TheState.com: Food

Adluh Grits Cookoff: Winning recipes

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:58 EST

Recipes continue below video player:

Adluh held its 10th annual Adluh Grits Cookoff on Saturday in Columbia. These are the winning recipes.

First Place: Brandon Velie, Juniper restaurant, Ridge Spring

Maple Soy Glazed Manchester Farms Quail Breast Medallions with Gingered Butternut Squash Adluh Grits and Rawl Farms Flash Fried Collards

Local food-related events

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:21 EST

Rosewood Market's annual turkey tasting is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Sample free-range natural turkey, tofu turkey and holiday fruit pies and fixings. 2803 Rosewood Drive; (803) 765-1083; rosewoodmarket.com

The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be 6 p.m. Sunday. Sample the best from the area's finest restaurants, bid on silent auction packages and enjoy a live auction of dining, travel and entertainment packages. Tickets are $150 per person, $1,500 for a corporate table of eight. For more information, contact Betsy Britt, (803) 252-5200, or marchofdimes.com/southcarolina.

Columbia Family Shelter's Brews, Bluegrass and BBQ will be held 5:30-9 p.m. Nov. 12 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Hellenic Center, Sumter and Calhoun streets in Columbia. Enjoy an evening of beer, wine, barbecue, live music from the Papa String Band and Black Water, a photo exhibit and door prizes. Tickets are $30; all proceeds go to Columbia Family Shelter. (803) 771-7040

The 14th Annual South Carolina Oyster Festival will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Robert Mills House and Hampton-Preston Mansion, 1615 and 1616 Blanding St. It will feature children's activities and live music from Blue Dogs, Tom Hall and the Plowboys, Danielle Howle and more. Tickets: $5 advance, $10 day of festival, free for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at Robert Mills House Museum Shop, California Chicken Grill, BaWa Oyster Co. and online at etix.com. More information: (803) 252-2128

Local tasting events

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:09 EST

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Saturday: 12-2 p.m. Holiday reserve wine sale and tasting. Taste before you buy wine for your holiday occasion. $10 per person.

City Art

1224 Lincoln St.

Carolina Kitchen: The joy of eating alone

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:39 EST

What do you eat when you're alone? Tell us at food@thestate.com, and we'll share your answers in a future column.

I'm finishing up an interesting book, "What We Eat When We Eat Alone," by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin (Gibbs Smith Publishing).

It took me a minute to get past the title because to some (even me, sometimes) the thought of eating at home, alone, sounds depressing. This book, though, is not.

Over the course of a few years, the authors asked friends, family and professional acquaintances this question: "What do you eat when you eat alone?" The answers are wide ranging. Some offer amusing stories; others eat simple creations using one main ingredient; some create complicated dinners.

In general, the authors found that men tend toward meat and potatoes and women gravitate to salads and fish. Partners, alone through some circumstance or another, tend to save up and savor those flavors that their significant others don't particularly enjoy (ranging from pickled herring and caramelized onions over mashed potatoes to Spam). A friend of mine, Josh, is a chef, and when he's not eating a steak, he likes to try out new recipes when the wife and kids are out of town. Others reach for comfort food such as salmon cakes and polenta.

Cooks' calendar

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10 EST

EVENTS

Rosewood Market's annual turkey tasting is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Sample free-range natural turkey, tofu turkey and holiday fruit pies and fixings. 2803 Rosewood Drive; (803) 765-1083; rosewoodmarket.com

St. David's Episcopal Church Fall Bazaar will feature soups prepared by the Blythewood High School culinary class. Three different frozen soups will be sold, along with baked goods, Santa shop items and books. Proceeds go to charity. The bazaar will be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 605 Polo Road.

The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be Sunday at 6 p.m. Sample the best from the area's finest restaurants, bid on silent auction packages and enjoy a live auction of dining, travel and entertainment packages. Tickets are $150 per person, $1,500 for a corporate table of eight. For more information, contact Betsy Britt, (803) 252-5200, or marchofdimes.com/southcarolina.

