Hungry Times Two

To the point: if you haven't tried Sriracha hot sauce, go forth and getchu some! Check out this article in the NYT by one of my fave writers John T. Edge on the amazing devotion surrounding this sauce. My favorite quote in the story: "It burns your body, not your tongue ." I first discovered it at Doc Chey's in Asheville , NC, and have smeared it on spring rolls, burritos, sushi, hot dogs, and anything else that needs a fiery punch now and then. I most recently had it on some sushi from Taki out in Hermitage and also on glazed tilapia from the Mustard Seed in Mount Pleasant, SC. If you like a little - scratch that - LOT of heat, I highly suggest this sizzling sauce.

Just a wee bit of the month of May remains and thus I finally broke my self-imposed barrier from the farmers markets. During a visit to Asheville this long holiday weekend to celebrate my mother's magnificent self turning Sixty-Somethin', Mamma Mia and I checked out the offerings of the Western North Carolina Farmers Market. This was the market that begat my love for all foods fresh and fantastic during my college years at UNC-Asheville. I recall summer days spent tasting the liberal samples of fresh yogurt cheese and assorted nuts and snackies (Roasted Pepitas, Cuban crackers, dried papaya) from one vendor and buying Coates Brothers produce like it was going out of style (green beans, squash, beautiful fat tomatoes, and strawberries). And oh, the strawberries -the ruby of the Southern Spring Season. They're only so good for so long, but I relish this fruit like no other. My friend Beth the blogger brought some berries from her area of the world, Raleigh, NC, to our beach e...

We're at beautiful Sullivan's Island, SC this week and I actually have time/energy to write on this blog. Foods consumed so far include kabobs (with local Shem Creek shrimp, the first time I've grilled shrimp), sandwiches and chips seasoned with a hint of sand and my mom's knock-out good breakfast casserole (sausage, egg, hashbrowns and cheese, all cooked together, yum!) I picked up another bag of local shrimp today at Mt. Pleasant Seafood http://www.boonehallfarms.com/departments/mtp_seafood.php , although the freshest of the freshest is at Magwood's . I also snagged some crabbing gear, as I'm hoping to catch enough 5"+ (the legal size) blue and stone crabs tomorrow via the highly technical method known as "noodling." : ) That entails a stick, some string, a lead weight and turkey necks that have been sitting out in the sun for a few hours (crabs love carrion). Overall, crabbing is just as much about the effort/process that goes into it as it...

Co-blogger is networking like mad at a work conference in Minneapolis and I've received word that amongst other things, he's consumed beer cheese soup. Exhibit A: Thanks to lovely Laurie for the evidence. Yes, this is popcorn garnish you see. Crazy, huh?

The co-blogger (who hasn't blogged in so long that he's probably forgotten how) is out of town this week so it's up to me to determine what I'm making for dinner. Last night I went out with my coworkers after a very cool ballet performance of Carmina Burana to a downtown Nashville place known for its steak and spaghetti combos. Oy . Their bread and salad were pretty tasty but I didn't care for the entree I ordered. Canned mushrooms in a butter sauce will garner no kudos from me. Icky. Tonight I surveyed the sorry-looking fridge and pantry and mama mia , pasta again! I sauteed olive oil, crushed red pepper, garlic, roasted red peppers, broccoli and a rapidly wilting bag of baby spinach, over some leftover egg noodles from Scott's recent beef stroganoff success. To plug a friend's recent blog post, check out the many reasons to pig out on pasta . Tomorrow night some friends and I are dining at Germantown Cafe, which is donating a portion of its proceeds ...

Three cheers for moi and my elusive co-blogger: this Tuesday marks our second anniversary! On April 21, 2007, Scott and I wed at his family's home on Sullivan's Island, SC, joined by our lovely family and friends. It was a marvelous occasion, indeed. Just to reminisce, not that I actually ate much of this food (no one warned me that you don't get to eat at your own wedding!), but our fabulous catering company served up many tasty delights, including my favorite, the unforgettable and totally classy cheese castle: Note that I did not request this marvel of dairy goodness. The caters simply were that good - they surmised that any wedding of ours would not be complete without a structure composed of the best stuff on earth. Damn, they were right on. In "other things we go nuts for": Scott's a fiend for for key lime pie, so when my mom visited for Easter, I wanted to make something pretty special. This loverly recipe , courtesy of Southern Living magazine, aka T...

I have a bit of a headache from exercise-related dehydration, hormones, and oh, the four bevvies I had last eve, so though my interest in blogging today is strong, my skillz are a bit lacking. Just a few foodie things: - Cilantro is amazing. Most likely my favorite herb ever. Yesterday the cashier at Publix had to sanitize her hands after scanning the cilantro because she says she's allergic (I don't use plastic produce bags when I shop - too much waste) and we got into a conversation about how her doctor encouraged her to eat it to build up resistance. I listed all the ways I use cilantro - stir fry, Mexican, salads, garnishing soups, et al. We shared a moment, that clerk and I. She told me I was welcome to not plastic-bag my produce anytime. - Mung bean sprouts are also incredible. Scott reminded me of my little obsession with them when we dined at Pho Yen Hoa one evening this week. The sprouts were in everything we ordered, from the summer rolls - those little parcels of go...