Á la Carte Alabama Fall/Winter 2020

A FRESH TAKE ON ALABAMA FOOD & DRINK

FALL/WINTER | 2020 THE ENTRÉE

Pivoting Amid Pandemic

PAGE 12 ALABAMA ORIGINALS

Priester’s Pecans

PAGE 20 CHEERS

Growing Alabama Distilleries

PAGE 22 MY FAVORITE FOOD

Comedian Roy Wood Jr

PAGE 60

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’

TACO BOYS STREET FOOD THAT’S 'SOMETHING TO TACO BOUT' PAGE 40

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A FRESH TAKE ON ALABAMA FOOD & DRINK

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IN THE

18 Cooking With Adam Evans

28 Filling Food Needs

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Celebrate Prosecco

34 Vegetarian Holiday Sides

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The nexus of art, food LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

by WILLIE CHRIESMAN

There are few things that are constants in all of our lives. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. Without these essentials, life as we know it wouldn’t exist.

I would like to add one more thing to that list—art.

Without the arts, the essence of human existence would be incomplete. And the beauty of art— be it visual or performing—is that it can mean something different for everyone who encounters it.

Whatever emotion it evokes, from loving to loathing to everything in between, it makes us feel something. And, like food, it can leave a lasting impression on us.

So, it shouldn’t surprise us when the worlds of art and food intersect as they did this fall in Alabama. That’s when UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) staged A la Carte: A Visual Exploration of Our Relationship with Food on Birmingham’s Southside.

(The shared name of the exhibit and this publication are a happy coincidence.)

AEIVA Senior Director John Fields, who oversaw the exhibition, reminds us how food touches on virtually every aspect of our lives.

As he points out, it can impact everything from globalization, mass production, pop culture, cultural identity, sexuality, body image, activism, sustainability and so much more. And this exhibit used visual arts to provide insight to our complicated relationship with food.

The exhibition reminds us of just what food means to us—not just as something to eat, but as a way that defines us as individuals, as a culture, as a society. There will be much more about the exhibit along with photos from it in other pages of this publication.

This exhibit offered us the opportunity to step back, take a breath and contemplate where our food comes from, how it affects us and how it affects our community and our world. In short, it provided us with, quite literally, food for thought.

Editor’s note: Visit our Facebook page, @alacarteal, for more food and nutrition stories from across Alabama.

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All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher's ability. No responsibility is accepted for deletions, omissions, errors and/ or inaccuracies unless special placement within the magazine was purchased. Publisher reserves the right to place ad on first come, first served basis. No materials contained herein may be reproduced without exclusive written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed by contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion. © Copyright 2020 by A La Carte Magazine, All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Special thanks to all our advertisers, business associates, departments, contributing writers, and all other supporting contributions involved in making this possible.

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Revel in the world of food LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

by ERIC VELASCO

to the whole table. Adam Evans, chef and co-owner of Automatic Seafood and Oysters restaurant on Birmingham’s southside, walks us through cooking at home including, of course, fish.

Learn how distilleries across Alabama are setting a new trend for adult craft beverages. Their smallbatch whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and moonshine often utilize locally grown ingredients.

Welcome to the latest issue of Á la Carte Alabama. We have a nice spread of stories for you that chronicle the joys of food and drink across Alabama. Allow me to introduce them – and myself.

What Alabama holiday would be complete without pecans? Jennifer Kournegay cracks open stories behind Priester’s, one of the state’s favorite purveyors of all things pecan.

Nicole Allshouse shows why one of the best ways to close out the year is with a bubbly pour of luscious Prosecco.

Looking for the perfect gift for a cook? “Essential Homemade Sauces” is the new cookbook by Mark Driskill, chef and co-owner of Ash in West Homewood and veteran of beloved Birminghamarea restaurants. Also, check out the clever handmade aprons made by a Homewood woman and her daughter.

This issue includes recipes for cooking holiday side dishes with no seasoning meat that will still appeal

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Read why the seasonal spice cake developed by Candace Foster, the pastry chef at Ollie Irene, evokes memories of her grandmother. The actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr., who grew up in Birmingham, shares his favorite food stops in the Magic City. Art and food intersect at an exhibit by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s AbromsEngel Institute for the Visual Arts.

We love exploring food from around the world. Teresa Zuniga Odom tracks down the Taco Boys food truck for Mexican-style street tacos and a Puerto Rican-style housemade virgin pina colada served in a pineapple. And check out the cluster of Indo-Pakistani markets and restaurants in Hoover.

The novel coronavirus, of course, plays into several stories. Chanti C. Cleggett showcases food entrepreneurs in Montgomery and Birmingham, and how they found new opportunities when confronted by the pandemic.

Marie A. Sutton writes about how Birmingham-area food banks have responded as the economic fallout from COVID-19 has increased the number of families needing assistance.

I look at how the coronavirus affected restaurants, bars and breweries this spring and summer, and how going out to eat or drink will be changed after COVID-19 is brought under control. But it’s not all gloom and doom. Beth Kitchin spins a funny yarn about baking under quarantine and how families come together even when distancing miles apart.

This is my first edition as the editor of this magazine. I’m not exactly a newcomer to these pages, however. I wrote articles for the first two issues and have compiled a newsletter for Á la Carte Alabama focusing on the food and beverage scene in Birmingham and beyond.

Throughout my three decades working for daily newspapers, I periodically wrote about restaurants, food and cooking including stories and restaurant reviews for The Birmingham News.

Now, as a freelance journalist, I’ve worked on two oral history projects for the Southern Foodways Alliance, one about the century-long impact of Greek-owned restaurants on Birmingham and the other telling the story of Highlands Bar and Grill from the perspective of longtime cooks, servers and bartenders.

I was a regular contributor to Birmingham Magazine before it folded earlier this year. I’ve gone behind the scenes for an indepth look at Frank and Pardis Stitt’s Bottega restaurants and chronicled central Alabama’s farmto-table movement – along with monthly columns on cooking and restaurants. I’ve enjoyed helping put together this issue. We hope you enjoy it too.

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Starting with

Dessert CANDACE FOSTER, PASTRY CHEF AT OLLIE IRENE

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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Ollie Irene Restaurant

Perfect combination: Cake evokes memories

by ERIC VELASCO

THE POPULAR SEASONAL DESSERT AT OLLIE IRENE RESTAURANT, OATMEAL SPICE CAKE WITH BRULEED COCONUT PECAN TOPPING, BRINGS BACK FOND FOOD MEMORIES FOR CANDACE FOSTER, THE PASTRY CHEF. Based on a recipe in a Madison County church’s cookbook, its flavors remind her of the spice cake with lemon frosting that her grandmother, Joann Holcomb, made while Foster was growing up in Chelsea.

“I always loved spice cake,” says Foster, who has worked at Ollie Irene for the three years since it reopened in A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village from itsoriginal location in Mountain Brook Village.

“It’s one of my favorite memories of childhood,” says the 2016 graduate of Jefferson State College’s culinary program. “The spices combined with the tangy lemon was the perfect combination.”

