Nikos Taverna

I would like to rave about the lovely things I've been making myself to eat lately. I would also like to tout my housekeeping skills and my perfectly coiffed hair. That just isn't what's happening around here lately though. I've been eating out-a lot. In fact, we've found a little gem we like so much that we've become regulars.

I'm a HUGE fan of Greek food. My first paid job was working for the Bakatsias family as a busperson/waitress in Burlington NC. Since most restaurants in Burlington are owned by Greeks and most teenagers can't make money except by waiting tables, I worked for Greeks for almost 10 years to support myself. In hindsight, I can't think of a better place to have a first job. The people I worked for were almost always first or second generation Americans and really instilled a strong work ethic in me. They were also incredibly tolerant of young people but especially when those young people are interested in their culture. I had several sets of self assigned Greek grandparents who introduced me to a language that wasn't English and food that wasn't American: Spanikopita, Gyros, Souvlakia, all kinds of seafood, spinach....sigh.

Nikos Taverna opened about two months ago just down the street from my office in Morrisville as a sister restaurant to Taverna Nikos in Durham (http://www.northcarolinatravels.com/durham/photo-album/durham-taverna-nikos_jpg_view.htm). I am always suspicious of 'authentic' ethnic food in Americanized restaurants so I didn't jump on the bandwagon right away. For some reason, I am usually very disappointed with most Greek restaurants-probably because my expectations were set by some excellent home cooks and I keep hoping I'll recreate that first taste of spanikopita-probably a regional recipe that I will never get again. One night providence intervened while we were on our way home when E. HAD to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW! So, we landed at Nikos Taverna starving and in need of sustenance (and a bathroom).

When you walk in Nikos Taverna, the bar greets you with sleek black lines and reddish walls. There's a shiny espresso machine on the right side and a full line-up of wines and spirits twinkling along the back. The main dining room is an open creamy yellow backed by the kitchen where you hear what's happening but you can't see it. The atmosphere is a comfy mix of elegant white tables with kitchsy murals of the sunny shores in the background.

Nikos Taverna has never done me wrong. And I mean never. The owners know their food and their customers and are ready for them. We've eaten almost everything on the menu at least once and there are some things that aren't my favorite, but they sure aren't bad either. For starters, there is a perfect wine list. You can get a really nice glass of Greek wine or a bottle of a California cab. Our favorite thing to get is an appetizer platter. We usually pick the light, crispy Calamari (Kalamarakia), the grilled sausage and roasted lemon potatoes, tsatsiki sauce, salmon roe dip, horiatiki (greek salad), and eggplant metzalata. Once, we accidentally subbed in an octopus braised in red wine (yummy but a little too graphic for me everyday). The spanikopita is good but not my favorite and the braised spinach recommended by a waitress one time was also good but is not in my top ten.

For a main course, I love the Kokkonisto (braised lamb shank) that tastes as good as my own. Actually, anything with the word 'lamb' in the description will be stellar here-we've had chops, a tenderloin cut and kabobs-all were great. I've had the bouillabase-a heady mix of tomatoe-y broth with 5 kinds of seafood swimming. I like the souvlakia and my son swears by the 'pizza' (pita bread with some feta and sesame seeds broiled on top). All of the seafood is fresh and perfectly treated. Portions are gigantic unless you can beg convincingly for smaller ones you will need a box for anything you order.

Finally, they have the absolute best chocolate pudding. It's homemade with heavy cream and dark chocolate. Topped with real whipped cream. Our table always splits one for dessert but doesn't always manage to finish it. Ok, maybe not the most authentic Greek dessert but it is absolutely perfect.

Now, I've taken some friends to Nikos Taverna and they don't love it as much as me. Is it the 'Ti can ez?' (how are you?) that gets me at the door or is it the authentic taste of the food that reminds me of my formative years? All I know is my whole family loves this place and we keep going back for more! Efkaristo poli! Kali nichta! (Thank you very much! Good night!)

Fence

I know this post is usually food centric. However, we've been working on a fence around our house lately. Once the fence is in, I'll be able to work on landscaping. Which relates to food because I can't plant winter greens or herbs (in the ground) until I can landscape my yard.

Here's a picture of the work in progress. I'll post more as it gets finished. You can't actually see my house-sorry about that. But, you can see the lovely scallops created by the jigsaw on the front of the fence. The side is scalloped now too but I don't have a picture of it.

