Stacey Greenberg

Eco-engaged: More couples find the outdoors a nurturing environment for romance

2012-01-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Published January 10, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Romance has gone green -- at least among active, environmentally conscious couples.

Austin Grisham and Lindsay Morris had their first date on the Shelby Farms Greenline.

Although they both grew up in Memphis, they got to know each other about a year and a half ago over the phone. Morris was living in Portland, Ore., working as a teacher in an after-school community outreach program, and mutual friends suggested Grisham contact her, since he was considering a move to the area for graduate school.

"A month after I moved to Portland, a random guy contacted me about graduate school and Portland in general," Morris said. "We continued talking, and when I came home to Memphis for Christmas in 2010, we decided to meet," says Morris.

Grisham and Morris are both active cyclists and runners, and Grisham knew that Morris and her family often walked on the Greenline, so it seemed like a good place for a first date.

About a year later, it seemed like an even better place to propose.

"I started planning the engagement in August," says Grisham, who lives in Portland and is a recruitment specialist for an interpretation company.

Grisham had talked to Morris's dad and arranged for the whole family to take a walk over the Thanksgiving holiday break.

Grisham had secretly flown into town the night before the walk was to happen. Morris and her family were to walk east along the Greenline and Grisham would walk west.

Morris and her family walked for about 15-20 minutes, "then my dad stopped me and said, 'This is it.' " She looked up and saw

Grisham running toward her. He got down on his knee and proposed.

Their wedding will be at Hope Presbyterian Church, where Morris's dad is a minister, but they hope to have the rehearsal dinner at Shelby Farms Park.

Jen Andrews, the director of communications for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy says, "One of our taglines is 'Love the Park,' and we're happy to see people are taking it literally!"

The conservancy has seen an uptick in both inquiries about park weddings and people having their weddings and receptions there.

"We've gone from hosting a few a year to 18 weddings in 2011," says Andrews.

In addition to more weddings and receptions than ever, the conservancy is hearing more and more from people getting engaged at the park -- and now on the Greenline.

"Last year, a couple got engaged at our Off-Leash Dog Park. We had several people pop the question at Starry Nights. Marriage is a big deal, and we think more park and Greenline users than ever are interested in making this commitment at a place that's meaningful to them, surrounded by natural beauty," she says.

One of the ways the conservancy is able to earn money for the operations and maintenance needs is through facility rentals (indoor board rooms, outdoor picnic shelters, races and walks). "We've been working hard to increase facility rentals across the board, and they're very popular. We keep our prices fair and scale them according to the size of the event and number of guests, and we think people like knowing that the money they're going to spend to have their wedding goes back to help the park and Greenline they love," says Andrews.

The park conservancy hopes to continue its relationship with these couples forever. Andrews says, "We want to host the baby shower, bar mitzvah and 50th wedding anniversary."

Other scenic venues are also becoming more popular for weddings. Pat Vescovo, director of sales at the Memphis Botanic Garden, says, "We've shown an increase over the past couple of years in garden weddings, especially due to new areas we've added that are designed to create special backdrops for the ceremonies. Our Blecken Pavilion and Japanese Garden are two of the most popular spots for weddings."

Bobbie Baker, the special events coordinator at Lichterman Nature Center, says she has noticed an increase in the number of outdoor weddings as well.

"With the advent of social media websites like Facebook and smartphones, brides as well as their guests may share their wedding photos instantaneously. Today's brides are looking for something new, nontraditional and 'photo-worthy.' "

Baker believes outdoor weddings in a setting as lovely as Lichterman offer photo opportunities that no indoor structure may provide no matter how grand the architecture, and adds, "With a growing 'green' social consciousness amongst those under 30, couples are using their wedding ceremonies as a way to establish their commitment to the environment as they begin their lives together."

Fries with That?

2012-01-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

Published January 4, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

The French fry has been getting some extra love and attention at local restaurants, and patrons are taking note. It's hard to narrow down the contenders to a top tier, but Fuel Café, Slider Inn (which is related to Bardog Tavern), and the Brass Door have really done the potato proud and are worth a taste.

At Fuel Café and in the Fuel Food Truck, the French fries are downright pampered. Owner and chef Erik Proveaux has put a lot of time and energy into creating the perfect fry. "I like them to be crispy on the outside, not greasy, and fluffy on the inside with just the right golden-brown color," Proveaux says. To this end, he has developed a process that yields pretty consistent results.

First, he takes good old Idaho potatoes and cuts them using a wall-mounted French fry cutter. He lets them fall into a bus tub of cold water to soak for at least two hours. Then they are drained and dried on a sheet pan with paper towels. Next, he par-fries them in 300-degree peanut oil and lays them out on sheet pans to cool in front of a fan until they get to room temperature. He wraps the sheet pans, freezes the fries, and later brings them back out to thaw only enough to be separated and bagged up for use on the line.

"They are held in a small freezer in the kitchen, and when we get an order, we fry them to golden-brown deliciousness and toss them in fine sea salt," Proveaux says.

For those who like fancy dipping sauces with their fancy fries, Fuel has them covered. They serve a plate of fries with three dipping sauces: a creamy truffle Parmesan sauce, a garlicky rouille (homemade olive-oil mayonnaise with smoked paprika and chipotle powder), and sweet chili ketchup sauce.

Bardog Tavern and Slider Inn owner Aldo Dean says that he got into the restaurant business to sell alcohol. Since Tennessee laws require bars to sell food, Dean figured he might as well serve great food.

Bardog and Slider Inn serve the same fries except the ones at Slider Inn have a little skin on them.

"They're quarter-inch shoestrings that are shipped in frozen and already cut," Dean says. Dean likes the shoestring fries because they don't have a long fry time. "Some places double fry them for extra crispiness, but we don't have time for that," he says.

What really sets the fries apart is the special mixture sprinkled on them when they come out. "It's a secret blend. I can't tell you what it is," Dean says. After a pause, he says, "Okay, it's salt and sugar — a 50-50 mix."

Dean will not, however, divulge the exact recipe of the legendary bourbon mayonnaise used for dipping. "I should probably get it patented," he jokes. It was inspired by a dip he had in a Belgian restaurant called Pomme Frite. Both of Dean's restaurants sell a ton of fries, but Slider Inn sells considerably more due to its more limited menu.

The fries at the Irish pub the Brass Door are also making a name for themselves. Rumor has it that the secret ingredient is duck fat. "It's all true," owner Seamus Loftis says. "But I cannot credit the Irish — only my chef, Scott Donnelly."

Donnelly starts with hand-cut Idaho potatoes, blanches them, and then fries them in a combination of regular fryer oil, lard, and duck fat. "The duck fat and lard impart a slightly sweeter, more potato-y flavor and help get the potato crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside," Donnelly says.

The restaurant is currently selling about 500 to 600 pounds of French fries a week. "The hardest part is blanching and frying at the right temperatures," Donnelly says.

The fries are available as a side or a starter. The starter features a savory house-made curry sauce.

River Romance

2012-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

Published January 1, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Today, Nola and Tom McKnight celebrate 70 years of marriage.

And it all traces back to an encounter on the Mississippi River.

In the summer of 1940, Nola came to Memphis from her home in Dyersburg to look for a job. She stayed with a well-known Realtor, and her son, Spence Baker.

Baker thought Nola should meet his friend Tom McKnight, so one Saturday afternoon he told her that they should go out on the Mississippi River and wait for Tom.

Nola thought it was a terrible idea, as she was in her high heels, gloves and hat. But she finally agreed, so they went out in Baker's runabout into the middle of the Mississippi River.

A short while later Tom showed up in a Chris Craft runabout that Buddy McKnight, Tom's brother, kept at the Memphis Yacht Club, which was very active at the time. The two were introduced, but neither one was much impressed.

"We really just held on to each other's boats," recalls Nola.

"Spence was known for his women," explains Tom. "I didn't think much about it. I thought it was just another one of his girls."

For two weeks, Baker kept after Tom to ask Nola out, so to shut him up, Tom called Nola for a date. She accepted, and on their first date Tom showed up on his Harley Davidson motorcycle -- and they went back down to the river. "We anchored on a sandbar, climbed up it and courted, as they say," says Nola.

A full moon, the Harley, and the river created a memorable first date, so much so that they dated constantly after that night. "That did it. That sealed it. Everything just worked for us," says Nola.

Less than a month before the wedding, however, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Since Tom had received an Army second lieutenant's commission from Davidson College, they knew he would be called to active duty. But that did not deter them, and they went on with the preparations.

They were married at Central Christian Church on Jan. 1, 1942. And Tom went on to serve in the military for four years.

Nola credits their long marriage to the fact that they enjoy doing the same things and enjoy doing them together. Although both in their 90s, they stay very active. "Tom and I do whatever comes up that we want to do. It could be one thing one day, and another the next," says Nola.

Tom says they take one day at a time, and just love each other. "She's the greatest gal that ever was," says Tom. "If you get a good one you might as well keep her."

Both say they have had a wonderful life, blessed from the very beginning. They have two sons, three grandsons and four great-grandchildren.

To celebrate their big day, Tom and Nola are hosting an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. today, which is the same time as their wedding. Tom says they are expecting 30-40 people, mostly from the neighborhood and Sunday school. "We both have a few things we're going to say," hints Nola. "We'll sip champagne and have a nice afternoon," adds Tom.

As for their matchmaker, Spence Baker, Tom says he was married three times. "We always joke that he did much better with us than he did with himself," says Tom.

The Trees Rejoice

2012-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

Published January 1, 2012 in Edible Memphis

Music in the Kitchen

2012-01-01T17:06:00.001-08:00

Published January 1, 2012 in Edible Memphis

Post-holidays perfect time to trim toys and help out other families

2011-12-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Published December 27, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Now that the holidays have passed and the resolutions are beginning, many parents are eyeing their children's rooms. Finding a new home for gently used toys and books can clear the clutter, make room for new toys and benefit a number of local organizations, including schools.

Harold Williams, who lives in Marion, Ark., and works in Memphis, noticed during Thanksgiving weekend that he had to wade into his 8-year-old son's room. "You had to be careful with every step you took or you'd hurt yourself," he said of the sea of toys on John's floor. When Williams noticed that his son was bringing toys out of his room to play with them elsewhere because there was no room to play on his floor, he knew it was time to do something.

Together, he and John went through the toys under the guise of making room for Christmas presents. Williams said they ended up with two or three large garbage bags full of toys that were broken, used up or missing parts; one or two bags of unwanted but perfectly good toys; and a huge bag of stuffed animals that Williams agreed to store in the attic. "John loves stuffed animals," he said. "He was with me on everything, so I was willing to compromise on the animals."

John immediately began hanging out in his room again.

His dad said John was happy to donate some of his toys to the Salvation Army so other children might enjoy them. "John wanted them to actually go to another kid."

Midtowner Shannon Dixon has enlisted the help of her son, Max, 10, to clear the clutter in his room since he was a baby. "When he was young, his toys got out of hand pretty easily," she said.

Around his birthday in May and at Christmastime, she would go through his things and thin them out -- with him in the room.

"When he became verbal, we talked about how we have a small house with limited space and how there are kids all over Memphis that need toys," she said.

They typically pack up toys that are no longer age appropriate or that don't interest Max anymore. She thinks it's important that he's been involved in the clean-ups from a young age. "Now, he sees that it's always been that way and is always willing to help fill up a bag for Goodwill."

There is a Goodwill drop off a few blocks from the Dixon home, so that is where they choose to donate.

Dixon said they also discuss being respectful about what they pass on -- no broken or worn-out toys with missing pieces -- and they always participate in "Toys for Tots."

There are a few sentimental things stored in the attic for use by Max's children in the future.

"We don't usually give toys to friends because we assume they can buy what they want," Dixon said.

Local schools are often in need of donations as well. Kindergarten teacher Christina McAfee suggests contacting a school's principal to talk about what needs could be met -- or ask a specific teacher if he or she has a wish list. "Needs can vary a great deal from school to school," said McAfee, who works at Willow Oaks Elementary School.

She said classroom teachers have a specific amount of money they are given each year by the principal, but they often end up spending their own money, applying for grants, or reusing old and unwanted items in their classrooms.

McAfee specifically looks for things for her activity centers, like building toys, craft supplies, dress-up type items, puppets or stuffed animals, doll house and playhouse items. "Years ago, I gave away all my children's toys to other friends," she said. "Had I known I would be working with 30-plus kindergarten students this year, I would have kept everything."

She is also working on building a classroom library that has enough variety for all of her students. "I have found discarded books, bought from yard sales. Books that people don't want could be well used in my library." McAfee is especially interested in easy chapter books, like "The Magic Tree House," for grades 1-4.

Dixon said she and her son also periodically go through his books and make a pile for his school's library.

"It's tough to be a public school teacher these days. Donations help teachers teach, and teach better," McAfee said.

More information

Culling your child's toys to make room for what Santa brought? Here are some organizations that take donations:

YWCA Abused Women's Shelter (memphisywca.org)

Items needed:

Toys (for all ages), books (for all ages, English and Spanish languages), dolls, cars and trucks, dress-up jewelry/clothing, video games, children's videos (English and Spanish languages), footballs, basketballs, portable cassette/compact disc players.

Salvation Army (salvationarmymemphis.org)

The Salvation Army's Family Thrift Stores operate year-round and fund many of the nonprofit's programs.

Donations can be dropped off at all Family Store locations and at the main office at 2649 Kirby Whitten.

To arrange pickup of donated items: Call (901) 728-7825.

Goodwill (goodwillmemphis.org)

Church Health Center Wellness Child Life Center (churchhealthcenter.org/childlife)

Wish List:

Educational toys, wooden toys, board games, art supplies, etc. No plush items are accepted. If it is something the center cannot use, it will be given to a family who can.

Many other organizations in town take donations of gently used toys. Pick your favorite, but call first to make sure what you have is needed.

Drawing group makes collaborative effort of showing Memphis to world

2011-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Published December 15, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Drawing in a notebook might seem like a solitary endeavor, but not to the Memphis Urban Sketchers.

The group regularly gathers in a predetermined spot to draw together.

"Urban sketching is drawing on location and capturing what you see from direct observation. It's a way to record what you see while telling a little bit of a story about where you are, who else is there, etc.," explains local artist Elizabeth Alley.

Alley attended a sketching symposium in 2010 organized by the international group Urban Sketchers. The symposium, held in Portland, Ore., was three days of sketching among a group of people. Alley says, "After sketching as a solitary endeavor for most of my life, I wanted to share that feeling of camaraderie and shared interest with others."

Urban Sketchers is an online community and nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of onsite drawing. It was founded two years ago by Gabi Campanario, a Spanish-born journalist and illustrator best known for his award-winning Seattle Times blog and weekly column, Seattle Sketcher.

After seeing an increasing number of people sharing their location drawings in the blogosphere, Campanario started a Flickr group in November 2007 to showcase urban sketches. A year later, he decided to expand the Flickr initiative with a by-invitation group blog where correspondents would commit to posting on a regular basis and sharing the stories behind the sketches.

Alley says people around the world became interested in Campanario's blog, and now there are 30 or more communities around the world with sketch groups.

Inspired by the symposium, Alley decided to found a local chapter of Urban Sketchers in Memphis upon her return.

The Memphis Urban Sketchers meet once a month in a public place, where they draw for a period of time, then gather to look at their collective work.

In choosing sites, Alley usually thinks about places that would be interesting to sketch, such as The Peabody and Elmwood Cemetery, or places that she has always wanted to sketch, like the most recent location for an outing at the corner of Central and Cooper.

"I live close by, so I go through that intersection at least once a day. It is a fascinating place, with three train trestles (one with public art on it), a nursery on one corner, old buildings on another, an old building repurposed into a nice store on another, and on the fourth is the world's busiest Mapco," she says.

Sometimes, as with that outing, they encounter obstacles like the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, which went right through that intersection and made it more difficult for the people attending the sketch group to get in and out. But Alley says that is all part of living in a city and sketching the urban landscape.

Alley, who was recently elected to the board of Urban Sketchers, has big plans for the Memphis chapter. She would like for the group to do both more "event" sketching, as it did when it sketched at the India Fest this year and the Metal Museum's Repair Days last year, and more documenting of Memphis people and places.

"Urban Sketchers has a manifesto, the last part of which is, 'We show the world, one drawing at a time,' and I want us to show more of Memphis, one drawing at a time," she says.

The group has attracted many local artists. Lindsey Overbey has a BFA in painting from the University of Memphis and has lived in Memphis all of her life. She followed Alley's blog, Sketchwork (sketchwork.blogspot.com), for a few years.

"I saw her post about the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Portland, and I thought it sounded awesome," she says. Shortly after that, when she saw on Facebook that Alley was starting a group in Memphis, she knew she wanted to be a part of it.

Now she looks forward to meeting up with a group of local people with the same interest, while also being a part of a global group.

"It's really interesting to see everyone's sketches and how we interpret the same location with our own artistic styles," she says.

Carl Fox, who is a web designer at Hilton Worldwide, says he has always been an artist and is always looking to hone his skills. He follows Alley on Twitter, and when she posted about the Memphis Urban Sketchers meeting at the Memphis Farmers Market in late fall of last year, he decided to go.

"It was a beautiful day. I went, met Elizabeth and the group, and got hooked," he says.

Because Fox is in front of a screen most of the time, he says it is a relief to take in the outside world with other sketchers.

"To feel the environment around me and then to draw what I see is always surprising and usually captures some emotion I experienced in that place," he says. "Being able to share that with others and see the same thing from them is what it's all about. It helps me notice things I'd have missed otherwise."

Mary Jo Karimnia works in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, wire and both traditional and multimedia mosaic. She shows her work regularly at Lisa Kurts Gallery, teaches at Flicker Street Studio and is also an artist in residence at Page Robbins Adult Daycare Center in Collierville, where she does art with dementia clients. Drawing has been a regular practice for her for years.

"When I heard about the Memphis Urban Sketchers, I thought it might be another good, regular excuse to put marks on paper and practice getting in that creative place," she says.

Her favorite outings include sessions at the Downtown Farmers Market and the old Sears building, which she helped organize.

"Urban sketching hones a unique set of skills outside of drawing, like working while someone looks over your shoulder and paring materials down to a carry-able amount," she says. "The regular artists in the group have a wide variety of styles, and all levels are welcome, encouraged and respected."

Alley says each meeting is different and often full of surprises. At the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, the group ran into an artist who was there to see the current exhibit.

"She sat with us, and we had a nice talk about studio habits and what being an artist means," Alley says.

In March, they were due to meet at Court Square, but it was so rainy and cold that they went into the Blue Plate Café and took over one of its big round tables. "We all sketched, and we would talk and then lapse into silence, then talk some more. It was so cozy and fun."

All skill levels are welcome at the meetings. To get started, you just show up with your sketchbook. For the Memphis Urban Sketchers sketch groups (and other Saturday adventures) Alley carries a 5-inch-by-8-inch Moleskine. She uses pencil mostly, some colored pencil, some pen or markers, and occasionally watercolors.

"Basically anything that is portable," she says.

It's a very casual group. The only rule is that you have to let Alley see what you draw. For those who may be feeling shy, Alley also teaches sketchbook classes at Flicker Street Studio.

Alley says, "The purpose of these classes is to get people comfortable with the idea of using a sketchbook, of getting it dirty and allowing it to be an imperfect thing, and getting them used to drawing in front of other people."

Someday, Alley hopes to have a show of the group's work. "The goal to achieving that is to have enough people attending meetings regularly enough that I would feel comfortable putting a show up somewhere."

Upcoming Sketch Groups for 2012

(The meetings are usually at 10 or 11 a.m., depending on the location.)

Jan. 7 -- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

Feb. 4 -- The Peabody

Mar. 3 -- The riverfront

April 7 -- Memphis Botanic Garden

May 5 -- Beale Street (during but not at Music Festival)

June 2 -- Central Library

July 7 -- Mississippi River Museum (to be confirmed)

Aug 4 -- Young Avenue Deli

Sept. 2 -- Collierville Town Square

Locations for the other monthly meetings are not set yet.

Urban Sketchers Manifesto

1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.

3. Our drawings are a record of time and place.

4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness.

5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.

6. We support each other and draw together.

7. We share our drawings online.

8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.

More information

Memphis Urban Sketchers: urbansketchers-memphis.blogspot.com

Urban Sketchers: urbansketchers.org

Flicker Street Sketching Classes: flickerstreetstudio.com

Elizabeth Alley: sketchwork.blogspot.com or urbansketchers-memphis.blogspot.com

Seattle Sketcher by Gabriel Campanario: seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seattlesketcher

Personal touches of time, attention and care make for presents to remember

2011-12-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

Published December 13, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Debi Vincent, who lives in Germantown, won't be doing much Christmas shopping this year. Instead, she'll be busy making her gifts by hand.

"To me, giving a handmade gift is truly the essence of gift-giving. It tells the recipient that you cared enough about them to put time, attention and love into that gift," she says.

Vincent believes handmade gifts have a story and a soul. This year, she is making most of her gifts from recycled felted wool sweaters.

"Have you ever had a beautiful wool sweater and accidentally put it in the washer and dryer, only to end up with a teeny tiny sweater? That was felting," Vincent says.

Regular sheep's wool, lambswool, alpaca, angora and cashmere felt are best. Vincent finds secondhand sweaters, felts them, and then uses the resulting material to fashion a number of items like slippers, mittens, hats, iPad cases, banners and flower pins.

Vincent likes that she can control the quality and environmental impact of the goods that go into each of her gifts, but it's the actual creation and construction that she enjoys the most.

"I was encouraged from a young age to be creative, so it's always seemed natural to want to make things and share them. I hope some of that love comes through in the objects I create," she says.

Time is the most valuable ingredient in Vincent's gifts. She might spend 10 hours or more on a pair of slippers.

"The planning stages always seem to take the most, and then there's making the patterns, choosing and processing materials, construction, embellishing, and then finishing," she says.

It's all worth it to Vincent. She takes pride in the fact that her gifts aren't mass-produced and can't be found in crowded malls.

"Making things by hand helps put the humanity back into our everyday lives," Vincent says.

