Birthday Party on Mendenhall

7 May

This weekend I hosted a dinner party for my closest friend Andrew, a very deserving Cinco de Mayo Birthday Boy.  As May 8th approaches (frighteningly around the corner), no one deserved a home-cooked dinner and stiff drink more than Andrew. We celebrated into morning around a table of friends and food. With an 83% conversation limit on Amendment One and politics, we made our predictions for Tuesday’s election and forecasts on life post-Battle. I prepared an arrangement of salads and burgers (with Andrew in mind) from local treats from the Greensboro Curb Market. His favorite tapenade and hamburgers on the grill for simplicity. Special thanks to our friend Jeff for helping me pull everything together.

All of our lives are richer with laughter and kindness – silliness and strength for having Andrew as a friend. I’ll share the recipes from our dinner this weekend. In the meantime, get your butts to the polls tomorrow and give Andrew the best birthday gift  - a vote against Amendment One.

Birthday Dinner on Mendenhall Menu: 

  • Homemade Olive Tapenade, LOAF Rustic French Bread and Goat Lady Camembert Cheese
  • Grilled Broccoli and Pickled Onion Salad
  • Meadows Family Farm Hamburgers with Onion, Bacon and Balsamic Jam
  • Fresh Avocado, Heirloom Tomato and Red Onion Salad
  • French Potato Salad
  • Maxie B’s Birthday Cupcakes

Off Mendenhall Greek Cooking Class at the Edible Schoolyard

3 May

I hear that folks are starting to call my Edible Schoolyard Cooking Classes “Cecelia’s Supper Club.” I like that – and I love that folks are returning and making friends in the classes. We had another great evening in the Greensboro Children’s Museum Edible Schoolyard making lots of Greek dishes. And, of course, eating LOTS of Greek food.

I was especially pleased to have so many folks step up to help. Athens Foods shipped the museum a huge box of their phyllo dough. We played with it all day and left a ton for the little ones to learn with and enjoy. Mezzetta Grape Leaves also sent in their exceptional jars of Napa Valley Grape Leaves. I’ve been rolling grape leaves since I was tiny – and it is always hard finding good grape leaves. Mezzetta’s were big and not torn one bit – I highly recommend them! The guys at King Oscar provided lots of anchovies for our adventurous chefs! Everyone left with a new love for the little fish and coupons to buy their own. And, last but never least, local friends at The Extra Ingredient and Massey Creek Farms threw in coffee and eggs to help out. Both local farm and store are generous supporters of the museum and we owe our business to them!

Lots of friends and food were shared – and last but not least, here is the menu and recipes. Looking forward to another Supper Club on October 8th. Email me at cecelia@modmealsonmendenhall.com to sign up.

Off Mendenhall Greek Cooking Class Menu: 

Special Thanks to Contributors to the Class! 

Mini Pizzas with Broccoletti and Kumatos

30 Apr

This weekend I joined in celebrating the 5th Birthday of my very sweet friend, Isabel! I was lucky enough to be included – with other youngins and a pack of dogs – in her butterfly themed birthday party. I ate my weight in potato chips while the rest of the crew ran around the yard and enjoyed some particularly cold Spring weather.

When planning what to bring, I thought an adult version of a 5-year-old favorite would be fun and fitting. I risked my popularity by bringing mini pizzas with baby broccoli and grape tomatoes. The risk paid off and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I used two varieties of broccoli and tomato that are grown to be sweeter (local innovation at its sweetest?… food for thought). Check out broccoletti and kumatos next time you’re at the super market. Or, pick up the traditional variety at the Farmers Market – tomatoes will be in season soon and nothing is sweeter than a locally grown tomato!

These mini pizzas were as sweet as our budding kindergartener.

Mini Pizzas with Broccoletti and Kumatos 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, saute broccoli and garlic on medium until tender. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking.

Roll out pizza dough fairly thin and cut with a biscuit-cutter to make small rounds. Place small pizza rounds on a cookie sheet and top with a teaspoon of gruyere cheese. Then top with broccoli and half of a grape tomato. Add a sprinkling of salt, pepper, additional cheese and olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until dough and cheese are browned!