Harissa

I admit it-I'm in a rut. There have been so many changes in my life this past few months that I am unconciously stuck cooking the same meals or main ingredients, week after week. Lamb stewed in wine sauce with tomatoes and mashed potatoes-3 times in the past 3 months. Lentils with sweet sausage-twice in 6 weeks. Green beans with lemons or with tomatoes-innumerable renderings. Pasta in all it's varied forms shows up at least twice per week-with anchovies and parsley, lots of cheese, or just olive oil with garlic .

Now, I know I've spoken before about my ability to obsess over one, single, tantalizing ingredient. But, apparently I also have the ability to aggregate those ingredients and stay around a central theme. For months the theme at Sucar's house has been mediterranean-olives, eggplant, lentils, lamb, anchovies, and of course, tomatoes. I throw in some potatoes or pasta for comfort and sweeten life with apples, figs, or wine. The truth of the matter is that there are several key meals that have been floating around for ages and I just rotate them around.

Since the insanity is evacuating our house (temporarily I assure you) I've recently realized the error of my ways and reached out to my spouse for help. Like all true lovers of compulsion, I find it difficult to stop once I start the rut. K. and I discovered something new about our relationship. I actually like cooking with him in the kitchen. Especially if he helps pick out the menu. K. flipped through my cookbooks and chose Harissa as the destination for dinner. (OK it's still Mediterranean, it's not Sucar's standard version of Mediterranean. )

Harissa is a hot chili paste from North Africa that is used to flavor meats, fish, couscous-it's a lot like a Tunisian ketchup or salsa. Put it on anything and you'll get a kick. Sweet and savory and hot at the end. We have a little jar in the fridge now for tasting.

Harissa
Mortar this together or use a food processor/spice grinder:
8 cloves of garlic
2 oz. paprika
2 oz. red pepper
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp coriander

Then, add in about 1/4 cup olive oil. Should make a sludge that smells like an exotic destination. We fiddled with the ingredients a little until it smelled like our dreams so feel free to substitute. What you want is heat combined with a little sweet and a little salt.

You can use as a rub or just add in to dishes. Will keep in the fridge if covered with olive oil for up to 3 weeks!

Elmo's and Daniels

Last week started off like a marathon in a bad dream. After the Apex evacuation and disaster, we were understandably shell-shocked. In spite of our exhaustion (or because of it) we did manage to eat at several fabulous restaurants. Two of our sampling have become solid favorites.

One is a called Elmo’s(http://www.elmosdiner.com/). It's a little diner with at least two different locations-one in Durham and the other in Carrboro (http://www.elmosdiner.com/). Breakfast is abundant, creative, cheap and served all day. I had southwest grits –green hot peppers, cheese, tomatoes served with scrambled eggs and sourdough toast with real orange marmalade. I've also tried the lunch food (it is a diner after all) but I keep going back to the breakfast. Sometimes on the weekends they have pumpkin pancakes as a special. If you miss those, don't worry- they always have 4 different kinds of pancake available on the main menu.

The other new favorite is called Daniels (http://www.danielson55.net/). Daniels does very little advertising and the building is un-prepossessing. I've driven by it for years without even a second though. But, the Raleigh food critic loves them AND they got a wine spectator award every year for the past 10 years. I thought it might be worth trying out since it’s only about 3 miles from home. If nothing else, it could be a nice take-out joint.

It was so, so good.

Great wine list-very easy to get a fabulous glass of wine for $5. We went with my brother and Sister in Law so we actually got a really even sampling of the menu. Here’s what we ordered:

Salads
1 blue cheese/pear/grape salad with pecans
1cranberry/pecan salad
2 house salads

I love a restaurant that serves a great salad. These salads are $5 each, loaded with cheese, pecans and hidden yummies. Served with homemade dressing. Off to a great start.

Main Courses
Toddler-cheese pizza
K.-spaghetti carbonara
Sucar-penne alla norma (if you know what Penne alla norma is already forgive me. For the rest of us who didn't- it’s capers, olives, tomatoes, red peppers and eggplant. Obviously an oversight in my obsession with eggplant that needed to be rectified.)
Brother-chicken marsala
SIL-cheese tortellini in alfredo with chicken

Brother took his first bite and said “This is hands down the best chicken marsala I’ve ever had in my life”. They give huge portions but he stuffed all of it in (except for the one bite he gave me). It really was the best I’ve ever tried. K’s carbonara tasted perfect-like a heart attack waiting to happen. My penne was very, very good-summer topped with shaved feta and fresh basil. We didn’t have room for dessert but they are supposed to be even better than the food.