Midtowners Scott and Amy Banbury decided to start making their own holiday gifts 16 years ago for several reasons.

"We are both artsy and can make stuff, we were very poor 16 years ago, and Christmas consumption drives us both crazy," explains Amy, adding, "Personally, I think homemade gifts are the bomb."

Scott Banbury says he doesn't necessarily oppose the purchasing of gifts, but he believes they ought to be thoughtful.

"Making your own, or buying from local artisans invokes thoughtfulness. Waiting in line to get a deal on a mass-manufactured consumer product doesn't," he says.

They both agree that some of their early handmade gift-giving efforts were unsuccessful.

"The first year we did it, we just hot-glued a bunch of nature stuff on some fresh-cut logs, and months later, beetles were crawling out of them," he says.

"We called them 'yule logs,'" she explains. "Scott drilled a hole so they could hold a candle. My mom's caught on fire when she used it because of all the stuff we glued on them."

They've honed their skills over the years, and now that the couple have children, the whole family makes gifts.

"The kids are very creative, so they think it's fun. It's the one time of the year I don't cringe and complain when the house is trashed with art supplies," she says.

This year, Amy is embroidering tea towels and handkerchiefs. Scott is making wooden rubber-band guns, cutting boards and iPhone charging stations. Their son, Kade, is making blank flip books, and daughter Brighid is sawing off the heads of plastic animals and gluing them to wood scraps to make tiny taxidermy trophy heads.

All of their materials are found, reclaimed or purchased secondhand.

"Some of the flip books we are making are out of Scott's leftover (City Council) campaign fliers, and they all have recycled cardboard covers from Cheez-It boxes or whatever is in the cupboard," Amy says.

For her best friend, who is a "Scrabble junkie," Amy plans to make a refrigerator Scrabble set from game pieces she collected at yard sales over the summer. She says that after 16 years, "I think our friends and family know that it's hit or miss."

Julie Baltz, who works at the Memphis Botanic Garden, thinks it means so much more to someone when you make a gift for them or when the gift is handmade locally or regionally.

"It's important to support these efforts in protest to the mad spending at the typical mall shops and big-business stores," she says.

She's currently knitting washcloths to accompany some locally made soaps that she purchased from Peace Bee Farm at the Memphis Botanic Garden's Farmers Market. Other gifts she has planned are homemade bath salts or milk bath mixes that she can package in fancy or old-looking jars found at thrift stores. Baltz also plans to do some sewing projects using old T-shirts.

Baltz considers the bigger picture of gift-giving.

"I try to reuse 'garbage' in at least some of my gifts to try and offset the insane overuse of disposable packaging and wrapping paper," she says. In that vein, she is making recycled paper ornaments using leftover brochures from her work that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

She wraps her gifts in material, pretty scarves or brown paper bags that she decorates.

"Or I use the gift bags I nagged everyone about saving at last year's family Christmas," she says.

Baltz says making her own gifts saves her money, but requires a good bit of time. She knits about an hour a day, maybe more. Because she works full time and has a 2-year-old daughter, she says a washcloth can take two days or two weeks.

"I generally start knitting gifts around Halloween," she says.

Lynn Conlee, who works at Rhodes College, gave her mom a drawing she had done and experienced how much more personal it feels to share something you actually made with someone. This year, she has decided to make gifts for everyone on her list.

She was inspired by an art magazine called Juxtapose.

"Aaron Horkey was featured. He does these detailed illustrations, often of natural scenes," Conlee says. She doesn't consider herself to be an illustrator, but she took several of her own photos of leaves on the ground, converted them to black and white, and ran them through some Photoshop filters to give them the appearance of line-art illustrations.

"While I was playing with them in Photoshop, I noticed the leaves in one of the images had formed angel shapes," she says. "That's when it occurred to me that these could possibly become holiday gifts -- if I didn't screw them up!"

Conlee had them printed on a high-quality digital printer using heavier cover stock with a dull finish.

"The dimension I got from the black-and-white versions appealed to me, but I started thinking about adding some random color to the leaves," she says. "That plan turned into pretty much full-scale hand-coloring using color pencils."

The surface of the cover stock allowed the color to build on itself in an interesting way, almost like paint, Conlee says. She really likes the effect. "It's understated, but pops at the same time." She bought some standard-size frames with precut mats to complete the gifts.

If arts and crafts don't inspire, there is always the kitchen. Michael Hughes, a local food and wine expert, is making unique and edible gifts with husband, Kelly Robinson.

"When making edible gifts, it's best to make a variety because not everybody's tastes are the same," he says. So far Hughes and Robinson have made cherry liqueur and smoked whiskey poached cherries; rum and Meyer lemon-cured blueberries; ginger bitters; bacon bitters; soy-sesame-sriracha-sugar-lime roasted cashews and hot sauce. They are also making different kinds of chocolates, like dark chocolate-covered salted caramels, rum caramels and chocolate-covered whiskey custard.

"The way I see it," Hughes says, "most people, myself included, would rather have something they could eat or drink as opposed to yet another something to clutter up the shelves."

He says the rum-cured blueberries would be great over ice cream or cheesecake, in muffins or in a gin- or rum-based cocktail. The cherries make great garnishes for Manhattans or other drinks.

"When we made the roasted cashews, it was absolutely impossible not to snack on them," Hughes says. "They are perfect as a simple snack or to add some crunch and spice to a chilled noodle salad."

BÁnh MÌ at Pho Saigon

2011-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Published December 8, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

If you like barbecue sandwiches with hot sauce and cole slaw, then you absolutely have to try a bánh mì sandwich. It takes this hot/sweet/savory combination to the next level. Most Vietnamese restaurants offer bánh mì sandwiches, whether they are on the menu or not. Although bánh mì is technically the term for any type of bread, it is commonly used to denote a small baguette. The small, crunchy baguette is the foundation of the sandwich, which usually includes liver pâté, sliced pork, steamed pork roll, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon radish, sliced cucumbers, sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro. Pho Saigon has taken the bánh mì to the next level by including a layer of crispy and flavorful barbecued pork rather than the typically bland sliced pork used in other restaurants. They also make their own pâté from ground pork and tomatoes. These substitutions make it a bit more amenable to the American, er, Memphis palate. At $3.99 a pop, there really is no excuse for not trying one.
— Stacey Greenberg

Pho Saigon, 2946 Poplar (458-1644)

Local pros share favorite tools, ingredients for holiday sweets

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Published December 7, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

This is part of an ongoing series about specialty cooks in the Mid-South.

For Arneishea Owens, who runs Madarn's Bake House from her Cooper-Young home, baking is more than a business. She learned it as a child, watching her grandmother. Like many bakers, she was seduced by the smell before she became committed to the process.

"The aroma was so captivating and hypnotizing; the smells would draw me into the kitchen," she says.

Owens began asking questions, and her grandmother would take her time explaining the purpose of each ingredient.

Now, Owens bakes every day. She sells 20 to 24 cakes a month, and her best-seller is the Back in the Day Pound Cake, which is her great-grandmother's recipe. "The cake is so light and fluffy that it dissolves through your taste buds," she says. "I want to bottle the aroma and wear it as perfume!"

As you prepare for holiday baking, take inspiration from Owens and other local bakers.

For Owens, the most important ingredient is a creative mind -- and patience. She believes that fancy or unusual ingredients aren't necessary for great baking.

"There are endless possibilities of what can be created using eggs, milk, butter, baking powder or soda and flavoring," she says.

Jimmy Hoxie, a chef and baker who also lives in Midtown, attended Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, S.C., and taught at L'Ecole Culinaire. Baking was one of his stronger classes. "I love the smells that waft out of the oven, creating new recipes in my brain and trying them out until I get them right, and sharing my new finds or old favorites with friends and family," he says.

Like Owens, Hoxie has some really old family recipes he loves.

"In our family, it's my great-grandmother's recipe for kuchen that I helped my grandmother make as I was growing up," he says. "The smell of the yeast mixed with the cinnamon and butter and the slight smokey scent of the sugar brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen every time."

His advice for bakers is to learn the basics. "Once you have mastered a basic pastry dough, you can expand on it. Try adding some finely chopped herbs or curry powder. Let your imagination run wild."

He's insistent about one thing -- butter. "Always use real butter. Margarine is the closest thing to plastic that is consumed by humans," he says.

"Lard also has its place, especially in pie crusts and biscuits."

Finally, Hoxie says that artificial flavorings are a waste of time and money. "Go real, or don't go at all," he says.

Kat Gordon, owner of Muddy's Bake Shop, has been "messing around" in the kitchen since she could walk. "The best thing my parents did for me was teach me that a mistake made while cooking is not a big deal, so I felt free to bravely experiment," Gordon says. "I learned a lot from failure and still do!"

She advises making notes in your recipe books and reading the introductions in cookbooks. "Authors put a lot of good stuff in there about the methods they use, and it could save you a lot of heartache and wasted sugar."

Gordon's pantry staples include King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, which she notes is the best all-around flour she has found. Farm-fresh eggs (hers are from Donnell Farm in Jackson, Tenn.) are a must. "A 'large' egg should measure about 1/4 cup, so if you're using fresh eggs of different sizes, just crack and whisk 'em, then measure out what you need," she says.

When a recipe calls for milk, Gordon says it means whole milk. Semi-sweet chocolate chips melt quickly, and they can be easily substituted for other chocolates. Fresh herbs and spices like allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, anise, clove, cardamom, rosemary, sage, thyme and peppermint are great for baked goods.

Gordon is a fan of Nielsen Massey Vanilla Extract or Miss Mildred's Wicked Vanilla (homemade at Muddy's by a friend). She notes "double strength" vanilla will throw off your measurements if you are using a recipe.

Finally, she recommends parchment paper. "Wax paper is not the same." Parchment paper can be used to line cookie sheets and cake pans and to put underneath cookies while icing them. Gordon also likes to tear off a piece to put on the counter for easy cleanup of her batter-covered spatulas, dirty measuring cups and other tools as she bakes.

All the bakers have certain tools that are indispensable.

Owens makes perfect cupcakes and cookies by using a 2-ounce trigger ice cream scoop to measure the batter and a butter knife for leveling.

Hoxie's list includes a digital scale, an accurate candy thermometer, a bench scraper (to scoop dough or flour from your work surface), a decent set of pastry tips, parchment paper, a bread stone and commercial half-sheet pans. (The full ones don't fit in most home ovens.)

He advises getting the best you can afford.

Gordon says an oven thermometer is the easiest, cheapest way for anyone to be a better baker. "No one's oven stays calibrated perfectly, and this will ensure that you're baking at the right temperature."

Her favorite thing to bake is pies, followed closely by cookies, so she says a rolling pin is indispensable. "I know the pros like the French pin, but I've always preferred the kind with handles."

Before buying, see what feels better in your hand. "You want it to be comfortable, weighty, big enough to accommodate the dough you're rolling out, but not too big for your counter space," she said.

She uses cookie cutters to cut shapes to top pies, to cut sandwiches for kids' tea parties and to make cookies. Find them inexpensively at estate sales. Pyrex liquid measuring cups a in variety of sizes and vintage Pyrex oven-to-table ware are also favorites. Gordon prefers a balloon whisk and a 10-inch flat rubber spatula, but suggests seeing what feels good to you. "You want them to fit comfortably in your hand so it feels like an extension of your own arm."

Gordon adores the Cuisinart 14-cup food processor her mother gave to her as a Christmas present in college. "I didn't have a stand mixer at home until 2010, but I would've been lost without my trusty food processor," she says. "It can do cookie dough, but it also helps with non-baking tasks like shredding and chopping vegetables." Gordon advises that if you have to pick one piece of expensive equipment, the food processor is it. "Get a cheap hand mixer for icings, etc.," she says.

Get two large sheet pans, two 8-inch cake pans, one 9-by-13-inch pan for brownies (good for lasagna, too), one muffin pan and one 9-inch pie plate. Get the best quality, because these are the things you'll use the most, she said.

Staples for the baker's pantry

Unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur)

Sugar (Domino)

Baking powder and baking soda

Farm fresh eggs

Fresh herbs and spices (allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, anise, clove, cardamom, rosemary, sage, thyme and peppermint)

Honey

Real butter

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sorghum molasses

Vanilla extract (Nielsen Massey or Miss Mildred's)

Whole milk

Crispy Rice Treats with Browned Butter and Sea Salt

4 oz. unsalted butter

1 (10-oz.) bag marshmallows

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Butter a 9-by-12-inch pan. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.

Let it melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir often, being sure to scrape the bottom. Watch it carefully, as the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows until melted.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal. Spread into prepared pan.

Let cool and cut into squares or whatever shapes your heart desires.

Source: Adapted by Kat Gordon from smittenkitchen.com

Classic Pound Cake with Orange Glaze

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

5 eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups sifted cake flour

Orange glaze:

1/4 cup fresh strained orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. grated orange zest

Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan set aside for later use. With a mixer on the lowest speed, cream butter, sugar and salt together for 8 minutes until light and fluffy. Still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla with the last egg. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Return the mixer to the lowest speed; gradually add the flour mixing until just blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Shake pan gently to distribute batter. Place on center rack of cold oven.

Turn oven setting to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Test for doneness by carefully inserting a cake tester in the center of cake. When the tester comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven; cool on wire cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, powder sugar, and 1 teaspoon orange zest in bowl. Turn cake out of pan onto wire rack. Place waxed paper under rack to catch glaze drippings. Slowly spoon orange glaze onto top of hot cake. Cool completely before serving.

Source: Arneishea Owens

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. milk

40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan. Makes 40.

Source: allrecipes.com

What to recycle: Memphis rules can be confusing, plant limited in what it can take

2011-11-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Published November 29, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Memphis has about a 30 percent recycling rate, and neighborhoods all over the city participate. However, knowing exactly what can and cannot be recycled is still an issue for many avid recyclers.

Andy Ashford, administrator of recycling and composting for the city, says he is no longer surprised by the things people put in their recycling bins.

"I've seen everything from baby doll heads to rocking chairs," he says.

Plastic and cardboard pose the greatest challenge for residents. Some more obvious plastic items like gift cards, balloons and plastic applicators cannot be accepted. Plastic gardening pots and trays technically can be recycled, but Ashford says a stack of 50 wouldn't be considered a typical residential collection.

In general, Ashford asks that residents focus on bottles and containers that are marked No. 1 or No. 2. He says it isn't necessary to remove the plastic tops from bottles, but notes the bottles do compact better without their caps.

Plastic grocery bags pose a major problem in terms of litter and the city's recycling equipment.

"They blow out of the bins, and they are often made of different types of plastic," Ashford notes. He asks that they not be included with the recyclables, even if they are just being used to separate the paper items. Paper should be separated in a paper bag. If that isn't possible, Ashford says to just stack it beside the other recyclables in the bin.

Ashford also asks that plastic bags not be stuffed inside larger No. 1 and No. 2 containers.

"It could cause a problem at the plant. The plastic bags can get wrapped around gears and shut the whole plant down," he said.

East Memphis resident Chloe O'Hearn says she puts any kind of plastic in her bin in the hopes that the city will get the hint and start taking all of it.

"I can never remember which numbers they take, and heard a rumor once that they really do recycle all of it anyways," she says.

Ashford responds that he wishes it wasn't about the public giving them a hint. "I'd rather they follow instructions until further notice," he says. Plastics that are not No. 1 or No. 2 are sorted out at the plant and processed at the landfill.

O'Hearn says it makes her angry that the city doesn't take slightly larger plastic containers, such as cat litter buckets.

"Rigid containers are sometimes too big for the sort lines, which are covered. We aren't set up to handle large bulk items at this time," Ashford explains.

In terms of paper and cardboard, Ashford says paper with staples or glue is fine. Large paper bags (such as charcoal, pet food), which are technically called craft bags, are a gray area. They are bulky and hard to deal with, they don't always fit, and they can have residue.

"I prefer that people not recycle these until we can provide larger collection containers," Ashford says.

Paper towels and napkins are no-nos because they can be contaminated. Ashford also says pizza boxes should be left by the crew. If they aren't, they are sorted out as trash, because of possible contamination. If they are put in with clean office paper, they can contaminate the whole load.

"We prefer not to venture down that road. The people who buy our cardboard expect a certain quality. They will reject it if they see pizza boxes. It's happened before," Ashford said.

Another major issue is big pieces of cardboard that aren't broken down to the size of the recycle bin. Cordova resident William Pearson explains:

"I put a bunch of small boxes out one time, thinking they would take them because they were small enough not to be broken down. They rejected them. The next week, I spent half an hour breaking everything down, and sanitation workers took them with the normal trash."

Ashford says that when the cardboard recycling program started, it wasn't the perfect marriage between the nature of the product and the recycling vehicles available.

"Corrugated cardboard gets stuck in the trucks. That's why we ask people to break it down and cut to size," he says.

"Some homes don't break the boxes down, and they are often mixed with other materials. Some want them picked up by trash trucks, and others want them recycled." Often, it depends on which crew comes first, Ashford explains, and many times, the workers may not know the homeowner's intent.

"It's not a perfect system," he says, "and workers are constantly asked to make a logical and reasonable choice. Some employees don't." He said the next generation of the recycling program will address this issue.

Used food containers and wax-coated cups (Starbucks cups, milk cartons, etc.) are another gray area. Technically, they can be recycled, but Ashford prefers that residents follow the rules and focus on bottles.

Aluminum and metal recyclables pose less of a challenge to residents, but Ashford does specify that wire coat hangers, aluminum foil and aluminum pans are nos.

"Take the hangers back to the cleaners. Aluminum beverage containers are not made from the same material as aluminum foil or pans," he says.

Other miscellaneous "nos" include wine corks, Styrofoam clamshells, Styrofoam cups, light bulbs, batteries and old electronics.

O'Hearn is somewhat put out by the strict recycling rules.

"Paper towels aren't recyclable? Seriously, I put pizza boxes and paper towels in my bin all the time, as long as they aren't really dirty," she says. "Aluminum foil, too. My grandma's recycling in San Diego takes practically everything. We are so behind the times here."

Ashford acknowledges that technology has changed a lot in the 16 years since the city started its program.

"We have a long way to go here," he says, adding that retrofitting the city's recycling plant to a more inclusive single-stream system (no pre-sorting) is a priority.

The cost of waste disposal in a landfill is what drives recycling programs. The cost in Memphis is $23 per ton. In other cities it is as high as $100 per ton.

"Costs drive whether people want to participate. It's not fair to compare us to cities like Portland, Oregon," he says.

Ashford notes that Portland recently went to every-other-week garbage pickup because of the success of the recycling program.

"It's a big step, but maybe we can get there," he says.

Curbside collection has been stagnant for several years at 8 to 10 tons per year. In 2010, the city collected 8,992 tons of recyclables. Ashford anticipates a switch to a single-stream system will increase the numbers dramatically.

"Single stream is less hassle and more convenient," he says.

"We know we need to divert more materials from the landfill and we need to make the program simpler," Ashford says.

However, Pearson doesn't think it's always good when things go to a landfill.

"People should really focus more on the first two R's: reduce and reuse. Recycle comes last because it's the least-efficient method of conservation," he says.

Recycling info

Information: cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=666

All homes serviced by City of Memphis Solid Waste Management are issued one 18-gallon tan recycling bin, capable of holding one or more weeks' worth of household recyclable material. Recycle only the materials identified in promotional literature and this website.

Curbside recycling collection is every week on the same day as garbage collection.

Recycle the following items

All steel food, beverage and empty aerosol cans are accepted. You can leave the labels and lids attached. Rinsing is recommended, but not required.

All empty aluminum food and beverage cans accepted. Labels are OK, and rinsing is not required.

All empty plastic milk and soda containers and small food containers with the recycling symbol No. 1 PETE or No. 2 HDPE, usually made into the container side or bottom. Remove caps and leave labels attached. Rinsing is recommended.

All empty clear, brown and green bottles and jars are accepted. You can leave labels attached, but remember to remove lids. Rinsing is not required.

All magazines, phone books and clean, dry newspapers with inserts are acceptable. Just put your newspapers, magazines and phone books in paper bag (no plastic bags) and lay the paper bag(s) flat on top of the other mixed items in your bin.

Recycling of corrugated paper or paperboard is available. Some cardboard items, such as pizza boxes, are not acceptable.

White and colored paper, envelopes, manila folders, stationery, notebook paper, sticky notes, etc. Must be in a paper bag.

Place any excess recyclables in paper grocery bags next to your recycling bin at curbside.

Do not use recycling bin for garbage or yard waste.

Unacceptable items will be left in the bin for your disposal. The more you recycle, the more room there is in your green cart and the less trash that goes to landfills.

Do not recycle

Plastic bags, plastic wrap, toys, large buckets, trays or anything with recycling numbers higher than those listed above.

Tom's Tiny Kitchen Pimento Cheese

2011-11-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

Published November 17, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

Something is happening in Tom Flournoy's "tiny kitchen." He's found a way to make pimento cheese taste good. Real good. It's full of thickly shredded, sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, onions, and spices. That's it. Now, I know there are fans out there who think pimento cheese tastes good no matter what, but those of us who thought we didn't like it have suddenly had to change our tune. Had "Tom's Son" (that's what his name tag said) not given me a free sample at the Cooper-Young Farmer's Market a few weeks ago, I am sure I wouldn't have even tried it, much less purchased a $7 tub of it. Before I could complete my transaction, two ladies from Cordova came up. They had run out of the delicious sandwich spread and needed more. Now! Tom's Son wasn't surprised. Apparently, the city is full of die-hard fans of Tom's Tiny Kitchen pimento cheese. Available at Miss Cordelia's, High Point Grocery, and SuperLo Foods on Spottswood.

Tom's Tiny Kitchen, tjflournoy@gmail.com (569-7677)

Movable feasts: Food trucks gain traction around town as quick, tasty dining options

2011-11-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Published November 9, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Now that food trucks are out and about in Memphis, part of the fun for local food lovers is finding the 25 trucks that have been certified since an ordinance was passed in the spring giving the the vendors flexibility on where they can set up.