Served warm, today’s take pairs moist cake spiked with cinnamon and nutmeg and a crunchy, smoky topping. The buttermilk ice cream served with it contributes some of the tart notes that Foster loved in her grandmother’s frosting.

“The spice hits you right off the bat; the cinnamon and

nutmeg really pack a punch,” Foster says. “The topping has a touch of sea salt that helps cut through the sweetness.

The ice cream is cooling next to the warm cake and that little bit of tang from the buttermilk awakens the senses.”

Seasonality is a guiding principle for Ollie Irene and its chef/co-owner Chris Newsome, which have been named semifinalists, respectively, for Best New Restaurant (2012) and Best Chef in the South (2015) by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.

Seasonal dessert includes summertime peach cake.

Last spring it was lemon tart topped with a sorbet made from fresh-picked 7

“It’s a small kitchen and a small staff, But we do big things.” strawberries and Thai basil.

“Basil is just a strange flavor but it works with strawberries,” says Foster who calls the dessert one of her favorites because it was the first one that she developed professionally on her own. “People would look at it and say, ‘Why would you put basil in a dessert?’

And they taste it and say, ‘Oh I can see why you would put basil in a dessert.’”

The spice cake is redolent of fall flavors. Its topping evokes an image of fallen leaves, Foster says.

When Foster came across the original recipe in the cookbook “O, Taste in Thee,” she thought it would be good for her own occasional dessert at home. (It’s an occupational hazard: even one-time avid sweets lovers often lose their taste for desserts when creating and making them for a living.)

Foster tweaked the original recipe, adding salt (the cookbook listed none) and reducing the amount of sugar. She loved the result so much she decided to take it to work for Newsome and the OI crew to try. It didn’t make it there.

“My dog, Jack (a golden retriever), got it off the counter and ate all of it, she says. “I left for only a few hours. The funny thing is he’s a picky eater.”

Now dog-approved a second batch proved to be a hit with Foster’s 8

Chris Newsome, Chef/co-owner of Ollie Irene Restaurant

human colleagues.

After several adjustments, which included morphing the full-sized coffee cake into individual portions for restaurant service, it was ready for prime time.

Oatmeal in the batter helps produce an extramoist cake, Foster says.

The flakes are not visibly distinguishable, like in oatmeal cookies, but rather meld into the cake when soaked and baked.

Foster decided to pursue becoming a pastry chef while decorating cakes at what was then known as Cake Art in Pelham. She says the work appealed to both her artistic and perfectionist sides.

While in culinary school, she also had a job making desserts for Bellinis’ catering

operation, its namesake restaurant and its sister restaurant Revolve (now closed).

Foster’s tenure under Newsome at Ollie Irene has been educational, to say the least. She’s learned to make a wide range of desserts, including cookies and pastries during the restaurant’s informal “bake sale” in late summer, she says.

Foster is also exploring the savory side by putting in shifts on the cooking line in the open kitchen, helping prepare and plate food and cleaning up after service.

“It’s a small kitchen and a small staff,” she says, proudly adding, “But we do big things.”

Ollie Irene; ollieirene.com; For orders and information about current operations: 205-769-6034 or 205-848-2806.

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Tied to her apron strings

and loving it

KYLE WICK AND HER DAUGHTER CAMILLE WEBB 10

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Off the Table

Creative family fun with handmade aprons

by WILLIE CHRIESMAN

KYLE WICK DIDN’T THINK SHE WAS VERY CREATIVE WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER. Growing up, she felt her mother and sister were exceptionally talented.

“But I did not give myself permission to create because that’s what they were good at,” she says. “I grew up a perfectionist. Telling myself I had no creative abilities.

I prided myself on my analytical skills.”

Those analytical skills led the upstate New York native to a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University and postdoctoral work at Emory University.

But when she became a mother, she noticed those same perfectionist tendencies in her daughter, Camille Webb. She came to realize that it wasn’t so much about being perfect, but about having fun and enjoying what you do. So, she and Camille would make things with paint or with sugar and flour.

“At a certain point,” she says, “it opened up my ability to create.”

And now, create she does.

She, along with Camille, runs Thimbletree Studio whose

goods are available online on Etsy and occasionally at The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham.

Their line of handmade products includes leather goods, tote bags, knitted blankets, scarves and throws, even – in this time of COVID – face masks.

But when you talk to her, the item Kyle seems especially passionate about is her aprons.

It all began with a fascination for fabric.

“I am crazy, inexplicably passionate about fabric,” she says. “Table linens, drapery panels, all these things that people have wanted to throw away or get rid of. They’re beautiful and they have stories, every single one of them.”

A few years ago, she began making aprons out of them.

At first, she made them for family and friends “until there was nobody left. I wasn’t done making aprons. So, to this day, I make aprons.”

She and Camille decided to set up shop. It is a long– distance affair with Kyle based in Homewood and her daughter in North Carolina.

But through having a strong online presence, they’re able to make it work.

The prices for their work range from $7 for potholders to hand-knit throws that start at $95. Kyle’s aprons are designed for adult women and men ($50) and children ($25).

There are characteristics Thimbletree strives for in every item it makes. “We want to make products that are attractive, fun, cute, whimsical but serve a purpose,” she says. “We wanted to make functional stuff. That was number one, pretty with a purpose.”

For Kyle, the fabric and what she is able to do with it act as her muse.

They tell a story.

“The story’s not in words,” she says. “It’s often the story that they’re telling while I’m with them, while I’m touching them. While I’m really getting excited about what I can make with them. And it’s when they find another fabric they really like being with, that’s when I get excited most.

“I don’t fully understand it, but that’s part of the fun.”

You can purchase Thimbletree Studio products on Etsy and see more of them on its Facebook or Instagram pages (@thimbletreestudio).

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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THE

ENTREE On any given day Black business owners find themselves fighting for their fair share of the market. It’s not a new phenomenon. But the COVID-19 pandemic created unforeseeable challenges, especially for food-centered businesses. It caused many to shutter and forced others to pivot. Here is how two eateries, owned by Black women, found new possibilities amid a storm.

Article by CHIANTI CLEGGETT

THE

ENTREE

STAYING THE COURSE – THE CHEESECAKE EMPORI-YUM

MONIQUE WILLIAMS – THE CHEESECAKE EMPORI-YUM

More than just desserts

W

hen opening a restaurant or bakery, people focus on providing an experience. A lot of times, that is an inside, sit-down experience. When you take that away, what do you have? "It’s kind of hard to maintain without that culture you have built so strongly around,” explains Monique Williams, owner of The Cheesecake Empori-Yum! in Montgomery.

varieties of slices daily. Customers can also indulge with whole cheesecakes, as well as nachos, milkshakes, and cinnamon rolls, all made with cheesecake, of course.

During the pandemic she would have to provide the same great customer experience via takeout and catering if she was going to survive.

For the first few years, things went well for the business.