UPDATE: We've been back since the original post and I can add a few pointers, addendums, etc. The atmosphere is slightly zoo-like for the early diners. But, if you have a small child and don't mind the zoo, you will fit in nicely. The wait is shorter when you go early (or late) and you can actually find a spot to park.

The standard Italian-American fare is what Daniel's really excels at. The recipes that you associate with the Italian joint down the block-marsala, red sauce, vodka sauce, pizza. Anything with Daniel's pink sauce will be rich and worth it. The sausage with spinach and white beans is lovely and seasonally appropriate. Daniels sometimes stumbles a bit when they start getting creative. Don't get me wrong-the chef's specials are still solid food worth eating-but I'm not as impressed with them as I am with the perfect piccata or marsala. I won't be trying a special again until I've worked my way through the whole rest of the menu!

Peak City-Part II

Sucar is a sucker. My family and I visited Peak City Grille again this weekend. It's just soooo close and so cute.

Initially, I was excited because they've revamped their menu. It was Sunday and therefore Prime Rib night. K. wanted a steak so he ordered the Prime Rib. I ordered the pistachio crusted lamb chops. They were sold out. Oh well. Ok then, I'll take the wild salmon with wine reduction, roasted potatoes and asparagus.

For wine, K. chose a glass of Estancia meritage(http://www.wineaccess.com/store/totalwine-cary/ecommerce/product.html?product_id=10678475). I chose GundlachBundschu Cabernet(http://www.wineaccess.com/store/totalwine-cary/ecommerce/product.html?product_id=10705940). Both are nice wines to sip and drink. Looking good so far.

Salads were solid. K. had the blue cheese iceberg wedge. The blue cheese dressing had the best qualities of homemade-creamy and crumbly at once. I had an organic mixed green salad with craisins, pecans and goat cheese. Tasty except for the shreds of ice-berg lettuce filling in where the spinach should have been. Oh, E. coli! What are you doing to my favorite salad green?

The main courses were less than thrilling. K's prime rib was tough and chewy. I was reminded of cow-a ruminant chewing my cud will I gnawed through my sample. My salmon was okay but too elaborate. The salmon flavor was being buried and I couldn't help but wonder if the disguise was intentional. We complained about the chewiness and received a dessert compliments of the house. It was a grainy blueberry-peach cobbler. Unfortunately, the best part about dessert was the ice cream-not homemade but high end store-bought.

The service this time was fantastic. Thoughtful and attentive without being annoying. So, at least that was up. If only the food could match the wine and the service and they could get it consistent! See, this is why I keep going back. Glimmers of hope....and laziness.

Anyway-I'm on a mission to find new restaurants in my town. Wish me luck!

Lecho

My husband recently met his biological father for the the first time. In fact, we ALL met his biological father because he came for the Labor Day weekend. So, we were all the participants in an interesting experiment in nature vs. nurture. You can see K's muddled ramblings about this weekend by going to http://randomvery-random.blogspot.com. K's father is Slovakian by birth and lives in Costa Rica (and Canada). He's a very interesting guy and subscribes to strong and unusual(?at least to me?) opinions. For example, he firmly believes we should get a goat and milk it daily for personal use. I'm pretty sure there's a covenant in our home owner's association agreement regarding farm animals. He also believes that women and children are best when seen but not heard. What could they possibly say that would contribute? *Sigh*. Needless to say, it was a very long weekend. While he and K. bonded over gadgets and software, I tried to keep an open mind regarding different cultures and said many, many prayers of thanks for being born an American woman.

One thing we could find some common ground on was the need for good, sustaining home cooking. My father-in-law cooked for us all weekend. He made a huge pork roast studded with garlic and red peppers and BACON! Homemade steamed bread called knedlo or knedlic. Purple cabbage. A polenta pancake thing for breakfast. And a pepper stew called lecho. Since I was relagated to the sidelines I couldn't capture the details of most of the recipes. My husband was the sous-chef of choice and it gave them both a task and provided a bonding experience. However, since my husband almost never cooks and did not take notes, most of these recipes will be hard to duplicate.