Talyon Swan, who lives in the Berclair area, is a big fan of the Los Jarochos taco truck. (The word "Jarocho" is a person, item or style of music from Veracruz, Mexico.) It has been setting up in the evenings near Summer and Perkins for about two months.

"They are super-friendly and have awesome food," says Swan. "There's really a good neighborhood vibe when there are 10 or 15 people eating and talking."

Swan has been several times, both alone and with friends, and highly recommends it.

"The steak tacos are my favorite, but there are several flavors to choose from," he says, adding that the tacos usually come with onion, cilantro and lime on the side. There are also multiple homemade salsas, as well as onion, tomato, and cucumber for additional toppings.

Food trucks can also be found at Shelby Farms Park. Linda Brashear, strategic operations director for the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, says the park staff has worked primarily with Parker's Water Ice, YoLo and Kona Ice.

"I hope to see food trucks that want to work in the park to offer a variety of quick, tasty, healthy choices to park users," says Brashear.

The park will require that the trucks pay a fee or give a share of their revenue.

"So far, we plan to work with Parker's to have a food trailer at the playground full time beginning with Starry Nights and continuing through the year," she says.

Right now Parker's is working the playground most weekends. It is only offering the water ice, but will expand the menu beginning with Starry Nights. Kona works the playground some, but also moves around the park and near the Greenline trailhead at Farm Road and Mullins Station where it sees groups of people.

Brashear says the park would love to have a food truck at the visitors center on weekends, but has not found anyone who can commit to that yet.

Leslie Gower, vice president of marketing and communications at the Downtown Memphis Commission, has reached out to the food trucks to encourage them to set up for lunch and dinner Downtown.

"We've offered to help promote when and where they'll be set up through our social media outlets," says Gower.

The rules for Downtown require that trucks must be parked in a legal, on-street parking space or in a parking lot with permission from the lot owner. Trucks must be at least 50 feet from the entrance of restaurants and 1,500 feet from permitted special events, including events taking place at AutoZone Park and FedExForum.

The Fuel Food Truck has been the first to regularly park Downtown.

"One of the challenges for some trucks is that they require an electrical source, but Fuel has a small generator so it isn't as restricted as some of the others," says Gower.

Fuel uses all-natural ingredients and humanely raised meats, has a mobile credit card service and Project Green Fork certification.

Erik Proveaux, co-owner of Fuel Café on Madison, had a bit of a head start on the other vendors: He had a food truck before he had a restaurant. "I bought it off of eBay one morning about six years ago," he says.

The chef, who graduated from the Baltimore International Culinary College, specialized in catering for film crews. After an especially profitable film, he decided to start working for himself. The food truck auction had six hours to go when Proveaux stumbled upon it.

"It was a quarter of what it would cost new and only had 2,000 miles on it, which is a ridiculous deal," he says.

Since he opened the café a few years ago, Proveaux, along with co-owner Carrie Mitchum, has used the truck to cater film and television productions, but since the local laws regarding food trucks have changed, he decided to use the truck in town. His friends in the catering business may laugh at his small truck and call it the "short bus," but after a month on the road, it's making quite a name for itself.

Proveaux started off simple by creating a menu of grilled cheese sandwiches and tacos. Because of his commitment to using all-natural ingredients and humanely raised meats, his offerings were met with excitement by customers.

For example, bison, chicken, veggie and even vegan tacos are prepared using fresh tortillas from Las Delicias, and the Mediterranean tuna melt and grilled cheese sandwiches are made with fresh bread from La Baguette.

As he has gotten more comfortable, he has expanded the menu to include more interesting combinations.

"Last week we had a ham, brie and caramelized onion panini with apricot jam," he says. Now that colder weather is on the horizon, he's trying out more soups, such as a bison barley with cremini mushrooms, and firing up the deep fryer. Fuel is known for its hand-cut fries, and Proveaux likes the idea of adding fried fish to his taco offerings.

"I want to keep the food truck menu different from the restaurant to the point that it's fun," says Proveaux, adding that he doesn't want to get pegged as a taco stand either. "We're getting more creative every day."

Proveaux has been taking the truck Downtown for lunch during the week and to special events in the evenings and on weekends for about a month. He communicates the truck's whereabouts with Facebook and Twitter, at @fuelfoodtruck. It felt like a slow start, but Proveaux says, "Once people find us, they like us."

Another restaurant owner, Central BBQ's Craig Blondis, is gearing up to take his food truck on the road. He only needs to install a self-closing screen door before he can obtain Tennessee certification (there are five vendors pending certification right now), and his plan is to go to different parts of town during lunch and set up in front of office buildings, like FedEx on Hacks Cross.

"I'd like to use the truck to test areas for future restaurants," says Blondis. He says he can serve anything on the truck that he makes in the restaurants -- sandwiches, nachos, ribs, portobello mushroom sandwiches -- because he'll be using the truck as a commissary. "We keep everything in a hot box and mirror the restaurant."

He'd like to get started in December, but says January is more realistic.

"We'll post on Facebook like they do in New York and L.A. and see what kind of response we get," he says.

Mediterranean Tuna Melt

1 La Baguette baguette

2 (5-oz.) cans of chunk lite tuna

2 oz. black olives

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

1 bunch parsley or basil

Italian vinaigrette, to taste

1 lemon, juiced

1 tomato, sliced

4 slices of provolone cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, for grilling

Split baguette lengthwise, then cut in 4 or 5 sections. Drain and flake the tuna. Rough chop olives and artichoke hearts; finely chop parsley or basil; mix in dressing and lemon juice. Fold in tuna. The mixture should not be too dry or runny. Adjust with dressing and salt and pepper.

Preheat cast iron skillet or griddle on medium low heat, assemble sandwiches with tuna mixture, sliced tomatoes, and provolone. Brush top and bottom with olive oil and place in pan. For the "panini effect" you can have a smaller cast iron pan preheated to weigh down the sandwich as it cooks with a piece of foil in between to keep it clean. Let the sandwich warm and toast till the cheese is melted and it smells done. Flip it once to check progress. Cook 5-10 minutes. Makes 4 to 5.

Bison Tacos

1 lb. ground bison

Olive or corn oil

1 package taco seasoning

1 package Las Delicias corn tortillas

1 (8 oz.) package Mexican blend cheese

Toppings such as chopped red onions, shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream and chopped cilantro

Brown bison in a little oil, add taco seasoning to taste, then add 1/2 cup water and reduce until the mixture is a little drier than for Sloppy Joes. Keep warm. (Bison is generally available at Whole Foods or Kroger.)

In a large cast iron skillet or on a griddle preheated on medium heat, place two tortillas with cheese in between (like you're making a quesadilla.). Let cheese melt, then flip. These are your taco shells. Add 2 ounces meat, then add toppings and serve. Makes 5 to 6.

Source, both recipes: Erik Proveaux

Food trucks deliver grab and go options
Published November 9, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Want to try food truck cuisine in the Memphis area? Here are some of the available options (since they move around, find them through word of mouth, driving around town, or by checking Facebook and Twitter):

Archie's Burgers

B and B Concessions

Boss Man/Pit Stop B. B. Que

Caradines BBQ

Crumpy's on Wheels

Curbside Bar B Que

Evan Alston -- Pit Masterz

Jessie B's BBQ & Soul Food

Kona Ice of Memphis

La Flor Michoacán

Latrice Mills Sandwiches & More

Los Jarochos

Malians Wings

Mid South Consessions

Momma Moes Meals on Wheels

Papa Chucks BBQ

Scooter's Bar-B-Que

Shack House Grill Mobile Vendor

Southern Favorites

Square Meals on Wheels

Taco's El Pato

The Family Pit

The Fuel Truck

Turkey Legs Express

YoLo Airstream Food Truck

Getting certified

Otho Sawyer, environmental sanitation supervisor for the Shelby County Health Department, says the certification process goes smoothly for the owners of food trucks if they comply with the requirements before they build, purchase or retrofit a mobile food truck.

"If they don't know and don't follow the requirements, then the approval process can take much longer and be more expensive," says Sawyer. "Some of the owners I have approved have experienced a lengthy process for those reasons."

The process is similar to getting a permit for a non-mobile food service establishment. The owner must submit drawings to scale of the unit showing the location and type of food equipment, floors, walls and ceilings, as well as a menu. After approval, an inspection is conducted.

Call or e-mail Sawyer at otho.sawyer@shelbycountytn.gov or Thomas Schachner (schachner.thomas@shelbycountytn.gov) before purchasing or retrofitting a food truck. They can be reached at (901) 222-9203.

Buddy system: Environmentally sustainable habits rub off on friends, students, co-workers

2011-11-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

Published November 8, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Kalki Winter, who worked in the landscaping business for 11 years, was a firm believer in insecticide pellets and Miracle-Gro. Landscaping had him focused on immediate benefits, but he knew that it wasn't the healthiest long-term approach. A friend convinced him to try organic gardening.

Winter met potter Melissa Bridgman in 2001 while organizing the Midtown Artist Market Holiday Show. Shortly thereafter, he joined Bridgman's book club, and they became friends.

"Kalki and I started talking gardening in 2003 or 2004. I remember being aghast when he told me that the reason his tomatoes were so large was his blue synthetic fertilizer habit," Bridgman says. After that conversation, the two started talking compost and pesticides.

Whether at home, in school, or at work, relationships among the environmentally conscious are making an impact in the community at large.

Bridgman says that when she was growing up, her mom always gardened. Even though she used Miracle-Gro and fought bad pests with Sevin Dust, her mom always had a compost pile. Her mother's youngest sister had cancer at an early age and had learned a lot about nutrition and the bad effects of chemicals. That experience made an impact on the extended family.

Now years later, at her Midtown home, Bridgman collects rainwater, composts, raises chickens, avoids synthetic chemicals, and has hundreds of healthy plants in her yard. Winter says he'd go to Bridgman's house and see what she was doing, and be inspired to try new things on his own. "She was the first person in my peer group that

was really walking the walk," he says.

Now Winter has taken his love of organic gardening to the next level. He recently started his own landscaping business, E-scape -- Landscaping Solutions for a Greener Memphis. Through his new work, he hopes to improve the environment visually and resourcewise. E-scape focuses on xeriscaping, which means incorporating native and low-maintenance plants to reduce the amount of water needed.

"My idea is to make gardening friendly for the environment, the budget and the gardener. Gardening really is easy when you aren't forcing a plant into a new environment," he says.

Winter's mantra is "The less time spent watering, the less money spent." At his Midtown house, he now catches rainwater off of the roof in a barrel as well as condensation from his air-conditioning unit. The water that would typically go to the sewer instead goes to his laundry or his garden. He says he collects 30 gallons a day in the summer.

Teachers Jen Wood-Bowien and Brittany Clark, who met at Middle College High School, use their mutual interest in environmental issues and their friendship to further the knowledge of their students.

They've done several projects together, one of which involved making bags from old T-shirts. "We let the kids decorate the T-shirts however they wanted then showed them how to create a bag," Clark explains. They took the bag T-shirts to a national student conference, and they were such a hit that others asked if they could buy them.

Clark and Wood-Bowien also took the students to a recycling plant, the University of Memphis' Terra House, and an interactive, experiential tour of the BRIDGES Center for a firsthand investigation of green building design, sustainability principles and leadership.

"It's really important to expose the kids to these ideas because they are so wasteful anyway," Clark says. "The amount of trash at school is ridiculous. The amount of paper alone is unbelievable."

The two also try to lead by example. Wood-Bowien has developed quite a reputation for reusing everything. "As a theater artist, I am very conscious of budget," she says. "I have none. Because of that, I'm always looking for ways to make something out of nothing."

She has found lots of things at the school -- the usual pens and coffee mugs and old books, but also clothes. "I guess over time people just lose things," she explains. Wood-Bowien has a big box full of sweaters and hoodies, shoes and backpacks that have landed on her doorstep. Whenever anyone rips something or spills something on their shirt, they come to her.

Her big finds come during the last week of the year when they hold "locker cleanout." "I must have 5,000 sheets of unused notebook paper that I have collected from that," she says, adding that she also has gently used binders in every shape, color and size and enough plastic protective sleeves and dividers to outfit the entire school. "Last year I got these great ACT study cards and three or four nice scientific calculators," she says. "I didn't know what to do with them myself, but the math department was sure happy."

Wood-Bowien says it's funny how the kids know what she does now. "They come to me for things and they bring me stuff," she says. "I don't know if I have necessarily inspired other teachers to be more responsible, but I think the kids get it on a very basic level."

To her, it's about not throwing a bunch of reusable stuff in a landfill. To them, it's about not throwing away money. "I guess that's OK -- as long as they get the idea that repurposing is a good idea," she says.

Clark agrees, "The kids don't realize the impact that they are having. They need to learn now, or the world won't be the same when they grow up and have children."

Becoming a mother inspired Danielle Youngblood to do something about the waste at her office. She's a national account manager with J. Hunt Home, a provider of lighting, furniture and home accessories to many national retailers. She travels all around America and to several other countries as part of her job.

"During my travels, I started to realize how much waste we produce," she says. "Since it doesn't just magically disappear, I wanted to make sure to do my part in keeping my waste as minimal as possible. I also see the ecological and environmental effects we are putting on this world and taking no responsibility for it."

She saw recycling as an easy way to get started at her office. She began recycling all of her own paper and cardboard at her desk and in the copy room. "I also set up garbage cans in the kitchen for everyone to recycle their aluminum, glass and plastic," Youngblood says. Once a week, she takes all of the recycling to a recycling center.

"So many people don't recycle because of the inconvenience, but if my 80-year-old grandmother can recycle and doesn't have curbside recycling, then anyone can," she says.

Since she began the recycling program at work, a few others at the office have stepped up to assist in getting it all to the recycling center since her job keeps her on the road at times. Co-worker Brad Chang says Youngblood's efforts have been effective. "Our coworkers used to just throw their recyclables in the trash, but now there's a conscious effort by all to recycle."

Breakfast: Fueling body, mind for productive day requires more than coffee, sugar

2011-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Published October 12, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for many, and for years Memphians have flocked to Brother Juniper's near the University of Memphis when it's time to fuel up for the coming day. The popular diner has topped plenty of best-of lists and has been featured on national television shows, including Rachael Ray's "$40 a Day."

Ray featured the San Diegan omelet, the most-ordered item on the menu. But owner Jonathan Koplin says that's not the reason customers order it; rather it's because "it's out of the ballpark." Inspired by a customer from San Diego, it's a bed of sour cream and home fries topped with portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, green onions, feta and cheddar cheese.

Koplin is a big believer in breakfast -- it's all the restaurant serves.

"To get your body moving with energy, you need to eat a good-quality breakfast -- not just a sugar fix and a cup of coffee," he says.

Usually, he has either the Florentine omelet (pesto, fresh spinach, tomatoes, turkey sausage and mozzarella) with a side of home fries and multigrain toast, or the No. 2 breakfast with two eggs, home fries, bacon and toast.

But for some, breakfast is just about convenience. Tamara Haywood, an adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis, admits that her love affair with her snooze button has led to a regular breakfast of sugar and caffeine. "I'm a closet Dunkin' Donuts addict. The drive-through is a big lure, plus they can actually make a decent cup of coffee," she says.

And some will skip it. If attorney Josh Spickler eats anything, it's something that he can eat on the way to work, like a banana. Sometimes he'll grab the first thing he sees. "If I'm lucky, that's a Butterfinger Mini from my co-worker's candy bowl," he says.

Skipping breakfast can backfire later in the day. Megan Murphy, who has been working as a registered dietitian for more than 25 years, has found that a lot of people who aren't that hungry in the morning aren't hungry at lunch either. "Their body comes calling at about 4 to 5 p.m. and then they are at the vending machine, or they're driving through some fast-food place on the way home from work," she says. Even if the meal skippers make a healthy choice at dinner, chances are that later in the evening they will snack on junk food and eat far more than they originally intended.

Breakfast doesn't have to be time-consuming to be nutritious. Tonya Meeks, who lives in Midtown and works as the development manager at Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, says she can't think without nourishment first thing in the day. Her usual breakfast consists of steel-cut oats, cooked with a handful of almonds, a teaspoon of turbinado sugar, cinnamon and ghee. (Ghee is clarified butter. Meeks says it has a richer, fuller flavor than regular butter.) The oats can be made in advance and then quickly reheated each morning.

Meeks is passionate about food. "I view food as one part nourishment, one part pleasure," she says. In addition to oatmeal, she likes raspberry soy yogurt with Groovy Foods Dark Star Granola or two eggs scrambled in butter with hot sauce and toast for breakfast.

Fish is the only meat that Meeks eats, so it's sometimes difficult to get the protein she needs at breakfast. She often drinks a glass of soy milk or has a soy chai. "Throughout all of my meals, I try to get a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Lack of protein makes me feel monkey-brained and scattered. So I need some earlier in the day to feel grounded," she says.

Protein is extra important for those who forgo sleep to exercise in the morning. Star Richey, of Star Runners, says protein is very important for runners. It helps to replenish the muscles after a run or workout. "Muscles are torn and damaged during a run, and consuming protein within 30 to 60 minutes after a run will help to rebuild them," she says.

Richey says a little bit of protein before a workout is fine but it can be hard to digest. Those who want to fuel their bodies pre-workout should focus on carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Richey's standard pre-run breakfast is simple: A whole-grain English muffin with natural peanut butter.

Yogurt is also a quick and easy breakfast. Stephy Wang Momper, who is a writer and avid runner, relies on yogurt for protein and calcium. She eats two yogurts every day -- a Yoplait with 50 percent calcium is an easy breakfast or quick snack for her. She also likes Greek yogurt for the huge boost of protein (14 to 20 grams per cup depending on brand) after a run. "I add a spoonful of jam, swizzle of honey, granola, whatever I want to it. Thick yogurt is like a not-too-sweet dessert for me," she says. Momper also likes to make smoothies with the yogurt.

Dee Moore of Mama D's Italian Ice (mymamads.com), has created an unusual breakfast with yogurt -- a breakfast pop. She likes to eat something healthful that will stick with her and provide the proper combination of carbohydrates, protein and fiber, but working early mornings at farmers markets makes fixing a hot breakfast nearly impossible. "Throw in the fact that it's over 100 degrees during my busy season, so I came up with the idea of providing a breakfast pop that provides a dose of all of the essentials," she says. The pops, which include Greek yogurt, almond butter, bananas, chopped walnuts and wheat germ, have become a hit at the farmers markets.

Chef Marisa Baggett doesn't believe in "breakfast" food. "For me, breakfast is whatever I feel like eating, which most of the time is soup and rice or the occasional salad," she says.

Baggett eats lots of small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals and a few snacks. "If I don't have at least two breakfasts, I'm no good to anyone by noon. I get very grumpy when I'm hungry," she says.

Breakfast Pops

3 bananas

3/4 cups almond butter

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (substitute non-dairy for a vegan version of the pop)

1/2 tbsp. wheat germ

3 tbsp. chopped walnuts

Mash bananas and mix with almond butter, including the natural oil. Add yogurt and mix together in a food processor. Then add wheat germ and walnuts and mix until blended.

Mix well and freeze. Makes 4 (5-oz.) pops.

Source: Dee Moore

"The Usual" Smoothie

11/2 cups almond milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 cup fresh spinach or other mild greens

1 peach

1/2 cup berries

(or, in place of peaches and berries, 11/2 cups of any fruit you have that might be tasty together)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon and/or cardamom

About 1 tsp. of fresh ginger if you have it on hand

1/2 cup ice

Blend until smooth. Add a bit of water or more almond milk if it's too thick to blend.

Source: Laurie Major

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

13/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger root

2/3 cup water

15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup oats

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugars and oil. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. In another bowl, stir together the wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the dry mix and water alternately to the sugar mix. Fold in the pumpkin, chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Sprinkle the oats over the bottom of the greased pan. Spoon the batter over the oats and bake. It should take about 50 minutes. Stick a chopstick or skewer in the bread. It's done when the chopstick or skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and up to 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. If you can, wait until it cools completely before cutting.

Source: Marisa Baggett

One language: Global couple keep home base in Memphis, focus on shared values

2011-10-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Published October 6, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Matt Farr, 28, a Memphis native, took his Colombian wife, Marcela Pinilla, 29, on her first-ever canoe trip along the Eleven Point River in Missouri shortly after the couple moved to Memphis in 2009. The first day was great.

The second day: "It was a little colder than I expected for April -- 35 degrees -- and foggy. Within the first hour on the river, a gust of wind blew us into a strainer in the middle of the river," explains Farr. The couple hit the downed tree head-on, turned sideways and capsized, the current pulling them both underwater.

By the time they got back to shore, they were exhausted and soaking wet. As Farr started a fire, Pinilla turned to him and said, "Thank you. I have never felt so alive."

"That's why I love her so much," says Farr. "I knew everything was going to be fine after that."

The couple met in a Chinese language class in Qingdao, China, in 2006. Farr was teaching helicopter pilots English, and Pinilla was singing in a rock band.

"I realized quickly that it was not what I wanted to do for a living, but it got me overseas, opened up other opportunities, and taught me many things" Farr says.

Pinilla started touring abroad when she was 16, and met some musicians in Malaysia. They eventually asked her to join their band in Singapore. She spent eight years touring Asia with the band, singing in English, Spanish and Chinese. She was in China only a few months when she met Farr.

They then chased each other around Asia for a while -- Farr to the Philippines, and Pinilla to Shanghai. Marcela then joined Farr in the Philippines, and flew out weekly to play gigs in Singapore. They visited each other as much as

possible and soon decided they wanted to be together permanently.

Pinilla really liked living in Singapore because it was a big, international community with a lot of opportunities. Farr says he couldn't live without her so he followed her there. One night while having a drink at a Cuban bar, they decided to get married. "I gave her a cigar band as an engagement ring," Farr says.

They married in 2007 and stayed in Singapore until the economy collapsed. "My international clients dried up, and Marcela needed to be closer to her family as her father had recently fallen ill," he says. They moved to Memphis to be nearer to their families and to regroup.