Williams even hosted a successful booth at The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham in 2019 and planned to return this year. Then COVID-19 hit. Everything changed. She decided that the drive-through market at the 2020 Pepper Place would not be conducive to her business and opted out.

Williams began tinkering with cheesecake creations about six years ago. Two years later, she officially established her business.

“We specialize in any- and everything cheesecake,” she says. “We have over 60 different flavors, including vegan, sugar-free and low-carb.” The bakery offers seven to eight A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Additionally, it serves a variety of gourmet egg rolls, including the top-selling soul food egg roll with chicken, cornbread and collard greens, and a cranberry-maple dipping sauce.

There went the increased exposure and potential new customers, not to mention the momentum she built in Birmingham.

Coronavirus-related restrictions would require her to focus on her shop and her local customers first. The customer experience would be different.

But instead of losing business, she began seeing an increase.

In fact, Williams says 2020 has brought in six times the amount of sales of 2019. Much of it has come from a boost in social media posts and views as well as word-of-mouth, both courtesy of satisfied customers. Moreover, the catering side of her business is booming. “I actually do a lot more catering now than I expected to do,” she says.

Her reason to push forward was simple: her team of six depends on her and the success of The Cheesecake EmporiYum. “I have employees, and they need me, and they need this job,” Williams says.

“That’s really a large, large driving force. And this is my dream. You have to fight for your dream!”

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Bloomberg.com ALACARTE.AL.COM

THE

ENTREE

STAYING THE COURSE – YO’ MAMA’S RESTAURANT & CATERING

DENISE AND CRYSTAL PETERSON – YO’ MAMA’S RESTAURANT & CATERING

Where the business is family

I

n November mother and daughter business owners Denise and Crystal Peterson will celebrate the sixth anniversary of success with Yo' Mama’s Restaurant & Catering in downtown Birmingham.

“When we opened, we wanted to serve everybody like family,” Denise says. “Every age group will find something on our menu.”

The chicken and waffles is a huge draw. What patrons and newcomers may be less aware of is that everything on the menu is available in a glutenfree option.

Crystal credits their continuous success to word-of-mouth and positive online reviews.

They also promote their dishes on the Fox 6 “Good Day Alabama” cooking segment, expanding the fan base.

The sudden decrease in customers when the pandemic hit was noticeable. “Downtown

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

became pretty desolate,” Crystal says. “A lot of offices are working from home, so we don’t have the same number of customers in the area that we were used to.”

The six-foot social distancing requirement meant Yo’ Mama’s had to suspend its popular Saturday brunches, eliminating a revenue source. “We did really well on Saturdays and we’re not open on those days anymore,” Denise says. “We’re also not doing the breakfast hours on weekdays.”

They learned to pivot back into the light. With fewer restaurant options available in downtown, customers have found their way to Yo’ Mama’s, some for the first time, others more frequently.

Adding curbside pickup also increased business. In fact, it has done so well that it will be a standard service after they fully reopen. The Petersons

also plan to increase outdoor seating.

The pandemic ignited a catering surge as well. Denise said catering to businesses has helped to make up for some of the hit they took from the loss of Saturday brunches.

With eight employees, the stakes were too high to consider even a pause, much less a full stop. “You couldn’t quit,” Crystal says. “Because the moment you closed your doors for two weeks and people changed their habits, how do you get them to come back?”

The Petersons remain committed to keeping customers happy. And they hope the love is reciprocated. “As a Blackowned business, it shouldn’t be Juneteenth, it shouldn’t be on Black Business Friday. It should be every dollar, every day. You should consciously use your dollar to support who supports you.”

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Chef’s Table

Adam Evans wants you to do something fishy

by WILLIE CHRIESMAN

ADAM EVANS LIGHTS UP secrets and best advice for home chefs.

WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT FISH.

until they get rid of the intimidation factor of cooking fish at home.

Along with his wife Suzanne, he runs the acclaimed Birmingham restaurant Automatic Seafood and Oysters, named a James Beard Award finalist this year for Best New Restaurant in the country.

(It was one of many awards the Beard Foundation decided to suspend due to the coronavirus.)

I think there’s a stigma about cooking fish at home for whatever reason.

For this Muscle Shoals native and Auburn University educated chef, no parts of the fish need go to waste.

His delicacies can feature just about any part from the gills to the tail.

We asked him to share some

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What is your best advice for the home cook?

Fish is something that is rarely cooked at home and that might be because people are intimidated by it or maybe they don’t have access to it.

But a nicely, humanely farmraised fish would be a good option. I would just encourage them to try cooking fish at home, even a whole preparation of fish.

Get a whole fish and learn the technique of fileting them or breaking them down because it can be a great addition of protein to have in your normal rotation of things that you cook at home. I would encourage people to practice

People don’t default to going and buying a whole fish. But I would encourage that because I think it’s a really good value and something that would be different, let alone the health benefits. You don’t want to eat steak every day. You want fish in your normal diet. So, it would be a good skill to put into your cooking repertoire.

What is the one must-have item a home cook should own?

The one thing I use the most at home is a giant casserole-

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type pot. It’s an old Le Creuset pot with a lid, so it’s a heavy cast iron pot. It’s from the ‘60s so obviously it’s lasted forever.

I can cook most anything in there. I can cook hamburgers. I can cook soups.

"You don’t want to eat steak every day. You want fish in your normal diet."

I think it’s one of the most versatile things. It’s a large enough pot where you could make food for eight or ten or you could make dinner for two and use one pot.

The way my mind sort of goes when I’m cooking at home is that I don’t want to dirty up a lot of pots and (to me) the base of southern cuisine is using one pot.

So, having a large cast iron pot with a lid, I can do most anything in it – roast, braise, steam. You could do almost any technique in that one pot. So, I would say that’s my must-have kitchen tool.

What do you like to cook at home?

When I’m at home cooking, I really like to keep it simple, even more simple than at the restaurant. I would say 99% of the food that I cook at home comes from the (Birdsong) farmer’s market we have here at Automatic on Saturdays. I go

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

around to the different farmers and my wife and I collect different vegetables or whatever we might want for the following week.

For me, it’s about getting organic vegetables and humanely-raised proteins and just doing something really simple with them when I’m at home. There’s not much thought involved. I just cook it and it’s done and it’s a nice healthy meal and it’s something fun for me to do at home.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I do like sweets a lot. I would say my guilty pleasure in eating is cereal, not the good healthy cereals, but like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I really love Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

And I would say I rarely meet donuts I don’t like. I like donuts a lot.

Automatic Seafood and Oysters 2824 5th Ave. South Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 580-1600 automaticseafood.com

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Alabama Originals

Priester’s Pecans: a holiday tradition

by JENNIFER KORNEGAY

WHEN HE WAS A KID, EVERY YEAR IN LATE NOVEMBER, PRIESTER’S PECANS PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR STINSON ELLIS AND HIS TWO BROTHERS WOULD SUIT UP IN LAYERS OF CAMO. BUT THEY WERE NOT ENGAGED IN A HOBBY.

the family bonds that are foundational at Priester’s Pecans. While the business doesn’t bear the Ellis name, Stinson claims they’re synonymous.