Columbia Family Shelter's First Annual Brews, Bluegrass and BBQ will be held 5:30-9 p.m. Nov. 12 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Hellenic Center, Sumter and Calhoun streets in Columbia. Enjoy an evening of beer, wine, barbecue, live music from the Papa String Band and Black Water, a photo exhibit and door prizes. Tickets are $30; all proceeds go to Columbia Family Shelter. (803) 771-7040

Thrifty Thanksgiving Recipes

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10 EST

Dry-brined roasted turkey

12 servings

For the turkey:

1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh turkey

1/4 cup kosher salt mixed with lemon pepper and herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme

Heloise: Cakes in a coffee can

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10 EST

TREAT FOR THE TROOPS

Our church group sends baked goods as care packages to military personnel in Iraq. We brainstormed several ideas, such as shoe boxes, etc., but found that the best way to send a cake to anyone overseas is to bake the cake in a small, metal coffee can. After baking, remove the cake to cool. Then repack it in the can, put the plastic lid on the coffee can and pack the can in a postal box. Soldiers tell us they love getting cakes this way for two reasons: The cake arrives in one piece, and it can be stored easily, with an airtight lid, if it's not eaten all at once. - Gwen, via e-mail

HELOISE'S HOT COCOA MIX

There's a chill in the air, and that means it's time to reprint Heloise's Hot Cocoa Mix recipe.

Combine 2 cups powdered milk, a dash of salt, 1/4 cup cocoa and 1 cup powdered sugar. Store in a nice container. Decorated containers make great holiday gift ideas. Type or hand-write a label with these directions:

Tastings: Weekly wine, beer and spirits reviews

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10 EST

- Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, North Carolina, 5.7 percent alcohol, $8 per 6 pack

This beer has all the right stuff: great aromas, rich flavors and medium carbonation. The aromas of vanilla and black coffee flow smoothly into the taste. The flavors are supple. Dark coffee, milk chocolate and creamy vanilla are framed by roasted hops notes. Perfect for an evening when the weather turns colder and with cream sauce meals and dessert.

- New Amsterdam Gin, United States, 80 proof, $15, 750 ml

This is a good-quality, value-priced gin. Aromas of orange and whispers of juniper precede well-layered flavors of orange zest and citrus, with herbs and juniper adding a subtle undertone. This sweet-and-tangy gin has a medium-dry finish that works well for mixing, especially in fruit-based cocktails or as an alternative to vodka in cosmopolitans.

- 2008 Beringer Founders' Estate Chardonnay, California, $11

Local tasting events

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:10 EST

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Saturday: 12-2 p.m. Holiday reserve wine sale and tasting. Taste before you buy wine for your holiday occasion. $10 per person.

City Art

1224 Lincoln St.

Local tasting events

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:11 EDT

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Saturday: 12-2 p.m. Giant wine sale and free tasting.

City Art

1224 Lincoln St.

Dining out: Local food news

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:11 EDT

Garden Bistro is Giving Back 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday. Proceeds from all food sales at the bistro that day (dine-in, take-out and delivery) go to the Columbia Jaycees Charities Foundation, benefiting Jaycee Camp Hope, Epworth Children's Home and other local charities. 932 Gervais St., (803) 933-9085 or fax (803) 933-0689; gardenbistrosc.com

Mo Mo's Bistro has reopened at 2930 Devine St. Executive Chef Jason Wilcox will present a menu featuring old favorites, an expanded list of small plates (tapas) and new monthly specials. The online menu lists entrees from $22 to $30, including pan-seared duck breast with hand-torn pasta, pea tendrils, wild mushrooms and roasted garlic marscapone cream ($24) and Caw Caw Creek pork chop with arugula-almond pesto slaw, fingerling potato salad, grilled asparagus and Madeira demi-glace ($24). Restaurant hours are 5:30-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; bar opens at 5 p.m. (803) 252-2700, momosondevine.com

Anthony's Dairy Bar at 2001 Hampton St. has a new menu. The restaurant now offers salads, gyros (lamb and grilled chicken) and pitas in addition to its famous fried chicken and burgers. Try a pita combo (choose chicken, steak or turkey pita with fries, pickle and drink), $6.95. Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. (803) 255-0900

Mom and Dad, want to enjoy a night out but need a baby sitter? Solstice Kitchen & Wine Bar has scheduled its next baby sitters night for Wednesday. Make a reservation for yourself at Solstice for dinner before 7 p.m. and, for $5 per child, the restaurant provides a baby sitter, meal and entertainment for your kids. Limited to the first 15 children. 841-4 Sparkleberry Lane, (803) 788-6966.

Rather take your pooch to dinner? The next Doggie Dinner at Solstice is Nov. 11. Pupcakes supplies the three-course dog dinner (humans order off the Solstice menu), $10 per dog. Call Pupcakes for reservations. (803) 461-0236.

What's good here? Gina's Pizza and Italian Gourmet

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:42 EDT

WHAT'S GOOD HERE: Get to know the people behind local restaurants

Gina Rockwood opened Gina's Pizza and Italian Gourmet in the Friarsgate neighborhood of Irmo almost four years ago.

