment exhibits, Executive Director Rob Myers said.

Jefferson Farms is set to open next year and will:

immerse visitors in contemporary Midwest farming and gardening. Indoor and outdoor exhibits and demonstrations will serve as a year-round attraction for an estimated 30,000 visitors per year.
Jefferson Farm & Gardens will host tours, classes, workshops and special events in addition to regular visitation. Up to 10,000 school children are expected to participate in educational programs each year.

So, not open for real until 2009 but you can get a sneak peak this Saturday. Me? I'll be prepping for porchetta attempt number two. Fingers crossed, folks.

Yeah, what is the deal with fortune cookies, anyway?

2008-08-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

The above (hilarious) video has nothing to do with Missouri (unless you count Springfield's claim to American-Chinese food fame, cashew chicken). Still, contemplating why we eat weird little cookies after meals at Chinese restaurants - when the Chinese themselves seem more shocked to find paper in the middle than if they cracked it and a bird flew out* - would be a welcome bit of introspection.

From the writer who penned a story on fortune cookies in China for the NY Times:

Americans find high emotional attachment to the slips inside their cookies, looking to them for winning lottery numbers and becoming upset when the fortunes inside are unfortunate. The Chinese, on the other hand, would often tell me after trying the curved vanilla-flavored wafers, “Americans are so strange, why are they putting pieces of paper in their cookies?”

* Whew, finally worked in an Airplane! reference.

September 4: Tomato Festival and Botanic Garden Tour

2008-08-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

The University of Missouri will be hosting its fourth annual tomatofest Thursday, September 4. Events include a tour of the botanic garden, a tour of Bradford Research Farm and a tasting of 50 varieties of tomatoes and 30 peppers. More information here.

Probably not a bad way to load up on vitamins before a long weekend of tailgating and imbibery.

Chinese Wok Express

2008-08-26T12:47:00.001-05:00

One of the most reliably tasty and imminently affordable places in Columbia is Chinese Wok Express. It looks dingy from the outside and not much better in (the owner of another one of Columbia's Asian restaurants loves the food at CWE but claims to eat there with eyes closed). No matter, the food is excellent. I generally order from the Vietnamese side of the menu, sticking closely to the noodle bowls (I've found the Chinese platters on the other side of the menu decidedly so-so). The numbers 15 and 17 are personal favorites, and come out with thin rice noodles covered with shaved beef, cucumber, mint, carrot and and lettuce, all of it bathed in a light (lemongrass?) broth. The vegetables are fresh and crunchy and wonderful. Throw a little extra chili sauce and you've got the makings of a perfect summer lunch - even if they're open until 9pm every day but Sunday, when they're closed.

Chinese Wok Express
422 E Broadway
Columbia, MO 65201

(573) 443-5099

IPA and Hefeweizen Tasting

2008-08-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Sycamore was again host to twenty-plus "members" of the eclectic Columbia Beer Enthusiasts group last night. We were a motley crew, with some bringing their excellent homebrews and others (me, for instance) stabbing wildly at Joe's, Top Ten Wines or Patricia's for whatever seems to fit the theme of this month's gathering.

Last night it was IPAs and Hefeweizens and again, I had tasted only three or four of the thirty-odd beers we sampled. In big tastings like this it's usually the outliers I come away remembering. The Calabaza Blanca jumped out immediately. Shockingly dry, it reminded the guy next to me and I of a less-fruity vinho verde wine mixed with club soda. Very different than anything I've had before; kudos to the guy or gal who brought it.

Two others I really enjoyed were:
Dunkels Hefeweizen (from the German brewer Tucher)
Heavy Weizen (from Southern Tier brewery in NY)

The full list of beers tasted is here. The next tasting is September 22 at Sycamore. 9pm. Theme: Scotch, amber and brown ales.

The Butcher Situation

2008-08-25T08:30:00.003-05:00

A frequent topic (and generator of much hand-wringing and inferiority complex-having) over at the Tribune's food message board is about the lack of a butcher shop in Columbia. After all, New Franklin has one, why not Columbia? Hell, sleepy old Camdenton has one (plus two excellent fish shops to boot). What's going on here?

The answer is more complicated than I'm willing to take on first thing Monday morning, but suffice it to say this article in the new Esquire magazine did not make me yearn less for a dedicated, stand-alone butcher here in Columbia:

You can ask butchers anything and they will deconstruct your need. Ask for a porterhouse and trust that they will pick through the T-bones to get you a good one. Or ask what a porterhouse is and they will take out a T-bone to explain that if the short-loin portion is a good bit thicker than an inch, it's a porterhouse. Or ask if a porterhouse is what you want in the first place. They'll ask how you're cooking it, what you're serving with it, how much room you have on your cooking surface. They'll find the answer. And whether it's the apron or the smudges of blood or the enormous weight of the counter or the sheer mass of the product, you believe a butcher. He knows.
A man should have a butcher.

Hear, freaking hear.

Mugs Up (or, "Wherein I commit heresy")

2008-08-22T12:57:00.007-05:00

Mugs Up is older than the Heidelberg, Harpos and virtually every other Columbia dining spot (can anyone name one that's older?). They've been slinging their signature zips and chili dogs just off of Highway 40 (now Business Loop 70) since 1955. They are as true a Columbia institution as you can get. And here's where I get off track: the sloppy joe "burgers" at Mugs Up? They're really not my bag. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but the root beer tastes a little watery. To me. I know, the ghost of Raymond Kewley is going to visit me in my dreams shortly and open up a can, bigtime. It's just something I'm going to have to deal with.

No, the real reason I go to Mugs Up is for those chili cheese dogs. Sonic, with their absurd, soggy, warmed-over chili monstrosity, is a mess compared to Mugs Up's neat, snappy little dogs. They're fantastic, and I can't eat fewer than two. For those not in the know Mugs Up is behind the Family Table restaurant and across from Parkade Plaza on Business Loop 70. But time's running out to catch them this year; they'll close down for the winter in another month or two.

Mugs Up
603 Orange St.
Columbia, MO
(573) 443-7238

Room-38: First Take

2008-08-18T12:55:00.005-05:00

Room-38, Columbia's new tapas restaurant, is officially open. A "soft opening" they call it, meaning, I guess, that you're supposed to forgive the inevitable early delays and glitches from the kitchen. You don't get a discount but hey, at least they're being up front about it.

The interior is fairly dim and private, the banquettes set off by black composite countertops. You will not forget that you are in a lounge at Room-38. Lots of mirrors and soft lighting and black-clad servers. The hipness and bottle service may turn some people off, but everyone seems pleasant enough as they scurry about, taking and placing orders, explaining that they're out of this or that, and so on. The wine list is impressive and for the most part, free of the usual suspects (are you listening The Rome?). Virtually every bottle is under $25. The menu is broken into flatbreads, salads, small plates and, for lunch, sandwiches.

I ordered three small plates: sesame crusted ahi tuna, thai chili spare ribs and rosemary chicken kebabs. All were eight to nine dollars, but only the ribs were outstanding. The chicken consisted of five small skewers of tired, rosemary-scented chicken breast. They were a bit dry but came with some very nice sweet potato fries. The tuna did nothing to make me rethink my "no tuna in Columbia" rule just yet, though a gentle shake of salt improved it considerably. The "thai peanut sauce" was thin and punchless, the seaweed salad replaced incongruously with fried wontons.

The chili ribs were the best I can remember having, however; a celebration of the ancient art of balancing sweet and spicy. I could have opted for a little more of the latter but I do run a little hot in my preferences. They were tender, plentiful and if the wine list and novelty aren't reason enough to go back, these would be.

So, an understandably mixed bag so far at Room 38; they've been open three days, after all. But there is an experienced crew behind the effort and they've navigated the maze of city codes and ordinances for a smooth renovation of Otto's (one reason could be the presence on the ownership team of Shan Rich, owner of Enrich Construction). My advice? Drop by one day after work and grab a glass of wine. Decide whether the scene is your bag or not. And do yourself a favor; don't forget the ribs.

Room-38
38 North 8th Street
Columbia, MO
(573) 449-3838
http://room-38.com/

A Friday Surprise

2008-08-15T15:21:00.004-05:00

There is a tree growing off to one side of the office building where I work, going on eight months now. Today I noticed, for the first time, "this is a freaking apple tree." I've walked passed the thing literally hundreds of times and never once noticed.

The fruit was small, but I found a good sized one and twisted it off the branch. It was crunchy, but fully ripe. A very good apple. Juicy and mildly tart, it's color ran from red to green. Might be a jonagold, might be something else. Definitely a good way to start the weekend.

Wing Ding

2008-08-13T08:39:00.003-05:00

I wasn't able to go - flying solo with the kids this week - but the folks over at CoMo Whine and Dine have a nice rundown of the 20th Annual Easter Seals Wing Ding. I agree, Truman's has some of the best wings in town. Though if the green chili wings at Sports Zone are too spicy for Revee, it gets on my list of things to try.

Update: They don't actually, you know, sell the green chili wings at Sports Zone. That was just for the wings competition. Super. So I ate their very average regular wings, drank a Boulevard Wheat and walked out feeling exactly as losery as you'd expect to feel leaving a bad hotel bar.

The Great Porchetta Quest: Fruition

2008-08-12T12:52:00.000-05:00

It would be instructive to point out that it's clearly my lot in life, whenever devising an inspired plan, to tear it to shreds with truly staggering dumbassery. This porchetta, which I have been scheming for months to procure and prepare, is a case in point. Bear with me as the folly unfolds.