Initially they lived with Farr's mom in Cordova, with no car. It was the middle of the recession, and Matt spent the first few months pedaling around town on his bicycle looking for jobs. "We sat down four months into our Memphis experiment and asked ourselves, 'What are we doing?'" The couple wasn't sure that they could stick it out. "It boiled down to Memphis having opportunities for greatness not just for individuals but for the city in general. We decided that we wanted to be a part of something great -- something bigger than ourselves. That's what kept us here," says Farr.

Once they decided to stay, Farr says everything started falling into place. He got a job as the manager of education and outreach at Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. It has given him the tools to effect change in the community. He also leads outings for the Sierra Club-Chickasaw Group. He regularly takes groups to the Cumberland Plateau, and hosts an annual Memorial Day Float down the Ghost River.

Pinilla has been able to support herself as a full-time musician. She manages her own career by booking shows, updating her website, writing songs, recording and touring. Additionally, she works part-time on staff with the Memphis Music Foundation, with a focus on reaching out to aspiring Latino musicians. "We have a lot to offer, and we can learn a lot from each other because of the differences between our countries and our cultures," she says.

"I like it here. It is very real, not perfect, but real," says Pinilla. She really wants to show people another side of Latinos. "I do that with my music," she says, noting that many people don't always associate jazz with Latinos.

Pinilla says it is difficult being a musician in Memphis. "It's weird how hard it is to get people to come to a show. People don't realize what an asset they have here. My friends from out of town are blown away by Memphis and can't understand why isn't it bursting with people," she says.

The couple rent a home in the East Buntyn area, but they plan to buy a house after saving some money. Pinilla says she will probably spend a month or two in Colombia each year since it is very difficult for her family to visit her in the States. "Memphis will always be our home base. There are entirely too many things going on here," says Farr.

They have a small house with no TV. Instead, they like to go out to shows or have people come over and play music.

Pinilla says Memphis and Bogota are both cities where people like to party. "In both places people have their set of issues that everyone lives with and then parties on in spite of," she says. "Finding positivity in all of those situations is the name of the game."

Positivity is one of the things that drew her to Farr. "He's very positive. He keeps me filled with love," she says. "Matt knows the city better than I do, so he helps me maneuver. He also has better writing skills, so he checks my lyrics, too."

In January, Pinilla made a New Year's resolution for them to be healthier. "I started waking up and making spinach smoothies to try and get Matt off of coffee. It really put our relationship to the test," she jokes.

They recognize their cultural differences and say they complement each other. "Americans are typically more individualistic, while Latin Americans have stronger family structures and a sense of togetherness," explains Farr. "Oftentimes, I get focused on my own thing and go without relying on my support structure. Marcela makes sure we have Saturday morning pancakes with my grandmother and Sunday dinner with my mother at least once a month."

He also says that because they met and lived overseas together, in a way they have created their own culture. "We have shared values and see the same big picture," he says. "Our interests in life complement each other and enable us to work together and press on together."

The couple even share their own language. "We have really weird linguistic practices and use three to four languages with each other. It really confuses our friends," says Farr.

Farr says Pinilla is very spiritual and creative. He's more business oriented and practical.

"He does his thing, and I do mine. We are there for each other, but we also let the other one be," explains Pinilla. She was worried that marriage would cause her to lose some of her freedom, but she likes Farr's support. "I definitely recommend marriage," she says.

Making it work

Our occasional series Making it Work focuses on interesting Mid-South couples and how they make being a twosome work. Know a duo you think we should profile? E-mail winburne@commercial appeal.com.

Performance

Marcela Pinilla will perform at the Zoomelier fundraiser at the Memphis Zoo on Oct. 14, and at Festival Latino 2011 at Shelby Farms Park on Oct. 16.

Go to marcelapinilla.com for more information.

Fundraiser supports Project Green Fork's efforts to bring change to Memphis restaurants

2011-09-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Published September 27, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Thomas Robinson, who authors the popular Eat Local Memphis blog (eatlocalmemphis.org), puts a great deal of thought into supporting local businesses, specifically restaurants.

"It's one way for us to maintain a unique cultural identity, in the same way that our local music and art make us different from all the other cities," he says.

Robinson believes the money consumers put into local businesses creates a ripple effect. "That money is put back into the community at a much higher rate than by a business that is located elsewhere."

He went to Project Green Fork's first Loving Local Fall Fundraiser last year, and is attending again this year.

Robinson feels Project Green Fork, in helping local restaurants become more environmentally friendly, is making Memphis a better place.

Anyone interested in learning more about supporting small businesses and the local food scene is invited to attend the second annual Loving Local Fall Fundraiser from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at South Front and G.E. Patterson under the MATA pavilion (site of the Memphis Farmers Market).

"We created an event that we think appeals to a wide variety of Memphians," said Margot McNeeley, executive director of Project Green Fork. "The ticket cost is low, and the returns are high, so hopefully we'll attract a lot of people."

Tickets are $30 each, and guests will enjoy food from a number of PGF-certified restaurants, plus free wine and Ghost River beer. There will be pork sliders, portobello mushroom sliders and homemade chips from Central BBQ; Felicia Suzanne's Salmon Deviled Eggs and Cornmeal Tarts filled with Cheddar and 5 Pepper Jelly; Huey's potato soup; Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous' vegetarian red beans and rice; Fuel Café's vegetarian chili cheese fries; and YoLo frozen yogurt. Edible Memphis is providing kegs of Ghost River beer, and Athens Distributors is serving a selection of organic wines.

"The venue, the food and the cause all make for a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon," says Melissa Petersen, editor of Edible Memphis and a columnist for The Commercial Appeal.

There haven't been any events at the pavilion, other than Memphis Farmers Market events, so guests will have an opportunity to see it in a new light. Proceeds go to support the efforts of Project Green Fork. The event will celebrate not only local restaurants, but local businesses.

"We looked around and chose some businesses that we like and whose efforts we want to support," McNeeley says. "Loving Local will help get the word out about their businesses and introduce them to Memphians.

The businesses are Farm Girl Food Gardens, Apothecary Fairy and Memphis Threat. Farm Girl Food Gardens installs raised-bed vegetable gardens and provides edible landscaping services for homes and businesses. Apothecary Fairy specializes in freshly made skin care products using no synthetic ingredients or preservatives. Memphis Threat designs T-shirts that are nostalgic and original. All three businesses will have booths set up at the event.

PGF is partnering with Victory Bicycle Studio to add another layer to the event -- an optional group bike ride. Clark Butcher, co-owner of Victory Bicycle, met McNeeley when he sold her a bike and soon discovered that they had many mutual friends.

Victory Bicycle hopes to gather a nice group to ride the 4 miles from Cooper Young to the event Downtown.

"It will be at a casual pace so that people can ride in their dress attire," says Butcher.

He hopes the group ride will encourage participants to ride their bikes more. Butcher and his business partner, Robert Taylor, lead group bike rides every Sunday morning. Taylor leads a group of 20 to 25 on a 50-mile ride starting at 8:30 a.m. each week. Butcher leads a smaller group -- usually 10 or so -- on a slower-paced 25-mile ride that leaves the studio at 9 a.m.

"It's a great way to meet others around town who like to ride bikes," Butcher says. The rides are free.

There will be a silent and live auction at Loving Local. Auction items include some unusual bundles, such as a Kombucha (tea) starter kit and private lesson, installation of a spiral herb garden, an urban chicken starter kit with two chickens, and a home-delivered backyard BBQ that includes a whole hog from Newman Farms prepared by Central BBQ. Victory has donated a Kona mountain bike.

Elizabeth Blondis, co-owner of Central BBQ, served on the steering committee and supports the work of Project Green Fork because of the changes it has made in the Memphis restaurant industry.

"Restaurants and consumers alike are paying more attention to the waste produced when going out for a meal. With PGF's help, Central BBQ has found ways to reduce waste by over half through recycling and composting," she says.

The event will have a reduced environmental footprint.

"We always like to make sure that we do the same things that we require our restaurants to do," says McNeeley.

Get Green Recycleworks, which works with many PGF- certified restaurants, will set up a recycling and composting area. Utensils, trays, cups and plates will be reusable, recyclable or biodegradable.

Information

Project Green Fork's Second Annual "Loving Local" Fall Fundraiser

3-6 p.m. Oct. 2. MATA pavilion, Front and G.E. Patterson

Cost: $30 per person

Purchase tickets online: projectgreenfork.org ($1 service fee), at Victory Bicycle Studio (2294 Young Avenue), and at the door.

Optional group bike ride

2:30 p.m. Oct. 2.

Victory Bicycle Studio, 2294 Young Avenue

No charge

Helmets, bike lamps and locks are required

Keeping it kosher: Strict rules set apart synagogue's serious barbecue competition

2011-09-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Published September 14, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Kosher and barbecue are two words that don't normally go together. But they do when it comes to the annual World Kosher Barbeque Championship.

On Sunday, the parking lot of the Mid-South's oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation will fill with smoke as Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth (ASBEE) gears up for the 23rd annual competition.

"We've got the real barbecue," says event chairman Eric Mogy. "Our competition is much more difficult than Memphis in May due to the hamstrings and regulations."

No pork is allowed. Instead, the focus is on beef.

Attaining the kosher seal of approval requires that all teams use the synagogue's own kettle-style grills that are stored year-round under lock and key. Teams also must preorder meat, cooking supplies and spices through the synagogue so that event staff can ensure that they are kosher.

Everything from the meat to the salt must be inspected by the rabbi and certified as kosher. Finally, the utensils must undergo a mikvah, or ritual cleaning.

Teams from around the country will set up themed tents in the parking lot on Saturday night, much like you would see at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, but with a decidedly Jewish flair.

Fifty teams with names like Kippah Cooking, Veal Street, Fresh Meat (a singles team), Fleish Gordon and his Beefy Bunch and Hava No Grilla will spend Sunday morning grilling brisket, ribs and beans.

You don't have to be Jewish or keep kosher to join in the fun -- you just have to abide by the rules. "Come with a great attitude and be willing to try something different," Stuart Lazarov advises. He's been competing for 15 years and is one of the event's main organizers.

This year, Lazarov's team is called the ASBEEFS, and they plan to build on their momentum from last year. "We always do well on team name and booth, but last year we switched cooks and took home fifth in the brisket competition," he says.

Alan Harkavy, who is also on the ASBEEFS team, is the event's team chairman. He says the competition is very serious and people come to win. "We had a national team come for a few years, but they couldn't win and eventually stopped coming," he says. The team's pit boss worked at Corky's in Nashville at the time and was very upset. "I didn't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't any good," Harkavy says.

There have been several teams that have done well in the Memphis in May competition and then tried the ASBEE competition, including Mark Rubenstein. Last year, he put together a team from his office, the Pickering Firm. Much to his delight, the Pickering Potchki-ers (from the Yiddish potchky: to work in an amateur fashion for little gain) took home first place in the brisket competition.

This year, another principal owner in the Pickering firm, Yousef Saleh, hopes to do as well. He has put together a team from the Memphis Islamic Center, which includes the owner of Tom's Bar-B-Q, a restaurant on New Getwell Road.

Harkavy says the competition has inspired Memphians, but also the country. It's quite common for representatives from other cities to call and ask for help in creating a similar event. "Birmingham just had their second contest, and a guy from Long Island is doing an audit this year," he says. With Birmingham's success, Harkavy hopes to work with other, smaller competitions to set up a barbecue circuit. Birmingham is sending one of its strongest teams, All Pigs Left Behind, to compete Sunday. Atlanta is also sending three teams including Grilling and Fulfilling.

Without access to personal smokers, and with a limited amount of time to cook, the playing field is somewhat leveled. Even the most confident backyard griller must succumb to the limited space and heating capabilities of the kettle. The fear of overcooking the meat is palpable. Teams are primarily judged on taste (45 percent) and tenderness (45 percent). Looks aren't everything, just 10 percent.

There are also team name and best booth competitions. Each category has a trophy prize for first through fifth place. Grand champions are named for the showmanship categories and for the food.

Not surprisingly, the ASBEE World Kosher Barbeque Championship is one of the most anticipated events in the Jewish community. "We've been doing it for 23 years, and it gets better each year," says Mogy. This year, they expect a record 50 teams and thousands of visitors. There is no admission charge, and everyone is welcome.

In addition to the barbecue contest, there is a three-on-three basketball tournament for all ages, a kosher dill pickle-eating contest, and numerous children's activities including a petting zoo, a train, face painting and arts and crafts.

"For the unfortunate few who aren't conniving enough to get a taste at the team booths, the Sisterhood has a full café," Mogy says.

The Cowsher Café, led by Debbie Lazarov, typically serves 700 barbecue sandwiches, 200 hamburgers, 300 hot dogs, 70 pounds of coleslaw and baked beans and heaps of brownies.

Those who choose to buy from the café should not feel slighted -- their brisket is award-winning. "They let us enter the competition for the first time last year -- I'd never thought to ask before -- and we won second place," says Lazarov.

She's been helping out in the café for 15 years and says she spends the whole day either in the kitchen or bringing out food. This year, she will be missing her children, who have all gone off to college, but says her husband, brother and mother have big plans for their team's booth. "It's great fun and everyone comes together," she says.

More Information

World Kosher Barbeque Championship, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth (ASBEE), 120 East Yates N.

Call (901) 682-1611 or visit asbeekosherbbq.org

Sisterhood Hamburgers

2 lbs. ground beef

2 white onions

2 eggs

Salt, pepper, garlic powder and soy sauce to taste

Season ground beef and set aside. Put onion and eggs in Cuisinart and pulse until well mixed. Mix egg mixture and beef mixture together with your hands, then form into patties. For best flavor, fry in a pan.

(Makes 8)

Note: Getting teams to reveal their winning recipes prior to the event proved impossible, but Debbie Lazarov shared this recipe that has been handed down through the synagogue's Sisterhood.

Hung out to dry: For part of year at least, clothesline saves energy, gives fabrics sun-dried feel

2011-09-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Published September 13, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Mindy Creech, a real estate agent who lives in Cordova, tries to do as many things as she can to be more eco-friendly.

She recycles, composts and uses only cloth napkins and eco-friendly cleaners and beauty products. She decided that hanging her clothes on a line to dry was the next logical step in her decision to live green.

"I have only been using my clothesline since the spring, but I just love it," Creech says.

Saving energy is the biggest and most important advantage for Creech, but she also says it is relaxing.

"I have my line next to my garden, so I get to check on the garden and just enjoy a little peace and quiet while hanging my clothes," she says.

Creech says it is hard to say how much money she is saving by using a clothesline, but she has seen her utility bill go down. The only real disadvantages she has found are that her towels are no longer fluffy soft but a little crunchy, and if it rains while she is away, her clothes get wet.

"My neighbors have never said anything to me, but I do see them staring at it, so I don't think they like it," Creech says.

According to TVA's energyright.com, clothes dryers are found in about 70 percent of homes in the United States.

The energy efficiency of dryers has increased markedly over the past 20 years, owing mostly to automatic shutoff technology and the elimination of pilot lights in gas models, but ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers. Most of them use similar amounts of energy.

Mary Adams grew up on a farm in Hopkinsville, Ky., about an hour north of Nashville. Her family had a washing machine, but they used only a clothesline to dry clothes.

It was strung between two maple trees, one of which she says was great for climbing. Adams never used a

dryer until she moved to Memphis to go to college.

"Sun-dried clothes have a wonderful feel that you just can't get from a dryer. I don't know how to describe that," she says. Furthermore, a clothesline will never over-dry or underdry your clothes, and it's great for fabrics you are not supposed to put in a dryer.

On the farm, she could hang the clothes out in the morning, and when she came home in the afternoon, they would be dry, unless it rained.

"There was no dryer to watch or turn off, and it saved electricity, which is probably why Dad never wanted a dryer," she says. Her dad also liked that a clothesline required no maintenance or repair.

Today, Adams uses a stacked washer/dryer combination unit in her High Point Terrace home.

"When I bought the house, there was a clothesline in the backyard, but we took it down to make more room in the yard," she says.

Clothesline user Stephanie Miller never had a problem with neighbors, but her landlord had a policy against tenants using them.

"We loved having a backyard, where we could stretch a clothesline from tree to tree and see our laundry swinging in the breeze along with the flowers," she says.

One day, she and her husband were bragging to their landlord about how beautifully they'd transformed his yard into a lush garden, and invited him to see it for himself.

"He was amazed by the garden, but promptly, and with a sort of embarrassment, told us that the clothesline would have to go," says Miller.

"I was bummed and of course felt a little dirty for having an icky clothesline, but only for a moment. It was in that moment that I became determined to own my own home so that no one could ever tell me again to take down my clothesline," says Miller.

Now that she owns her own home, she dries everything but bath towels and jeans because they dry too stiff for her taste. She has a completely fenced-in backyard, so there haven't been any comments from the neighbors. (Subdivisions and areas may have covenants governing use of clotheslines.)

She has no idea how much money she saves.

"For me, it's more about preserving the quality of Earth's atmosphere that extra little bit," she says.

Karen Golightly, who lives in Cooper-Young, used a clothesline for about three years.

"I bought one of those retractable ones and hooked it to my basketball goal and swing set," she says, noting that her yard is mostly shady and that she was limited as to where she could string up the line.

"I started using the clothesline to save money and to be more eco-friendly, use less electricity, all that good stuff. But it was seasonal at best," she says. Golightly notes that spring, summer and fall were more clothesline friendly than the winter.

She loved the act of hanging the laundry on the line, though.

"It was sort of like meditation meets obsessive compulsive disorder. The process was relaxing: the lifting and arranging, watching the sheets blowing in the wind or at least hanging there nicely in the dead of summer," she says.

"I was doing laundry for five people, and it was a challenge to make everything fit on the line without weighing it down too much," she says. Wet towels went on the ends, lighter sheets in the middle, lots of socks and shirts in between, napkins wherever there was space.

Then a friend told her that she was saving only about $27 a year by hanging her laundry on the line.

"Maybe it had run its course by then, but that was in late fall, time to head into the dryer anyway, and I never really went back," Golightly says. "Who knows? Maybe I'll return to that some summer," she says.

The Department of Energy (energysavers.gov) puts the savings at about $75 year. That may not seem like much, but Project Laundry List (laundrylist.org), a nonprofit group "leading the air-drying and cold-water washing revolution," notes that it typically costs 30 to 40 cents to dry a load of laundry in an electric dryer. Over its expected lifetime of 18 years, the average clothes dryer could cost you approximately $1,530 to operate.

Additionally, the group estimates that 8 percent of households line-dry their laundry during five months of the year. If all Americans who do not use a clothesline started to use one for 10 months of the year, the group estimates we could prevent 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually.

Laundry Tips (energystar.gov)

Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.

Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.

Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.

If using a dryer, don't overdry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.

Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.

Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.

Consider air-drying clothes on clotheslines or drying racks. Air-drying is recommended by clothing manufacturers for some fabrics.

Long-Term Savings Tips

Look for the ENERGY STAR and EnergyGuide labels. ENERGY STAR clothes washers clean clothes using 50 percent less energy than standard washers. Most full-size ENERGY STAR washers use 15 gallons of water per load, compared to the 32.5 gallons used by a new standard machine. ENERGY STAR models also spin the clothes better, resulting in less drying time.

When shopping for a new clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, but it also will save the wear and tear on your clothes caused by overdrying.

ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers because most of them use similar amounts of energy, which means there is little difference in energy use among models.

Vegetarian Cheese and Walnut Loaf Sandwich at Fuel

2011-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Published September 8, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

The vegetarian cheese and walnut loaf sandwich at Fuel isn't something that I would normally order. Chef Carrie Mitchum, who is a vegan, definitely has a magic touch. The loaf is basically her mom's meatloaf recipe, minus the beef, with walnuts substituted. It's a combination of oats, ground walnuts, cheddar cheese, spices, and onions. It's bound with egg then glazed with ketchup and brown sugar. You can order it hot or cold, but as good as it is, I can't imagine eating it cold. The sandwich can be made on white, wheat, or a baguette, and the bread is grilled on the flat top with a little olive oil. It's dressed with Fuel's signature burger sauce (ketchup, mayo, Dijon mustard, and horseradish), lettuce, tomato, and a dash of sweet chili sauce. It seems like a lot for one sandwich, but everything fits neatly into place and tastes fantastic. This flavorful sammy costs $10 and comes with your choice of fries (Fuel has great hand-cut fries), salad, or chips. Serious fans of the loaf can get a larger serving for dinner with mashed potatoes, green vegetables, and mushroom gravy for $16. — Stacey Greenberg

Fuel Café, 1761 Madison (725-9025) fuelcafememphis.com

Memphians challenged to adopt plant-based diet

2011-09-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

Published September 6, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Eat Healthy Memphis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a plant-based approach to eating, is issuing a challenge to Memphians -- adopt a plant-based diet for seven days. The challenge is meant to promote weight loss and optimal health.

Bastet Ankh Re, the group's founder and director and owner of OC Vegan Foods, isn't a fan of the word "diet." "We know that words carry vibrations and tones, and with that in mind we advocate 'livet' instead of diet. In the word 'diet' is 'die.' 'Livet' contains 'live,' " explains Re, who has been a vegan since she was 16 years old.

The plant-based challenge means that participants can consume only fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes and nuts for the duration. Participants should steer clear of animal products and animal by-products like meats, eggs, cheeses, butters, margarine, sour creams, cream cheeses, etc. Re says that a well-balanced meal should contain 75 percent vegetables, 10 percent proteins, 5 percent grains and 5 percent healthy fats.

"Plant-based diets can be healthful because they contain little saturated fat, little or no cholesterol and little or none of the carcinogens produced in meats during cooking," says Re, adding that the typical Western diet that is high in meats, eggs and dairy products increases the risk of heart disease and a variety of cancers, where as plant-based diets reduce the risk.

Re believes that an increased demand for healthful plant-based foods not only will improve population health, but also allow the land to feed more people more efficiently, with less environmental damage and providing more usable energy.

"Whether there are two people or 50 people, who sign up, we will continue to promote healthy eating by adopting a plant-based approach," says Re.

The seven-day challenge is only the group's first step toward changing Memphians' eating habits. The group will continue to challenge participants to give up animal products for one week each month until June 2012, when it plans to hold the first Plant-Based Food Festival on June 22 and 23.