In the hopes of retaining some of this weekend's culture shock, I went looking for Slovak recipes for the items I could remember. In particular, I wanted to find a recipe for Lecho since that seemed the easiest (and most useful to a modern lifestyle). Lecho is a stew of peppers and spices and sometimes pork. I quickly discovered that Lecho, much like Minestrone, has a thousand variations. My father-in-law's version has an egg added at the end. While I think I would prefer the stew without the addition of the egg, I wanted a recipe that reflected what he'd done to post. There are hundreds of slovak websites in English. It look like every major American (an Canadian) city has a group of Czech or Slovak folks who all post recipes. These recipes are a treasure trove of information but don't always have enough information for me to use with my limited knowledge of the culture. Finally, I found one that's similar and adapted it to reflect my father-in-law's. I'm trying to post a picture of my father-in-law and husband just for a side item-but the upload keeps breaking. Maybe that will come later.

Lecho Lysy (Lesco Lysyva)

1Tbsp olive oil
2 Lbs red peppers sliced
1 Lb ripe tomatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
3/4 Lb smoked sausage (mennonite farmer's preferred but keilbasa will do)
2 Tbs paprika
1 Tbsp cayenne or to taste (I like things hot)
1 egg-beaten (optional)

In a large saucepan, pour olive oil and add chopped onion. Cook till the onions are soft then sprinkle with paprika and cayenne. Add the peppers and the tomatoes and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add the sliced sausage and cook 10 minutes more. Add to the pot while stirring until the eggs are cooked. Serve hot with good rye bread and butter.

Kneading

Another food blogger recently asked-How do you know you are a foodie? I posted a comment back and then read a lot of the other comments. And then I thought about it some more. I really have no interest in snobbery or high class food. I am obsessed with fresh ingredients and the bounty of nature. I achieve another state of happiness when my friends or family share a meal around a table. I know I am a foodie because food (and the preparation of food) punctuates my life.

Food punctuates everyone's life right? Of course it does-the distinction is the motivation that leads to the cooking of the food. Everyone eats. Most eat several times a day. Some prepare their meals, some buy them. Some eat alone, some eat communally. I spend my minutes mentally preparing occasions for my loved ones. And, I would like to highlight the fact that-I am not, nor do I wish to become, a dexterous or flamboyant cook. It is most unlikely that any dish requiring twelve separate steps will ever be completed in my kitchen. I experiment with new recipes and techniques-but not for the complication of it or the rarity of the ingredient. I am after the experience of providing a filling, soul-healing meal to someone else or to myself. Which is my way of saying that cooking is one of my ways of dealing with life stressors. When the going gets complicated or I'm trying to delve into the depths of my twisted brain, I can usually be found in the kitchen.

The workings of your mind can be so convoluted. Here's what I made on a recent Sunday. Keep in mind that everything is from scratch-well, except the beans in the Minestrone-those were canned.

In order of appearance:
A pot of coffee
A pan of scrambled eggs with cheese
toast
Minestrone
Roast Chicken stuffed with lemons and herbs
Mashed Potatoes
Foccacia with roasted tomatoes
French bread
Ratatouille
Green Beans (also with lemons)
Chocolate chip cookies

The best part is, I didn't realize anything was bothering me until AFTER I'd spent the entire day in the kitchen. You see, I'm very in tune with my inner thought processes, extremely in tune, a paragon of happiness. Errr....right. Well, it was worth a try. You might wonder what is so unusual about spending the day in the kitchen? Well, nothing. Except I hadn't intended to make any of it the night before. No one was coming for dinner and I didn't actually plan the next item to be cooked. Rather, I finished with one thing and then thought "What next?". Very inefficient use of kitchen time. Did I mention that I also made everything in massive quantities and didn't have to cook for a week?

So, what was bothering me? I'm still not sure but I think there are some changes coming in my life. I recently moved (big change) and we're considering expanding the family. My husband started a new job, several of my coworkers have resigned-including someone I was very close with. I also don't have a garden in my new house (yet) and some of this energy would have normally been spent weeding or mucking about in the garden. Mostly, I think I'm reassessing things and trying to plot my course for the next few months. Until I figure it out, I'll probably have more thanksgiving-like feasts.

So, I know that I am a foodie because most of my solutions to life's problems involve food-chicken soup, kneading bread, sipping wine or clean green tea. I wonder if there's a clinical name for me?