Simple enough here. Just your average 27-lb. cryovacked half of a hog.
Out of the plastic it was glistening and beautiful and impossibly large. Right now I'm thinking, "What kind of dent are twelve people going to be able to put in this?
"How the hell am I supposed to get this down to the smoker?" and,
"Have the vegetarians really given meat a chance?."
Rubbed the inside with about 20g of rosemary, 80g of salt and 50g of pepper. Lots of garlic would have made sense too. Next time. Then I rolled it up, and therein lied my colossal act of stupidity...one that didn't even occur to me until a day later as I sat mentally running over what I could have done better. I rolled the belly (at top in previous picture) toward me and the loin. So instead of wrapping the bacon around the loin, I proceeded to insulate the bacon from the heat. With the loin. Because that makes sense.
Blissfully unaware of my ignorance, I proceeded with the cooking.
The above pic was taken about two hours in. Average grill temp (being taken three different places) at that time was 300 degrees, internal temp was at 84.
Here we are four hours in. The internal temperature was coming up faster than I expected, so I'd allowed the smoker temperature to drop (now avg. of 270) with internal at 123 degrees. My goal was to pull it at 140 or so internal and let it rest for an hour.After the obligatory rest the skin came off neatly, exposing massive amounts of unrendered, non-crispy fat. Tasty, but next time I'll be getting it without the skin on.

And here's what the sliced, final product looked like. Because I'd been such a chickenhead while rolling it up, and because the skin had kept most of the fat from rendering I spent a few harried minutes trimming up the slices for dinner service.

The pork itself was excellent. Juicy, flavorful loin. Dark "bacon" specked with fat. Everything strongly perfumed with rosemary (I may lessen the amount I use next time) and very well seasoned. Almost, but not quite, too much salt. And juicy as hell.

So after months of anticipation, how'd it rate? I'd say it was poorly executed, if forgiving. The guests loved it and ate about half. It showed tremendous promise assuming I learn from my mistakes. And for your average weekend shortcut you can always make this with a shoulder. Me? I'm already planning when I'm going to call in the order for round two. The upside just seems too great.

10 Questions with...

2008-08-12T07:01:00.000-05:00

Joe and Ann Pollack, St. Louis' most experienced food writers, run the excellent St. Louis Eats and Drinks blog. They are well-traveled and spend a lot of time in my old haunt, Washington, D.C. So I'm partial. Anyway, they were nice enough to take the time and answer ten questions for us.

SME: There's been a lot of talk about eating locally over the past couple of years. What are you seeing along these lines in St. Louis?

J&AP: For several years, some places have been working with local producers. Larry Forgione of An American Place, says he thinks Prairie Grass Farms' lamb is the best American lamb he's ever tasted, and AAP uses local suppliers and credits them on the menu, something which surprised a bunch of California winemakers when we had dinner with them a couple of years ago. (And we were surprised at that.)

But before AAP opened, Andy Ayers of Riddle's Penultimate was doing the same thing, and continues to scour the area for sources. The late, lamented King Louie's featured local food suppliers, and so does Cary McDowell at Revival, which is in the same space as Louie's. Other restaurants do the same thing from time to time on a single item or a daily special, but the trend seems to be growing; some of the farmers make note of the fact at their booths at local farmers' markets.

SME: J. Viviano's or Volpi?

J&AP: Both good, but Volpi's prosciutto and salami are the great reason for its fame, and the majority of its stock, whereas Viviano's has a wider selection. And don't forget DiGregorio's, whose expansion has helped a lot. At all three stores, you may need to peer into corners or on bottom shelves to find the obscure stuff, but that's part of the adventure. Also worth a visit is Bertarelli Cutlery, www.bertarellicutlery.com, which moved to the Hill and is another fascinating spot for foodies. It's not just knives.

SME: What has happened to Rigazzi's? Where should we be eating on The Hill?

J&AP: Well, neither of us ever was wild about Rigazzi's, so we can't address much on its decline. The two Hill places we usually suggest to folks who want a short answer are Gian-Tony's for traditional Italian, where you should try the eggplant rolatini and pray they have osso bucco as a special, and Lorenzo's Trattoria, for a more modern take on Italian.

SME: What's the most interesting area/neighborhood for food in St. Louis right now?

J&AP: Hmmm. Good question. Kirkwood may be becoming the new Clayton, with moderate-to-slightly-upscale restaurants opening there, and South Grand is clearly the new University City Loop, with increasing numbers of ethnic restaurants. Manchester Avenue in Maplewood has some interesting bars and restaurants, and farther east on Manchester (roughly from Vandeventer to Newstead) there are an increasing number of eating places in an area called the Grove. And then there's Olive Boulevard in University City, with lots of Asian restaurants and grocery stores.

SME: When you get to Columbia, where do you eat?

J&AP: Booche's, of course, and Ernie's for breakfast. Used to be (when Joe was at Mizzou) that one went to Ernie's on Sunday morning to see how many folks we knew had spent Saturday night together.

SME: Which of these two premises do more restaurants violate? A) Pick one thing and do it well, or b) quantity over quality?

J&AP: B. St. Louis servings are so large they shock visitors from either coast. As someone once said, lauding a restaurant, "The food's not real good, but you sure do get a lot of it." Not a good philosophy.

SME: You're at Busch Stadium and it's hot. Is it a Bud Light in your hand or a Shock Top?

J&AP: Neither. Schlafly, thanks, preferably a Hefeweizen.

SME: Food-wise, what would you like to see more of in St. Louis? Less of?

J&AP: Less of is really easy: Chain restaurants, which pull traffic away from our local businesses. It's scandalous that Olive Garden, for example, prospers in a town with so many far better Italian restaurants at all price points. And by the way, we'd point out that one of our "insider secrets" is how good the pasta is at many of the more upscale Italian restaurants in town. People seem to think they ought to order a hunk of veal or swordfish, but the pastas are often downright thrilling. We've never had the feeling that servers are disdainful of such orders; usually they smile knowingly. And chefs and proprietors are thrilled when guests enthuse over the pappardelle with game sauce or pasta carbonara. (Often, the response from the worker is, "I had that for dinner last night.")

More of? Imaginative breakfast menus. Customers who don't think having a restaurant surrounded by a parking lot is the most important factor in their choice. More restaurants open for meals after concerts or baseball games or the theater. And more places for dessert in the same time frame.

SME: Washington, D.C. has seen an explosion of development and restaurant excellence downtown in its Penn Quarter area north to the Convention Center. Do you see anything like that happening in downtown St. Louis?

J&AP: Not yet. You're right; Penn Quarter is a beehive, and we'd point out that it's not just restaurants, it's theaters, too, as well as the Verizon Center. Things are coming along, but what's going to be vital is a change in St. Louisans' attitude about venturing into downtown.

SME: It's 9:15 am Sunday morning and we had one too many at Llywelyn's. Do we go to Rooster or Uncle Bill's?

J&AP: Rooster, no question. See remark about imaginative breakfast menus. But the buckwheat pancakes at Uncle Bill's are tasty. Besides, with a hangover, who wants to wait in line with a bunch of yakking people and, uh, active children?

The Great Porchetta Quest: It's Go Time

2008-08-08T12:13:00.000-05:00

In April I got this crazy idea to try to take a boneless half of a pig, roll it up and cook the hell out of it. I had quite a time trying to find a butcher or hog producer that a) knew what I was talking about and b) would do it for me. The answer came by way of Heritage Foods USA and Paradise Locker Meats just north of Kansas City. In my extra fridge rests a 27-lb. side of Berkshire hog (as well as a pork belly with which to make bacon) that's going to get his starting tomorrow afternoon.

The plan is to lay it out, dump mass quantities of salt, pepper and herbs on the thing, roll it up like a carpet, tie it off and cook it in the smoker. I will take pictures of the whole potentially embarrassing affair and post Monday. Naturally, I am completely violating all culinary sense and inviting about ten family members over to witness the (potential) debacle. If all goes awry, I'm fairly comfortable with being pointed and laughed at. Through experience (and having kids).

Still, wish me luck.

Bruschetta festival needs volunteers

2008-08-07T08:24:00.001-05:00

The local outpost of the Slow Food movement is going to be holding a bruschetta festival at the Columbia Farmer's Market in a couple of weeks. They need volunteers and I can't think of a better way to spend a late-summer's morning than chopping fresh tomatoes and grilling crusty bread (I hope they use Uprise Bakery's inimitable batard).

Here's more info:

Volunteers needed for heirloom tomato bruschetta festival

Hello again, food enthusiasts!

Slow Food Katy Trail needs a few good volunteers to help make and serve bruschette at our annual Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta Festival on Aug. 23 at the Columbia Farmers Market. It's the fifth year for this popular fundraising event for our Slow Food chapter.

If you didn't get to volunteer for the farmers' market salsa-making event in July, here's another opportunity to help. Of course, if you did help make salsa and had a great time, we'd love to have you back for this!

Slow Food volunteers will be working from 8 until noon that day. We'll need help setting up; grilling bread; chopping basil, tomatoes and garlic; assembling the bruschette; and serving.

If you are interested in helping out for an hour or two, please send us a note.

Even if you can't help, we hope to see you at the festival!

Thanks,

Slow Food Katy Trail
slowfoodkatytrail@yahoo.com

Food smackdown: Health Inspectors vs. Sushi

2008-08-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

There are few places to get good sushi in Columbia. I've enjoyed Sake the few times I've been there. A lot of people like Osaka. You can also get the raw stuff at KoJaBa, Jina Yoo's and a handful of other locations. At not one sushi place in my life - here, in Chicago, D.C., anywhere - have I seen the sushi chefs wearing gloves. But that's exactly what the Columbia/Boone County Health Inspectors want them to be doing.

I had a discussion about this last night with Jina Yoo, owner of Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro. She described her most recent encounter with a health inspector where he said she was required to have people making sushi wear plastic gloves. She said she was incredulous. "Have you ever seen people make sushi before? You cannot do it wearing gloves."

He was adamant. And while she offered that she understood he was just doing his job, she felt the man's supervisors should revisit the issue. Then, in fit of plucky defiance, she says she told him "the minute you walk out of here I'm having them take their gloves off."