To sign up for the challenge and receive more information about the festival, participants are asked to register at one of three community centers (McFarland, Riverview, and Whitehaven) on Saturday.

To help get people started, there will be local holistic health advocates on hand, food demonstrations (with samples), and a forum for sharing recipes.

Seven-Day Plant-Based Food Challenge

Sign up Saturday at the following locations:

McFarland Community Center (4955 Cottonwood) from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Riverview South Memphis Community Center (1891 Kansas) from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Whitehaven Community Center (4318 Graceland Dr.) from noon to 1 p.m.

For more information, call 643-5733

Green Leaf Learning Farm

2011-09-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

Published in Edible Memphis September 1, 2011

Michael's Hughes's Liquor Cabinet...er...Fridge

2011-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Published in Edible Memphis September 1. 2011

Kombucha Obsessed

2011-09-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Published September 1, 2011 in Edible Memphis

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream at La Michoacana

2011-09-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Published September 1, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

It's pretty ridiculous how often I go to La Michoacana for paletas. Owner Rafael Gonzalez, seemingly stunned, finally said to me, "You don't like ice cream?" I'd tried a few tastes here and there, but I was so focused on the rainbow of frozen pops in the front of the store, I couldn't be persuaded to go any further. Well, big mistake. The ice cream is even better than the paletas. The base for the ice cream and the paletas de leche (creamy pops) is the same, but the ice cream is simply amazing and completely different from the standard fare elsewhere. It's super creamy yet still light and fluffy. Like the paletas, it is made fresh every day, and that must be the secret to its awesomeness. I'm currently obsessed with the key lime pie, which has the perfect key lime flavor — not too tart, not too sweet. Crumbled cookies (or "crust") are layered throughout, making this treat better than an actual slice of pie. I like to savor each bite, making sure to get a bit of crust each time. It's the perfect treat.

La Michoacana, 4091 Summer

Strange brew: Kombucha drinkers feel they benefit from odd-looking fermented tea

2011-08-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Published August 30, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Liberty Sanders Bain's first Kombucha experience left a very bad taste in her mouth.

Such a bad taste, she shied away from trying it again for almost 20 years.

Bain has lupus that affects her skin. When she was 18, her aunt, who was brewing Kombucha, suggested she give it a try. "It was most assuredly weirder than anything else I'd ever tried. Hands down," says Bain. "It was a bit scary-looking to be honest."

She followed her aunt's instructions -- boiled tea, added white sugar and put it in a dark cupboard to ferment for two weeks. "What I made was so strong and tart I thought I must have made a mistake," says Bain. She went back to the stove, made more tea, and repeated the entire process. Two weeks later, she had the same product. "I threw it out, gave the SCOBYs back to my aunt and swore off fermented anything," she says.

SCOBY stands for "Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast." It is the culture that produces the Kombucha ferment. It forms on top of the brewing container and metabolizes the nutrients and sugars found within the brewed tea.

Other terms sometimes used to describe a SCOBY include "mother," "baby" and "mushroom." SCOBYs look like mushrooms, and after each batch is made, the original culture splits to form another -- hence the "mother" and "baby" monikers. The "babies" can be stored in the refrigerator and used as starters.

A few years ago, a trusted friend told Bain how much she enjoyed Kombucha, how she felt it helped her digestion, cleared her skin, and gave her lots of energy. The friend was persistent, and in the 20 years since Bain's first Kombucha attempt, she had successfully fermented other things, including kefir and various forms of veggies, so she felt more confident. "I finally caved in and gave it another try," she says, adding that this time she didn't put the brew in a dark cupboard. She left it out on the counter so she could watch it.

She started tasting it after 10 days. At about day 11 or 12 she noticed an effervescence and poured herself a big glass -- and then another. "It was nothing like the foul-smelling, awful-tasting stuff from 20 years ago. It was delightful and delicious," says Bain.

It was so good in fact that it was hard for her to share the first harvest with her husband and four sons. However, today, the entire family is hooked.

"Kombucha is simply our favorite thing to drink, other than water," says Bain. They have phased out all juice, unless they ferment it with the tea. They've gotten creative and added white grape juice to the bottling process to make it even fizzier. Bain says she has also added extra sugar, used agave, and tried tea blends and concoctions too numerous to count.

No two batches are exactly the same, so it never gets boring. "It's such a great, inexpensive, dairy-free way to add homegrown pro-biotics to your diet," she says. "It might look weird, but the taste and almost instant energy can't be duplicated."

Kombucha contains caffeine because of the tea used in making it. However, the caffeine is reduced by half during fermentation. Bain and family start with a blend of green and black teas that are both decaffeinated and caffeinated.

Kombucha can also contain trace amounts of alcohol, but it is not considered an alcoholic beverage.

There are two types of fermentation processes -- ethyl alcohol fermentation and lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid fermentation produces things like vinegar, kim chi, sauerkraut and Kombucha. Ethyl alcohol fermentation produces beer, wine and spirits. Depending on what you add it to it, it can taste like cider, beer, or even champagne.

Greg Campbell, who owns Garden District, started drinking Kombucha off the shelf about a year and a half ago. "I was doing Bikram yoga, and I needed to replace a lot of fluids," he recalls. He was buying it at Whole Foods on a regular basis, and it was getting quite expensive, so he started researching and reading articles on brewing at home. In March, he decided to give making it a try.

"Instead of buying a SCOBY online, I started with a store-bought bottle. Luckily, it had enough of the culture particles inside of it for me to start a new batch," Campbell says.

Brewing has actually been very easy, and he's never made a bad batch. He thinks the Kombucha he brews at home tastes a lot better than the kind in the store. "Bottled Kombucha is kind of an acquired taste. Everyone who tastes my homebrew loves it right away," he says. Campbell attributes this to the fact that homebrew has a different kind of carbonation with smaller bubbles.

Now Campbell makes a new batch every week, because everyone in his shop likes to drink it. Three of his employees even took home SCOBYs to start brewing their own.

"The Kombucha doesn't taste like it smells as it approaches the nose," he says. Some people think it has a vinegary smell.

He also experiments with flavors. "Apricot is great. I also add a slice of lemon and ginger sometimes," he says.

One batch he made tasted a lot like champagne because it had a quarter cup of organic black grape juice added to it. Campbell says the added fruit stores up carbonation and explodes in your mouth like a Pop Rock.

Typically, he has a small glass in the morning instead of coffee and another small glass in the evening when he leaves work. He thinks Kombucha benefits his digestion, and he even likes to consume the "jellyfish-like particles" that can be found floating in the mixture. "They are good to consume, but it's a textural thing," he says, adding that it is normal to strain Kombucha before drinking it.

Brewing Kombucha at home is economical. "All I need to buy is a thing of sugar and two big boxes of black tea each month -- and whatever fruit I want to add," says Campbell. For the initial fermenting, he uses 10-by-8 glass cylinders meant for flowers. Then he bottles the liquid in quart-size mason jars. He likes the wide openings of mason jars and says that he knows when each batch is carbonated because the button on the lid pops.

(Any health claims for the drink are anecdotal, and not based on scientific studies.) And it is important to use common sense and good hygiene when brewing your own tea. It is also of utmost importance that only glass containers are used in the brewing and storing.

Good fermented tea always has a vinegar smell, not a musty or moldy smell. If a batch grows mold, it will be obvious and will look just like the mold you find on fruit. If this happens, throw it out and start over.

Making Kombucha is no different than baking bread at home. The pH of the tea might cause mold in some cases. Adding a teaspoon or two of cider vinegar will bump up the acidity to inhibit mold growth.

Lately, Bain has been using a continual brewing process. She bought a 2.5-gallon lemonade dispenser with a spigot. "I simply filled it up with already-brewed Kombucha and some SCOBYs I had in storage and let it sit. Now, it's now our favorite way to brew," she says. Once or twice a week, she adds about a gallon of fresh sweet tea, and it's ready in a day or two. "The dispenser is never completely empty, and if it's warm enough, it's completely fizzy-ready in a fraction of the time regular brewing requires," she reports.

In the event that her Kombucha gets overdone or too tart, Bain makes Kombucha Coolers. "Coolers are half Kombucha and half sparkling mineral water. Delish!" she says.

Basic Kombucha Recipe

4 family-size tea bags (black or green, not herbal)

Boiling water

1 cup sugar

Starter culture a.k.a. SCOBY

1 gallon glass jar (do not use plastic)

1 rubberband

1 dishtowel or small cloth

Mason jars with plastic-coated metal lids or glass bottles with rubber stoppers (a.k.a. EZ Caps)

Make tea, add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Let cool and pour into a 1-gallon glass jar. Add starter culture then cover with cloth and wrap rubberband around tight. Store in an out-of-the-way place on your counter and let it sit for seven to 10 days. Pour the effervescent liquid into a glass pitcher (save the culture/SCOBY in a glass container for another batch) and enjoy.

If you do not want to consume it in such large quantities, you can bottle the liquid with a little extra sugar and/or fruit and let it sit for another five to six days. Once it carbonates, refrigerate it. (Refrigeration stops the fermentation process.)

Enjoy in a glass, with or without ice. Use a small strainer when pouring to remove the SCOBY particles if desired.

Note: It is important that no metal come in contact with the brewed tea. Use mason jars with plastic-coated metal lids or glass bottles with rubber stoppers

Yield: One gallon.

-- Adapted from Liberty Sanders Bain

Resources

Purchase bottled Kombucha: Whole Foods, Fresh Market

Purchase SCOBYs: Nick's Natural Nook, nicksnaturalnook.com

Resource guide: "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz, wildfermentation.com

Advice, free SCOBYs: Liberty Sanders Bain, www.16ballsintheair.com, libert1n1@yahoo.com

Because I Said So: Sure, moms do a lot, but we can't do it by ourselves

2011-08-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Published August 25, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

On Sunday, I took my boys to see the new movie "Spy Kids -- All the Time in the World in 4D." (The 4D ended up being a scratch-and-sniff postcard with eight numbers on it. When a number flashed on the screen, you scratched off the number and smelled it. I'm pretty sure it was a hoax, because I couldn't discern one smell from another.)

Sometimes I am excited about seeing the same movies as the kids, and sometimes I'm not. I went into this one with very low expectations, and was immediately disgusted by the opening scene. A very pregnant Jessica Alba is seen battling numerous bad guys. If being pregnant weren't enough, she also had to go into labor.

Please.

We learn that she retires after having the baby. However, later she is pulled back into the action. This time, she does most of her fighting wearing her now 1-year-old baby in a front-facing baby carrier.

Seriously.

I'm pretty sure the creators of this movie were trying to promote a positive image of today's moms "doing it all." I now understood why one of the preview trailers was for Sarah Jessica Parker's newest movie, "I Don't Know How She Does It" -- a comedy centered on the life of Kate Reddy, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids. Clearly, they were appealing to the dutiful moms who agreed to spend an hour and a half scratch-and-sniffing simulated dirty diapers in the dark out of love for their children.

And now I see why they also previewed "The Iron Lady," which is about Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain's first female prime minister. (A dad next to me joked, "Children love Margaret Thatcher.")

This business of "women doing it all" has never looked more ridiculous than it does in "Spy Kids 4." I do a lot, but I certainly don't do it all. I really don't like the assumption that I should, because I can't -- at least not all of the time. It's too exhausting.

Jessica Alba's husband, Wilbur, was a little clueless, so her only help was her two stepkids and a witty, multifunctional robotic dog. I also need, and thankfully receive, a lot of help.

My husband, who is definitely not clueless, handles most of the afternoon shuttling required to get the children to and from school, tae kwon do, and now soccer. He also does the bulk of the yard work, goes grocery shopping and cooks most of our meals, among many, many other things that I probably fail to notice or fully appreciate.

My mom calls to check on me almost daily, and graciously lets the kids spend the night at her house so my husband and I can occasionally have a moment to ourselves.

I have friends who get up before the crack of dawn to go running or swimming or to yoga with me, so I can't talk myself out of it. (They also encourage me to go out to lunch and enjoy a drink every once in awhile. And that's really just the tip of the iceberg.)

I am grateful for all of the many wonderful people in my life, but if I had all of the time in the world, as the movie promises, I would definitely try to squeeze in a little more sleep.

Vegetarian kitchen: Plant-based meals needn't be bland; let fresh ingredients shine

2011-08-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Published August 24, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Former President Bill Clinton spent many years living high on the hog, but last week revealed that he's been following a vegan diet for about a year. It was a health choice for him, arrived at after a diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

Professional photographer, local blogger and amateur chef Justin Fox Burks became a vegetarian when he was just 12 years old. At 35, he says choosing a vegetarian diet is a commitment to eating not only more humanely, but also more healthfully.

"I'm not an activist. I don't care what anybody else does," he quickly points out.

The difference in the two diets is simple: Vegetarians eat no meat. Vegans take it a step further and also consume no meat products, such as cheese, eggs or milk.

When cooking, Burks never makes the same thing twice, and he often changes his mind midstream. "I only have to please myself and (wife) Amy. She'll tell me if something is good or not," he says, adding that she makes him a better cook.

In general, Burks believes that food tastes better when the flavors in a dish are balanced. He uses a combination of ingredients from his pantry in almost every dish to achieve this goal: lemon zest for brightness, champagne vinegar for acid, cane sugar for sweetness, Maldon sea salt to bring up the flavors, and telicherry pepper for spice. He also usually adds some sort of fresh herb from his garden, such as thyme, dill or oregano.

"The most important ingredient in the vegetarian kitchen is fresh vegetables," Burks says. "Some vegetarians forget that. Every other ingredient in the kitchen should play a supporting role."

Burks is obsessed with smoke right now, and says that he loves to add that flavor element by using smoked sun-dried tomatoes, smoked mushrooms or smoked sea salt. He substitutes smoked sun-dried tomatoes for bacon and pancetta, sometimes frying them for extra crispiness. "I don't spend my life trying to make things taste like meat," he says, "but it has a very similar effect."

The one ingredient that Burks probably couldn't live without is mushrooms. "I put them in everything," he says. (At one time he was known as the "Mushroom Bandit" by Whole Foods employees because he bought so many.) He keeps homemade smoked shiitake bacon in the pantry and uses baby bellas and creminis in spaghetti sauce, ravioli filling and veggie burgers. He also likes to mimic a Philly cheesesteak using portobellos. He even makes a portobello carpaccio.

Burks eschewed cans two years ago, saying he felt like he could always taste the can, so his pantry is stocked with lots of dried beans (lentils, garbanzos, soybeans) bought in bulk and stored in mason jars. He also has a number of different flours, but garbanzo bean flour is his favorite because of its high protein content. You will also find grits and oatmeal in there. "Starches are a good stage for fresh vegetables," he says.

When trying to please a lot of people, he makes pizza. "Pizza is the great equalizer," he says. "No one cares if there is meat on pizza."

Justin and his wife, Amy, started the Chubby Vegetarian blog (chubbyvegetarian.com) in 2008 to help people realize that they can have tasty meatless meals. "It's been a great forum for developing recipes," he says. Today, there are more than 600 entries, and the blog has garnered Burks quite a bit of attention. For fundraisers, he has done a collaborative brunch with Kelly English at Restaurant Iris and created a special tomato-centric meal at the Trolley Stop Market.

When Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race" was in town, he was asked to be a judge for the vegetarian challenge. (His episode will air Sept. 11.)

Carrie Mitchum, who is co-owner of Fuel Café, entered Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in 2005 with the intent of learning classical French cuisine so that she could apply it to vegetarian and, more specifically, vegan cuisine.

"I think that, in the history of the Le Cordon Bleu program, no one has completed it as a vegan!" Mitchum exclaims. At Fuel, she says the trick to good vegetarian food is to make it taste good. "Fresh veggies taste so good when they aren't overcooked or all greased up," Mitchum says. She loves meat, just not the way animals are treated, so she uses a lot of earthy and meaty-tasting ingredients, such as miso, tamari and mushrooms.

Whether cooking at home or at work, there are certain must-haves for Mitchum. These include fresh onions and garlic, organic tamari sauce, olive oil, brown rice, beans, lentils, quinoa, whole grain pasta, rice, organic tinned tomato product (crushed, paste, etc.) and raw nuts. "I always have miso in the fridge, almond milk, and various products I pick up that seem interesting," she says. Of course, all of this is supplemented with lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Mitchum recommends stocking up on sea salt, fresh pepper and good dried herbs.

"A random organic potato is always good in a pinch. It helps thicken any gluten-free sauce," she says. When cooking vegetarian or vegan, Mitchum finds that it is best to keep the recipe as similar as possible to its animal-product counterpart.

"For example, our chili is identical up to the point we add bison to half the base and quinoa to the other half to make our bison and vegan chilis," she says. Her popular vegetarian cheese and walnut loaf is basically her mother's meatloaf recipe with walnuts instead of beef.

"Being a vegetarian or a vegan doesn't mean you have to eat yucky-tasting food," says Mitchum.

Bastet Ankh Re, who has been a vegan for 16 years and recently adopted a raw food approach, agrees. She wants to show people that plant-based food can be delicious and not bland. Most important, she wants people to know that a plant-based diet makes you feel great.

Along with her husband, Re runs Organic & Conventional Vegan Foods, which distributes specialty vegan foods to a number of area markets, including Whole Foods, Miss Cordelia's and Sean's Café, as well as a few local farmers markets.

She has four sons -- ages 9, 6, 4 and 2 -- who have all been raised vegan from birth. A typical breakfast for the kids is a smoothie, which Re says can be a powerhouse of nutrients if you use nut milk, banana, strawberries, dates, blueberries, bee pollen and soy lecithin. She also replaces a typical oatmeal breakfast with quinoa. "I boil it just like grits or oatmeal, add maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and almond milk," she says.

Re doesn't believe that breakfast needs to be sweet. She often serves plantains and spinach at breakfast, too. At home, she advocates healthful vegan, which means she uses no white flour or sugar. Rather than boil vegetables, which kills nutrients, she lightly steams them. She likes to spice up vegetables with olive oil, cumin, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, sea salt and garlic powder.

Re likes to dehydrate her own fruit and keep it in the pantry; that way, she knows it doesn't have any additives or extra sugar. For protein, she relies on legumes, nuts, seeds, beans, seitan, tofu, soy products and quinoa. "Quinoa is the mother of all grains," she says. "It has a lot of protein."

Re is an activist and is planning a Plant-Based Food Festival for June 2012 to showcase healthful eating in an urban community. She also organizes regular vegan food tastings. The next one -- A Vegan Tapas Tasting & Wine Mingle "Jamaica Style" -- takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at 300 S. Main. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit ocveganfooddistributors.com for more info.

Know someone you'd like to tell us about or have an interest in learning about a specific cuisine? Email Jennifer Biggs at Biggs@commercialappeal.com.

Vegan/vegetarian pantry essentials

Onion, garlic, olive oil, truffle oil, sesame oil, champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, cane sugar, agave nectar, Tellicherry peppercorns, chipotle peppers, good dried herbs (from the garden, farmers market or Penzey's), nutritional yeast, agar (vegetarian gelatin substitute), organic tinned tomato products (crushed, sauce, etc.), smoked sundried tomatoes, mirin (to add a bit of sweetness to Asian-inspired dishes), organic tamari sauce, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, soy sauce, soy chunks (dry; add hot water to fluff up), dry soy powder (mix with water for milk), mushrooms, dehydrated fruits (dehydrate yourself), raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, pine, etc.), seeds (flax, sunflower, etc.), brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta, organic potatoes, grits, oatmeal, dried beans (lentils, soybeans, garbanzo beans, black beans, etc.), flour (bread flour, white flour, whole wheat pastry flour, garbanzo bean flour) .

Portobello Mushroom Deli Slices

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. mustard (spicy brown or stout)

1 tsp. (vegetarian) Worchestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic (microplaned)

Pinch of salt

Plenty of black pepper

4-6 large portobello mushrooms (very thinly sliced)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the first 8 ingredients together until incorporated. Stack mushroom slices in an oven-safe dish and drizzle a little of the dressing between every other layer. Pour remaining dressing over the top of the stacks. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Allow mushrooms to cool thoroughly before placing them into a covered container and refrigerating.

Makes 5 servings.

Source: Justin Fox Burks

Apple, Walnut, Kale Ravioli

Pasta dough:

1 cup semolina flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

Filling:

1/2 white onion

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1 Pink Lady apple, peeled and sliced

1 bunch kale (veins and stems removed -- blanched in very salty water, squeezed dry)

1 clove garlic

Sea salt and cracked pepper

6 whole walnuts (or pecans)

1 spoonful of ricotta

1/2 slice of white bread

1 egg

Lemon zest

Sauce:

4 medium Green Zebra tomatoes

1/2 onion

2 ribs of celery

1/2 green pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

Splash of white balsamic vinegar

Small knob of butter

Pasta dough: Make a well with the mixed flours. Crack the eggs in the middle and mix with your fingers until dough forms. Knead it for 5 minutes. Wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Filling: Start with onions sliced into half-moons in a medium-low pan with olive oil. You want them to caramelize. Once the onions begin to brown, add the white wine and then the apple slices. Place the onion-apple mixture, kale, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, nuts, ricotta, bread and lemon zest in food processor and pulse until it's well incorporated but still a little chunky. Set aside in the fridge.

Sauce: Finely dice the vegetables. Put them all in a saucepan -- along with olive oil -- on medium, and add white wine and vinegar once the vegetables start to get a little brown. Add butter at the end.