Then a customer requested shelled pecans, so L.C. hired a few ladies to crack the tough shells and extract the succulent flesh inside.

Priester’s Pecans was born.

“The Ellis family and Priester’s are one and the same,” Stinson says. “It’s a real family affair here.”

L.C.’s shelled pecans caught on so well, he had to increase his inventory.

“We’d put on all our hunting clothes so we wouldn’t get too chilled, and dad would have us organize the giant freezer at Priester’s in preparation for the busyness of Christmas,” Stinson recalls.

Based in Fort Deposit, Priester’s was founded in 1935

by L.C. Priester, who owned a gas station in town.

It was hard, cold work, but the memory is a warm one for Stinson and highlights 20

Noting the abundance of the area’s pecan trees, L.C. started offering sacks full of the local delicacy to his station’s customers, and the nuts were an instant hit.

“He needed a loan and he went to my great granddad, Hense Ellis,” Stinson says.

Hense owned Ellis Oil Company and supplied L.C.’s station with fuel.

The two men were friends, so Hense gave L.C. a small loan plus a partnership. The current Priester’s Pecan store, a cabin-like landmark visible ALACARTE.AL.COM

from Interstate 65, sits near L.C.’s original gas station. He eventually retired, and the company is now wholly owned by the Ellis family.

All those extra hands are particularly crucial around the holidays. “The last quarter of the year is huge for us,” Stinson says.

The processing and shelling plant is just a short drive away, and today much of the company runs about the same as it did.

And it’s not just raw and roasted pecans that customers go nuts for.

Since the 1950s, Priester’s candy kitchen has produced divinity, chocolate-covered pecans, pralines, brittle, pecan logs and other confections, which are shipped all over the country.

“The mechanics of shelling and processing are not a lot different from decades ago,” Stinson says.

Some of the equipment used has been around since the 1950s. Pecan halves are still visually inspected for quality by people, not machines.

“My great grandad always said L.C. was the brains, and our family was the workforce,” Stinson says. Ellises are still the workforce; Stinson’s kids and their cousins help out in multiple ways.

“I’ve worked in every part of the business, the kitchen, the grading, the shipping,” Stinson says. Tyler Ellis, Stinson’s older brother, is the operations supervisor at the candy kitchen and a sister-in-law handles Priester’s social media.

Priester’s also has many longstanding employees that might as well be blood relatives, including one who celebrated 50 years with the company in 2019. “We could not do what we do without our great team,” Stinson says.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

The company’s best-selling pecan pie premiered in 1987. Priester’s sold approximately 252,000 last year, with 164,000 of those pies heading out the door between September and December.

Stinson offers thoughts on why pecans and pecan pie are so closely tied to holiday celebrations. “For one thing, pecans are harvested in the fall, so historically, that’s when people got and ate pecans,” Stinson says. The tradition continues because they’re delicious.

The Priester’s plant cracks more than two million pounds of pecans annually, sourced from around the Southeast and Gulf Coast areas, the pecan’s native range. “Most of the in-shell pecans come from Alabama and Georgia with a few loads from Texas,” Stinson says.

Growing up surrounded by pecans could eventually turn someone off

(l-r) Melissa and Thomas Ellis, head of the familyowned Priester's Pecans.

them, but not Stinson. He’s a big fan of what’s arguably the South’s favorite nut.

“They’re a truly Southern commodity and as much a part of Southern history as any food out there,” he says. “I like their nostalgic quality and how much they are a part of our traditions.”

He’ll never turn down a handful of roasted salted pecans, especially the Elliot variety.

“It’s got a higher oil content and when roasted it’s about the best nut you can put in your mouth.” But his favorite is a wide wedge of Priester’s pecan pie.

“It’s just so good; it’s what we do best,” he says.

21

Cheers

Local liquors ALABAMA CRAFT SPIRITS ARE DISTILLED WITH PRIDE

by ERIC VELASCO

aged product,” Keel says. “So, Alabama. The 2011 law THE DESIRE TO DISTILL we started making gin, vodka allowing Alabama breweries STRUCK GEORGE KEEL AT and some moonshine products, to open tap rooms also paved A YOUNG AGE. “When I was in high school a buddy of mine and I were in class and started discussing how reflux stills work,” he says, referring to a device used to make strong spirits. “I looked at him and he looked at me.

Me and my buddy figured we could make some.”

Keel’s study of distillation remained a hobby until 2015, when he ran his first batch for Keel and Co. Distilling in Headland, joining the ranks of Alabama’s modern-day commercial liquor makers.

He planned to produce only bourbon and rye, which he ages from two to four years, but soon had to expand to other spirits to meet customer demand.

“We were going to run out of 22

things that we didn’t have to age – just put it in a bottle and sell it.”

Keel’s distillery is one of seven businesses that produce spirits in Alabama. Two others, including Campesino Rum, utilize liquor made out-of-state although the other – Conecuh Ridge Distillery – is building a facility in Troy to distill its Clyde May’s whiskeys.

Like Keel, Jeff Irons of Irons One Distillery in Huntsville was a hobbyist who turned pro. Seth Dettling, distiller at Big Escambia Spirits near Atmore, home-brewed beer; Jimmy Sharp’s father, John, ran a home brew shop before they opened Opelika’s John Emerald Distillery in 2013.

Distilleries are a relatively recent phenomenon in

a path for distilleries with tasting rooms.

“Without that a small, craft distillery model just doesn’t work,” says Jimmy Sharp, who chairs the state distillers’ guild.

Early on, as John Emerald was building its product line and aging its initial whiskeys, its tasting room generated as much as 80 percent of revenue.

Today, it accounts for roughly 40 percent.

Liquor starts with mash, fermented sugars from grain, corn, cane and other sources.

The liquid mash is heated in a still until it’s almost boiling, producing alcohol vapors that are chilled separately to condense back into liquid.

Multiple distillations further concentrate the strength and purify the flavors.

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Vodka gets five to eight passes through a still, creating a neutral spirit that is 190 proof (95 percent alcohol) before it is diluted with water to 80-90 proof (40-45 percent alcohol). Gin is produced from fullstrength vodka; the final distillation before dilution includes botanicals like juniper, orange peel and spices like coriander and cardamom.

“Gin is the original flavored vodka,” says Eleanor Estes, CEO of Redmont Distilling in Birmingham, whose ownership group includes basketball star and television analyst Charles Barkley.

Bourbon must contain at least 51 percent corn. Sprouted barley, wheat, oats and other grains round out the bill. Rye whiskey must contain at least 51 percent rye.

Big Escambia Spirits, which bottles under the Dettling label.

It gets so hot in his rickhouse, the building where stacks of whiskey casks are stored for aging, you can’t even touch the metal bands on some barrels during the south Alabama summer.

“It’s 130 degrees at the top rack during the day,” Dettling says. “You can’t even go up there. We actually do all our top rack work during the winter, when it’s ‘only’ 100 degrees.”

