Hungry Times Two

This is the blog of Scott and Erin, two fans of food and travel. We're fearless, we're versed in A.P. style, and we're hungry. LOVE. LAUGH. EAT. REPEAT. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24620396-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

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Tumblr couldn't hold us. So we're back to Blogger. Add us to your Google Reader, RSS feed, bookmarks, or any other digital whatchamacallit. And comment, dammit. I like to hear from people that actually read our hot mess of a blog.

Cheers!

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Felix's, New Orleans. On the half shell, y'all!

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Slim Pickins of A Winter Garden

In one of our more exciting endeavors of 2012 -- like moving from Maryland to Charlotte and adopting a loveable four-legged friend named Loretta -- we started a little backyard veggie garden.

We've learned something crucial: gardens need planning, and sometimes those best-planted plans go astray.

Squirrels or some other annoying critter will gnaw away at those beet seedlings you were really excited about.You'll easily drop $150 bucks or more on DIRT. Want to plant spinach in late fall for a winter harvest? Um no, you'll have to wait until early spring for that to mature. Too busy or forgot to water a few days in a row? Nice job -- you just killed the kale. And as Scott learned, spraying insecticidal soap on plants in full sun will annihilate your veggies to deep-fried sadness.

Right now we have carrots taking their sweet time to mature, some bitter arugula, cilantro, parsley, a sad little sage plant, rapini, four Brussels sprouts that have really bolted since planting in September, and some survivor kale that won't die despite our worst efforts.

On Christmas Day, we had my mother over for a dinner of NC and NY-sourced oysters from Charlotte's Clean Catch Market, a roasted beet and goat cheese salad, corn fritters with tomato butter, and collard greens.

The parsley and arugula for the salad came from our garden, as did the collards. It wasn't a whole "mess" of greens (we only have four collards plants) but it was perfect for a small meal. I sauteed them with a little apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and brown sugar, and they were so good!

Last night I sauteed rapini from our garden with roasted butternut squash, served over penne pasta. Delicious.

I don't intend to sound sanctimonious when I say it's a lesson in sustainability or that food from your garden tastes better, but dang if it doesn't feel good to grow a little of your own vegetables.

If you're considering taking a garden on in 2013, I say go for it. Just plan on rolling with it -- the garden will master you, not the other way around.

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My Aunt Betty's Coconut Cake.

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Christmas Crack

Some holiday devil bought these cookies at TJ's last week and planted them in our house to ruin me. I just know it. Next up: Christmas Nog, or How I Learned to Love Soy Eggnog.

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Bok Choy and cilantro from our garden. Can you say "Stir fry for dinner"?

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This happened. Bacon Maple Ale. Don't attempt it.

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This is an empty bag.

Boo. Empty bags are good for my wallet, but not for business. In an era where eating local is at the point of parody, one would hope the 7th Street Market here in Charlotte would have it goin' on. But sadly, I didn't see a lot of buzz around this urban provisions spot when we visited recently, and that empty bag stayed empty.

I suppose in order for these businesses to thrive, as a customer I should take the initiative and support them with my dollars. But can I really afford a $13 dollar jar of honey? Or is that the price to pay for encouraging independent businesses? I'm conflicted!

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My contribution to the Thanksgiving feast; before roasting commences. I need a bigger market bag to haul this huge tree of sprouts down to Georgia!

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Care package from our Nashville friends E & T - Yazoo Brewing Co.

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Hello butter! Making bechamel sauce for the first time, for a Squash and broccoli rabe lasagna from the Dec. issue of Bon Appetit.

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I just massaged some kale. It was glorious. Fall salads are hot.

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Oskar Blues brewery sponsoring a Brew School in Asheville. The brew force is strong in WNC!

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Cranberry & blueberry scones, courtesy of Sir Adams.

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The three fantastic females behind We The Eaters dish up novel food posts like their  Presidential Food Fight and souffle fixes from none other than Chef Warren Brown of DC's CakeLove.

This week they graciously gave me this project to post -- find out why peanuts don't mean (Cracker)jack to former President Jimmy Carter when it comes to his favorite food.

Happy weekend to all; make and eat somethin' wonderful!

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“The United States of Peppers”

To celebrate my wonderful 2012 pepper garden, that supplied an overabundance of delicious veggies this year, and allowed me to make over 26 gallons of salsa, I decided to commemorate it with a little artistic expression…

Containing: Uba Tuba (stars)

(top to bottom) Golden Marconi Red Marconi Giant Ghost chile New Mexico Chile  Bulgarian Carrot peppers Sheep Nose Pimento Yellow Ghost chile Hot Cherry pepper Pumpkin Habenero Black Hungarian peppers 

Circled by Japanese peppers.

:) 

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Pasta with sausage, arugula and crispy bread crumbs. Recipe from the Nov. issue of Real Simple (most of Real Simple is Real Expensive or Real Dull, but I like their food section); arugula from our garden. :-)