Assembly: Roll out this dough to a No. 6 on the pasta maker. Trim the raggedy edges with a pizza cutter. Add about 2 tsp. of the filling along the sheet of pasta, but leave an inch on each side of the filling (you are going to fold the top over). Use a pasta tool to seal the front edge and sides. Cook in salty boiling water; as soon as they float, keep them in for another minute. Remove with slotted spoon and put them straight into the sauce. Top it with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Source: Justin Fox Burks

Socca Stuffed With Creamed Arugula & Topped with Artichoke & Pine Nut Ragout

Socca:

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

11/4 cups water

2 cloves garlic (microplaned)

2 tbsp. olive oil, plus some for pan

Black pepper (generous amount)

Salt

Creamed arugula:

1 large bag of fresh arugula

1 tbsp. live oil

2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

1 egg (beaten)

2 oz. goat cheese

Water or milk

Salt and pepper

Artichoke and Pine Nut Ragout:

1 large shallot (diced)

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup wine

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. olive paste (optional)

9 baby artichoke hearts (halved)

1 red bell pepper (peeled, diced)

1/2 cup mixed olives (chopped)

1 large tomato (peeled, diced)

1/4 cup pine nuts

10 capers

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Socca: Mix all ingredients with a whisk so there are no lumps. Batter should be thinner than pancake batter. Set mixture aside for at least 10 minutes. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Using a silicone pastry brush, coat the surface of the skillet with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet, and keep your eye on it. Once the surface appears dry (about 2 minutes), use a metal spatula to flip it. Allow it to cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat until all batter has been used.

Arugula: Blanch arugula in super-salty water for a few seconds. Rinse and squeeze out any excess water. In a medium skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until toasted. Add the blanched arugula, egg, cheese and about 2 tablespoons of water or milk. Mix vigorously until the egg has cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Ragout: In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté shallot in 3 tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Add the wine, sugar and salt. Reduce mixture until thick and syrupy. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until heated through. (For this ragout, you do not want the vegetables to break down as they would in a tomato sauce.)

To assemble, spread creamed arugula on one side of the socca. Fold socca into quarters and place onto the plate. Top with ragout and grated parmesan.

To make recipe vegan, leave egg and cheese out of arugula mixture.

Tacos with Spicy & Smoky Lentil Taco 'Meat' and Simple Salsa

Lentil taco meat:

1 onion (diced)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 cup dry lentils (both brown and green)

11/2 cups water (or so)

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 cup smoked sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped)

Simple salsa:

2 medium tomatoes

1 jalapeño pepper

2 cloves of garlic

Lime zest

Sea salt, cracked pepper to taste

For serving:

12 small corn or flour tortillas or taco shells (warmed)

Lentil taco meat

1 cup shredded smoked cheddar

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 avocados (peeled and sliced)

1/4 cup sour cream

Lime wedges

Simple salsa

Lentils: In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in the olive oil. Once the onion is translucent, add cumin, salt and chili powders and allow to cook for about a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients and bring it all up to a boil. Reduce mixture to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 30-45 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. (You want the lentils to be tender, but not falling apart.)

Salsa: In a cast-iron skillet over high heat, blacken the skin of the tomatoes and pepper on all sides while getting some caramel color on the outside of the garlic cloves. Throw all ingredients into a food processor and pulse 5-10 times or until ingredients are well incorporated, but not liquid.

This is best served family-style with all of the ingredients on the table. That way, everyone can build their tacos to their own specifications. Serves 4.

Source: Justin Fox Burks

I.D., Please: Ever wonder what's behind the name of your favorite dish?

2011-08-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Published August 19, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

Among the pizza listings at Ciao Bella (565 Erin Drive, 205-2500) is the Ryan Tashie Special. In parenthesis it says, "In honor of the little tough guy." According to staff, owners Judd and David Tashie, who are cousins, have another cousin, Ryan. When Ryan was younger, he spent a lot of time at St. Jude battling cancer. Happily, he was victorious and is alive and well today. A slice of his pizza features pepperoni, kalamata olives, mushrooms, marinara sauce, and mozzarella.

The Erik Burger at Fuel Café (1761 Madison, 725-9025) is named for co-owner Erik Proveaux. Carrie Mitchum, the café's other owner, says, "One day Erik asked me to make him the best burger ever. So I did!" The Erik Burger is a bison patty topped with caramelized onions, thyme-sauteed mushrooms, two slices of Eden Farms applewood smoked bacon, and your choice of cheese (Mitchum prefers Swiss) on an all-natural bun. It also features Fuel's special sauce made from ketchup, Dijon mustard, sweet relish, mayo, and horseradish and is served with house-cut fries. "It's quite a meal!" Mitchum exclaims.

Mr. Beefy at The Cove (2559 Broad, 730-0719): When Mike Grabman, a bartender at the Cove, learned that his fellow bartender Adam Hawk was nicknamed "Mr. Beefy" in elementary school due to his chubbiness and then re-nicknamed "Mr. Beefy" in high school for a completely different reason, he said he had no choice but to name a sandwich after him. The sandwich is thinly sliced, Italian-style roast beef on a toasted ciabatta bun with provolone cheese and horseradish sauce. It's served with au jus gravy, baby dill pickles, and kettle chips.

Most dishes at Restaurant Iris (2146 Monroe, 590-2828) feature the names of the farms where ingredients come from. Rod Bailey's Raviolo is the only dish named for a customer. Bailey came in to see what was going on in "the old La Tourelle" before Restaurant Iris officially opened. Chef and owner Kelly English says that one night he had a special short rib on the menu with brown butter and mushrooms. "Rod said it was so good that we should have it on the menu every night," English says. "So we do."

Sekisui Midtown (25 S. Belvedere, 725-0005) probably has more rolls named after people than any other restaurant in Memphis. To name a few, there's T-Ruth, Jackson 5, Margot, Christy's, Lori's, Rachel's, Debra's, Mali's Handroll, DJ, the Qualls, Jeni's, Happy, Seyde's, and many more. One that stands out to manager Lee Vichathep is the Malasy Roll. The Malasy Roll is named after her younger sister, Malasy, who does not eat seafood but loves the idea of eating her dinner in sushi form. She picked all of the ingredients: chicken teriyaki, avocado, and cucumber inside with sesame seeds on top. "She asked us to roll it in a thinly sliced cucumber wrap because she was hesitant about seaweed," Vichathep says, "but the roll did not do so well. We convinced her to try seaweed, and she loved it and now so does everyone." The Malasy Roll is kid-friendly and great for beginners and non-seafood eaters, according to Vichathep. "I definitely recommend this roll for first-time sushi eaters," she says.

The Big Rex at the Trolley Stop Market (704 Madison, 526-1361) is by far the most popular thing on the breakfast menu. Consisting of meat (your choice of sausage, bacon, or ham), cheese, and egg grilled to perfection on homemade bread, it's a meal in itself. Chef Sharron Johnson named the sandwich after her husband, Rex, since it is one of the things they always enjoyed eating on weekends before the Trolley Stop came to be.

There's not a juicy story behind Wesley's Cheese Grits at Otherlands Coffee Bar (641 S. Cooper, 278-4994). Owner Karen Lebovitz says the dish is named after longtime customer Wesley Emerson. "He likes grits," she says. Emerson, who is an organist at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church, has been coming into Otherlands since its beginnings in 1994.

You can thank the "H Man" for The Harris at Au Fond Farmtable (938 S. Cooper, 274-8513). According to owner/chef Ben Vaughn, "This guy named Harris, or H Man, said I would be stupid to not make a toasted bagel that incorporated soft scrambled eggs, lox, capers, and onions over the bagel with warm cream cheese." They made it together one day, and it was awesome. "The H Man said it's exactly the way he would eat it in Brooklyn," Vaughn says. The Harris is a top seller, and you can see the H Man in the dining room most mornings having his namesake.

It seems that almost every dish at Elliott's (16 S. Second, 525-4895) has a story, and more than likely, owner and chef Helario "Harry" Reyna will be glad to tell you about them. For example, The Wholly Trinity, which is a breakfast burrito filled with Swiss cheese, egg, chicken tenders, ham, onion, mushroom, and tater tots, is named after an ex-girlfriend. "I was head over heels for her, and to this day I am thankful for the happiness we had the short time we were together," Reyna says. If he broke it down and said the name it would be "To You Holly My Trinity." The "Trinity" at the end is because she was three things to him — a friend, a girlfriend, and a beloved.

Another Elliott's favorite, A Toast to Our Friend Bill Saba, is a Texas toast sandwich with egg, cheddar cheese, ham, bacon, and a sausage patty. "Bill always bragged about my sandwiches and joked about how cryptic I was with the names," Reyna says. "He passed away a few years ago, and I decided not to be cryptic on this sandwich."

Memphis Mattie's Lemonade at Escape Alley Sundry (655 Marshall, 528-3337) is not just named for the owners' 7-year-old daughter. It's made by her. She also gets the profits from all sales. Jo Boone-Wild, who owns the restaurant and sundry with her husband Russell Wild, says that Escape Alley grew from Mattie's wish to have a lemonade stand. "Considering we just opened in March, we do sell quite a bit of Memphis Mattie's Lemonade," Boone-Wild says. She can't give away Mattie's secret recipe, but she says it contains turbinado sugar and fresh lemons. "We are just happy to have the opportunity to teach her a life lesson while she is having a good time doing what makes her happy," Boone-Wild says.

Because I Said So: Xbox games too much, too soon for 9-year-old

2011-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Published August 11, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

When my kids want something, I usually do my best to give it to them. Of course, I do try to have them "earn" it in some way -- typically through chores, yard work, good behavior, etc. When they really want something, they usually do a good job of earning it.

Their wants are predictable -- toys and video games. Over the summer, we found ourselves inside Game Stop on numerous occasions. One of the employees actually took to calling me "Mom." As in, "Hey, Mom, how did those games work out?"

In June, the boys (ages 7 and 9) started a serious campaign to get an Xbox. Since we already have a Wii and Nintendo 3DSes, I couldn't understand why they needed another gaming system.

"Xbox has different games!" I was told over and over. They were tired of all of their Wii and DS games, or they had beaten them, I was told.

I agreed to let them round up all of the games they no longer wanted and trade them in for a used Xbox. They were thrilled. My husband was not. He understood how the Xbox games were different -- they generally involve a lot of guns. At the store, the friendly clerks did mention that the games the boys selected to go along with their Xbox were rated "Mature." The boys had looked up at me with big eyes and said, "David has this game!" and "Sam has that game!"

Yes, sadly, the "everybody is doing it" argument worked on me. The boys were so happy -- especially my oldest. (The younger one mostly watched him play.) While we were on vacation, my oldest actually told me that he was "Xbox sick," meaning he missed his Xbox. In the absence of the games he loved, he watched YouTube videos on his iPod about how to beat them. I thought that was smart.

But I also knew that there was a problem. I've seen older kids get obsessed, even "addicted" to these types of games. When we got back from vacation, my oldest didn't want to do anything but play Xbox. I had to force him to come to the movies, read a book, and even go outside to ride his bike.

My husband, who had resigned himself to letting me learn the hard way, basically gave me his very best, "I told you so." I hate it when he's (always) right!

That Saturday morning at 6 a.m. when my oldest woke me up to ask if he could play Xbox, I met him in the living room. As lovingly as possible, I told him that I had made a mistake, and that I never should have let him get the mature games. I told him that I loved him too much to see him waste his childhood obsessing over "first-person shooter" games. We talked about the ratings, and he seemed to understand why I had to take them away. He was very sad and even cried a little. I felt sorry for him, but we both knew it was the right thing to do.

Life without the Xbox games has been good, and I've been impressed with how my oldest managed his disappointment, and quickly found a new, age-appropriate interest. Occasionally, though, he'll grin and ask if he can play the 15-year-old-rated games when he's 13, or how many days it is until his 18th birthday.

Firm recycles restaurant waste oil, turns it into clean-burning biodiesel

2011-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Published August 9, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Matt Crone, 34, is a cook by training. He worked up through the ranks of many Memphis kitchens before attending the New England Culinary Institute. He graduated in 2003, and has since been the chef at several restaurants, most recently Sole in the Westin Downtown.

Crone started teaching at L'Ecole Culinare soon after it opened in Cordova. Because of his background in using local, sustainable and organic products, he soon became the go-to green guy there.

Officially known as the Green Coordinator and the leader of the Green Committee, he got rid of all the polystyrene (Styrofoam), replaced plastic utensils with washable ones, built gardens out of recycled materials, and switched to paper products with recycled content.

One day, Chris Steinmetz, a salesman from Green Earth Options Biofuel, came to the school to see whether it would be interested in selling its used cooking oil to be made into biodiesel fuel. Crone could tell that Steinmetz was new at what he was doing, and decided to help him out. He called all of his restaurant friends, and by the next day had 30 accounts for Steinmetz.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning natural fuel source created from a commodity. "It makes cars run better, has zero emissions, and is biodegradable," Crone said. Biofuel can be used directly in certain vehicles, processed and used in diesel engines, or mixed with petroleum diesel to create a blend for diesel engines.

Restaurants have to dispose properly of their used fat and vegetable oil. A variety of companies can use the waste in manufacturing things like lipstick or fertilizer.

Green Earth Options works to turn it into fuel. The company gives restaurants specially designed containers to store used oil. When the containers are full, GEO empties them and trucks the oil to a local biodiesel plant, which filters it. The grease is also washed with water to remove impurities. Then it is slowly heated to remove the water, and the chemical process is started to turn it into fuel.

"It was my intention to give Chris the connections, because I knew it was the right, green thing to do," says Crone. He saw the potential in the company and, after a restless night, decided to become a part of it. Six months later, he and Steinmetz were equal partners and good friends.

"We're both very green-oriented," says Crone. They quickly learned that they had a lot of other things in common -- they knew many of the same people.

"I'm a tenacious networker," says Crone. "When I see opportunity, I jump on it." He instantly saw the benefit of linking the restaurant industry with the biofuel industry. His experience, travels and extensive network of chef friends gave him the confidence to jump in 100 percent.

Biofuel has successfully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. In its pure form, it can be handled, stored and transported with the same guidelines as vegetable oil.

Crone and Steinmetz basically started with nothing more than an idea and minimal money. "We were working for guys we'd never met," says Crone, referring to CEO Allen Spraggins, who is based in Dallas, and company president Tom DePalo, who is based in Atlanta. "We'd ask for tanks, and they'd send them." They are the ones with their feet on the ground making sure everything gets done. Currently, Crone is spending several days a week in Nashville growing the business.

"In the beginning, our equipment wasn't remotely close to what we needed," says Crone. "But we knew when we could afford it, we would get better stuff."

In less than two years, Crone and Steinmetz have gotten 300 local businesses on board and have expanded their reach into four other states for a total of nearly 1,000 business accounts.

In 2010, they collected 80,000 gallons of grease, 100 percent of which was recycled. Now, they are able to use clean, efficient tanks that were designed especially for them and state-of-the-art "no spill" vacuum systems to transfer the oil from the customers' locations to the plant.

They pride themselves on customer service. "Being a clean company is part of our modus operandi," says Crone. Twice a year, they pressure-wash the pickup area for their accounts free of charge. "It's our goal get to know our clients, stay on top of things, check in often, and stay on a first-name basis," says Crone.

It is also their intention to give back to the businesses that support them. They donate 2 cents of every gallon collected to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and make a quarterly donation to Project Green Fork.

A cook through and through, Crone's ultimate goal is someday to get back in the kitchen. "As soon as I make enough money to sink into a restaurant, I will," he says.

Grade your groceries: Mobile app furnishes product nutrition info for conscientious shoppers

2011-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Published August 8, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

When Hemi Weingarten's twin daughters were 1 1/2, his wife brought home some glow-in-the-dark yogurt.

"The color was so bright that it led me to read an ingredients label for the first time in my life," he said.

The ingredient responsible for the yogurt's radiance was Red No. 40. He Googled it and discovered that it is a potential carcinogen that is being phased out in Europe.

"I realized that I was unequipped to decide what to put on the table for my family. I wanted to help myself and others," he said.

So, working with dietitians and other professionals, Weingarten created the Fooducate App. Now available for free at Fooducate.com for iPhone and Android phones, it allows the user to scan barcodes on products with the phone's camera...(Read more).

Sustainable restaurant organization turning 3

2011-08-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Published August 2, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Project Green Fork will celebrate its third birthday on Thursday.

PGF executive director Margot McNeeley says there is plenty to celebrate for the organization that aims to contribute to sustainability in our community by helping local restaurants reduce their environmental impact.

PGF also focuses on strengthening homegrown restaurants.

PGF-certified restaurants must meet certain criteria, including using sustainable products, recycling, reducing energy and water consumption and practicing kitchen composting.

There are 34 certified restaurants -- Grill 83 Downtown being the most recent to complete the process -- and nine others working toward it...(Read more).

Kids' busy schedule of camps makes Mom jealous

2011-07-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Published July 28, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

I'm a little jealous of my kids' summer schedule.

In the past, they've done the summer program at their school. But now that they are 7 and 9, I wanted to give them the opportunity to try new things in new places with new people, and -- if I was lucky -- have them come away with a new appreciation of what they already have.

I anticipated a lot of morning struggles, so I started them off at a small art camp at the Garden Path Studio. When we arrived the first day and they discovered they knew some of the other campers from tae kwon do and Memphis Rock-n-Romp, I could see them instantly relax. They had a great time making pottery, rubber stamps, drawings and even (sanctioned) "graffiti" on the outside wall of the studio.

Despite their successful first week, there was lots of moaning and groaning about "All Sports Camp" at Grace-St. Luke's. When I explained that "all sports" included field trips to Putt-Putt, the bowling alley and the skating rink, they perked up. In no time, they were making new friends, fitting right in and learning some new games...(Read more).

Operation Thrill Points revs up long summer trip

2011-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Published July 14, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Before leaving for our 21/2 -week road trip to Massachusetts and back, I took my 7-year-old son to see "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" at his request.

I've officially gotten to the point where I absolutely cannot stay awake in the theater, but I did manage to catch the gist of the movie. Judy cleverly devised a system for her and her friends to collect "thrill points" over the summer in order to make it more exciting.

As we piled into the car for our trip, I talked to both of the boys about accumulating their own thrill points on our trip. I had my youngest at hello, but my 9-year-old was cautiously inquisitive.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, remember last summer when you jumped off the cliff into Dinky Creek with Daddy? I'd say that was worth at least 20 thrill points," I replied...(Read more).

The Memphis Fridge--Dr. Scott Morris

2011-07-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Published July 1, 2011 in Edible Memphis

Vacation followed wherever road took us

2011-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Published June 30, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

About a week ago, we set out on our annual cross-country road trip. Rather than head West to visit family as we usually do, we went East to visit friends.

Our first destination was Northampton, Mass., where our friends Liz and Vanessa live with their 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. It's about a 1,300 -mile drive, so we figured our ascent would take about three days. We didn't have any real stops in mind; we just decided to see where the road led us.

We lead such busy, over-scheduled lives that just packing up and hitting the road feels like a real escape for us. Our boys -- ages 7 and 9 -- like the adventure a road trip brings as well. We hit the road for a month with our oldest when he was just 3 months old.

We left Memphis around 9:30 a.m. and spent the entirety of Day 1 crossing Tennessee. We stopped for lunch at a trendy burger joint in Nashville called Burger Up because of its proximity to Las Paletas, a mecca for homemade ice pop fans. Fortified, we kept going until we didn't want to go anymore...(Read more).

Recipe for recycling: Area restaurants move beyond the usual in quest for sustainability

2011-06-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Published June 21, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

These days, it's common to see the name of a farm listed next to the meat or produce on a restaurant's menu. The "Farm to Table" movement also has a flip side. What happens to the food when it leaves the table? Many restaurants -- some through Project Green Fork and some on their own -- are very conscientious about collecting compost for use back on the farm. Those that compost often employ a host of other environmentally friendly practices.

For two years, all of Sekisui Midtown's vegetable scraps went into David Lindsey's backyard. He's Sekisui's director of marketing, but he's also comfortable with the title of "Jimmy Ishii's All-Purpose Assistant." He turned the vegetable scraps into compost in a large, open-air pit in his yard and then several times a year he would load the finished compost into 5-gallon soy sauce buckets and take it back to Sekisui Midtown to give away to customers...(Read more).

Weekend trip to New York just what Mom needed

2011-06-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Published June 16, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Last weekend, I went to New York with a friend. It was my second "Girls Weekend" this year, which is completely unprecedented.

My husband has been working out of town a lot this year, which isn't actually anything new, but now that my boys are 7 and 9, I'm finding it easier to say yes when friends present opportunities like this.

We stayed in Greenpoint, which is in Brooklyn near the East River within walking distance of the very popular Williamsburg neighborhood. I haven't been to New York City in about 12 years, and I had never been in Brooklyn, so I didn't quite know what to expect, but my friend (who is also a mom) and I had plans to do all of the things that we can't usually do with our children -- eat in trendy restaurants, drink fancy cocktails, carry on long, uninterrupted conversations, shop, stay up late, and sleep even later...(Read more).

A taste of cool: No standard freezer pops, Mexican paletas tempt with bold, natural flavors

2011-06-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Published June 15, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

This time of year, Memphians are in search of ways to cool off. Thanks to some local artisans, ice pops are the newest, coolest treat in town.

Frequent travelers of Summer Avenue have recently added a new word to their vocabulary: paleta, Spanish for "ice pop." The cool treats are made daily at La Michoacana, which is nestled in the French Village strip mall near Graham. Rafael Gonzalez, who can be found most days at the Summer location, runs the chain of four stores with two of his brothers.

Making paletas is the family business. Gonzalez's father, who hails from Michoacan, Mexico, has been in the paleta business for 35 years and currently has three stores in Chihuahua, Mexico. Michoacan is often credited as the birthplace of the paleta...(Read more)

Newman Farms Berkshire Pork Tacos at Las Tortugas

2011-06-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Published June 9, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

Just when I thought that Las Tortugas couldn't get any better, they started adding locally sourced meats to the menu. Owner Pepe Magallanes and his son Jonathan were already very particular about every ingredient they used, shopping each morning before the store opened to find the perfect ingredients. Adding Newman Farms pork and Neola Farms beef takes everything up another notch. On a recent visit, I tried the Newman Farms Berkshire pork tacos and was blown away. Pepe and his crew obviously spent a great deal of time cooking the meat to perfection. Marinated in citrus juices and slow-cooked, it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Once shredded and put into corn tortillas with crema, spicy chile sauce, cilantro, onions, and avocadoes, it's almost too good to be true. At $11.95, it is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but each order includes four tacos, lettuce and cucumber salad, homemade chips, salsa, and avocado sauce. I'm a firm believer that the offerings at Las Tortugas are better fit for fine china than plastic baskets, but I'm happy to be able to enjoy them in such a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Museums, exhibits help make learning fun over summer

2011-06-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Published June 5, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

School's out for the summer, but that doesn't mean the learning needs to stop.