After I got done wiping the mojito-spray off myself she said he calmly looked at her and said, "I wouldn't do that Ma'am." She even did it in a perfectly deadpan American accent. And granted, there's no excuse for some of the other things from their last inspection but seriously, there's nothing magically disinfectant about latex gloves. And I can't imagine trying to make sushi with them on.

Lonnie Ray's BBQ

2008-08-05T12:54:00.002-05:00

Lonnie Ray's is a lot like Sutton's in Columbia, just with an all-white clientele in place of the all-black crowd. A sociology grad student could delve into the deeper meaning of this, examining contemporary race relations through the prism of two fabulous bbq joints. But I am not that person. I'm just here for the 'cue.

Inside Lonnie Ray's, chrome-sided tables and blue chairs look freshly plucked from a 50s diner. Old photos on the wall tell a history of Harrisburg (pop. 184). And, just like at Sutton's, a tv in the corner carries Paul Pepper's creepy, geriatric show. Every adult in the place had an "I voted" sticker on their chest and the crowd is (elitist alert) surprisingly cosmopolitan; one brave guy is in shirt and tie and there's only one trucker hat is in sight. A man in the kitchen seems to know everyone in the place and yells goodbyes to departing customers.

I sat down and ordered the combo plate, which comes with ribs, pulled pork and brisket as well as three sides (coleslaw, "charro's" and green beans in my case...no tamales today). All are excellent, with the brisket being my personal favorite. After eating, the owner tells me his Texas-style rub pleased a Lone Star native just last week. I believe it. It's a perfect balance of fat and dry with a good bark and remarkable smoke ring. Maybe the best brisket I've ever had. Flavorful rib meat falls off the bones and the pulled pork is tender and lightly smoky. It's all fantastic. Charro's - Lonnie Ray's spicy side of beans - is fiery hot and great. Coleslaw and green beans are fine. Their signature sauce is served on the side and is different than any other I've had. It's thick and rich and has something in it I couldn't quite place. I guessed chocolate and the server laughed and shook his head. They aren't talking.

The owner, Mike, is talking, however. A natural salesman with a buzz cut and a thick build (really, would you trust the barbeque of a skinny guy?), Mike tells me after I eat (and in less than three minutes):

He buys his meats at Sam's
Gas prices are a pain
They sponsor a car show across the street every third Saturday from 11-3
By-the-pound prices for take-out meat (with tax)
They've been open a little over five years
He's going to have a booth at the Roots 'n Blues 'n BBQ festival (but isn't competing)
He burned a lot of brisket before finally "getting it right"
They cater
There's a $30 delivery charge for catering (see "gas prices," "pain")
He hates it when he goes through all the work of making tamales and then no one orders them
He keeps a list of customer phone numbers on hand and calls them when he has tamales (scribbling my number on an order pad)

It was a dizzying, exhilarating conversation and the food - half of which now sits in the fridge - was outstanding. He is a passionate bbq-warrior and must be made to stay in business. On the whole, I rate Lonnie Ray's just ahead of Sutton's, primarily on speed and the (slightly) superior meats. Charro's don't hurt either. If they had collards/turnip greens in Harrisburg I'd really be in trouble.

So get thee to Harrisburg soon. Just don't try it on Sunday or Monday.

Lonnie Ray's Cafe
81 E. Sexton Street
Harrisburg, MO 65256
(573) 874-0020

Seriously, call before you haul

2008-08-05T08:23:00.000-05:00

As often happens these days, I got a serious jonesin' for bbq yesterday and decided to make the lunchtime trek up to Harrisburg for some Lonnie Ray's; I've heard much praise for the place. About the same time I hit 63 a thought occurred to me: "It's Monday. Wouldn't it be funny if I drove all the way up there and they were closed?"

They were.

Lonnie Ray's BBQ. Closed Sundays and Mondays for your info. The nice ladies at the C&S Grocery just down the street fixed me up a good country ham sandwich (with white bread, cheddar, mayo and mustard) to ease my disappointment. The corner has been home to a grocery store (formerly known as Price's) for more than 100 years. My sandwich cost less than two dollars. On the bench out front three boys, sitting shirtless, were eating ice cream and enjoying the waning days of summer. It felt palpably familiar. Throw in a grape Rocky Top soda and it might have been 1983 at my grandparents' farm in Camdenton. And the drive was beautiful, too.

And yes, I'm going back today.

St. Louis Miscellany

2008-08-04T12:49:00.005-05:00

Other St. Louis eats:

Rooster:
I tracked down this north-downtown place on Chowhound.com and wasn't disappointed. Specializing in crepes, Rooster has the vibe of a slightly upscale coffee/sandwich shop. The orange juice was freshly squeezed, the coffee nice and black and the space not too crowded when we got there. The 4 year-old enjoyed his raspberries and cream crepe and I the "breakfast burrito," which was, essentially, a crepe as well. Mrs. Show Me Eats' "Rooster Slinger" promising andouille, fried eggs and potatoes over toast was let down by the clearly burnt gravy (which the wife smartly had ordered on the side). No attempt was made by the waitress to rectify the situation, though admittedly it was probably the whole batch that had been burned. Otherwise, very tasty, very fresh, and well-recommended. It gets really, really packed after 9am though, so beware.

Amighetti's:
Ignoring all sense - and other, more highly recommended places on The Hill - I ventured into Amighetti's for their famous Amighetti Special sandwich. It was a fine sandwich that might have been made better with some real deli meat. This was piled with Oscar Meyer-quality cold cuts and a single lonely pepperocini. The sammich, while decent, was ultimately disappointing (and outclassed by at least four Columbia sandwiches). The absurd "classic" salad of tired, chopped iceburg lettuce and bad tomatoes didn't help matters. The place was packed with other easy marks.

Mosaic:
From time to time you set out into the city in search of food with kids and no plan - and get lucky. We happened into Mosaic, a "modern tapas fusion" restaurant about two blocks from our hotel. We were looking for noise to drown out whatever moods the kids might settle into. The hostess sized us up suspiciously (I would too...really? Two kids - one only a year old - on Friday night?) and initially said there'd be a wait before showing us to a handsome banquette in the bar area of the restaurant. The high chair was already taken, so little Ms. SME got to experience the full range of booth-athletics.

To their credit, a most understanding waitress appeared and put us at ease. We ordered five tapas and drinks, which came out promptly. My wine was excellent, Finca Antigua Tempranillo, and was perfect for a number of the invariably delicious tapas. The kids loved the North African Hummus and potstickers while we were partial to the ~~Patagonian toothfish~~ Chilean seabass and Duroc pork. Only the lamb saltimbocca failed to stand out, as the flavorful crust of the lamb chops yielded to a plain, flavorless interior.

Capri:
Had the breakfast buffet a the - gulp - hotel restaurant. My crepe was fine, as was the kid's Fruit Loops. Enough said.

Fortel's Pizza Den:
Came up with this courtesy of the Garmin and again, I'd say we lucked out. Medium-thin crust, chewy mozzarella cheese and generous toppings made for an altogether enjoyable pie.

A Weekend in St. Louis

2008-08-04T08:32:00.000-05:00

~~J. Viviano~~
Volpi
~~Zoo~~
~~Cardinals game~~
Adriana's
Ted Drewe's
~~Rooster~~
Soulard Farmer's Market
Crown Candy Kitchen

Four outta nine ain't bad.

J. Viviano, an Italian market on Shaw, was a highlight, and proved more fun than in years past. When I worked in St. Louis in 2000 I was a little intimidated by the staggering variety of foodstuffs available. I no more knew what to do with a jar of capers than I would stepping in to run the kitchen at Babbo. Now, while I still have stated purpose for the capers I bought, I know enough to ask about - and to try - everything I can.

Saturday afternoon I found myself (along with Mrs. Show Me Eats and the munchkins) at the venerable store on Shaw Avenue on The Hill, staring at a dry erase marker board hung some ten feet in the air. It listed dozens of imported and homemade cheese and cured meats as well as an array of olives. I was there for cacciocavallo cheese, real Italian sausage and the king of all Italian cured meats (okay, after prosciutto but my own personal favorite), capocollo. Viviano's does a mild and spicy version. I asked for a pound of the hot stuff.

Then things got a little, um, crazy. Everytime I caught sight of Mrs. Show Me she had loaded more dried, housemade pasta, orzo, breadsticks and couscous into the stroller. Eventually the one year old had to be carried to make room for the bounty. I was caught up in the rush too. Three balls of fresh mozzarella? Nah, make it four. How about some semolina flour? At $1.25 a pound, we grabbed the three pounder. Then a pound of salami, some gnocchi and angel hair pasta hurdled into the stroller, now groaning under the burden. When we were done we'd dropped more than $80, mostly on items (pasta and meats, especially) that were priced well below Hy-Vee levels. We staggered back to the simmering car like drunken sailors, wondering how my little freezer-bag would hold the cold stuff.

Then we went back to the hotel and slept off our food-drunk. We awoke sober, but hungry, and tore into the cheese, capocollo and salami with our bare hands, crunching on Stella d'Oro breadsticks just to break things up. Our pregame meal on the floor of our tiny hotel room was better than anything else we had this weekend. Then we stepped out into the soupy afternoon and walked to Busch Stadium to watch the Cardinals lose another close one.

(Update: My dad and sister went to the ballgame last night and stayed in town with friends. I had him stop off at Viviano's this morning. We need more capocollo.)

Off to St. Louis

2008-08-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

We're heading to the big city to get our fill of Cardinals action and, hopefully, lots of good food. Surely I can hit J. Viviano, Volpi, the zoo, a Cards game and eat at Adriana's, Ted Drewe's and Roosters in a day and a half, right? Oh, and hit the Soulard Farmer's Market Saturday morning. With Mrs. SME and the mini-SMEs in tow? Sure, shouldn't be a problem.

Oh, and Crown Candy too. Jeez.