He gets roughly 200 bottles at full strength from a 53-gallon barrel and 300 or more when the whiskey is “proofed” to a lower alcohol level.

Both, by law, must be aged in new American oak barrels that are flame-charred inside. The wood absorbs the liquid in warm weather and pushes it back out in cooler weather. The result: a signature brown color and flavors of vanilla and spice. Prolonged barrel aging heightens those characteristics.

Rum generally is aged only a few months, if at all. Dread River Distillery in Birmingham makes its rum from brown sugar and molasses. The two styles of Rhum Agricole (a French-style rum) sold

by Boogie Bottom Spirits in Perdido are made from sugar cane – some of which is grown by the head distiller, Ross Centanni, and his family.

A third rum (common spelling) from the distillery is made from turbinado, partially refined sugar.

Alabama’s heat is especially effective in creating those effects relatively quickly, says Dettling of

The products can be distinctly Alabamian. Locally foraged juniper berries help flavor John Emerald’s

gin; sugar cane for its three styles of rum is grown in Henry County and its spiced rum includes Alabama pecans. Dettling utilizes locally grown corn; he even has used wood from Conecuh County to make barrels. The beans for Keel’s coffee-infused moonshine are roasted in Headland.

The distilleries grow by expanding both product lines and distribution areas. Dread River’s newest bottling is agave spirit, a generic term because only products from specific regions in Mexico can use the name tequila.

Redmont has started selling its vodka and gin in Georgia, and Boogie Bottom’s territory now includes Florida. Distributors have helped John Emerald and Dread River expand outside Alabama as far away as California, New York, Colorado and Illinois.

Business is strong enough that Dettling is adding a second rickhouse, while Keel is building a larger distillery and tasting room.

“We wanted to prove this concept was going to work and I could make a product that people would like enough to repeat buy,” Keel says. “It’s going to be a great thing for us.”

Local Liquors

ALABAMA CRAFT SPIRITS

John Emerald Distilling City: Opelika First batch distilled: 2013 Head distiller: Jimmy Sharp Products: Single malt whiskey, clear rum, barrelaged rum, spiced rum; gin and vodka are from neutral grain spirit Where to buy: ABC and package stores, distillery Tours: Call the distillery Tasting room: Mon-Thu 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat noon - midnight Address: 706 North Railroad Ave. (36801) Phone: 334-737-5353 johnemeralddistilling.com Facebook, Instagram (@johnemeralddistilling)

Redmont Distilling City: Birmingham First batch distilled: 2014 Head distiller: Jonathan Guidry Products: Vodka and gin, both from corn Where to buy: ABC and package stores, distillery Tours: No Tasting room: No Address: 4550 Fifth Ave. South (35222) redmontdistilling.com; Facebook, Instagram (@redmonthdistilling)

Big Escambia Spirits City: Atmore First batch distilled: 2014 Head distiller: Seth Dettling Products: Small-batch straight bourbon whiskey (green label), Select single barrel bourbon (gold label), Single-barrel cask strength (brown label).

Upcoming release: Bottled in Bond (burnt-orange label) Where to buy: ABC Select and some package stores Tours: No Tasting room: No dettling1867.com; Facebook, Instagram (Big_Escambia_Spirits)

Irons One Distillery City: Huntsville First batch distilled: 2015 Head distiller: Jeff Irons Products: Bourbon, whiskey Where to buy: ABC stores, distillery Tours: Yes; private tours available Tasting room: Wed-Sat 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Address: 2211 Seminole Dr. SW (35805) Phone: 256-536-0100 ironsone.com; Facebook (@ironsdistillery)

Local Liquors

ALABAMA CRAFT SPIRITS

Keel and Co. Distilling City: Headland First batch distilled: 2015 Head distiller: George Keel Products: Rye whiskey, bourbon, flavored moonshine; gin and vodka are corn based Where to buy: Nearby ABC and package stores, distillery Tours: Upon request Tasting room: Wed-Sat 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

(8 p.m. close when tasting room expansion opens in November or December) Address: 115 West Church St. (36345) Phone: 334-798-4907 keelandcodistilling.com; Facebook, Instagram (@Keelancodistilley)

Dread River Distilling City: Birmingham First batch distilled: 2019 Head distiller: Colton Weinstein Products: Whiskey, rum, agave spirit, beer; vodka and gin from wheat Where to buy: ABC and package stores, distillery Tours: Thu-Fri 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Sat 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.; sign up at dreadriver.com Tasting room: Thu 4 p.m. – 10 p.m., Fri 4 p.m. – 11 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Address: 2400 Seventh Ave. South (35233) dreadriver.com; Facebook, Instagram (@dreadriverco)

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Boogie Bottom Spirits City: Perdido (Part of Perdido Vineyards) First batch distilled: 2019 Head distiller: Russ Centanni Products: Joe Cane Rhum Agricole, Blue and Gold Rhum Agricole (French-style rums); Shipwreck blanco rum Where to buy: ABC Select stores in Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile counties; Perdido Vineyards tasting room Tours: No; distillery not open to the public Tasting room: Mon-Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Address: 22100 County Road 47 (36562) Phone: 251-937-9463 Facebook, Instagram (@boogiebottom) 25

The result of my folied attempt at making bananna bread.

To Your Health

The quest for comfort food

by BETH KITCHIN

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC, BEFORE THE MASK WARS AND WE ALL RETREATED TO OUR CORNERS, WE WERE ONE NATION IN QUARANTINE.

Banana bread had become a pandemic food obsession and was the number one Internet searched recipe in March as the bunches of bananas we bought on less frequent trips to the store turned brown and mushy.

Yes, we would all fight this pandemic together by growing our own food and baking our own bread. Eggs, yeast, flour and, of course, toilet paper became hot ticket items.

I too had made banana bread.

Or at least I tried. One day as I contemplated three very overripe, very large bananas on my counter, I Googled “easy banana bread” and settled on a recipe described as “foolproof.” The recipe called for two to three ripe bananas, so I used all three.

You didn’t need to see the market statistics. The empty shelves told the story. In May, I sent my mother packages of yeast that I happened to have after a short-lived bread baking fling one recent summer. She was thrilled as all the stores were out.

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My incomplete set of measuring cups (I use the ½ cup as a cat food scoop) and my desire to substitute whole wheat flour for half of the white

flour meant that I lost count of how much flour I put in the mixing bowl. The end result, too much banana and too little flour, spelled disaster.

After the recommended baking time of 50 minutes, the toothpick came out loaded with batter. At 60 minutes, 70 minutes, and finally 90, my banana bread remained a sticky, gooey lagoon. The middle was kind of caved in; even the edges didn’t firm up. It weighed as much as a healthy newborn infant. And it jiggled like Jell-O. I texted my mom and sister a picture of the bungled bread, laughing off my disastrous foray into baking. My sister responded, “I’ll send you my banana nut muffin recipe.

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Sister’s muffin recipe in Mom’s cups.

How do our holidays survive a pandemic? How do we celebrate?

The answer, in part, is food.

Make the muffins – so much easier.”