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Stand Up for Southern Hospitality & Vote Against Amendment One on May 8

27 Apr

Growing up I ate many meals at my grandmother’s dining room table. My grandmother was challenged in the kitchen and I spent many a meal politely clearing my plate of burnt toast and red fish stew. So, this post isn’t about food and I won’t overwhelm you with her recipes. But, while her skills were lacking in the kitchen, she was an expert on Southern hospitality.

To my Grandmother,  Southern hospitality was more than greeting guests into our home with a smile or the amount of butter we added to our dishes – it was an act of grace that she strived to pass on to her children and grandchildren. Often times before meals she would send me from house to house and dock to dock on Canterbury Drive and the Withlachoochee River delivering dishes to her neighbors.  The purpose of my deliveries was more about learning to introduce myself  and give a firm handshake than the food itself. She understood the value of building relationships with people from all walks of life and spent her lifetime advocating and caring for those less fortunate than she. To her, that was Southern Hospitality – taking care of everyone with grace. 

Far away from the Withlachoochee River, the meals at my grown-up dining room table are now much more elaborate than my grandmother would have ever envisioned. Without a doubt, the best part about making my home in North Carolina is the diversity of my friendships and conversations with them around my around my table. While my grandmother’s recipes are rarely shared at the table – or on this blog – her tradition of grace is an equally important component to meals shared on Mendenhall Street.

A frequent conversation around my table over the past year is the threat of Amendment One on our ballot, May 8th.  North Carolina’s Amendment One is far from hospitable. If passed, it would spoil what Southern Hospitality means to our state and our traditions. It’s impacts are wide-spread and harmful.

 

Amendment One strips North Carolina families and children of basic health care, threatens parental rights, and throws basic protections like domestic violence laws into what many are calling  “legal chaos.”

  • It’s poorly written and has unknown consequences that could impact our citizens unpredictably.
  • It endangers children of unmarried families – potentially losing healthcare and prescription drug coverage. I’m fortunate enough to know many unmarried couples who have adopted children. Particularly, my friend Jamin, in the photo above , who adopted her son Hugo several years ago. Regulating how parents can love or care for their children – biological or not – isn’t the Southern way, period.
  • It puts unmarried women at risk. Amendment 1 could strip domestic violence protections for all women.
  • It puts unmarried seniors at risk – forcing them to choose between legal protections and pensions.
  • It makes our state unattractive to businesses, creatives, countless industries and young people. It puts our (already threatened) economy at risk.

To me, there is nothing more hospitable than caring, protecting and securing the rights of all our citizens. So, I ask you to go to the polls proudly on May 8th (or before) to stand up for Southern Hospitality and vote AGAINST Amendment One. Perhaps if you don’t, we will be eating a lot of red fish stew on Mendenhall Street.

For more information on the negative impacts of Amendment 1, visit www.protectncfamilies.org.

Fettuccine with Fresh Artichoke, Shrimp, Arugula and Lemon

24 Apr

Friends! It’s been too long, I know. After a week’s worth of Biscuitville programming, I’m slowing peaking out from my biscuit-coma. After many hours in the office, dress suits, sneakers, students and sweat – I took several naps and a couple of trips to the gym to work off all the hard work. Sunday night I was able to find the energy to get back into the kitchen and the creativity to cook. And, it sure felt good.

Sunday night I treated myself to my favorite spring vegetable – a fresh artichoke! While I usually tend to steam them and dunk them in lemon butter, I challenged myself to do something a bit more creative. I cleaned my fresh artichoke and sautéed them to add to pasta with fresh shrimp, arugula and lemon. It was the perfect non-biscuit treat after my long and hectic week into weekend.

Hopefully I’ll have more time on my hands this coming month to experiment in the kitchen and report back to all of you. I’m looking forward to it.

Fettuccine with Fresh Artichoke, Shrimp, Arugula and Lemon, serves two 

  • 1 fresh whole artichoke
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 and 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 6 peels and divined shrimp – or more if you prefer
  • 2 handfuls baby arugula
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • pinch (or to your liking) red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 pound fettuccine
  • 1 small handful of freshly grated peccorino romano

Clean the artichoke. This is a pretty good tutorial on cleaning artichokes. It can be a little intimidating but its pretty easy once you understand the artichoke anatomy and have a good pairing knife (although, the surgeon in my cooking classes says I’m great with knives!). Once the artichoke is clean and the choke (purple part) removed, slice into 1/4 inch pieces and soak in water with half of lemon juiced (to prevent from browning).