What's good here?

"Definitely the pizza, although we do have other stuff. We have pasta, subs, strombolis and calzones. We have 20 different gourmet pizzas."

Tell us about the pizza.

Local tasting events

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:53 EDT

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Tonight: Taste Argentina's Dona Paula wines, five wines. $5

Saturday: 12-2 p.m. Giant wine sale and free tasting.

City Art

Cooks' calendar of events

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:53 EDT

EVENTS

The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. Sample the best from the area's finest restaurants, bid on silent auction packages and enjoy a live auction of dining, travel and entertainment packages. Tickets are $150 per person, $1,500 for a corporate table of eight. For more information, contact Betsy Britt, (803) 252-5200 or marchofdimes.com/southcarolina.

The 14th Annual South Carolina Oyster Festival will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Robert Mills House and Hampton-Preston Mansion, 1615 and 1616 Blanding St. It will feature children's activities and live music from Blue Dogs, Tom Hall and the Plowboys, Danielle Howle and more. Tickets: $5 advance, $10 day of festival, free for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at Robert Mills House Museum Shop, California Chicken Grill, BaWa Oyster Co. and online at etix.com. More information: (803) 252-2128

CONTESTS

Dining out: Local food news

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:28 EDT

Tombo Grille debuts its fall dinner menu this week. Selections include 14-hour cherry-braised bacon with mustard greens and sweet potatoes, Parisian pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter and winter squash and crispy Ashley Farms chicken breast with confit chicken and sausage cassoulet. Tombo is at 4517 Forest Drive. The bar opens at 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. (803) 782-9665, http://www.tombogrille.com

New York Butcher Shoppe, 4561-A Hard Scrabble Road, offers hot meals to go on Fridays and Saturdays. Make a reservation by 3 p.m. for pickup between 4:30 and 7 p.m. by calling (803) 233-6838 or sending an e-mail to nybutchercolumbia@yahoo.com. To see the weekly specials, check out nybutchercolumbia.com/specials-and-features-calendar

Get in on the early Halloween fun at Bruster's Ice Cream across from Spring Valley High School, 2-3 p.m. Saturday. There will be pumpkin decorating and games with prizes for kids, and Bruster's will serve its Graveyard sundaes. (803) 419-8889

It's tea time at Rosewood Market. Sample a variety of teas 3-5 p.m. every fourth Sunday during the fall and winter season. Try Stash Premium Tea's Moroccan Mint Green Tea, Hampstead Tea's Organic Biochai and Bigelow's Pumpkin Spice on Sunday. Rosewood Market is at 2803 Rosewood Drive. (803) 765-1083; http://www.rosewoodmarket.com

Tickets for the 2010 World Beer Festival in Columbia are on sale. There will be two four-hour sessions on Jan. 16: noon-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Standard admission to a single session is $40, which includes beer samples, live music, educational sessions by industry experts and a festival tasting glass. VIP tickets, which cost $75, add admission to a VIP suite with complimentary food, more select beers, a commemorative glass and separate entertainment. Tickets available at http://www.allaboutbeer.com or at Green's Discount Beverage locations. A portion of the proceeds go to Columbia Opportunity Resource and the River Alliance.

Chef teaches kids fresh and frozen fun

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:19 EDT

Packed into the Richland 1 central kitchen Thursday, about 300 students from after-school programs learned about making better food choices.

The lesson: It's all about fun.

The teacher: Chef Marvin Woods, television host, cookbook author, famous chef - and crusader against childhood obesity.

Wearing his signature bandanna, Woods used a little music, some hand-clapping, plenty of high fives and his upbeat personality to bring his message home. And he passed on some healthful cooking tips along the way.

It was all part of the "Lights On After School," a national day to promote and recognize after-school programs.

Local tasting events

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:51 EDT

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Tuesday: Reserve California whites with Judah Cannon.

Wednesday: Taste Argentina's Dona Paula wines, five wines. $5

Oct. 31: 12-2 p.m. Giant wine sale and free tasting.

Carolina Kitchen: Addicted to kimchee

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:23 EDT

Mary and I go waaaaay back - all the way to elementary school, more than 30 years ago. She's counseled me on men while I've basically stood by and watched her happily marry and raise a beautiful daughter, Sarah.

We have drifted in and out of each other's lives over the years, but we always seem to pick up where we left off.

A couple of months ago, we met for lunch and to swap family specialties.

I traded one of my dad's pecan pies for a jar of Mary's mother's kimchee (or kimchi).