Mac and Rind

This title is not nearly as catchy as the standard Mac n Cheese or even Macaroni and Cheese. But it is my preferred method of preparation. If you are related to me, you might recognize this as a southern slur of two of my son's favorite cousins. :)

My son is very clear on his likes and dislikes. Cousins-like. Hot dogs-dislike. Mac n Cheese-top of the list. He adores any combination of pasta and cheese. Any. From powdered box version to homemade with eggs. He thinks of it as a separate food group to be savored and explored. Sometimes, he's so much like me it's scary.

Now discipline is good. It has its place and should be enforced. No eating cookies as you walk around the living room. Vegetables are very important. No, you cannot eat fruit chews for a meal. However, there are some days when a mommy should honor her loved one's cravings and make the foods they love (preferrably in a manner the grownups will love too).

A few Sundays ago, I was digging around in my fridge for a suitable lunch and found I had several peices of very smelly cheese. No cheese nub was large enough to justify an entire dish and the variety wasn't enough for a cheese plate. What to do? Just look over at the blue-eyed towhead and you will see the directional gleam in his eye. I ended up making a massive, artery choking version of macaroni and cheese that I thought I'd share. You can fiddle all you want with the cheese types-just remember that it MUST be very gooey and cheesey or it will taste like a poor substitue for the real thing.

I must point at right here and now that this is more of a guideline, less of a recipe. You will notice that the cheese categories are mine and not classic. I think I even threw in a slice of American pseudo-cheese for this recipe along with 3 (yes 3) different kinds of blue cheese. The point is, if you love cheese then this will be like heaven for whatever kind of cheese you love. It works best for me if I have several different types of cheese whose flavors layer each other.

Ingredients:

4 TBSP butter
8 oz. assorted smelly srumbly cheese like-parmesan, blue, meunster, emmenthal, really sharp cheddar
8 oz. assorted creamy cheese like chevre, mozzarella, gouda, monterey jack
1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
2 TBSP whole grain mustard

1 LB pasta cooked and drained but not rinsed

I just put all the dairy products into a pan on med low heat and stir until two things happen.
1. The ingredients have melded into something resembling a sauce and
2. There's a quantity large enough to cover my noodles.

Once those things happen, I put the noodles in a casserole dish, cover with sauce and a splash of cheese (yes, more cheese) and then cook at 350 F for a while (approx. 30 minutes) until it looks melded. Serve with something green and full of fiber to counteract the effects.

Blue Horizon

I mentioned in my last entry that I've been going to the Raleigh Farmer's Market for produce. The produce is very good but my will power is limited. I usually end up buying much more than my little family can consume in a week EVEN if I bring a long and explicit list. I just get seduced bythe figs (and the nectarines and the flowers and the specialty cheese).

I'm also interested in local produce and seasonal eating. Lindy at Toast gets a farm box every week and uses that to determine what she will eat. I'm intrigued at the idea of having my groceries predetermined for me by the weather and availability. Otherwise stated-I do not feel complete unless I have put a challenge in place to adapt to.

So, I looked around to try and find a farm locally that I could purchase vegetables from. Blue Horizon farm in Pittsboro has a nice website http://www.bluehorizonfarm.com/ that lists available farm goods and allows you to plan your purchase. Even better, they sometimes have items not listed and are amenable to trying to find an odd eggplant or two for you. I can't meet them at any of their scheduled drop off times or locations so they were also nice enough to let me pick up from their farm. I purchased some yellow cherry tomatoes, some slicing tomatoes, 3 long eggplants, a bunch of beet greens, a bouquet of cut flowers, 2 red peppers, and a dozen eggs. Tammy and Dave were super nice-they drew me a map of a shortcut to Fearrington Village from their house and I managed to make it there (sort of).

All in all, the experience was extremely positive. The only downside is my distance from them (about 35 minutes). Their farm is not near my house but is on the way to my Grandma's so I will stop by when I can. I mean, just look at those lovely eggs? Suddenly Martha's obsession with the color of eggs doesn't seem so odd. I spent my first groggy minutes Sunday morning admiring them in their crate and then on the plate above. And then I smashed them into bits to make some tasty scrambled eggs for the toddler. Yum!

Debauchery

The blog has been silent for a while. Mostly because I've been way too busy to type. I compose in my head but that doesn't get on paper. Two weeks ago my very good friends from PA came to visit. We were hounding them to see our house and mostly just wishing we could see them. They made it down in time for Sunday supper and Monday and Tuesday proved to be a much needed sojourn from reality. The big boys golfed, the kiddies went to the 'castle park' off Kelly Road (http://www.apexchamber.com/info/parksandrec.htm) with me and ec. We had a few minor incidents-my son face planted at the park (notice the puffy honker in picture at left) and several of us ended the two days with mild hangovers. Mostly we just hung out and chatted. The only downside was when we had to send them off!