Take advantage of the many opportunities around town to learn about the environment and the animals that depend on it to survive.

Here are a few to get you started:

Memphis Botanic Garden

Memphis Botanic Garden is a beautiful place to smell the roses in the Rose Garden, feed the koi in Lake Biwa in the Japanese Garden of Tranquility and learn all about the beautiful things growing outdoors.

My Big Backyard, which is an absolute must-see, was designed just for kids to learn and have fun at the same time...(Read more).

Beloved cat passes on, critters can take a breath

2011-06-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Published June 2, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

"Where's Olive?" My husband asks me this question at least five times a day. Olive is our cat -- my cat actually. She adopted me in the fall of 1996 after I returned from the Peace Corps. I lived in an old house on Goodbar with a friend, and Olive came with the house. She was originally named Oliver -- after the orphan -- but by springtime she was pregnant, and we realized she needed a new name.

Olive always came and went as she pleased. She knew how to get into the house through the basement and the attic. We often woke up to birds flying through the house -- gifts she'd brought us in the night. And she once famously brought in a beheaded squirrel during the middle of a cocktail party we were hosting.

Olive could take care of herself. However, once Warren and I got married, and we moved to a different house, he felt that it was his duty to keep tabs on her. He outfitted her with a bell to reduce the number of critters she brought home, and he made sure she came inside each night. Despite her wild ways, Olive was a lover, not a fighter -- ask anyone who ever set foot in our house. Olive would make her way into a guest's lap in less than a minute...(Read more).

BLFGT Salad at Felicia Suzanne’s

2011-05-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Published May 26, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

The BLFGT Salad at Felicia Suzanne's — OMG! This Souththern take on the traditional BLT sandwich features fried green tomatoes rather than regular ol' tomatoes, which negates the need for bread and makes it one amazing salad. All the ingredients are stellar, but the thick yet crispy Newman Farms bacon is out of this world. Two perfectly fried tomatoes are stacked with strips of bacon and a layer of cheese (the menu reads fresh mozzarella, but I could swear mine had homemade pimento cheese), topped with a heap of baby mixed greens tossed in a delicious rémoulade dressing. The savory and salty crunch of the bacon mixed with the firm sweetness of the tomatoes and the slight kick of the dressing is outstanding. The BLFGT is available on the dinner menu and the Friday lunch menu for $12. It's the perfect middle to a long, leisurely dinner but can also hold its own as a full meal during lunch.

Don't forget etiquette on phone: Kids are listening

2011-05-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Published May 19, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

My 9-year-old has been playing a computer game that "requires" him to simultaneously talk on speaker phone with his friend who is at his house playing the same game and talking on his speaker phone.

It kind of reminds me of when my dad used to play online bridge in his boxer shorts at all hours of the night in the late '90s. He stopped every few minutes to call his online partner, wherever he was, and yell at him over the phone. (The reason he turned to online bridge was because he'd been suspended from the local bridge club for yelling at his in-person partner too many times.)

So far, my son appears to have a much calmer demeanor than his grandfather -- as long as his little brother is nowhere near. While playing the game, Satchel offers helpful advice to his friend, Theo. They team up and help each other out. It's cute -- in small doses...(Read more).

Places to dine multiplying for Vegans

2011-05-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Published May 18, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Many local vegans are finding that it's getting easier to eat ethically in Memphis.

Ward Huddleston, 31, who lives in East Memphis, defines vegans as people who make their best effort to avoid supporting animal cruelty. "Every vegan is unique, so a specific definition is difficult," he says.

Vegans avoid animal products like meat, eggs and dairy products, but there are some gray areas. For instance, Huddleston doesn't avoid honey, because he's OK with the production process, but a lot of vegans don't buy anything with honey in it. "Everyone draws a line, and to some extent it's an arbitrary line," he explains.

It's the dairy that separates the vegans from the vegetarians. Huddleston says, "Dairy cows have miserable lives. ... A healthy cow can live over 25 years, but dairy cows commonly die of exhaustion or disease after three or four." (Read more)

Preparation helps kids weather flood fright

2011-05-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Published May 5, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

I'm not one to panic, but over the weekend, as the waters of the Mississippi rose, so did my stress level. Had my husband -- a former forest ranger, Peace Corps volunteer, and all-around Renaissance man -- been in town, I probably wouldn't have quietly packed "go bags" while the kids watched TV.

I've looked at the maps and can rest assured that my house is not in any immediate danger, but I still worry about friends and family. The county sent out a warning asking every resident of Shelby County to pack a "go bag" just in case, so I did. I felt a little silly, much as I do when we take cover in the tornado closet, but it eased my nerves to feel as though I was preparing myself. I packed three days' worth of clothes and nonperishable food, toiletries, flashlights, water and pet supplies.

When my husband arrived home on Sunday night and saw the bags I packed, he panicked a little, too, but for a different reason. "I thought you were leaving me," he said. Once assured that I had no intention of that, he joked that I should have packed some alcohol instead of a half-empty jar of peanut butter...(Read more).

Connected bike lanes right kind of change

2011-04-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Published April 21, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Last Sunday afternoon, I decided to take my young sons to Shelby Farms Park for the Down to Earth celebration. We also wanted to revisit the Woodland Discovery Playground and finally do the paddle boats on Patriot Lake.

Unfortunately, we were met with crazy backed-up traffic on Walnut Grove, and we could see from the road how crowded it was in the park. I was simultaneously thrilled at the turnout, and disappointed that we wouldn't be joining in on the fun. I also found it somewhat ironic that our Earth Day celebration was derailed by a traffic jam.

Obviously, we were in a car, so we were part of the problem. My youngest son usually hitches a ride on the back of my husband's bike when we do long rides, so minus my husband (who was busy studying) I didn't think it would be feasible for us all to ride out there on our bikes -- at least not there and back. And as awesome as the Shelby Farms Greenline is, there are plenty of neighborhoods it doesn't connect to, so a lot of families had no choice but to drive to the park...(Read more).

Seared Salmon at Cafe 1912

2011-04-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Published April 14, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

I'm pretty sure that there's only one place that can put salmon and raisins in the same sentence and make it sound good: Café 1912. The seared salmon on sautéed spinach with pine nuts, golden raisins, and olive tapenade is a testament to the restaurant's consistency and creativity. The dish is hearty, earthy, and full of flavor. The spinach, perfectly cooked and easy to chew, forms the base. The filet of salmon, which is covered with the rich, black-olive tapenade, rests on top. The golden raisins, accompanied by pine nuts, are sprinkled around the dish to add even more texture and flavor. As a bonus, these ingredients — many of which top the "super foods" lists from year to year — are full of nutrients. This is definitely a dish to enjoy and truly make your mother proud. — Stacey Greenberg

Pat Mitchell and Billie Worley blend different styles into family harmony

2011-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Published April 7, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

When Pat Mitchell, 40, first met her future husband, Billie Worley, 39, she was bearing a platter of homemade ribs. Proving that the quickest way to the heart is through the stomach, Billie fell in love with her immediately.

Pat is the director of development and communications at the Memphis Music Foundation, and Billie is associate producer for 1049 Productions and an actor and musician. They met in the summer of 2003, when Billie was touring with an old friend of Pat's from the band Candlebox. They had a gig in Little Rock, and Pat knew that the best thing you could do for a band on the road without a tour bus was to make food. "There I was with an Afro and a plate of ribs," says Pat. Billie laughs and says, "I was like, 'Who is this little angel?'" (Read more)

Woodland playground gets family thumbs-up

2011-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Published April 7, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Thanks to the Greenline, Shelby Farms Park has gone from being a place we rarely visited to being a part of our everyday lives.

My 8-year-old can ride his bike with us all the way from our house in Midtown to the park and back. We've spoiled our 6-year-old with the hitch-hiker attachment that allows him to ride on the back of his dad's bike, but this year it's his goal to make it to the park and back on his own. Now that the new Woodland Discovery Playground is opening in the Plough Park area of Shelby Farms, he is even more motivated to get there.

We visited the playground on Tuesday afternoon during the members-only sneak preview. It is fabulous, and it exceeded every one of my high expectations. I am so happy that my boys are still young enough to enjoy it. (Honestly, after watching them play for a bit, I thought that a parents' night at the playground might be in order.)...(Read more).

Summer Camps: Meeting of the minds

2011-03-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Published March 25, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Spring break is over, and now it's time to start planning for summer break.

I have two weeks off over the summer and our accompanying road trip up the East Coast to Massachusetts will only cover a fraction of the eight-week break my boys will enjoy. So, I've been scouting camps. My sons will be 7 and 9 come summer, so we have our pick.

If you were to ask my oldest his idea of a perfect summer camp, he'd tell you that he doesn't need camp. He thinks he's old enough to stay home by himself. What would he do all day? Play something called Steam on the computer, jump off of the top bunk and onto the beanbag from time to time, and eat junk food...(Read more).

Beat It: For local restaurants, eating challenges are good business.

2011-03-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Published March 24, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

When Shawn Danko opened Kooky Canuck, he wanted to include a food challenge to add to the fun nature of the restaurant. He created the Kookamonga Burger, which is four pounds of fresh ground chuck, two pounds of custom-made hamburger bun, and one-and-a-half pounds of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and cheese. (Accompanying fries are optional.) Eat the burger in less than 60 minutes, and it's yours for free.

Anyone who has laid eyes on the burger can see that finishing it is nearly impossible, but that hasn't stopped 2,895 people from taking the challenge. To date, only eight people have succeeded. One of them, Roger Robinson, who lives in Southaven, has won three times. Patrick Bertoletti, a professional competitive eater, holds the record for fastest time (7 minutes and 15 seconds)...(Read more).

Don't mind yardwork: That's what sons are for

2011-03-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Published March 24, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

When we purchased our house four years ago, our Realtor warned us that the two giant sweetgum trees in the backyard would vex us year round. At the time, our boys were 2 and 4 -- old enough to mill about while I did yard work, I thought. I loved the house, so I said, "I'll handle the gumballs."

Famous last words, right? The two trees are massive, and no doubt hundreds of years old. We live in Lea's Woods, which is adjacent to Overton Park's Old Forest. These are some serious trees. And yes, they vex us year round.

In their defense, I will say that they are gorgeous and they provide great shade in the summer. I love our summer utility bills.

But I am not a fan of the year-round sprinkling of gumballs, the massive leaf dumping, and the yearly shower of broccolini-like pollen pods. When there are storms, large sticks and branches often fall. My husband and I both have nightmares about one -- or both -- of the trees falling on the house...(Read more).

Educate their palates: Exposing children early to variety of tastes helps them become more adventurous eaters

2011-03-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Published March 16, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

There wasn't a single chicken nugget to be found at Juliana Judge's 7th birthday dinner in February. She had a seven-course chef's dinner at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen to celebrate her big day. The menu included gorgonzola sformato soufflé, lamb heart, agnolotti and pheasant confit, green bean tortellini with cheese sauce, Newman Farms pork with risotto in olive sauce, black cod with roasted and pickled cauliflower and chestnut sauce, lamb with roasted root vegetables, fried cherry pie and a milkshake.

Juliana's father, Charles Judge, who is director of client services at Career Talent, reports that she ate everything, but notes that her little sister, Camille, was a bit more reserved. The birthday dinner was actually Juliana's first meal at Andrew Michael. "She has always wanted to go and have their preparation of a Newman Farms pork dish as it's one of her favorite staples at our house," says Judge. "She is also a huge fan of lamb and heard my wife and I talk about how great Andrew Michael prepared it." (Read more).

Boys getting bigger, but they're still my babies

2011-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Published March 10, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

"Measure me!" my 8-year-old commands every evening when we pull in front of the house.

"You forgot to measure me!" he laments each morning when we pile into the car for school and work.

Six weeks shy of his 9th birthday, he has decided that he is too big for a booster seat. I've explained that the child restraint laws in Tennessee require that he be over 4-foot-9 to ride without his booster. When I finally remembered to measure him, he came in at 4-foot-6.

"Measure me!" he continues to beg each day, sure that he has grown in his sleep.

We are standing on the precipice of him not being "my baby," or being what they now call a pre-tween. Whatever it's technically called, it is way different from him being my baby...(Read more).

Granola and Yogurt at Cafe Eclectic

2011-03-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

Published March 3, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

On Café Eclectic's breakfast menu, near the bottom, you will see a very unassuming listing for granola and yogurt. "Homemade granola with nuts, fresh berries, and homemade yogurt," it reads. It's easy to brush past it, maybe saying to yourself, "I can eat that at home." Well, no, you can't. The "homemade" part is what makes this dish exceptional. I have had my share of granola, but never before have I tasted any as scrumptious as this. Oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almond slivers, dried apricots, golden raisins (and probably a few other ingredients I missed) are drenched in honey and baked to a warm, chewy perfection. They pile the granola on top of perfectly made yogurt that is rich and creamy and just a little tart. Then they top it with beautiful fresh berries — strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries — not an easy task this time of year. The resulting combination is simply exquisite. I've been dreaming of this dish since my first taste. Thankfully, Café Eclectic starts serving at 7 a.m., and the granola and yogurt is available all day. (For a small: $3.50; large: $5.95.)

(Supper) Clubbin

2011-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Published March 1, 2011 in Edible Memphis

Pickup partner: Project Green Fork helps restaurants live up to sustainable certification

2011-03-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Published March 1, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Two and a half years ago, Madeleine Edwards was a stay-at-home mom. Once a week, her brother-in-law paid her to pick up and drop off the recyclables from Presbyterian Day School, where he worked.

About that time, Margot McNeeley enlisted Tsunami as the pilot restaurant for Project Green Fork, which aims to contribute to a sustainable Mid-South by helping local restaurants reduce their environmental impacts.

In order for Project Green Fork to be a success, McNeeley needed someone to assist restaurants with recycling.

Edwards stepped up, and as a result Project Green Fork now has 29 certified sustainable restaurants, and Edwards has grown a business, Get Green Recycleworks...(Read more).

Weekend getaway not easy to get away with

2011-02-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

Published February 24, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Last Monday morning, I casually mentioned that I was going to be out of town over the weekend. My 6-year-old, still wiping the sleep out of his eyes, said, "Can I come with you?" I told him that I was going on a girls-only trip to New Orleans.

My 8-year-old immediately wanted to know who the girls were, then clarified, "You'll be gone all weekend?" I explained that I was leaving Friday evening and coming home Monday, but that I was taking Friday off to spend time with them since they were out of school. Appeased for the moment, they got dressed and moved on to brushing teeth and eating breakfast.

My friends have been trying to get me to do a girls' weekend for months -- maybe even years. I usually have plenty of good excuses why I can't go, but after holding down the fort for six weeks while my husband worked out of town in January and February, I decided I was ready for a little break...(Read more).

Concession Confessions: On sneaking food into the movies.

2011-02-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Published February 10, 2011 in the Memphis Flyer

With the February 27th Oscars telecast fast approaching, there are those of us who cram in a lot of moviegoing to catch all the contenders. And that, for some, means packing — as in, sneaking in food.

People have been sneaking in their own concessions ever since movie houses opened. Originally, theater owners would not allow food and beverages in the auditoriums because of the mess. However, peanut vendors would set up outside and sell to the crowds going in, and the owners ended up with a mess to clean anyway. Eventually, the owners gave in and started selling their own concessions...(Read more).

Snow-day policy leaves mom questioning

2011-02-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Published February 9, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

As a child, I peered outside a Memphis City School window on many days, hoping for snow. On the days that it actually did snow, we anxiously waited to see if it would stick to the streets. If it stuck, then we'd be dismissed early. I remember being sorely disappointed on many occasions when it did not stick.

What I don't remember was being let out early, only to get home and find that there was very little or no snow. I also don't remember my parents ever being annoyed by leaving work early to retrieve me and my sisters for a false alarm. But I'm the first to admit that I have a bad memory...(Read more).

Sustainable love: Show your valentine you care with environmentally friendly gifts

2011-02-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sustainable love: Show your valentine you care with environmentally friendly gifts
Published February 8, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Don't let the pink hearts and red roses stop you from going green this Valentine's Day.

The American Greetings Corporation estimates more than a billion greeting cards are sent globally each year, making Valentine's the second most popular greeting card holiday behind Christmas. One billion greeting cards can stretch around the globe five times if laid end to end. That's a lot of trees. And postage.

This year show your valentine, and the Earth, a little love by hand-delivering a card made from recycled materials, or by sending an e-card. Instead of buying a gift, make dinner at home, go on a walk, or spend quality time together doing something you both love...(Read more).

Brats versus Kielbasa: When the Packers and Steelers meet in the Super Bowl Sunday, expect the wurst to happen

2011-02-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Brats versus Kielbasa: When the Packers and Steelers meet in the Super Bowl Sunday, expect the wurst to happen
Published February 2, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

If you plan to serve food your team would love during Super Bowl XLV -- featuring the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers -- it's sure to be a sausage party. Foodies, get ready for bratwurst versus kielbasa.

When Pittsburgh meets Green Bay in Super Bowl XLV Sunday, football fans will be taking sides on their favorite gameday sausage: Polish kielbasa (left) is the favorite among Steelers fans, while Packers backers want "any kinda brat."

Brian Brock, a graphic design artist who lives in Bartlett but hails from Pittsburgh, says thick and greasy is in order for the big day. "Polish kielbasa and kraut is a must!" he says, adding that pierogies (dumplings of unleavened dough traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat or fruit), golabki (cabbage rolls), halusky (noodles and cabbage) and pastrami sandwiches with fries and slaw on top are also Pittsburgh favorites...(Read more).

Leaving kids home alone a matter of responsibility

2011-01-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

Leaving kids home alone a matter of responsibility
Published January 27, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Last summer, I took my 6- and 8-year-old sons to see "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" at the Orpheum. The part that stood out the most for my 8-year-old is when Elliott, who is probably about 8 himself, pretends to be sick. "His mom let him stay home by himself!" my son said in wild-eyed amazement. He was awed by the fact that he might someday get to stay home by himself. He might not even have to be sick!

At what age is it legal to leave your kids home alone in Tennessee? 12? 14? What would you guess? I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there isn't actually a law in most states. I found the following guideline for Tennessee: "There is no legal age for children to stay at home alone. Parents are advised to use their best judgment, keeping the child's maturity level and safety issues in mind." (Read more)

Little Disco: Dance event lets under-7 bump and hustle with parents

2011-01-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Little Disco: Dance event lets under-7 bump and hustle with parents
Published January 22, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

There's only one rule at The Little Disco -- no juice boxes on the dance floor.

The disco for children under 7 and their fun-loving parents was created by Minnesota native Katherine Mendez.

"In the short run, I hope everyone has a great time, and that the event gives children and parents an opportunity to shake their booties together away from the TV and the computer," says Katherine Mendez, seen here with son Benjamin, 4.

A part-time Spanish interpreter for the Memphis Speech and Hearing clinic at the University of Memphis, Mendez moved here in 2005. Her first week in town, she took a salsa dance class from Edgar Mendez, a world-class professional salsa dancer and owner of Salsa Memphis. Five months later, they were married...(Read more)

Hold snow: Son would trade it for taekwondo

2011-01-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hold snow: Son would trade it for taekwondo
Published January 13, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

On Sunday night, when it actually started to snow, I informed my 6- and 8-year- old sons that there was a good chance they wouldn’t have to go to school on Monday. My younger immediately broke out into his “Oh yeah, uh-huh” dance, but the older one hesitated. “If school is closed, does that mean that the taekwondo studio will be closed, too?” he asked. When I told him that it probably would, he proclaimed, “I don’t want it to snow!”

That’s blasphemy for a school-age child in Memphis, isn’t it? I was able to perk him up with promises of trekking through the frosty Old Forest, sledding at the Levitt Shell, and building snow people in the front yard. Several times throughout the day, he asked if he could put on his taekwondo uniform and sparring gear and just hang out. He even tried to convince me that his helmet would help keep him warm at the park...(Read more).

Chemist preaches green; Upchurch turns focus to environmental education

2011-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Chemist preaches green; Upchurch turns focus to environmental education
Published January 7, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Fifteen years ago, Sandra Upchurch responded to a plea for industrial chemists to substitute teach in an industrial chemistry program in the Memphis City Schools. The lifelong Memphian applied for the position, but never taught as a substitute a single day. Instead she became director of the program.

Upchurch's work with young people will impact our future and could be the catalyst for bringing minority students and others into the field of chemistry with the mindset to look for better ways to utilize, produce and manufacture items we use in our everyday lives.

Although her industrial chemistry program was closed abruptly last fall, Upchurch continues to make education a top priority at the state and national level...(Read more).

On the Shelf

2011-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Published January 1. 2011 in Edible Memphis

The Firecracker at Elliott’s

2010-12-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Published December 30, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

There are a lot of things I love about Elliott's. Because of limited space, I will list my top two: 1) Harry (owner Helario Reyna) is always adding new and exciting items to the menu, and 2) you can get something totally decadent like homemade beef tamales smothered in cheese, sour cream, and jalapeno or something deliciously health-conscious like a wrap. I have recently fallen in love with the Firecracker, which has replaced the Santa Fe as my favorite wrap. It contains sliced, grilled chicken breast, julienned carrots, Thai basil, chopped cabbage, diced green peppers, chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, and spicy Thai chili sauce. It's fresh, crunchy, and has an explosive taste thanks to the chili sauce. Not to mention, the Firecracker is everything you could ever want in a sandwich: healthy, cheap, and easy to eat. Try it.

Daily time for creativity a worthwhile resolution

2010-12-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

Daily time for creativity a worthwhile resolution
Published December 30, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

As the year comes to a close, it is time to look back and reflect. (This is assuming that the noise level in your house allows for reflection.)