Columbia's Best: Sutton's Community Market and BBQ

2008-08-01T00:55:00.001-05:00

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I just had lunch at Sutton's and have the sauce on my pants to prove it (yes, really...feeling pretty good about myself here in my IT training on campus I can assure you). But it doesn't matter. I have just had the best bbq I've had in Columbia in a long time. It was at Sutton's. Even though it's just two blocks north of Broadway (and McBaine and Ash), I'd never seen it before. It would be easy to miss as there's no sign aside from the neon "open" in the window.

Inside the flapping screen door you feel like you've walked into someone's house. A movie plays on the tv/VCR and people sit chatting at a handful of small tables. Three giant black men were at one, laughing and welcoming friends coming through the door. It was comfortable, homey. I ordered the three meat platter (choosing pork, ribs and burnt ends), fried okra and greens and sat down with a book I'd brought. Good thing too, because nothing at Sutton's happens quickly.

Ten minutes in I was informed that they didn't have okra, pork or burnt ends. Turkey, beef and fries were subbed out. After another ten minutes I looked up from my book and realized that nobody else was eating. Strange, as it was now 12:15 pm.

Eventually, food escaped the kitchen; I instantly forgot my wait. The sliced brisket and turkey were amazing. Lightly smoked and tender, they each sported just a drizzle of tangy sauce. The ribs were hefty, with a nice bark and smoke ring. Flavorful but a hair on the tough side, they were the lesser of the three meats - though still very good. The greens - a combination of collard and turnip - were some of the best I've had. I tend to cook my greens for a shorter time and then throw in some vinegar and Tabasco. These put up no resistance and carried only the spice from the turnip greens. They were masterfully simple; delicious. The whole generous meal ran $15, but normal-sized portions are much cheaper.

All told, this was the best bbq I've had in Columbia, bar none. But plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time and call ahead if you want to know what they smoked that day. They also sell their meats by the pound, and I will be slinging sandwiches with that turkey very soon. I still have a smile on my face (if also the red splash on my khakis).

Sutton's Community Market and BBQ
201 McBaine Ave
Columbia, MO
(573) 874-2227

Update: Sutton's is now technically "JR Barton's." Same family, different brother.

The Rome: First Take

2008-07-28T12:58:00.005-05:00

The Rome, occupying the former home of 9th Street Billiards, opened Saturday. And judging by the menu, not a moment too soon. The owners seem interested in keeping a foot each in college bar and homestyle Italian restaurant. The first nod to the college crowd (starting back up at Mizzou in a mere three weeks) is the aforementioned menu, which is heavy on bar-food appetizers (hot wings, chicken tenders, etc.). Beers on tap include Boulevard, Blue Moon, Guinness and Bud Light (bottled options are more extensive). Wine options are sadly limited to little more than the usual suspects (three of the six whites are pinot grigio). With Top Ten Wines offering Columbia's best wine selection directly across the street, wine fans can hope for better variety in the future.

There is, however, an impressive array of traditional Italian-American favorites. Lasagne, chicken piccata and marsala dishes of all kinds dot the menu. Harder to find are more ambitious items, though "marinated snail salad" does make an appearance. For lunch today I ordered a small antipasto plate and the lasagne. The antipasto, promising garden-fresh vegetables, salami and ham is a forlorn-looking salad of chopped iceburg lettuce topped with a couple cucumber slices, salami and supermarket tomatoes. The ham is on par with Oscar Meyer and the provolone is as tame as most. Served alongside is a ramekin of bottled Italian "vinaigrette." No olives, roasted red peppers, real tomatoes, mozzarella or really anything else that suggests antipasto in my mind (and $8 to boot). Not a good start, but I held out hope.

The lasagne, however, was excellent. A giant brick of surprisingly light texture and flavor. The tomato sauce is bright and flavorful and the pasta perfectly cooked. Ricotta and chewy mozzarella were in perfect, complimentary opposition. I had to deploy willpower I lacked over the weekend (mmm, gravy-covered pork tenderloin in Lexington, MO) and managed to take a third of it home.

As far as service goes, if The Rome fails it will not be for lack of enthusiasm. The hostess was friendly and introduced herself after I asked how the opening weekend had gone. The bartender was pleasant and attentive, if absent-minded. The throngs of opening-weeks waitstaff standing around will - as always - be winnowed down to a level less numerous than diners at some point soon. The space itself is alarmingly cavernous - it just might be the largest dining room in the downtown - and feels more like a bar than the red checkered tablecloth place I had in mind.

Still, my guess is that Columbia now has the solid, mid-dollar Italian-American restaurant we've been clamoring for all these years. Only time will tell whether Rome can consistently find enough Romans to make it worth it.

More on The Rome

2008-07-24T20:25:00.000-05:00

From a September Columbia Business Times article:

Cory Hodapp and Dan Colace said they believe their family-style Italian restaurant called The Rome will fill a gap in the local market. It is modeled after the Colace family's Italian restaurant of the same name near Boston, which has been in business since 1965.

"It was always our dream to eventually end up here and do a project like this," said Hodapp, who befriended Colace when they were on MU's wrestling team in the late 1990s.

And from the Tribune in May:

For the most part, The Rome will feature family-style Italian "comfort" food, Hodapp said, sticking close to the menu at the other Rome, which Colace’s Italian immigrant parents opened in 1965.
Once open, "we will focus on mastering the entrees and sandwiches," he said. "We hope to launch the pizza part of the business sometime in the fall," he added.
For a sneak peek at The Rome, go to www.the-rome.com. Just remember, he said, "the prices are inflated. They won’t be that high in Columbia."

Sounds promising.

The Rome Restaurant

2008-07-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

As Marcia Vanderlip reported on the Trib's food forum today, Columbia's only family-style Italian restaurant is slated to open on south 9th Street this Saturday, July 26th. That puts the tally for independent downtown restaurant openings for the next month at four (Rome, Room 38, Bleu and Mississippi Catfish). A good development for us, but who will remain standing in two years? Let the voting begin (at left).

Lager Tasting

2008-07-23T16:37:00.003-05:00

Monday brought the second meeting of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. The theme this time was lagers and the turnout was impressive. A good twenty or so people crammed a cluster of tables in Sycamore Restaurant, passing bottles of beer around. The assembled drinkers had done their homework; I'd only had one or two of the beers before. The full list is here, but my favorites were:

Sprecher Black Bavarian Lager
Eliot Ness Amber Lager
Samuel Smith Organic Lager

The next tasting is August 25 at 9pm, again at Sycamore. The theme is IPAs and Hefeweizens.

Bleu Restaurant Opening (?) August 18

2008-07-22T12:59:00.010-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Tina Patel, one-half of the ownership team opening (at long last) Bleu Restaurant, at an event last week. She's a whipsmart little firecracker of a woman, all passion and hands-waving and wide eyes. She's deeply invested in seeing Bleu open and become a success and is rightfully peeved that it's taken a year and a half to (almost) get it off the ground. Her months-long battle with various confused and inconsistent city and county codes was well-chronicled in Vox a while back.

(Aside: Bleu is not the only small business that's had to jump through extraordinary hoops just to get started. KoJaBa and Carlito's spring to mind, among others. In conversations with her and with other local business owners recently it's become clear how strongly many of the locals feel the deck is stacked against them and in favor of chains.)

As for the restaurant itself, seasonality isn't going to be a focal point. Wines will be front and center, showing up even in the infused signature cocktails the bar will feature (some will even benefit from frothy egg whites). All involved assure me they will be opening the week of August 18; take a trip over to the Tiger Hotel and see if you think this is doable. I see a lot more than three weeks of work remaining but they desperately want to be open before Mizzou starts classes again. Stay tuned. If Bleu Market (their takeout operation on the other side of the Tiger Hotel entrance) is any indication, it's going to be a wild ride.

The Great Porchetta Quest: The Beginning of the End

2008-07-22T12:41:00.004-05:00

The arrangements have been made. Money has changed hands. Bags will (soon) be packed. My half-a-hog wait is over. After sharing various porchetta descriptions and not a few pictures online, I've finally found someone who knows what I'm asking for: a "boned-out middle with loin and belly still connected" is what they called it. They didn't even have a good way to ring it up. Anyway, Heritage Foods USA will have Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, MO (by KC) do this for me. While I'm at it I'm having them prepare up a 9-lb pork belly so I can try my hand at making bacon, too.

In the end, the 17-lb side of pig and 9-lb pork belly are "only" going to run me $104 ($4 per pound) because I'm picking it up. Not bad considering all the people this could feed.

The breed of pig, Berkshire, is evidently a hot one among chefs and food lovers more knowledgeable than I. As the pork industry ramped up to mass production, Berkshires and other tasty breeds fell by the wayside in favor of quick-growing, low fat animals. The pork we find in Hy-Vee is (apparently, we'll see) a pale imitation of what pork should be: meaty, juicy and flavorful. The pressure for ever-leaner pork has been tremendous for three decades or so (in spite of the evidence that eating real fat doesn't actually, you know, make you fat. Hint, it's the processed foods). It's gotten to the point where when I cook a good pork meal for a friend of mine from Carrolton, Mo., the highest compliment he knows is about how amazingly "lean" the pork was. Always struck me as a strange thing to say. We'll find out soon how much difference it makes.

Planning for St. Louis

2008-07-21T12:36:00.004-05:00

We'll be in St. Louis in a couple of weeks and I'm already plotting out the plan of attack. I'm thinking Volpi's for some guanciale and J. Viviano for caciocavallo cheese. Not especially indicative of Missouri (the cheese especially), but pig has long been the animal of choice for Missourians. Kansas City's beef stockyards aside, early settlers in Missouri relied on pork above all else. The state's climate is well-suited to curing meats and pork in particular responds well to the process.

If my first guanciale experiments turn out positive I'll dive in and get a full jowl from Heritage Foods USA. They raise and process the hogs just north of Kansas City and then cure them in NYC. Stay tuned. In the meantime, what are the other must-dos in St.L foodwise? We'll try to hit Ted Drewes as well. Amighetti's for sammiches? Pork steaks somewhere?