I did manage to show ec my favorite bakery La Farm (we were in sore need of chocolate chip cookies after the park face plant. We ate lunch at Allen and Sons BBQ and dinner at Tyler's Taproom. But we didn't really explore much new restaurant territory. I had intentions of taking ec to visit some new restaurants that were recommended by the local food critic but I was too enticed by the contents of my own cabinets. I had gone bonkers at the farmers market on Saturday so there was an abundance of veggies. Since I am currently obsessed with eggplant (I make a version of ratatouille almost every week), we decided to make an eggplant recipe for supper one night. Nigella Lawson gives 2 recipes for Eggplant Involtini in 2 separate books (How to Eat and Feast). That reinforces my belief that recipes are more guidelines than rules. Here's how I do it.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Ingredients:
2-3 large eggplant
(or 4-5 large zucchini)
sliced lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick
olive oil for basting
1/2 cup golden raisins soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drain
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup mozzarella chopped fine or shredded
1/4 cup parmesan grated (only if you have nice parm. Otherwise, omit)
2 TBSP breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic minced
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP oregano
1 egg
3 cups of tomato puree (3-4 large tomatoes in a food processor or 2 cans diced tomatoes)
1 cup mozzarella chopped

Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and grill until floppy.
Mix the other ingredients in a bowl.
Roll the eggplant slices around about 2 TBSP of filling until you have a chubby cigar. The eggplant should roll over itself several times. Do this until you are out of eggplant slices. Then take the leftover filling and squish it anywhere that looks bare. Poor tomatoe puree over top and then mozarella. Put in oven for about 40 minutes-until everything is oozing together and the mozarella on top has browned.

To Market

Julie from A Finger in Every Pie had a deep, thought provoking post about grocery stores, local food, and consumer tradeoffs when it comes to purchasing. It's really very good and if you want to read it yourself-here's the link: http://fingerineverypie.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/07/resistance.html

Personally, I relish a little wrestling with my own conscience (works up an appetite). I did manage to absorb her points and I would like to expand on what she says in a way that will sound very spoiled. To soften the blow, I would like to preface the post with Thank God I have a choice in anything-much less where I eat, what I eat, and who I buy from. I am privileged beyond reason just to be alive and live where I live.

Now-on to the elitist snobbery:

For five years we lived in a small town-close to everything but not really anywhere on it's own. When we first moved there, it was nigh impossible to get any produce that wasn't cardboard. Tomatoes bought in the summertime were shipped from Canada. Why would southerners prefer tomatoes shipped from Canada? I mean no ill-will to Canadians and appreciate the exchange rate when necessary. However, a tomato that can be shipped from anywhere is unrelated to a tomato that that tastes like the sun. So produce was difficult to source but you could always grow it yourself. Sorry, I'm digressing rapidly into a discussion of produce quality.

Want specialty meats or breads? Ethnic ingredients? Wine? Organic? How about just unprocessed? Forget it. Out of necessity (my definition), I began shopping at multiple grocery stores. My weekly shopping grew into an all out planned assault. I would shop locally for as much as possible-staples, household supplies, canned and frozen veggies. Then, I would drive 40 minutes to a wholesale warehouse for diapers, meat, snacks. On the way home, I would spend the best part of the day at a specialty market. Or two.

Our small town grew while we were there and the shopping got better. The ethnic foods in particular increased by a hundredfold-especially things with Latin flare. It is now possible to find jalepenos and organic milk in the most upscale grocery store in town. Now that I've moved, my local grocery store stocks most items-including organic, ethnic, specialty, and reasonably decent produce. However, I realized while reading Julie's post that I still visit a minimum of 3 food markets a week. Hmmmm......

I am also reading Jamie's Kitchen: A Cooking Course for Everyone (http://www.jamieoliver.com/). The opening chapter is about how to shop. He recommends telling the vendor when the display is just not up to par.

All of these influences led to a convergence in my brain. Why don't you see reviews on markets or grocery stores? It's not that much different than a restaurant. For me it's probably more important than restaurant reviews. I might visit a restaurant once a week. A new restaurant-once a month max. But imagine if a foody recommended a grocery store to you. Told you all the highlights (and lowlights). Part of shopping is the experience, the possibilities, and ultimately the choice. You might see a grocery post soon!