I texted back, “I don’t have a muffin tin – but thanks!” She replied, “You can get a muffin tin at the grocery store. They have them you know.”

Me: “Yes but you know my kitchen is small. I don’t really want more stuff.”

She emailed me the recipe anyway with instructions like “don’t overmix the batter” and “you can substitute chocolate chips for the nuts.” I knew these things as I took quite a few food science classes as an undergrad.

My mom then jumped in with, “I have some extra silicone baking cups that I got on sale at TJ Maxx.

They don’t take up any room. I’ll send them”. My sister parried, “Silicone baking cups? I’m suspicious.”

I wrote back, “Mom, I don’t think you should go to the post office, pandemic and all.” The muffin cups arrived in the mail two days later.

They were, frankly, adorable in A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

alternating colors of hot pink and tangerine, reminiscent of the mod costumes in the 60’s version of "Lost in Space". I had no choice. I had to bake the muffins.

As soon as I had two overripe bananas I got back on the horse and followed my sister’s recipe.

I focused on the flour, measuring carefully, substituting half whole wheat flour as I love that texture.

I skipped the nuts and added mini dark chocolate chips.

Despite my sister’s suspicions, the silicone baking cups performed brilliantly. The muffins were delicious and perfect, and slid easily out of the cups.

I proudly texted pictures of the muffins nestled in their stylishly colorful cups to my family. I couldn’t visit them, but we could still connect over banana muffins. Months later, the grocery store shelves are

stocked with yeast, flour, and toilet paper. We can gather in relative safety outside in small groups. But as the autumn and winter holidays approach, our celebrations will be affected. Indoor holiday parties and large extended family get-togethers could end up as superspreader events.

How do our holidays survive a pandemic? How do we celebrate? The answer, in part, is food.

Our traditional holiday foods — Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas cookies, Hanukkah latkes – will still be there for us.

Food is unifying and comforting, especially when steeped in nostalgia. Of course the comfort of food can reach unhealthy heights.

But, in these extraordinary times of disruption and distance, I’m giving in to the comfort of food.

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Thanks & Giving

Hungry for the holidays

by MARIE A. SUTTON

A BOWL OF SOUP AND A SLICE OF BREAD MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A HOLIDAY FEAST. But for some Alabamians, it’s a bounty because it’s a meal.

For the more than 232,000 food-insecure people in this state, any meal is something to be thankful for.

The potentiality of that bread-and-soup dinner (or nothing at all) looms for many.

Before the pandemic, one in six adults and one in four children in Alabama were considered food insecure.

Today, those numbers are higher, says Brett Meredith, chief executive officer for

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Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. His organization supplies food to 251 agencies in 12 counties.

“A lot of families that were considered middle class last year are in line for food for the first time,” he says.

After COVID-19 hit in March, a pandemic of need rapidly spread throughout homes across Alabama; many jobs were furloughed or cut altogether and medical bills skyrocketed for some affected by the virus.

By July, the Community Food Bank was already at 90 percent of its distribution level compared to the whole year of 2019.

By fall it was at 130 percent, which is 14.6 million pounds of food. The food bank had to pick up close to 90 more distribution points.

“The need is tremendous,” Meredith says.

Alabama Childhood Food Solutions in Sylacauga also saw a nearly 40 percent increase versus 2019. Led by Jim Jones, this organization, with the help of the Community Food Bank, makes sure that children and their families in the area don’t go hungry.

“The last thing a family wants to have to worry about during this pandemic is feeding their loved ones,” Jones says.

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And holidays that normally call for the gathering of families around the table have many folks considering canceling their traditional plans for pies, potatoes and roasted meats.

“So many families can’t get together because of the food shortage,” Jones says. “Many have felt isolated from the world. Their income has changed. Their social circles have decreased.”

But that’s where organizations like his come in. Now needy Alabamians can have a lot more than soup and bread this holiday season.

Mobile pantries will distribute — from their trucks to people’s trunks — a three-pound ham and 20 pounds of groceries for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

That’s good news for a lot of people.

But keep in mind, Jones says, a hearty holiday dinner is not the end goal.

“A giant meal doesn’t help a family,” he says. For many, a good holiday means having a meal on the day before and the day after.

Providing families with sustenance helps them slowly dig out of a sinking hole. It frees up what resources they have to do other things. “If we can provide the food, they can pay their rent or electric bill or get their medicine,” Meredith says.

That’s a big help for Vanessa Coley, a retired teacher who has multiple sclerosis. The 67-year-old adopted six children five years ago. It was a challenge feeding the growing babies, who ranged in age from 1 to 6.

She made $200 too much to be eligible for food stamps, so she would piece together meals, many of which were not as healthy as they could be, like pizza and cereal.

With assistance from Alabama Childhood Food Solutions, she was able to feed her children healthier food from boxes stuffed with milk, cheese, potatoes, squash, zucchini and leafy vegetables.

Now their meals look different.

“Collard greens, homemade biscuits, barbecue …” Coley lists.

The Community Food Bank provides 700,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables a month.

“Potato chips are great, but green vegetables are better,” Jones says.

It was a burden lifted for Coley.

“When I got home and I looked at the food, I said, ‘Oh my goodness, look at God,'” she says. “What the devil meant for evil, God turned for good.”

“Hope is a big thing in the food business,” Jones says. “They are hoping to have a meal today and hoping that there will be a meal tomorrow.”

Now that her pantry is full and her children are nourished, Coley is the food bank’s biggest cheerleader.

“I encourage any organization instead of sending food across the country, send it to Jim,” she says.

“Feed Alabama.”

That’s the kind of joy a full belly and a grateful heart can manifest, not just during the holidays, but all year round.

You can help by donating to Community Foodbank of Central Alabama at feedingal.org and to the Alabama Childhood Food Solutions at alabamachildhoodfood.com.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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Cheers

Add some sparkle

to the holidays scrumdeliumptious.com

Santamargheritawines.com

Cheers

End 2020 with Prosecco

by NICOLE ALLSHOUSE

TO SAY WE ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT BRINGING IN A NEW YEAR MAY BE THE BIGGEST UNDERSTATEMENT OF 2020. SO LET'S PINKY PROMISE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE PLANS CELEBRATING ALL OF THE MIRACLES WE KNOW 2021 WILL HOLD FOR US, OK? I'm serious. Get your hands out. I'm ready, little finger extended.

Great!

Now that we have agreed on choosing a positive attitude, can we talk about how we plan on closing out this year? My suggestion: with a bottomless glass of sparkling wine a fine Prosecco, to be exact.

There is something about the holiday season that always makes me want to reach for a pretty glass flute filled with bubbly. It’s a reason to celebrate all by itself.

Let me set the scene for you.

It’s December 24th. “Silent Night” is softly playing in the background.

The smell of pine is floating through the air.

A fire is crackling just a few feet from where you have perched yourself in an oversized linen chair.

The sweet aroma of ham is bellowing from the oven.

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You are surrounded by a handful of family members sitting socially distanced.