On tomato explosions

2008-07-17T12:43:00.006-05:00

Last year we had three tomato plants and ended up with all the tomatoes we could handle. It wasn't overwhelming, just about right. So this year we planted eight plants and joined a CSA, so we may have the things coming out the ears shortly. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I'm building a Maginot Line of recipes to stem the tide in advance (hopefully they don't just invade the through the Belgium endive and ruin the plan) of the imminent tomato season. This is one I plan on using shortly - and often.

Big Deal Chef Eric Ripert is putting one video a week on his stylish, inviting new website. So far everything he's covered - broiled fish filets, zucchini carpaccio - has been astonishingly simple and tasty. And cooked in a toaster oven. Check it out.

A sign of the times: no free bread

2008-07-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

New York Magazine links to a recent Financial Week article detailing the lengths one NY bistro is going to in order to cope with skyrocketing food costs. First down? The french bread.

The Great Porchetta Quest

2008-07-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

A while back Bill Buford's book Heat got me thinking. Why can't I -- here in the pork-multiplying American Midwest -- procure a boned-out half of a hog, dump on a few pounds of salt, pepper and herbs, roll it up on itself and cook the Tuscan masterpiece porchetta?

Here's how Buford describes it:

"Dario used half the pig, the torso, which was boned and rolled up with an extravagance of herbs—garlic, thyme, fennel pollen, pepper, rosemary, and double-ground sea salt—and then cooked it in a hot oven for four hours until it emerged as a noisy sizzling racket, the fat rendered and popping, trailing a black acrid cloud of smoke, a glistening and rather beautiful thing. When sliced, you got the carré, tasting like a tender steak, the bacony stomach, and everything in between."

Why can't I indeed. First of all, almost every recipe I've come across directs me to a roast of loin. That's great for Tuesday night, but what am I supposed to do all Sunday?

Second, the local butchers and hog producers around here have no idea what I'm talking about when I call:

"You want what? A halfa hog boned out?"

Long pause.

"Whatcha planning on doin' with it?"

Two more calls and a promise to get back to me have brought me no closer to what I'm looking to do here: namely, eating slices of loin-bacon-ribmeat all in one delirious bite. The third question is about how I'm going to cook a giant hog-roll in a) my oven or b) my large-enough-but-not-designed-for-roasting smoker.

Update:
Special D meats in Macon said they could do this for me but would have to charge me for a full-grown hog even if I wanted a smaller one (after all, I'm not cooking for 200 people). That, and the fact that this would be your average, fatless hog, set me looking again. A month went by and then, a revelation. Heritage Foods USA. They'll get me a heritage breed (read: old school) hog the size I want. Best of all, they ship all over the country but the hogs are processed north of KC. I can pick the thing up the next time I'm visiting Mrs. SME's family. Food nut heaven!

Columbia's Best: Taqueria El Rodeo

2008-07-15T12:18:00.003-05:00

Ask five people in Columbia where to get the best Mexican food and you're likely to get five different answers - or more. This is a frequent thread over at the Tribune's food forum; a testament to the ferocity of feeling that comes with a discussion of Mexican food. And it's true, several offer one thing or another the others don't.

Chevy's is fun and the tortilla machine keeps the kids occupied, but it's a chain and expensive and (to me, at least) pretty tasteless. El Maguey is the favorite if you're in need of a greasy Tex-Mex fix. The asada tacos are fine, everything else is just okay and they've got a history of run-ins with the health department. El Rancho downtown is decent, Carlito's on Biz Loop has fantastic tacos and Tequila is reliably tasty as well. El Jimador and Rio Grande are disasters.

But to me there's only one place to go and that is Taqueria El Rodeo. Stepping through their door in the nondescript Nifong/Grindstone strip mall and you feel instantly transported. The predominant language is Spanish, the lunchtime clientele is comprised primarily of Mexican construction crews. But sit down, order an horchata or fruit-water (rotating daily) and relax.

Somehow the place manages to be transportative and homey at the same time. The effect may be a function of the dozens of times I've eaten there, but judging by the smiles on everyone's face, I don't think I'm alone. Tacos de carne asada come quickly with chopped steak, onions and cilantro, cradled in two warm corn tortillas. Huevos rancheros, enchiladas, fajitas and the cuban sandwich (no, it's not an authentic cubano, but still...) are all excellent. For the more adventurous there is spicy, toothsome menudo, tender, flavorful tongue tacos and numerous options not on the menu. Just ask. And be willing to experiment.

That said, there are days when the tacos seem a little ordinary - never bad, mind you, but less thrilling. And the salsa is pretty standard fare. But for good, authentic Mexican food in a lively, kid-friendly atmosphere you simply cannot beat Taqueria El Rodeo in Columbia.

Taqueria El Rodeo

805 E Nifong Blvd
Columbia, MO 65201

(573) 875-8048

From the mouth of a four year-old (or, On Raising a Communist)

2008-07-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

A transcript from a conversation had this morning, in jammies.

Show Me Eats: I gotta go to work now. See you tonight for fajitas.
4 Year Old: I don't want fajitas. I want vegetables.
SME:
4YO: Like zucchini.
SME: Umm.
4YO: Or those cucumbers in - what is it called? - vinegar.
SME: Er, I gotta go to work now.

(note: I love vegetables and have increased exponentially my consumption of them over the past two years, with a concomitant decrease in meat...but anyone who would willfully deny themselves one of life's greatest pleasures - that of properly cooked meat - is worthy of our suspicion - if not our mockery.)

More on drinking

2008-07-14T08:07:00.000-05:00

Having spent three days at the Lake of the Ozarks researching this very topic, I feel compelled to link to this review of Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol. Among the gems:

One of Drink’s most fascinating subplots, as it turns out, is humanity’s apparently universal contempt for water. In ancient Greece, water drinkers “were believed not only to lack passion but also to exude a noxious odor”; in post-WWI France, they were thought to be fat, weak, and pimply—hurtful prejudices that I, having once been publicly berated by an Irishwoman for ordering a pint of water at a pub, can confirm still exist today.

Why Europeans drank beer, Asians tea

2008-07-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

There's fascinating story on the NY Times food blog today about research into why Europeans pioneered beer as a water-purifying product, but Asians developed tea.

As population density and travel increased, fermented beverages such as beer became a way to transport a nutritional food stuff as well as a source of safe liquid refreshment. There was an old adage “…the water can kill you but the beer won’t.” People in the West did not realize that boiling water could purify it.

But what about people in Asia?

They save money by getting tipsy after two drinks. Apparently.

Wal-Mart knows a good thing when it sees it

2008-07-11T08:39:00.005-05:00

Need any more evidence that locally-grown food is becoming mainstream? According to the ag news website Brownfield Network, Wal-Mart is increasing the amount of locally-grown produce it sells.

Wal-Mart reports that partnerships with local farmers have grown by 50 percent over the past two years.

During summer months, locally sourced fruits and vegetables that are both grown and available for purchase within a state's borders make up a fifth of the produce available in Wal-Mart stores.

The retailer estimates that it purchases more than 70 percent of its produce from U.S.-based suppliers, making the company the biggest customer of American agriculture. This year, Wal-Mart expects to source about $400 million in locally grown produce from farmers across the United States.

Like many, I'm generally suspicious of Wal-Mart. They've made their billions at the expense of local stores, driving down wages and demanding elaborate services from municipalities wherever they locate. Plus, each individual store buying from different farmers goes against Wal-Mart's very business model: negotiate steep discounts with suppliers based on the prospect of enormous sales. So before we place the halo on the local Wal-Marts, I'd like to know more.

Still, they're the world's biggest retailer and it's good to see them get on the bandwagon.

Hat tip: A Look at Missouri Farmers' Markets blog.

Update: I talked to the produce manager at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on West Broadway (over by Hy-Vee). They don't actually, you know, have local produce right now. But they might eventually. If things dry up around here. The manager said they've carried local stuff in the past but nobody's been able to produce enough to keep Wal-Mart in stock this year. So they carry nothing, I guess.

Columbia's Next Big Thing

2008-07-11T08:25:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has lived in a city with a covered farmer's market facility knows how important they are to a community. I saw this firsthand at Washington, D.C.'s Eastern Market, where permanent booths sold cheese, fish, meat and vegetables. On Sundays the grounds outside the south hall were crawling with merchants selling art, crafts and anything else you could imagine. It was lively, fun and a boon to the community.

In Florence there stands (correct me if I'm wrong) the finest of all examples of this, the Mercato Centrale, pictured above. Some in Columbia are fixing to replicate this phenomenon on the grounds of the Columbia Farmer's Market. It's called the Farmers Market Pavilion, and the big kickoff is Saturday, July 26th. Fundraising is under way, but when finished the pavilion will offer

a resource available to the entire community. Built through a public/private partnership, it will continue to house the Columbia Farmers Market and be programmed by Columbia Parks & Recreation whenever the market is not in session.

Columbia's Best: KoJaBa

2008-07-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

If someone can dream up a drearier location for a restaurant than Parkade Center's new Korean-Japanese hybrid KoJaBa, please let me know. The shiftless n'er-do-wells sitting on the sidewalk outside -- waiting for a MoX ride? -- stimulate a fight or flight response more than one's appetite. But those who brave the distressed exterior enter an oasis of calm, soothing walls, friendly service and Columbia's best Asian food, hands-down. For a restaurant to have achieved this level of excellence and refinement after having been open since November speaks to a steady hand in the kitchen and - one can hope - a bright future.

First, the missteps. No need to beat a dead horse again, but KoJaBa's location is phenomenally unappealing, and probably plays a role in misstep number two. Every single table in the small, bright interior has a gas stove attachment. It's in the middle of the table and as impossible to ignore as a vase of flowers would be. They wanted to offer diners the chance to grill their Korean bbq at their table in keeping with traditional cuisine. Problem is, nobody checked with the city and the lack of ventilation hoods over every table -- I've also heard the inability to serve raw meat, even if it is to be cooked, blamed for this -- means the hotplates must go unused. I doubt Parkade Center's management would be willing to retrofit the buildings to bring them into compliance.