Peak City

I sent this review to my good friend ec in April. It was my birthday, the first time we'd visited peak city, and I was 3 weeks into a prolonged, extended move. So, here's my initial reaction to Peak City Grill(http://www.thepeakcitygrill.com/) in Apex:


When you enter peak city grill, you are greeted by the standard college coed in black-on-black ensemble. Cheery smiles with a hint of intelligent sarcasm give a glimmer of the meal to come. Ella or Frank is blaring, but somehow you can still carry on lively conversation with your immediate table. Maybe the high ceilings or the brick walls contribute but the room is busy, lively-but you cannot hear the table next to you.

There are long, red painted benches instead of upholstered booths. There is gleaming white china with full 5 course silver laid out perfectly on black tablecloths. The service is prompt, knowledgeable, and welcoming. The food-well- the food is almost perfect.

For starters, we had confetti bruschetta. Slivers of toast slathered with goat cheese. Red and yellow grape tomatoes, onions, and garlic heaped on top with balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top.

K. got a salad with arugula, strawberries, pralines, goat cheese and a strawberry cream vinaigrette. It tasted like the perfection that only strawberries in season can be.

For entrees there was a pork loin wrapped in bacon atop a polenta cake with lobster and guyere. The outside was crisp, the center creamy. Served like a sandwich-wilted spinach smushed between a crisp polenta cake and a slab of pork. There was also a sirloin with a portabella rub and a tomato basil sauce for dipping.

For the toddler, there was a creamy orichetti with a crunchy bread crumb top.

And the wine! There is a whole page of wines by the glass-for red wines. And another for white. Your glass is not small either. You will be toast if you drink more than 2 of Peak City's glasses of wine.

I gave it 3.5 stars. I recommended it to friends. I sang with glee about the local talent in my new home town.

I have to eat my words. I was wrong. It was an anomaly. We have since been back to this restaurant 7 times. Each time there is a item we eat that shows promise and keeps the hope alive that one day I can resume my love affair with this restaurant. But each time we visit, my well of enthusiasm decreases. Forgive my fatalism, but after last week's visit, I've reached an all time low.

What could have happened? I'll tell you. In detail-at least until I'm too sad about it to go on and must resort to eating ice cream in my pajamas on the couch.

The wait staff is less concerned with serving and more focused on fraternizing-with each other. While the wine list is still extensive and generous, you have no idea whether you actually got the wine you ordered because the wait staff forgets as soon as they place the order at the bar. There are times when there aren't enough waiters to serve you effectively. There are also times when the hostesses take 5 minutes to decide where, exactly to seat you-in an empty restaurant. Management issues and training glitches are not insurmountable obstacles. It's possible even that my experiences are flukes or a temporary (yet prolonged) strike of experienced staff. Some nights, the wait staff gathers in the bar and snuggles while they wait on orders to come up. Another night, they talk loudly about where to go 'party' after work. At any rate, poor service is easily rectified if by better management.

So let's move on to the food.

Every time we go to Peak City (excepting the first) half our menu selections have been under-performers. Now, you could say-"You pessimist! Half your food was fabulous!" And you'd be right. That's why I keep going back. I can honestly say I've had the strawberry arugula salad at it's Peak-and I've had the cardboard version. I've had the confetti bruschetta sing in my mouth-and last week, I had stale bread slathered with goat cheese and tomatoes with brown seeds. I would have returned it to the kitchen but my waitress only came back to my table once-with the check. My overall point is, when we eat at this restaurant, we have to order double the amount of food we really want because half of it will not live up to it's potential.

I know, I know-how will they improve if I don't complain. I'm not sure they care to. Peak City has the capability to be great-but they seem to be content with being underachievers. I reduce my rating to 2 stars with a heavy warning to expect that you will be dining at a chain restaurant-not a local bistro. Who knows! You may be surprised!

Refresh

We've recently moved into a new neighborhood (which would take several posts to highlight properly). The point of the mention is to bring up that we don't know our neighbors. At all. Now, our house is chock full of extremely gregarious people. Even our dog is uber friendly. While we have met a few neighbors, we just weren't satisfied with the scope of knowledge. Not being very passive people by nature (actually, we're all pretty scary if you're shy or at all introspective),we decided to throw a party. Invites went into mailboxes up and down our street for cocktails and snacks from 3-6 on Saturday.