Masako Bell, Mary's mother, introduced me to sushi and kimchee years ago. (Once, Mrs. Bell even tried to show us how to roll sushi, but I think high school gossip and boys diverted our attention in the kitchen. I still can't make a decent hand roll.)

Recipe: Fall salad with cranberry vinaigrette

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:57 EDT

6 Servings

Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

Heloise: Know thy fire extinguisher

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:11 EDT

SAUSAGE BALLS

I make sausage balls for parties and discovered that I can put the ingredients in a plastic bag and knead them much easier than mixing them in a bowl. Best of all, you don't have to get your hands in the mix. - Mavis Axtell, Jacksonville, Texas

KNOW THY EXTINGUISHER

My sister recently had a grease fire in her kitchen, and our unpreparedness became apparent. We didn't know where we had put the fire extinguisher, nor did we know how to use it.

After a few minutes, I managed to figure out how to work the extinguisher and was able to put the fire out safely. I want to remind others that it is important not only to have an extinguisher but also to know where it is and how to use it. - Kathy, via e-mail

Cooks' calendar

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:06 EDT

EVENTS

Sandhill Farmers Market will be hosting a Halloween Celebration on Oct. 27. Kids can trick-or-treat with vendors and pet baby lambs. Gourd and pumpkin painting at 3:30 p.m., costume contest for children 11 and younger at 4:30 p.m., live music by Keith Tracy during market hours, 2:30 p.m. to dusk. 900 Clemson Road, (803) 788-5700

Tickets for the 2010 World Beer Festival in Columbia are on sale now. There will be two four-hour sessions on Jan. 16: noon-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Standard admission to a single session is $40, which includes beer samples, live music, educational sessions by industry experts and a festival tasting glass. VIP tickets, which cost $75, add admission to a VIP suite with complimentary food, more select beers, a commemorative glass and separate entertainment. Tickets available at allaboutbeer.com/wbfcolumbia or at Green's Discount Beverage locations. A portion of the proceeds go to Columbia Opportunity Resource and the River Alliance.

Interested in the slow food movement? Check out Slow Food Columbia's Web site, slowfoodcolumbia.blogspot.com, for information, a listing of upcoming classes and events.

Tastings: Weekly wine, beer and spirits reviews

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:24 EDT

- Nuvo L'Esprit de Paris, 30 proof, France, $30

This interesting cocktail is a blend of French white wine, vodka, sparkling wine and exotic fruit flavors. It has a delightful pink color with aromas of pomegranate and pink grapefruit. Flavors of vanilla and a creamy sweetness are complemented by notes of fresh strawberries and raspberries. It would be a terrific after dinner cocktail or a sweet surprise for the holidays.

- 2006 "La Tiare du Pape," France, $35

With the holidays approaching, I am looking for wines to complement the special meals we will enjoy. This wine is soft and subtle but has the body to stand up to a feast. Aromas of leather and dark cherries fill the glass and flow into the mouth. Additional earthy and black plum flavors marry with vanilla and oak. This wine has great tannins and acidity.

- RJ Rockers Honey Amber, Spartanburg, $7, 6 pack

Local tasting events

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:11 EDT

Cellar on Greene

2001-D Greene St., (803) 343-3303; cellarongreene.com

Tuesday: Reserve California whites with Judah Cannon.

Oct. 28: Taste Argentina's Dona Paula wines, five wines. $5

Oct. 31: 12-2 p.m. Giant wine sale and free tasting.

Adriana's prepares to pour its final cup

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:54 EDT

Five Points will lose another landmark business when Adriana's closes Sunday.

The eclectic coffee and ice-cream shop has been serving students, business types and passers-by for a quarter of a century in the funky urban village near USC.

The announcement comes just a month after another institution, Hiller Hardware, closed its doors.

Some fear a tough economy coupled with rising property values could mean Five Points will continue to lose local, small businesses in favor of chain stores. That would result in the village losing its unique character with an influx of chain stores.

The economy and competition were among a number of factors owner Thomas Meihls cited for closing the eatery.

Dining out: Food events and news

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:03 EDT

The Rusty Anchor Restaurant at Lighthouse Marina has a new fall menu with eight items that cost less than $15. Enjoy great views of Lake Murray while dining on steak, shrimp, salmon and more. Open year-round Thursday through Sunday, the restaurant serves dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Directions and more information: (803) 749-1555 or myrustyanchor.com

Get in on the early Halloween fun at Bruster's Ice Cream across from Spring Valley High School, 2-3 p.m. Oct. 24. There will be pumpkin decorating and games with prizes for kids, and Bruster's will serve its Graveyard sundaes. (803) 419-8889

CONGRATULATIONS

Capital City Club has named Robert McCulloch as the new executive chef. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Atlanta, McCulloch had been the sous chef at Capital City. He also worked at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn., and 191 Club in Atlanta.