Everything else is a wonder. Bracing Hite beers cleanse the palate following light vegetable tempura and pillowy, flavorful dumplings. As CoMo Whine and Diners noted recently, the menu is ambitious; but the waitress - an exceedingly pleasant and knowledgeable young woman - was eager to help. Asked about the $20 items listed under "appetizers," she explains that Koreans like to come in and share them over a few drinks before ordering entrees. She recommended the spicy squid to me and the bulgogi to Mrs. ShowMeEats. In minutes, out came five dishes of banchan (traditional side dishes bean sprouts, shredded radish, spiced cucumber, kimchi) and then the main courses.

The squid - topped with thin, delightful noodles - was extraordinary, a masterpiece of contrasts. Chewy and tender, spicy and sweet and sour. I had asked for something adventurous and had been expertly guided to a new favorite. The thin-sliced and marinaded steak was the best I've had. Thicker and more flavorful than Jina Yoo's (also very tasty) version, it quickly disappeared from Mrs. SME's plate.

Overfed and dizzied from the experience, we dropped about $60 for four beers, two appetizers and two entrees. We paid the bill and stepped out, blinking, into the evening sunlight, barely noticing the mire around us.

KoJaBa
601 Business Loop 70 W

French winemakers abandon the cork

2008-07-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

The Telegraph (UK) had an interesting piece the other day on the increasing willingness of French winemakers to switch to screw-off caps instead of corks. While I can't say I mind at all twisting the top off any bottle of wine I've ever purchased, the very thought of doing so with a Chateau Margaux is makes me dry heave.

"We started at the high end, because we are convinced that screw tops are perfect for fine wines that need to age, as they protect them better than cork from oxidation," said Gregory Patriat, in charge of bottling at Boisset. "We're not staying that corks are bad, it's just that screw tops are better," he said.

The bottom line is that screw-tops are better in every way save aesthetics. More than a third of all bottles produced in the world are already capped. My question is, what does this mean for the elaborate wine presentation ceremony? I don't mind the antiquated protocol (after all, the whole cork-verification thingy did serve a historical purpose), but it's part of what many Americans find intimidating about wine. The trimmed down version of the event will be a democratizing factor and help introduce more Americans to more wine. One can hope, no?

Uprise Bakery

2008-07-08T08:25:00.001-05:00

Uprise Bakery
10 S. Hitt Street
(573) 256-2265

Uprise Bakery, located in the spiffy new Ragtag Cinema location, is home to the best bread in Columbia. The whole spelt and honey wheat loaves make for flavorful, dense sandwich bread. The batard is a simple joy sliced, splashed with olive oil and salt and quickly grilled. You can buy their loaves at the farmer's market or Clover's, but the quality is far higher if you drop in to the Hitt Street location itself.

The clientele is predictably aimless and Macbook-y; lots of tatoos and Sartre-reading going on here. But if you can get past the stuffwhitepeoplelike.com vibe, you're in for a real treat. Lunch options are light and salad-oriented - a good place for those on a diet. Pizzas change every week. Right now it's a four cheese offering; the bacon and bleu cheese version I had a while back was commendable, redolent with the tang of the cheese and the fatty crunch of crisp bacon. The house-made crust was tender and pleasantly toothsome.

Plush Pig BBQ

2008-07-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

For some unknown reason, quality bbq eludes Columbia like the plague. Serious bbq aficionados are left a) settling for mediocre, b) learning how to make it themselves or c) traveling to Kansas City. Nobody can extol the virtues of Buckingham's, Bandana's or Smokin' Chicks with a straight face having been to the mountaintop (which could be any of a number of KC establishments, Dreamland in Tuscaloosa or Maurice's Piggy Park in Columbia, SC). Columbia's too good of a town to not have at least one great place for 'cue, but we don't even have that (it's been a while, but I seem to remember the late Sutton's being a quality spot).

Unfortunately, the newly-opened Lampert's Plush Pig doesn't take us any further in the right direction. The menu listed fried pickles, mac and cheese and the usual assortment of smoked meats. All I tasted was salt. Lots and lots of salt. Blood pressure-spiking mountains of salt. Now, smoking meat was historically about preservation first and foremost; salt plays a role in that as well. But the Plush Pig shovels it so wantonly onto your plate I quickly downed the (just thawed out and flavorless) green beans simply to even things out.

The worst offender was the fried pickles. Done well, this Southern specialty provides a tart, crisp break from the heaviness of a platter of sausage and baked beans, for instance. It's a palate cleanser. These nuked my tastebuds with so much sodium I was left gulping water after a single, pallid chip. The sausage and to a lesser extent the ribs followed suit. Only the smokeless, forgettable pulled pork escaped the salt lick effect.

The ribs proved decent; the "regular" and "spicy" bbq sauces were excellent, though the "Alabama gold" sauce would not have been out of place in a Happy Meal, so much did it resemble McDonald's honey mustard.

I hear there is bbq to be had in Jefferson City at Lutz'. Some place in Rolla. It's clearly time to venture further afield.

A trip south

2008-07-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more purely Missouri than paddling a canoe down a cool, cliff-shaded stream. This has been done for literally thousands of years. Missouri itself is named after the Missouri River, which was named after a tribe known as the ouemessourita, or "those who have dugout canoes." There is no state activity (yet...this being an election year things change fast), but if there were, it would surely be canoeing. With that in mind we packed the SUV to the hilt and headed south down 63, staying on that highway after hitting Jefferson City, a rarity for most Columbians. The ultimate destination was the Big Piney, near Ft. Leonard Wood but the drive proved almost as enjoyable as the time on the water.

Highway 63, after leaving behind the "suburbs" of Jefferson City, develops into a winding affair as it meanders south and southeast towards Rolla and beyond. You feel far from home after barely 45 minutes on the road. Ozark foothills reach to the horizon in a rolling, verdant carpet. Quaint, sleepy little towns briefly interrupt the serenity every thirty miles or so, sharp church steeples shooting skyward. Westphalia, Koeltztown, Freeburg, Vichy and Vienna attest to the area's central European - and particularly German - roots and none is home to more than 700 people.

This part of Missouri was settled in the mid-19th century by German immigrants - particularly Catholics - drawn by the promise of cheap land, religious freedom and a climate hyped as mirroring their native Rhine. It proved close enough and highly agreeable to growing wine, if not much else. The "Missouri Rhineland" was born and the Show Me State became the number two producer of wine in the nation until Prohibition came along and ruined the fun for everybody. Only in the past two or three decades have we begun to recover this proud legacy.

Lunch at the Vienna Drive-In should be avoided, however. Things fried (like green beans) and frozen (an Oreo "concrete" made strangely with melty soft-serve) were fine, everything else not so much (flat, lifeless burgers...canned chili). Margie's Cafe across the street was a beehive of activity Sunday afternoon, an inauspicious counterpoint to our sad, one-teen customership at the drive-in, proving once again that road trippers who fail to heed the unposted signs as well as the posted ones will get burned with crappy, depressing food.

An open letter to Brook Harlan

2008-07-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Brook,

You're everywhere. Inside Columbia, wrestling coach, cooking tours, Tribune features, even an appearance a while back on "The Next Food Network Star." I can't decide if you're more overexposed than Fred Parry or just Columbia's benevolent chef-force. But I do have one piece of advice.

Brook, open a restaurant already.

You've got the name rec and the CIA credentials. Your column in Inside Columbia is on ceviche. You are a force for good in this town. We could use an Italian place. Tapas. Seafood. Something, just get in the game. Columbia needs you.

The end.

We're number ten! We're number ten!

2008-07-03T12:15:00.000-05:00

Staring squarely in the face of a college football season that will feature - at least until the games start - the words "Mizzou" and "national championship" by sane members of the ESPN set, Outside Magazine came out with a ranking of their own. And Columbia came in at number ten on the mag's "best towns to live in" list.

From the Columbia Tribune article on the announcement:

The magazine said Columbia had evolved from a "stagecoach stop en route to California" to a hub for higher education and insurance firms, but along the way had "gained a rep as a staid, boring, and straitlaced community in need of a makeover."

The Midwest can fairly be accused of being "staid, boring and straitlaced," but I'm not sure this has ever been true of Columbia. Nothing straitlaced about riding over to Lawrence and burning the town to the ground. Murderous and evil, but hardly boring.

At Sycamore, it's always autumn

2008-07-03T00:36:00.000-05:00

I should say at the outset that Sycamore is one of my favorite places to have dinner. One memorable meal months ago lingers with particular clarity. The bartender expertly matched wines with the numerous small plates we ordered. In between courses we chatted - it being a cold, wet Monday evening in February, the place was nearly deserted. The wine, food and company were delicious. Again, I really like Sycamore.

What bothers me is the refusal to change the menu...the paucity of anything new in general and anything spring or summer-y in particular. I mean really, their short ribs are great. But do you really want them in the heat of July? How about the bacon-wrapped, cabbage-stuffed duck breast with potatoes and braised greens? Sure, see ya in September.

To be sure, there is the occasional ode to the summer months. Gnocchi are tossed with sugar snap peas, asparagus and mushrooms. Trout chowder and beet salad would make for a fine summer meal. But all too often at Sycamore the tried and true wins out over the new and in-season.

Missouri Regional Cuisines Project

2008-07-01T12:28:00.000-05:00

University of Missouri Extension does a lot of good things. They'll test your soil, certify you as a master gardener and actually do things about rural development the rest of us just bitch about. So it's no surprise they are also pushing for a French AOC-style label of origin system that would inform consumers where in Missouri a given product came from. The project,

launched in 2003, seeks to market Missouri wine and food products using distinct labels of origin based on ecological regions of the state. Labels of origin have been used for centuries in European countries to identify food and wine products based on the region in which they are produced -- allowing the consumer to distinguish among the unique tastes and attributes of products from different areas. This identification of Missouri products will mean greater recognition and economic opportunities for our state's food producers, tourism industry, and rural communities.