And in the center of all this perfection is a bottle of Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. The fact that I'm talking about a holiday wine named "Santa" is not lost on me.

But that's certainly not why I picked it.

I chose it because it's delicious.

And not to get too bogged down on details, but if you are reading this now and wondering what the difference is between Champagne and Prosecco, it’s rather simple.

While both are sparkling white wines, Champagne is produced from chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes grown in France.

Prosecco comes from Italy and is made mainly from glera grapes.

I personally like that Prosecco is a bit sweeter than Champagne, a bit less expensive, and has bigger bubbles.

Specifically talking about the Santa Margherita, it comes from the distinguished hills of Valdobbiadene, where some of the finest Proseccos are created. And if you are wondering, the DOCG classification (Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita) is the highest classification in Italy.

All DOCG wines are analyzed and tasted by government–licensed judgment panels before being bottled. But enough of those boring details.

Here is why I love it during the holidays — whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years!

It goes great paired with any seafood or delicate dish. And if you are like me, somewhere on your table 31

is shrimp cocktail during this festive season.

The sparkling wine does have a light fruity taste and crisp finish, which also makes it refreshing while indulging in some of those heavier dishes served around this time of year.

Can we celebrate those bubbles?

If nothing else has excited you about 2020, let it be the lively bubbles you will consume in a glass of this Prosecco.

Plus, I love that a bottle is under 25 bucks. This makes the Santa Margherita an ideal hostess gift.

And let's be honest — with what

teachers are facing each day, it would also make a fantastic teacher's gift, if you can deliver it to their home before the holidays.

Of course, if you are purchasing it for your holiday party, it's still priced reasonably enough that you could buy a few bottles without taking out a loan.

Not to mention, if you drop in a raspberry or two, you can dress it up and further bring out the fruit undertones.

I remember growing up, and my parents would always buy a bottle of Prosecco to toast the holidays.

They would raise their crystal flutes

and smile, giving the nod to a new year filled with peace and wellness.

And I would stare up at all those tiny bubbles lining their glasses and dream about when I would be an adult and able to make my toast.

So, to the warrior reading this who has survived a global pandemic, you have lived through one of the most challenging years and you still are reading this with an optimistic mindset, hopeful about 2021.

My glass is risen.

And now more than ever, I echo my parents’ sentiment — cheers to peace and wellness — and a beautiful glass of Prosecco.

You can find the Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG at Publix or most any store that carries wine.

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WHERE FOOD TAKES CENTER STAGE IN ALABAMA

@ALACARTEAL

COLLARD GREENS WITH SOFRITO Instead of smoked meat, the flavor derives from slow-cooked sofrito. The greens cook only long enough to turn tender, versus the traditional lengthy boil.

Food for Thought

You don’t need meat to season side dishes

by ERIC VELASCO

INSTEAD OF HOLIDAY TURKEY AND HAM, I GET AMPED OVER THE ACCOMPANIMENTS. My wife is a vegetarian (ovolacto, meaning she eats eggs and dairy), so our family’s emphasis on festive side dishes makes sense.

And since I believe a 12-pound turkey is too much for the other three human eaters in the house (not to mention the fact that one of our dogs is even allergic to poultry) bird is rarely the word on our holiday table.

The bounty of vegetables is one reason that Thanksgiving is my wife’s favorite food holiday. And after 20-plus years of marriage, I’ve recalibrated my cooking to leave out the salt pork, sausage, 34

bacon and other flavoring meat when cooking vegetables and legumes.

That requires building flavor by other means. Slow-cooked sofrito, the Spanish/Latino/Caribbean version of mirepoix, is a great trick for greens and beans. Both cream and butter add flavorful fat, which enhances the mouthfeel of food similar to the effect from meat.

Granted, some of these dishes like the cauliflower gratin are too rich for everyday cooking. But hey, it’s the holidays, so why not indulge?

A few of these recipes are vegan, or can be adapted for people whose diet includes no animal products. After all, a holiday like Thanksgiving celebrates inclusion.

Serves 6 • 4 tablespoons olive oil in all • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped • 1 large red bell pepper, cored seeded and chopped • 2 cloves garlic peeled, smashed and minced • 1 mild fresh chile pepper (Anaheim, cubanelle, aji dulce or banana pepper) • ½ teaspoon ground cumin • 1 16-ounce can tomatoes (whole preferred or diced) • 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped • 3 pounds collard greens (whole or bagged) • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Cook onion and bell pepper until the onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and chile pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes, breaking down the tomatoes. Top with cilantro leaves.

If using whole collard bunches, soak in several changes of water until all grit is removed. Cut off stems, roll leaves into a cigar shape and cut across the length (chiffonade). If using bagged collards, wash well and chop them.

When ready to finish the dish, heat remaining olive oil in a large pot.

Add sofrito and cook until warm. Add damp greens and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and steam 10 minutes. Remove lid nd cook 5 minutes more until liquid evaporates ALACARTE.AL.COM

Foodnetwork.coma

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN Based on a recipe from Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook

By Chris and Idie Hastings with Katherine Cobbs 2009 Running Press 6-8 servings 1 ½ cups herb breadcrumbs (recipe follows) 1 ½ pounds cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces (cookbook suggests multi-colored heirloom cauliflower) 3 cups heavy cream ½ cup parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon fresh thyme 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Herb breadcrumbs: 1 baguette, baked at 300 degrees for 10-12 minutes 1/3 cup fresh herb mixture, such as parsley, thyme and chives Zest from one lemon 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and minced 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make herb breadcrumbs by combining all ingredients except butter and blending in a processor. Remove breadcrumb mixture to a bowl and stir in the melted butter to bind it.

Put cauliflower and cream in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove cauliflower with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Bring cream to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cream is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add cauliflower, parmesan and thyme, stirring until well-coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer all to a Pyrex or ceramic-lined baking dish. Cover with herb breadcrumbs.

Bake 4-5 minutes. Serve hot.

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SWEET POTATO PUREE Our family falls into the no-marshmallow camp when it comes to holiday sweet potato dishes.

Serves 6 2 large sweet potatoes Salted water 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon allspice Freshly grated nutmeg Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

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Peel sweet potatoes and cut into evenly sized pieces. Mostly fill a pot with water and stir in salt (it should taste like the ocean). Add sweet potatoes. Water should come to an inch above the sweet potatoes (if not add more water).

Bring to a boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the largest piece of sweet potato. Drain and return sweet potatoes to the hot pan.

Add butter, cinnamon and allspice. Grate some nutmeg over the top and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash or purée sweet potatoes until smooth. Adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately or make ahead and reheat.

BUTTER PEAS Butter peas are cousins of lima beans, but smaller, round and lighter in color. They’re best cooked simply, with a little unsalted butter, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 6-8 3 cups raw butter peas (buy them frozen) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, in all 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Water Add butter peas, 1 tablespoon butter and seasonings to a pot. Add enough water to cover peas by 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40-45 minutes. Drain water and add remaining butter to the peas.

Stir well and adjust seasonings.