Several fantastic neighbors called with regrets. One couple stopped by with regrets (and brownies!) But, there were still several neighbors unaccounted for. Were we having a party or just going to have cocktail hour alone? We weren't sure so-we expanded the invite to include friends, coworkers, real estate agent, etc.

In the end, we only ended up with about 15 people coming over but what a lively bunch! I met a few neighbors plus my husband's new boss and wife. There were a passel of kids upstairs. The house was ringing with laughter and that is the point.

Of course, I made enough food so that no one would be hungry if the entire neighborhood showed up. It is my pseudo-religious belief that tables are not fully utilized unless the boards are groaning under massive weight of the food. The upside of this belief system is that I can have my pick of leftovers for several days. I have big plans for the coming week for the pulled chicken and crab empandas waiting anxiously in the fridge for me to decide their fate.

The other nice thing about having people over, is I can make something that I've never tried before. If I don't like it, other people will either dilute the amount leftover or convince me to try it again. Yesterday, I made a Jicama/Cantaloupe salad that is so tantalizing, I thought I'd share the recipe. My version is based on the one from Cocina De La Familia by Marilyn Tausend with Miguel Ravago (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684818183/ref=sr_11_1/002-6856473-3251234?ie=UTF8). Their cookbook was given to me years ago by my lovely friend ec and i have yet to be disappointed with a thing in it. Here's my version:


1/2 jicama fruit peeled and cut into slivers
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cantaloupe seeded and cubed
1 large tomatoe diced (or 2 small)
2-3 oranges-peeled, segmented, diced
2 green onions-sliced fine with some green parts
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp dried red chile
dash of kosher salt

Basically, you chop and dice everything and through it together. Do the jicama first since it's difficult to destruct-at least the first time you meet a jicama. Toss it with the orange juice and let it sit while you chop the rest. The result is a colorful blend of sweet and spicy.

Sugar

Sugar. The sweet life.

What does a perfect day look like? I had one on Sunday. Here's the playlist:

Step 1: Leave husband and child at home while you meet a dear friend for breakfast. Preferrably at a hip coffee spot in a charming neighborhood. Shawntel suggested The Third Place Coffehouse and then she treated me unexpectedly to breakfast (thanks Shawntel!). A chocolate croissant never tasted so good.

Step 2: Go to church. I know this doesn't necessarily sound like part of a relaxing day but in my case it is. My friend Jen recently introduced me to her church and I'm hooked. The music is glorius, the atmosphere is positive and members wear whatever appeals to them. If you're interested, it's the Unity Triangle Church onWhitaker Mill Road-(http://www.unitytriangle.org/index.html). This Sunday's service was bookended by the musical talents Crazies for Jesus. They didn't seem that crazy to me-but their music made me feel as though I were in New Orleans or the Carribean.

Step 3: All that meditation, power of positive prayer, and singing makes a girl hungry! So, I called home to see if there were lunch orders. (There were not-my lovely husband could really care less what he eats. Sigh.) So, I went where my obsession takes me. Currently, that is to a french bakery off of Cary Parkway called La Farm (http://www.lafarmbakery.com/). I picked up a mushroom/guyere stuffed baguette, some herbed garlic cheese spread, and a loaf of ciabatta for comfort.

Step 4: Reading material was running low so I swung by the Apex Library. I am still so amazed by the wake county libraries. At my old home, a trip to the library was a scavenger hunt through shelves of disorder. Let me give you an example. Let's say, you're looking for book by a popular author with the last name Perry. You would need to walk the entire aisle where the 'P' books are located. Look on both sides carefully. The Perry books would be interwoven with the Pearsons, Pattersons, and even Richards. You might assume that your book is just not in so you stroll over to the non-fiction aisles looking for a good cookbook. There, wedged between 'How to grill anything' and 'Eastern Birding Handbook' you would find your book by Perry. Now, i just walk right into Eva Perry's Library and pick up exactly what I intended and am out in 5 minutes.

Step 5: Go home to be greeted by your lovely family. Eat lunch together (see step 4). Open a bottle of wine and then put the monster masquerading as your son to bed for a siesta. Read and sip in the brief respite.

Step 6: After the nap monster has been placated, take the little cherub outside to play in the wading pool. He splashes and plays and cackles. For hours. While you sit in your adirondack chairs, sip wine, and wave to your neighbors.


Perfection.