It's an ingenious idea; and a welcome one. So far there is only one pilot region, the Missouri River Hills Association, centered along the Missouri River down by St. Genevieve. The website's clearly a work in progress, but who can argue with a group of committed citizens seeking to preserve Missouri's unique food and cultural heritage?

On force-feeding wine...and service with (too much of) a smile

2008-06-19T08:23:00.000-05:00

The great crank Christopher Hitchens groused the other day in Slate about waiters barging into dinner conversations to grab the table's bottle of wine and pour - unbidden - each diner another glass. As Hitch himself notes at the end, there are bigger issues facing humanity. But in terms of dining and food service, this is a true annoyance.

The vile practice of butting in and pouring wine without being asked is the very height of the second kind of bad manners. Not only is it a breathtaking act of rudeness in itself, but it conveys a none-too-subtle and mercenary message: Hurry up and order another bottle. Indeed, so dulled have we become to the shame and disgrace of all this that I have actually seen waiters, having broken into the private conversation and emptied the flagon, ask insolently whether they should now bring another one. Again, imagine this same tactic being applied to the food.

Personally, I detest overly, well, personal service at least as much as a good wine-barge. "Hi, my name is Alex and I'll be your server tonight. Have you dined with us before? No? Super. Welcome. Let me tell you all about Bennigans McTurdenfood."

I've got news for you, pal. I don't want to know your name. I don't want an overeager server hovering about, waterboarding what I had hoped would be a nice, quiet conversation with my co-diner. I want professional, efficient, largely invisible service. For this we start the tipping at 20% and go up from there. If by the end of dinner you have faithfully kept water glasses full, delivered food quickly and with a minimum of drama, checked on how said food is more than zero times but less than two and brought the check promptly after requested...well you sir/madam will be looking at a repeat customer and a 30% tip.

Tapas in Kansas City

2008-06-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

There's a relatively new tapas bar in downtown Kansas City Saturday night. One of the top meals I've had this year; simply phenomenal. It's called JP Wine Bar and Coffee House and they do flights of wine in addition to wonderful small plates of food.

We were with a big group; as a result we got to try nearly everything on the menu, probably ten different small plates. All but one (crab cakes, which were just okay) were wonderful. Coffee-crusted tenderloin, lamb chops served over lamb stew, salmon over beets, scallops...it was great.

Word has it that the former Otto's in downtown Columbia is set to become a tapas bar. If it is half as good as JP I'll be a happy and frequent customer.

Missouri farmers facing loss of entire crops

2008-06-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

Over at the Missouri Farmer's Market blog there's a good rundown on what farmers are facing with this wet spring, namely the loss of their entire crop. I know the Missouri River bottom down by Jeff City is half-covered in water. The soybeans are doing their best but hey, they're not rice. Farmers are being advised to contact their crop insurance company. Like now.

And prepare for higher food and fuel prices. Corn's up 80% over last year. Which brings us back to the unholy boondoggle that is ethanol.

Bananas from Brazil not that bad for the environment after all

2008-06-09T12:37:00.000-05:00

A new study out from Carnegie Mellon examines the carbon footprint of distance-shipped food. Turns out, eating locally will help a bit, but a changing what you eat is more important than where what you eat comes from.

...the prudent environmentalist will eat local in order to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Intuitively, that makes a lot of sense. Bananas shipped from Brazil can't be good for the environment. But two Carnegie Mellon researchers recently broke down the carbon footprint of foods, and their findings were a bit surprising. 83 percent of emissions came from the growth and production of the food itself. Only 11 percent came from transportation, and even then, only 4 percent came from the transportation between grower and seller (which is the part that eating local helps cut). Additionally, food shipped from far off may be better for the environment than food shipped within the country -- ocean travel is much more efficient than trucking.

Garden woes

2008-06-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

This is not my broccoli. My broccoli looks like lorraine swiss right now, shredded by impressive little cabbage worms. They seem to have been brought under control with a soap-based insecticide, so there's still a good chance the heads will turn out okay.

In the end it might have made sense to devote more space to growing things I'm not likely to get around here. Like endive, escarole, radicchio, etc. Like any good Cubs fan will tell you, there's always next year.

Off Days On at the Farmer's Market

2008-05-20T12:38:00.003-05:00

Between soccer practice and family commitments there's a good three week stretch where we'll be absent from the Farmer's Market on Saturdays this month. But vendors are starting to show up on Mondays and Wednesdays now. As of last week the selection was limited to Walk About Acres and their very tasty ice cream. But yesterday brought two produce vendors. The selection is still depressingly limited to spinach and lettuce (damn you cold spring!), but it should be picking up over the next few weeks. Can't wait for some real choices; I'm about spinached out.

Ground Rules

2008-05-19T22:07:00.003-05:00

Blogs and message boards practically drag our most snide and passive-aggressive tendencies out of us. It doesn't have to be that way. We can engage in semi-anonymous banter without being jackasses. At least I think so. Passion and opinion is fine, but let's keep the personal attacks, backstabbing and vitriol where it belongs. The workplace.

Also, for the sake of brevity the following shortcuts and categories will be employed, liberally and throughout (along with lots of semicolons).

Columbia's Best: The tried and true, best places to eat in Columbia.

Off the Beaten Path: When I'm in the mood for something completely different. Like goat, for instance. Or McDonald's.

Cheap Eats: Places to grab good food on the cheap.

On tomatoes

2008-05-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

The first good tomatoes of the year arrived a week or two ago at The Root Cellar. I'd be interested to see if Clover's or Hy-Vee are carrying them yet, but am guessing not. These are from Beamen, which I'm told is a town up by Sedalia. I picked up a few last week and expected the hard, cardboard-flavored tomatoes you get from the grocery store in the winter (it being so early and all). But actually, they're terrific. Someone's got a pretty good greenhouse setup.

Needing a quick meal last night the four year-old and I chopped onion and smashed garlic and threw it in olive oil for a bit. Then came a couple of handfuls of spinach from Phil's Phine Produce. Tossed with pasta and voila, delicious dinner in about 15 minutes (including pasta-boiling time).

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Bleu Market: or, wanting something to be better than it is

2008-05-19T12:39:00.001-05:00

Bleu Market represents phase one in the 8th St. takeover plan being launched by co-owners Travis Tucker and Tina Patel. A takeout-driven installment, Blue Market will be joined on the other side of the Tiger Hotel entrance by Bleu proper, a tapas-style restaurant and wine bar. If early performance is any indication, they're going to have some kinks to work out of the main event.

The prosciutto, sliced turkey and Lorraine swiss I bought for sandwich making at home were all dried out, tasteless and tossed shortly thereafter. A "La Havana" sandwich of the day (seemingly styled after the iconic cubano) featured the wrong kind of ham (Really? Prosciutto on a cubano sandwich?), a weak bun and was served cold. They also forgot the cheese at first. The pickled onions and jalapeno added a vinegary kick; the mustard packed a punch as well.

A side of white beans, feta and cherry tomatoes was fresh tasting but in dire need of a good salting; the beans themselves were moderately overcooked, bordering on mushy. And then the bill: my lunch ran almost ten dollars, and that's without a drink. Not sure most Columbians would pay ten dollars for a mediocre sandwich and better luck next time.

So, Bleu Market gets an "A" for potential and a gentleman's "C" for execution. Here's hoping the restaurant gets off to a better start.

In Bleu's defense, I had a cubano at Miami's landmark Versailles Restaurant a few weeks ago that wasn't much better.

New CSA

2008-05-19T12:26:00.000-05:00

Walker Claridge, who owns The Root Cellar and mixes a mean mojito at Sycamore, has launched a new, pseudo-CSA (for the uninitiated, CSA stands for "community supported agriculture" and is essentially a food subscription service). He's got brochures at the Cellar, but basically he's going to partner with a number of different local farms to deliver about 50 kinds of seasonal produce throughout the year. What you get when depends on the weather, but it looks like starting now you'd have access to about 20 veggies for $35 a week. Milk and eggs add $10, meat about $20 more. Delivery's just $10 a week.

I'll probably pass on this as we've got a garden of our own and enjoy going to the farmer's market. But for those who want all the fresh, local produce Boone County has to offer delivered right to your doorstep, this may be the way to go.

He's also throwing in three farm gatherings at the Terra Bella Farm in Hatton and the possibility of others at participating farms around the area.

Holy crap McDonald's sucks

2008-05-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hungry and trapped in the car with two kids and staring at two hours on I-70 (not the good half of I-70 mind you, the part that ends with you in Kansas City) I agreed to a Mickey D's drive-thru run. Never a good idea, but a necessary one in times of emergency. We broke the glass.

I have no idea how my 4 year-old's fries were, but mine were edible, if cold. We couldn't eat the hamburgers. It was 4:30 p.m. and my guess is they'd been sitting in the steamer since lunch service. Normally you can count on McDonald's for a tastygross, salt-laden quasi-burger that gets the job done and makes you feel only moderately ill for the rest of the day. Not these bad boys. They were back in the sack faster than you can say corn on the cob. Not only did we feel better than if we'd actually eaten them, our moral superiority-meter got a brief bump.

Off the Beaten Path #1: Follow-up

2008-05-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Eating at the Jamaican Jerk Hut at Mojo's is an exercise in patience. First, they're only open Wednesday to Saturday. Second, it's a scattershot scene over there. One minute my "Jamaican Beef Patti" is on it's way out. Then it's still cooking. Then, "Jim" didn't know there was something in the oven and turned it off. So, after three backs and forth, no beef patti for me.

Nevermind, the rest of the meal was more than ample. The jerk wings are indeed a large as advertised. Tender and smothered in sauce, they're satisfying but ultimately forgettable. Once you get past the sauce, the wings themselves have very little flavor.