TASTE

10 fun ways to enjoy your candy corn

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:49 EDT

Candy corn is one of the simple pleasures of Halloween.

These white, yellow and orange striped candies have been around since the 1880s when George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderlee Candy Co., invented them. In 1900, the Goelitz Candy Co. began producing them. Today that company is known as the Jelly Belly Candy Co., and it's still producing candy corn.

Originally it was made only March to November with fall being the big candy season. A combination of sugar, corn syrup and other ingredients, including fondant and marshmallow, was mixed and placed into "runners," or buckets that weighed 45 pounds when filled. Men called "stringers" then walked backward, pouring the mixture into trays of cornstarch imprinted with the kernel shapes. It took pours from three different buckets containing different colored slurries to make the tri-colored candies. While the recipe remains much the same, today the pouring is done by machine.

Of course, you can enjoy candy corn by the handful. But we came up with 10 fun ways to celebrate - and enjoy - this seasonal treat.

1. Make a popcorn cake decorated with candy corn. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Pop 1/3 cup kernels to make 20 cups popcorn; be sure to throw out all the unpopped kernels. Butter a 17- by 12- by 2-inch baking or roasting pan and a 10-inch tube pan. Set the tube pan aside. Place the popcorn in the baking pan and place it in the oven to keep it warm.

Tastings: Weekly wine, beer and spirits reviews

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:10 EDT

- Finlandia Mango Vodka 80 Proof, Finland, $18 750 ml

This vodka has layers of juicy fresh mango in each sip. When you pour the vodka, you can smell the mango sweetness. All the flavors combine to make a tasty vodka, terrific on the rocks or in your next cocktail. For a little zest, try it with cranberry juice and a slice of mango as the garnish.

- 2007 Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $8

For a low-cost cabernet, this one hits on all cylinders. When the wine hits the mouth, the flavors flow into a full-bodied red with waves of black cherries, coffee and grape jam. The finish is supple. This cabernet will work with anything from hamburgers to steak.

- Kashmir India Pale Ale, Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, N.C., 5.6 percent alcohol, $7 per 6-pack

Heloise: Best way to slice cheesecake

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:59 EDT

PLANT MARKERS

For a lifetime supply of plant markers, look for miniblinds tossed out with the garbage or at garage sales. - Bill Wallace, Brandon, Miss.

SLICING CHEESECAKE

Can you tell me some way to cut a cheesecake without it sticking to the knife? I've tried everything. - Fae M., Neosho, Mo.

The longtime Heloise hint for slicing angel food cake or cheesecake is to use a piece of sewing thread or unflavored dental floss. It really works. Just cut off a strand about 1 foot long and hold it tautly in both hands. Slice it downward and pull through the cake.

Cooks' calendar

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:24 EDT

EVENTS

Meet the Vlasic Pickle stork and see if you have the loudest pickle crunch 12-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the State Fair. Look for the Vlasic Pickle booth, sample some pickles and win prizes.

Lake Carolina's 7th Annual Food and Wine Festival is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Saturday. Restaurants from the Northeast Richland area will participate, and there will be live music and a silent auction featuring original artwork by South Carolina artists. Cost is $35 per person or $60 for a VIP ticket (includes admission to after party). Proceeds from the event will benefit Children's Charities of the Midlands. Information and tickets at lakecarolina.com.

Tickets for the 2010 World Beer Festival in Columbia go on sale Oct. 21. There will be two four-hour sessions on Jan. 16: noon-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Standard admission to a single session is $40, which includes beer samples, live music, educational sessions by industry experts and a festival tasting glass. VIP tickets, which cost $75, add admission to a VIP suite with complimentary food, more select beers, a commemorative glass and separate entertainment. Tickets available at allaboutbeer.com/wbfcolumbia or at Green's Discount Beverage locations. A portion of the proceeds go to Columbia Opportunity Resource and the River Alliance.

Local wine tasting events

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:54 EDT

Corked

Village at Sandhill, 661-3 Promenade Place, (803) 708-4755, corkedwineshop.com

Tonight: 5:30-8 p.m. Winning Women has become De Vine Divas. This is a chance for women to network and socialize with other businesswomen while enjoying good wine. $10

Every Friday: 6-8 p.m. Sample wine with light snacks from Corked's gourmet food selections. $5 per person

Every Saturday: 4-6 p.m. Sample "leftovers" from Friday. $3