Melt butter and olive oil in a large saute pan. Once melted, turn the stove to medium heat and add dried artichoke slices. Saute for about 10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice (of 1 lemon). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, start a pot of boiling water.

While the pasta is boiling, add the shrimp to the saute pan and allow to cook. If the pan seams dry, add a bit more olive oil or a splash of white wine (you know it’s handy).

Once the pasta is al dente, transfer the pasta into the saute pan and stir together. Add the arugula and allow to wilt for a moment. Top with cheese. Taste for seasoning and serve!

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My Personal Overload of Biscuits / A Lavender Thyme Fresh Strawberry Butter

18 Apr

I tend to think mixing my culinary hobby with my day-job is like bringing up politics on a first date, but it is hard to resist sharing a project that is the perfect blend of craft and career. Ten months ago, I was assigned the charge of engaging 50,000 local college students with each other and the community. Connecting seven institutions of higher learning, each with diverse histories and dynamic presence, was not an easy endeavor until some colleagues identified the common trend between them. That trend was biscuits – particularly our local favorite, Biscuitville – and it’s a timeless trend. Who doesn’t have an early twenties story that brings them back to Biscuitville? Sunday morning recaps of weekend mayhem or embarrassing pajama run-ins with professors after all-nighters. Students migrate from all directions to get an education in Greensboro and they make memories when they share our traditions.

Since then, I’ve been working with the ‘friendly folks’ at Biscuitville drafting, dreaming and deliberating over a week’s worth of activities for students. They range from academic to athletic but all center around the common ingredients of flour, shortening and buttermilk.

I was lucky enough to serve as a judge of the Brand Your Biscuit product development challenge for students. Alongside the experts, including product developers, marketing experts and store managers, we tasted more than 15 student recipes. They ranged from a “not your ordinary” Bennett Belle biscuit, a Buffalo Chicken biscuit designed by two Armenian Greensboro College students and a different take on the s’more by Steven Speilburgs at Elon University. Undoubtably, GTCC’s culinary school is a contender and UNCG, A&T and Guilford College students have constructed and deconstructed breakfast with icing, grits and Texas Pete. With 70 applicants to 7 finalists, I tasted far too many biscuits than any food writer would ever dream of. The biscuits were as innovative as our students and the folks at Biscuitville are as friendly as they say. The stakes are high and I can’t divulge the winner, but you’ll be tasting a scratch-made and student-inspired biscuit soon enough in a Biscuitville near you.

Biscuits and college students aren’t unique to Greensboro but combined with community, collaboration and creativity, it’s a place for students to thrive and make home.

Majorie Kinnan Rawlings, who wrote not far from my upbringing, once said ”A part of the placidity of the South comes from the sense of well-being that follows the heart-and body-warming consumption of breads fresh from the oven.” And while I grew up so close to Cross Creek, I tasted my first Biscuitville biscuit and found home while studying at Elon.

In honor of this week’s Greensboro Collegiate Biscuitville Bowl, I prepared my own scratch-made biscuits, using local Old Mill of Guilford Southern Style Biscuit Mix and paired them with a sweet fresh strawberry compound butter. Strawberries are in season early and in plenty at the Greensboro Curb Market. I used Sawyer Farm strawberries and Homeland Creamery butter. Compound butters can be altered to your liking so feel free to experiment with herbs, spices and flavorings such as reduced balsamic vinegar, black pepper, basil or mint. They pair beautifully with a homemade or Biscuitville biscuit!

 

Thyme, Lavender and Fresh Strawberry Compound Butter

  • 2 pints fresh Sawyer Farm strawberries, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon dried lavender (available at Savory Spice Shop in Friendly Center)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 cup Homeland Creamery butter, at room temperature

Cut fresh strawberries into small pieces. In a small pan, add strawberries, honey, lemon juice and lavender. Simmer on medium heat until thick and jam-like. Allow to cool and mix in thyme. In a stand-up mixer, whip strawberry mixture and butter until smooth and combined.