And then onto the goat. Heaps of slow-stewed goatmeat and potatoes arrive on a bed of well-seasoned rice and you wonder, "Maybe I should have tried an appetizer portion." Goat is an acquired taste. And though I could appreciate the dish being well-executed, it's not one I've acquired myself. Alternately fatty and tender, strong and subtle, the goat is an assault on the senses. Throw in innumerable bone chips that kept popping up and you end up like me, with two-thirds of your meal staring back accusingly on your plate.

So, good to try, don't need to do it again. I'll definitely be back to try their hand at the other offerings, which include pork and chicken sandwiches, shrimp and other curries. It just won't be for the goat.

Off the Beaten Path Item #1

2008-05-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

The wife and I were at Mojo's Friday night (where we saw the excellent King Thief) and I noticed something about the jerk trailer parked outside. "Curry Goat" it said was the Wednesday special. Seriously, anyone who's got the onions to put curried goat on the menu will get a visit from me. Not because I've had it before, but because I haven't.

Michael Pollan on ABC Nightline

2008-05-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

This pretty much sums it up for me. Buy fresh, locally-grown food and cook it yourself (I do like to let Craig and Mike cook it for me sometimes, though). Oops.

On Jina Yoo's

2008-05-12T12:53:00.006-05:00

For better or for worse, Jina Yoo puts her personal stamp of approval on just about everything her namesake restaurant -- Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro -- does. From the sign out front to the roughly 100% chance that Jina herself will check in on you at some point during your meal, eating at the Forum Boulevard bistro is an intensely personal affair.

The Missourian did an excellent profile of Jina and the restaurant in March.

“Everything is here. It would be awful to do this just for money. It’s a big commitment. But talking with the customers or seeing people proud of what you’re doing, that’s my reward.”

The service is usually attentive if often slow; the food is solid and occasionally outstanding (the bibimbap stands out). If you can navigate the website - a sloppy, overdesigned mess - the menu is available online.

Mother's Day Dinner

2008-05-12T11:53:00.002-05:00

For Mom's Day we invited over Mom, Dad and my grandparents. Counting kids there were eight of us in all. Dad came over early to help prep the meal. And what a meal it would be.

First:
Piquantes peppers stuffed with Goatsbeard's Moniteau Blue cheese

Second:
A trio of bruschetti
-fava bean and broccoli rabe
-olive tapenade
-beets and feta

Third:
Grilled asparagus and spinach and salad with blue cheese and walnuts (hat tip: Columbia Tribune)

Fourth:
Lamb koftas
Grilled bitters
Lemon-herb risotto

The peppers -- imported from their only locale of production, South Africa -- are sweet-spicy little things I picked up from World Harvest Saturday. They're crunchy and go well with Goatsbeard's blue and Osage Orange cheeses. I just stuff a little cheese in there and bake at 350 for a while. I didn't make enough of these for people but hey, always leave 'em wanting more, right?

This was the second time I've made fava beans. They're meaty, aggressively-flavored little morsels and I think they're great with just olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper. It was my first time for broccoli rabe. I had picked up the rabe (pronounced "rob" and not actually broccoli at all) at the Columbia Farmer's Market the previous week. This spring has been so wet and cold that the farmers have had a tough time producing anything other than lettuce and spinach.

Anyway, I jumped at the chance to try something other than lettuce. One thing you can do with rabe is chop it up and saute it with onions and olive oil; my kind of green. I did that, threw in some cooked favas and then mashed them up to make a more spreadable concoction. The rabe itself was mustardy, very slightly bitter and not unlike spinach in texture, at least after cooking.

The olive tapenade came together using briny purple olives from Peru, garlic, olive oil and parsley. It was fine but came in third to the others. Coulda used some basil but our itty bitty basil plants outside aren't giving it up quite yet.

Then came the beets and feta. Just threw some red and gold beets, fennel seeds, olive oil and salt into aluminum foil and baked at 375 for an hour. Then peeled, chopped and tossed with feta. Voila! Bruschetta number three.

The canvas for all three experiments was Columbia's best crusty bread, the batard from Uprise Bakery.

The asparagus and spinach came from the market and, tossed with blue cheese, walnuts and dijon mustard dressing, made for a tangy break in the meal. Very tasty.

The main event:
Lamb koftas are Moroccan-spiced and sausage-shaped fingerfood we first had at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. Cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, coriander, garlic and cilantro. And lamb. Mix it up, roll into balls and skewer for the grill. They're fantastic and really quick. The lamb came from Susie's Grassfed Meats. Susie lives and farms in Madison, up near Moberly in Monroe County. The recipe came from The Grassfed Gourmet, a remarkably varied cookbook for working with grassfed meats.

The risotto wasn't to be, as all I had was regular rice from the Martin Rice Company in Bernie, Mo. They produce arborio as well, so I need to try that out. Anyway, stirred some lemon zest and thyme in at the end. Not risotto, but not too bad either.

The Village Wine and Cheese is No More

2008-03-26T07:59:00.002-06:00

Downtown Columbia mainstay Village Wine and Cheese closed it's doors for good last Saturday. The Tribune did an initial story on Monday about it; Marcia Vanderlip says she's writing up a more in-depth story for Wednesday's paper. I know it's not good to speak ill of the dead, but VWC had really declined in terms of food and service over the past few years. I've had inedible sesame tuna, steaks and a bartender who -- though friendly -- had never heard of Cotes du Rhone. Call me a snob if you want, it was a wine and cheese shop and the bartender was unfamiliar with the basics.

Kathy herself was ever-present and knowledgeable. I wonder how much of their downfall stems from a poor business decision (switching from cheese, wine and sandwiches to a higher-end, full-service restaurant) and how much from poor execution from the staff (mediocre food, indifferent service). If you've gone to the restroom you see what a miserable kitchen was shoehorned into the building...that couldn't have helped.

The question remains: What will replace Village Wine and Cheese? It's a strange layout and a reportedly high rent played a major role in its demise, which could scare off future tenants. My money's on someone swooping in and reopening under the VWC name. Despite the confusion among some on the Trib's message board as to what kind of operation it was, the Village Wine and Cheese name is a recognizable, and valuable, local brand.

Columbia's Best: Kostaki's

2008-03-13T12:54:00.000-06:00

Shakespeare's is good. Really good. Imo's, Papa John's and Sky Hi make decent pies as well. None is as good as Kostaki's. The crust is chewy but never soggy. Toppings are generous but not greasy. Cheese is now 100% mozzarella and better than ever. The sauce itself is well-spiced and never overwhelming. In short, it is the best Columbia has to offer. $1.50 bottles all day, every day don't hurt either.

Say it together now: Kostaki's, Kostaki's, Kostaki's.

Yum.

In Praise of Chickens

2008-02-04T12:43:00.000-06:00

Chickens have long been kept for their eggs, the meat becoming of major interest more recently. Once a luxury food -- served by many American families once a week, often on Sunday -- the bird is an almost nightly feature on most U.S. dinner tables. The came came with the advent of refrigeration and industrialization. 8.9 billion were slaughtered in 2004. But should a chicken really cost two-fifty? Should eggs really cost nine cents a piece?

I'd never considered the question, or the one that follows the purchase of a dozen at $4.50 -- what does a 38-cent egg taste like? -- until recently. It turns out the answers are "they don't" and "far superior," respectively.

The first answer is inescapable if you factor in the soybean subsidies ($13.6 billion from 1995-2005), the risk of bird flu taking off and the massive environmental problems generated by modern factory farming of chickens. There are alternatives, and that brings me to question number two.

Pierpont Farms, just south of Columbia (past Rock Bridge State Park), raises small quantities of "pastured poultry" every year. They don't do the farmer's market thing, so you'll need to go to them. They're such purists they don't even raise them in the winter, but soon enough we'll be able to enjoy fresh, non-factory farm chickens once again.

As far as eggs go, it's tough to take that initial plunge on the $4.50. Them are some pricey eggs. But pick up a dozen of the Share-Life Farms and I guarantee you'll notice a difference. First, they're big. Second, they taste and feel robust, substantive. The wife blanched at my description of our first Share-Life fried egg as "meaty," but I think it's apt. Give 'em a shot, and if nothing else, Clover's has other offerings at lower prices, but I think Share-Life is the best of the bunch.

Buying Local

2008-01-29T13:58:00.001-06:00

The Columbia Farmers Market is still nearly two months away from opening, but there are a couple of ways to enjoy local products before the market's March 22 opening day. First, there's the Root Cellar. Walker Claridge owns the shop, which is

The Omnivore's Dilemma

2008-01-29T13:24:00.001-06:00

The book that asks the question, "Exactly does my food come from?" Pollan's answer, for the most part, is a cornfield in Iowa and an oil well in the Middle East. It's a stirring call to action for anyone who a) loves food, and b) would like to do a better job of protecting the environment. The most interesting (and imminently practicable) section is where he works on a farm in rural Virginia that produces hogs, beef and chicken. At Polyface they rotate animals on different sections of pasture, each one preparing it for the next. It's a fascinating example of how we could modify our agricultural system to serve our needs and preserve - even enhance - the environment.

Welcome

2008-01-29T13:04:00.000-06:00

Maybe it was the frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the grocery store. Or it could have been the Missourian review that compared Addison's (unfavorably) with Ruby Tuesday. Or maybe it was the fact that more than thirty restaurants in Columbia closed last year while Starbucks and Wal-Marts continue to pop up like dandelions. Whatever it was, it is clear that Columbia can do better. We can eat better, drink better and buy better. We don't have to send our money to Iowa for beef, California for vegetables or Argentina for out of season fruit. We can keep our money right here in central Missouri...and have a damned fine time in doing it. That's what this blog will be dedicated to: enjoying life, locally. How does one do that? Frankly, I'm still learning myself. But I've got a few ideas.