It's also time to look forward, to make plans and resolutions. Every year, I ask my boys -- ages 6 and 8 -- what their resolutions are, and I get the same response: "What's a resolution?"

Then I try and explain the concept of a resolution in a way that would make them want to have one (or more). The idea is lost on them. They are too much in the now, in the me, me, me, to imagine making any big changes.

This year, I decided to try a new tactic. Instead of making resolutions, I thought we might all embark on a Project 365...(Read more).

iPods for kids: Touch-screen devices a helpful resource for learning, fun

2010-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

iPods for kids: Touch-screen devices a helpful resource for learning, fun
Published December 16, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Attorney Jocelyn Henderson bought an iPod Touch for her son, Jordan, on his fifth birthday so he could work on his spelling and math.

"It's not just a toy -- it can play music, do fun stuff, and (he can) learn," she says.

The iPod was once synonymous with the Walkman or radio, but now it's just a step down from an iPhone -- part music library, part gaming system and part computer --- even for 5-year-olds.

A January 2009 AdMob Mobile Metrics Report puts the average iPhone owner at age 37 and the average iPod owner at 23. However, it appears those ages are dropping...
(Read more)

It's not easy controlling the kids' wish lists

2010-12-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

It's not easy controlling the kids' wish lists
Published December 16, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

This time of year, my children get a serious case of the "I wants." One night at dinner, my 8-year-old spent a good 10 minutes telling me about all of the changes he needed to make to his "I Want List."

"Do you know how boring it is to talk about all of the things you want?" I asked him. He nodded and continued talking.

I do my best to control the "I wants." I find that avoiding stores, especially this time of year, helps. If the children can't see all of the new and shiny things for sale, then they can't want them, right?

If it only it were that simple...(Read more)

Spot On: The thing about Ching’s Hot Wings.

2010-12-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

Spot On: The thing about Ching’s Hot Wings.
Published December 9, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

Located in a small strip mall on Getwell Road in East Memphis, Ching's Hot Wings is easy to miss. The large pictures of customers covering the windows blend into the large pictures of hairstyles available at the African braiding salon next door. However, once inside, Ching's is unforgettable.

The small dining room is decorated from floor to ceiling with signed jerseys of some of Memphis' best-known athletes, more pictures of happy customers, seven flat-screen TVs tuned to sports, and one lone violin. The floor space is filled with wooden booths with high backs that give each table a feeling of intimacy. A few large benches are mixed in for customers to sit on while waiting for to-go orders...(Read more)

Pizza at Trolley Stop

2010-12-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Pizza at Trolley Stop
Published December 2, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

Okay, I'm just going to lay down the gauntlet. There isn't a slice of pizza in town consistently as good as the slices at Trolley Stop Market. The fresh ingredients trucked over from Whitton Farms and the extra love from Jillbilly's kitchen surely give it an unfair advantage. The crust is true perfection. It's New York-style, so it's thin and it bends, but it is sturdy enough to hold up to the weight of the toppings, cheese, and sauce. Oh, the sauce! Fresh and flavorful but not overpowering. Each slice always has the perfect amount of cheese, and you can be assured that it will string out in front of you with every bite. As far as the toppings go, you can't go wrong. Pizzas are made all day long and come out with everything from farm-fresh squash, yellow cherry tomatoes, herbs, and a medley of mushrooms to the standard pepperoni. If you want one made especially for you, they'll do that too. Order a slice, and it will easily be the best $3.50 you ever spent. But take it from me, go ahead and order two. — Stacey Greenberg

Trolley Stop Market, 704 Madison (526-1361)...(See photo)

Being good parent isn't a race -- it's a marathon

2010-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

Being good parent isn't a race -- it's a marathon
Published December 2, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

I've been running two to three times a week for a little over a year, and have participated in a number of 5Ks. Sometime over the summer, I decided to sign up for the St. Jude Memphis half-marathon that takes place on Saturday.

Upon hearing the news, my 6- and 8-year-old sons immediately started divvying up my first-place winnings. While I appreciate their vote of confidence, I have found that, much like parenting, the half-marathon isn't something I am/was completely prepared for, but I'm going for it anyway.

Becoming a mother has made me bolder than I ever thought I'd be. At the very least, it has made me fairly immune to vomit and other unpleasant bodily functions that may come into play on Saturday. (Or so I'm told!)...(Read more)

Dream of building a better block is at hand

2010-11-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

Dream of building a better block is at hand
Published November 18, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

My family likes to go on walks, hikes and bike rides. Places like the Greater Memphis Greenline and the riverfront make this pretty easy to do. However, going from place to place can be a challenge.

For instance, we can walk to Overton Park from our house in about 10 minutes. Five of those minutes are spent trying to cross six lanes of very heavy traffic on East Parkway near Sam Cooper. There are no crosswalks, and it can be pretty sketchy. It wasn't until my boys got older (they're 6 and 8) that I even considered crossing the street with them.

Commuting is also dangerous. My kids' school is less than a mile away, but to walk or ride bikes there, we have to cross both East Parkway and Summer. The sidewalks are broken and bumpy, and the heavy traffic makes riding bikes in the street too dangerous, especially during morning rush hour. It's scary enough when I'm with them -- I can't imagine ever allowing them to traverse those streets without me...(Read more)

Round and Round

2010-11-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

Round and Round: It’s time to eat the donuts.
Published November 11, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

I keep hearing that donuts are the new cupcake. Maybe that's true in other places where a good donut is a novelty, but in Memphis, there's a wealth of locally owned shops offering great donuts, and it seems to me classic always transcends trendy.

What follows is a survey of donut offerings in the area. It's incomplete, to be sure, and just begging for another go 'round.

Big Bite Donuts (1996 S. Houston Levee #102, 457-7092) in Collierville opened in March and has a lot of moxie. First, they have a teenage girl dressed as a donut alerting potential customers to the treats inside. Second, their hours are "Open every day at 5:30; Closed when out of donuts."

Although Big Bite is in a strip mall, the interior is nice and cozy. Colorful paintings line the walls, a side counter offers seating, and a makeshift omelet station is set up by the door. Donut pricing starts at 89 cents, which is on the high end, but there are several unusual flavors to choose from. When asked what the big seller is, owner Chris Chiozza replied, "They all sell the same." A must-try is the iced red-velvet donut topped with Bavarian cream and drizzled with chocolate glaze...(Read more)

Majestic match: Irishman, Jersey native play complementary parts in marriage, business

2010-11-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Majestic match: Irishman, Jersey native play complementary parts in marriage, business
Published November 4, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

The blues brought together Deni and Patrick Reilly, owners of The Majestic Grille in Downtown.

Deni, 36, who is originally from New Jersey, moved to Memphis in 1997 and planned to stay for two or three years. Patrick, 46, who is from just outside Dublin, Ireland, and has been in Memphis nearly 10 years, jokes he came here just for the weekend.

They met when Deni was working for the Blues Foundation and Patrick was running the Gibson Guitar Lounge. They worked on several projects together and interacted a lot because of work.

They dated on and off for awhile, and not surprisingly, most of their dates were music related. "We saw Robert Cray at the Botanic Garden, Rufus Thomas at the Music and Heritage Festival, and we had third-row seats at Aerosmith," Patrick recalls.

"We were both pretty much consumed with music," Deni adds...(Read more)

A little treat a small price for face time with sons

2010-11-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

A little treat a small price for face time with sons
Published November 4, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

One of the perks of having two boys two years apart is that they generally like to do the same things, which generally makes my life easier.

However, as they get older, they are more inclined to do things on their own. No longer is it a crisis if one gets invited to a sleepover and the other doesn't. If one wants to play outside and the other doesn't, they do just that. They are benefiting from their newfound independence, and so am I.

It used to be that when I'd ask if anyone wanted to run errands with me, I'd get two big fat "nos." Now, I can almost always count on my 6-year-old to say yes. I think he's caught on to the fact that hanging out with his mom has its rewards. I have no problem adding a trip to TCBY or YoLo or Baskin-Robbins if it means my littlest son will want to spend time with me...(Read more)

No more easy rewards: I'm choosing with eye on health

2010-10-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

No more easy rewards: I'm choosing with eye on health
Published October 21, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

A year ago I signed up for an early morning boot camp to get myself out of a rut of not exercising. It provided the much-needed boost I had hoped for and set me on a path of working out at 5:30 a.m. three to five times a week.

The fact that a friend joined me every one of those mornings kept me motivated. And getting stronger was also motivating.

We went from not running at all, to running four miles twice a week, sometimes three. We took just about every class the Fogelman YMCA offered, took swimming lessons and started lifting weights. Impressive, huh?

We both got some much-needed alone time, and found we had more energy for our families. But neither of us has really lost any weight. Not so impressive, huh? (Read more)

Disgustingly delicious: Creepy, gory-looking dishes help get us into Halloween spirit

2010-10-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

Disgustingly delicious: Creepy, gory-looking dishes help get us into Halloween spirit
Published October 20, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Halloween has a way of bringing out the kid in us. We dress up not just ourselves, but also our food. Whether you have an open house planned, a school or work party to go to, or you just want to give out the best treats on the block, it's easy and fun to show off for this over-the-top holiday.

Colleen Couch-Smith, who lives in Midtown with her husband, Tsunami chef/owner Ben Smith, and their three kids, says Halloween is a great time to be creative. Last year, Ben made a meatloaf and shaped it into a face and a hand. "The meatloaf meat face last year really pushed me to my limit," says Colleen, but she adds that nothing beats watching the kids (and Ben) get into it. She loves re-purposing things for different uses. One of her Halloween touches -- for the adults -- is test tubes filled with blue shooters. Colleen also likes to make little mummy pizzas, mozzarella eyeballs, and ghost meringue cookies...(Read more)

Families already enjoying Greenline

2010-10-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Families already enjoying Greenline
Published October 7, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

The new Shelby Farms Greenline is one of the best things to happen in Memphis in a long time, and it's a great place to take the family. We live in Lea's Woods near the Tillman entrance and have taken our two young sons for several bike rides already. Our favorite rides start with breakfast at nearby Republic Coffee.

My friend and Hein Park neighbor, Wendy Trenthem, recently biked the entire Greenline with her family, which includes three children. She says for them, it was an ambitious 18-mile round-trip ride from their home. "Planning ahead really helps," she says. "My husband rode the route ahead of time, we mapped our street route from home to the Greenline, we took a patch kit and hand pump, and we had a friend on hand to rescue us from a flat."

Wendy suggests that if you want to enjoy just part of the line and don't live along it, park at Farm Road and Mullins Station in Shelby Farms and head west. "You'll see the Wolf River and go under I-240. It's a whole new view of Memphis!"...(Read more)

Memphis convenience store grub not just cheap, fast, but also diverse and tasty

2010-09-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Memphis convenience store grub not just cheap, fast, but also diverse and tasty
Published September 29, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

It's not exactly fast food, nor is it exactly casual dining. Eating in a convenience store is some unnamed culinary genre that will eventually snag a catchy label as its popularity continues to grow.

In Memphis, that could be soon. It wasn't that long ago that convenience store food was a candy bar, a bag of chips, or maybe a prepared sandwich sealed in a plastic triangle. Today, our counters runneth over.

Sandwiches? You betcha.

A hot meal? Fill up on home cooking after you fill up your car's tank.

Burgers? Natch.

But there's more. Mexican. Japanese. Korean.

Here's a look at a few...(Read more)

New friends today mean Facebook chums later

2010-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

New friends today mean Facebook chums later
Published September 23, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Over the weekend, my family went to a wedding in New Orleans. There were lots of kids there, and my two sons made some fast friends. At the end of the evening, my older son came over to me looking a little sad. He motioned toward a red-haired boy he'd been hanging around with most of the night and sullenly said, "I'm never going to see him again!"

Eight-year-olds are very dramatic...(Read more)

Pssst! Ordering from the "secret" menu.

2010-09-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Pssst! Ordering from the "secret" menu
Published September 16, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

On a recent trip to California, I had lunch at In-N-Out Burger, which has a very limited menu featuring hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, soda, and milkshakes. When the man next to me sat down with a carton of fries topped with two slices of cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and "special spread," I felt cheated. I soon found out that these "animal style" fries were on In-N-Out's secret menu. Apparently, lots of national fast food and chain restaurants have them.

That got me wondering — do any of our local restaurants have secret menus? Indeed they do, I discovered. Some have entire menus, some are even willing to make up menu items just for you, and others have a dish or two. Here's a sampling...(Read more)

Kids have a fever: They need more Silly Bands

2010-09-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Kids have a fever: They need more Silly Bands
Published September 9, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Have your kids gotten Silly Band fever yet?

You know, those multicolored plastic bracelets that come in shapes from bunnies to iPods. You can't actually tell what the bands are unless the wearer takes them off to show you. Herein lies the fun.

I thought my boys were immune to the craze that spread through their elementary class last year, until we ran across the bands in a store in San Francisco over the summer. Jiro, 6, bought a pack, wore them for a few days, and then moved on to something else. But once school started up again, he was wearing them every day. Satchel, 8, who didn't own any, quickly acquired some through the generosity of friends and soon was as smitten as his brother...(Read more)

Memphis in August: (Kosher) BBQ Competition Sizzles

2010-09-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Memphis in August: (Kosher) BBQ Competition Sizzles
Published September 1, 2010 on the Jew and the Carrot

Every August, the parking lot of the Mid-South’s oldest Orthodox congregation fills with BBQ smoke. Forty-two teams from as far away as New York gather here to set up tents and spend most of a Sunday barbequing brisket, ribs, and beans as part of the annual Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth (ASBEE) Kosher BBQ Contest and Festival...(Read more)

Kosher BBQ Lovers Try Not To Overcook the Brisket

2010-09-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Kosher BBQ Lovers Try Not To Overcook the Brisket
Published September 1, 2010 in the Jewish Daily Forward

“Kosher” and “barbecue” are two words that don’t normally fit together in one sentence, but the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Memphis has found a way to make it work by focusing on beef and beans.

No pork permitted.

On a Sunday in late August, the shul known as Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth (ASBEE) hosted its annual “Kosher BBQ Contest and Festival,” attracting 42 competitive teams of cooks from around the South and as far away as New York. They turned the synagogue’s parking lot into a white-tented kitchen, filling the air with smoke, laughter, and the sizzle of Southern-style brisket and ribs broiling on charcoal-fired grills...(Read more)

It Takes a Village

2010-09-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

It Takes a Village
Published in September 2010 issue of Memphis Parent

The Memphis Midtown Babysitting Cooperative has saved hundreds of families thousands of dollars in babysitting costs over the last 33 years.

Founded by 13 mothers in 1977, the co-op  currently has 19 member families within its Midtown borders (Jackson on the north, East Parkway to the east, Young Avenue on the south, and Bellevue and Watkins on the west). Members enjoy unlimited babysitting for just $25 a year.

The co-op’s president, Nicky Robertshaw Hitching, lives in Hein Park with her husband and 8-year-old daughter. She says there’s a system of “play money” in place, so it all works out. The play money is called “scrip.” Each family is given a loan of 60 scrip from the administration when they enter the co-op and are expected to return 60 scrip when they leave...(Read more)

Knitters share skills, life's ups and downs at group get-togethers

2010-08-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Knitters share skills, life's ups and downs at group get-togethers
Published August 28, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

"Knitting is the background noise that makes it easier for us to talk about our feelings," says Christiana Leibovich, 32, founder of the Memphis Knit Mafia. She explains that when everyone is knitting, they aren't staring at you.

Leibovich taught herself to knit with books and Internet instruction. On her lunch breaks, she would go to the Yarn Studio (now under new management and named Stash) in Cooper-Young for help and supplies. "I was a part of an online community at Ravelry.com and noticed that there were knitting groups set up in other cities. I decided to start a group and see if it would work in Memphis," she says...(Read more)

Broken arm can be pain, but a lot of fun for a kid

2010-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Broken arm can be pain, but a lot of fun for a kid
Published August 26, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

On Saturday, Satchel, my 8-year-old, came up to me sobbing, cradling his left arm. "I jumped out of a tree," he managed to choke out between tears. I feared that his arm was broken, but there were no bones poking out, no discoloration and no swelling. I calmed him down, and after a little Tylenol, he seemed fine.

On Sunday, he asked for more Tylenol. He hates taking medicine, so I knew something was going on. Every so often, I noticed that he'd wince when trying to lift something, and he asked if he could skip Taekwondo on Monday night.

"We're getting you an X-ray," I said...(Read more)

'Coach' has mentored generations of figure roller skaters -- many champions

2010-08-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

'Coach' has mentored generations of figure roller skaters -- many champions
Published August 22, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Ask Coach Caroline Mirelli how long she has been roller skating, and she'll reply, "Forever." She turned 80 in February and learned to skate when she was 9, so "forever" translates into 71 years.

In her skating skirt, hat and leopard-print skates, Mirelli looks like she could easily skate another 71 years or more.

Mirelli, who lives in Whitehaven, enjoyed a bit of fame in the late '40s and early '50s as a part of the professional Skating Vanities show. "It was a 'Holiday on Ice' type of show with skaters and other acts like vaudeville, ballet and a person who walked on a giant wooden ball," she says. The Vanities performed all over Europe for audiences that included the queen of England, and even had an audience with the pope...(Read more)

I.D., Please

2010-08-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

I.D., Please
Ever wonder what's behind the name of your favorite dish?
Published August 19, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

Among the pizza listings at Ciao Bella (565 Erin Drive, 205-2500) is the Ryan Tashie Special. In parenthesis it says, "In honor of the little tough guy." According to staff, owners Judd and David Tashie, who are cousins, have another cousin, Ryan. When Ryan was younger, he spent a lot of time at St. Jude battling cancer. Happily, he was victorious and is alive and well today. A slice of his pizza features pepperoni, kalamata olives, mushrooms, marinara sauce, and mozzarella...(Read more)

Return to school is different this year

2010-08-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Return to school is different this year
Published August 12, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Back-to-school time has become much more monumental in our house this year due to my husband's student-teaching assignment. It's the last phase in his pursuit of a master's degree in elementary education.

Warren's been an archaeologist for the past 11 years, which basically means he hasn't worn a tie or even tucked his shirt in for quite some time. The kids (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) and I accompanied him to the mall to pick out new clothes. I was thrilled to finally be consulted for fashion advice! Amazingly enough, the "skinny ties" he brought home from our recent trip to his childhood home in California seem to have come back in style. We sent him off on his first day looking pretty sharp...(Read more)

Badges? We merit 'em for epic summer excursion

2010-07-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Badges? We merit 'em for epic summer excursion
Published July 29, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Let's talk numbers.

3: the number of weeks I spent on the road with my family this summer.

24/7: shorthand for the fact that the time we spent together was 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

5,350: the number of miles we drove.

In addition to backpacking in the Sierras, we visited my brother-in-law and his family in Sacramento, my father-in-law and other brother-in-law in San Jose, my sister-in-law and her family in Ventura, and friends in Albuquerque.

There are other, more-alarming statistics dealing with the amount of ice cream, doughnuts and candy bars we ate, but clearly we needed a lot of sugar to sustain the energy necessary for our extensive trip...(Read more)

Fire Tribe adds element of danger to exotic combination of movement and rhythm

2010-07-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Fire Tribe adds element of danger to exotic combination of movement and rhythm
Published July 17, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Play with fire and you'll get burned, the old saying goes. Well, it's going to take a lot more than a burn for Memphis' Fire Tribe to stop playing with fire. The members eat fire, breathe fire, set hula hoops on fire, and belly dance with fire fans, fire swords, fire staffs and more.

The Fire Tribe includes 10 local fire performers who met either over the Internet or through mutual friends. The group's mission, according to Nadia Sophia, 22, one of the Fire Tribe's founders, is to encourage others to tap outside the box in terms of creative form. "We want to bring the community together to see different things, and to have fun," she says. Sophia has been practicing capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates music and dance, for a number of years...(Read more)

We have been to mountaintop, and it was fun

2010-07-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

We have been to mountaintop, and it was fun
Published July 15, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

Every summer we take an epic road trip. This year we've outdone ourselves.

Two thousand miles from our front door in Memphis lies the Dinky Creek Campground and Dinky Lakes Wilderness area (in California's Sierra National Forest) where my husband, Warren, lived and worked as a forest ranger from 1991-93. Just after we were married in 1999, he took me backpacking there. It was a pretty harrowing experience that involved us nearly getting struck by lightning on the top of a mountain peak.

Despite our bad luck (or good luck, depending on how you look at it), Warren has dreamed of taking our boys (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) backpacking there since they could walk. They've been on plenty of hikes and been car camping a few times, but nothing compares to carrying all of your survival gear on your back, hiking for eight hours straight, and sleeping on a mountaintop for a few days...(Read more)

A Sense of Place

2010-07-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

A Sense of Place
Published July 15, 2010 in the Memphis Flyer

Culinary adventures abound on American Way, near where the Mall of Memphis once stood. If you like Indian food, tacos, or sweets, then the ultimate eating staycation is just a short drive away.

Regal Indian Grocery & Maharaja Cafe

4273 American Way, Suites 1 & 2 366-5555

There's one strip mall in particular that is bursting with promise, and it is anchored on the left by the Regal Indian Grocery. The grocery is more of a market, offering a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Pick up some garlic paste, soap, and maybe some breath freshener and then make your way to the Maharaja Café, which is tucked inside to the right...(Read more)

This sport's kickin': Elementary gym class sport now a source of exercise, fun for Memphis league participants

2010-07-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

This sport's kickin': Elementary gym class sport now a source of exercise, fun for Memphis league participants
Published July 12, 2010 in the Commercial Appeal

In movies, gym class is usually portrayed as the most humiliating part of school. However, in Memphis, many men and women are reclaiming at least one thing they learned in gym class -- kickball.

The Memphis Kickball League, now in its fourth year, has 28 teams. Judging from some of the team names -- Playground Bullies, Tom Selleck's Stache and Foot Club -- the game is a lot more fun now than it was in school.

Daniel Russo, 27, who is the booking manager at Ardent Studios, started playing for the Hi Tone Hellions this year. He says he likes kickball because it's something different and it gets him out of his routine of going to work, going home and going to bars...(Read more)