Serve with a Biscuitville Biscuit or a homemade Guilford Mill Southern Biscuit.

 

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Ice Cream Cone Weather!

16 Apr

My office is right next door to Cheesecakes by Alex (no unexpected visits, please) and lately I’ve been watching people walk my our window with giant cones of Homeland Creamery Ice Cream. It isn’t easy to resist walking over and joining them but I’ve been too busy for ice cream cone breaks  - or blogging, for that matter. With that said, it’s ice cream cone season – warm weather, perfect for long walks and al fresco dining.

I’m a big fan of surprising guests with ice cream cones for dessert. If you know me, I’m not big on making desserts and nothing is easier or more fun than an ice cream cone. It’s unexpected and brings everyone back to their childhood. I bought a box of 20 sugar cones for $1 (you can’t beat that) and have been serving them for weeks to friends. Here are a couple of my favorite frozen treats to serve – from a decadent local ice cream, an guilt-less frozen yogurt and my favorite gelato.

What are your favorite frozen treats?

Spring Chicken with Foster’s Rice Pilaf

10 Apr

This weekend I made a roast spring chicken with lots of herbs and paired it with a seasonal side dish from Sara Foster’s cookbook. Recently, I’ve really started trying to mix up recipes for my everyday eating, but when it comes to comfort food, nothing beats a simple roasted chicken with rice. I relied on Sara’s book to help mix it up a bit and she provided the perfect solution with her “Rice Pilaf for All Seasons.” I swapped peas for green beans and added the chicken stock straight from the bottom of my roast chicken pan. You can make your own edits too. I love the addition of coconut milk (I used the reduced fat version) and crunch from toasted almonds. Try this next time you’re trying to mix things up in your kitchen!

A variation with your comfort foods can be a fun experiment!

Looking for an easy Roast Chicken recipe? Try this – and leave out the taters and mushrooms if you’re making the rice! 

Spring Rice Pilaf with Green Beans, Chives, Lemon Zest and Toasted Almonds from Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups basmati rice
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup fresh peas or beans (cut)
  • 1/2 cup chives
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Melt the butter and olive oil. Saute the onion until translucent, over medium heat. Add the rice and coat with mixture. Add coconut milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Add the peas and cover (I like mine still crunchy – you could add earlier if desired). Remove from pan into serving dish, add chives, almonds and lemon juice and zest. Season to taste!

Field Trip to the Old Mill of Guilford

9 Apr

It ‘s sort of hard to believe that I had never visited the Old Mill of Guilford until this weekend but my trips to Oak Ridge have been few and far between. A day off of work left the perfect afternoon to take a leisurely drive out to the Mill to pick up some goods. I was prepping for my upcoming column on biscuits (which will print next Friday) and needed local flour to work with. I also picked up a bag of polenta that I’ll be experimenting with this Spring.

If you haven’t made a visit to the Mill, it’s a nice short field trip from Downtown and promises a scenic view and a plethora of treats to return home with. What is your favorite thing to pick up from the Old Mill?

Long Weekend Recap

8 Apr

Thank the lord for a long weekend!

I spent my time primarily indoors attempting to recover from the pollen, despite how horribly beautiful it was outside.

On Friday, I did get a chance to take a field trip with Margo (in her big ole truck) to visit the Old Mill of Guilford for some newspaper research. She also convinced me to attend my first horse show while cruising through Oak Ridge, NC! I was pleasantly amused by the Western Pleasure Wear. I need more lycra in my wardrobe. Next time I’ll plan to stay for the bull riding – next time.

Saturday morning, strawberries took center stage at the Greensboro Curb Market. They are in season a full month ahead and the market has too many to count. I bought a gallon of fresh berries to share with friends and eat for breakfast and dessert this week. I can’t get enough of them. Mark your calendars to stop by next Saturday and visit my friend at Sawyer Farms. A chat with her and a basket of strawberries will kick start a memorable weekend.

The remainder of the weekend, I cooked a spring chicken, procrastinated, snacked and snuggled with my pup. A busy few weeks are ahead (with lots of biscuits) but I’m going to try to report a few good recipes in the days ahead.

Off to enjoy the last few moments of weekend sunshine.

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