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spruceeats.com

SQUASH SOUFFLÉ CASSEROLE Serves 6-8 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus some to grease a baking dish 1 large onion, peeled and diced 2 pounds yellow or zephyr squash, sliced into rounds ¼ inch thick 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced Salt and fresh-ground black pepper 8 ounces shredded cheese 2/3 cup milk 2 eggs, beaten 18 Saltine crackers (or another preferre type of cracker) Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet on medium heat. (You may need two skillets; if so, divide the first five ingredients between them). Add onion and cook until it begins to turn translucent. Add squash rounds and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, and stir.

Cook, covered, 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Cook off as much liquid as possible, removing lid toward the end to aid evaporation, if needed.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a large Pyrex baking dish.

Pour cooked squash-onion mixture into a colander and let it sit at least 15 minutes to drain and cool somewhat.

Purée cooled squash-onion mixture in a blender and pour into a large mixing bowl. Separately fold in the shredded cheese, then milk and finally eggs. Blend well and pour into the buttered baking dish.

Bake uncovered, about 45 minutes, until the edges start to brown but the center is not fully set. Remove from the oven.

Crumble crackers and melt remaining butter.

Combine crackers and butter and sprinkle over the casserole(s). Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes more.

Serve warm. Can make ahead (minus topping), and bake when needed.

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Getty

VEGETARIAN DRESSING Even though it doesn’t have sausage, oysters or poultry broth this approach to traditional dressing will appeal to all eaters. If you stuff the bird with this, it’s called stuffing. Baked separately, it’s dressing.

Serves 10 5 tablespoons butter (unsalted), divided, plus some to coat the baking vessel 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced 2 stalks celery, finely diced ½ pound button or shiitake mushrooms, diced 1 cup roasted pecans, chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 15-20 leaves fresh sage, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 teaspoon dried thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 16 ounces white sandwich bread or baguette, stale or lightly toasted, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 9 cups) 2 – 2 ½ cups vegetable stock 2 large eggs, beaten

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and celery. Cook until the onions start to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their water, 5-6 minutes. Add the pecans and garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add herbs, salt and pepper, stirring well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, vegetable mixture and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add enough broth to make the bread cubes moist, but not soupy. Stir everything well (you may need to add more broth as the bread absorbs the liquid). Adjust seasonings as desired. Stir in the eggs.

Grease a baking dish or cast-iron skillet with butter. Add the dressing mixture.

Bake, uncovered for 45-60 minutes, until the edges are crisp. Cover the dressing with foil if it starts to brown too much.

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BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR Check out the fruit-flavored balsamic vinegars at The Happy Olive (locations in Mountain Brook, Fairhope and Mobile).

Serves 6 1 Âź pound whole brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons canola oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 5 teaspoons balsamic vinegar Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash brussels sprouts and cut in half on the stem side. Add oil and then brussels sprouts, flat side down to an oven-ready skillet, preferably cast iron. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, toss and bake until glazed, about 5 minutes.

Keviniscooking.com A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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Keep on

Truckin' A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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Keep on Truckin'

Taco Boys: 'Something to taco ‘bout'

by TERESA ZÚÑIGA ODOM

42

These days, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your neighborhood to find great food. Neighborhood farmers markets are popping up all over and with them some wonderful food trucks. One that gives people “something to taco ‘bout” is Taco Boys.

service and community engagement gave Miguel and Freddy the ingredients to get started. They knew a food truck would be the perfect venture and that’s when Taco Boys was born along with their catchy slogan – “something to taco ‘bout.”

Miguel Zacarias, and his best friend, Freddy Ruiz, set out to start something memorable when they started their business in 2019.

Miguel had spent five years working in the fast-casual food industry to learn the food industry basics. That experience, coupled with a passion for food, customer

So, what makes Taco Boys food so special? The secret is in the salsas. Miguel works tirelessly to make sure his variation of these salsas is perfect for the tacos and other delicacies he serves. The salsa verde (green sauce) is made from Mexican husk tomatoes, known as tomatillos, and

serrano peppers, while the salsa roja (red, spicier sauce) is made from red tomatoes and chile de árbol which really packs some heat. When you add fresh cilantro and onions, along with your choice of meat to the tacos or burritos, you get an explosion of flavors. Miguel’s favorite is the salsa verde.

Miguel’s personal favorite taco is the campechano.

Campechano is a combination of steak and chorizo, which is a spicy pork sausage. The duo creates a distinctive flavor that perfectly complements the corn tortillas in which they are served. The spice in the ALACARTE.AL.COM

chorizo also gives it just the right amount of kick. While many people tend to gravitate toward tacos asada (steak) or tacos al pastor (spicy pork with pineapple) when ordering at a taco food truck, Miguel’s customers seem to agree with him because his most requested Taco Boys tacos are the chorizo, followed by the campechano. One customer said she loves the robust flavor and they are her go-to meal when ordering from Taco Boys.

If you are a little more adventurous, you might want to try the tacos de lengua (tongue) or maybe even the tacos tripa (intestine). Miguel likes to offer variety and these are certainly unique offerings.

Other noteworthy menu items include quesadillas, burrito bowls and elote, or grilled street corn on a stick, which is prepared with mayo, queso fresco and chili powder. Elote is always a great side dish to a plate full of tacos.

Miguel enjoys adding to his menu to keep things interesting. For instance, this summer, he introduced a Puerto Rican inspired virgin piña colada drink. This creation involves hollowing out a pineapple to make the drink from a secret recipe he acquired, and then topping it with whipped cream and cherries.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

On a hot, sunny day, they sell between 40 to 60 of these drinks (beach chairs not included). A seasonal menu is being planned this fall that includes tamales and a warm cocoa drink and customers are already getting excited.

The beauty of a food truck is its mobility, which is why Miguel enjoys taking Taco Boys to private and special events. One of his first was a baby shower for a family that helped him get his start in the food industry.

Of course, when it comes to special events, the Taco Boys slogan really comes in handy. Who couldn’t have fun at a themed party called “taco ‘bout a baby,” “taco ‘bout a wedding,” or “Taco Twos-day” for a two-year old’s birthday party?

Taco Boys celebrated their one-year anniversary August 17. Miguel is grateful to the Birmingham community for being so supportive of his food venture. He is also indebted to his new partner, Servero Perez, for helping to take Taco Boys to the next level with his expertise in the food industry.

Miguel’s childhood friend and original partner, Freddy, stepped back from the business recently to start a new career in Miami. Miguel and

Severo had plans to expand their business this year but the global pandemic slightly altered those plans. Until that time, Miguel states that “it is an absolute pleasure to meet and serve all the friendly faces we see on a daily basis.”

Taco Boys has been a fixture in the Hoover area recently at Ross Bridge and Lake Wilborn Farmers Markets.

You can find them on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @tacoboysbham where they post regularly to their stories.

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Chef’s Table

Hoover trail navigates Indo-Pakistani cuisine

by ERIC VELASCO

WHEN YOU CRAVE INDO-PAKISTANI FOOD, HEAD TO HOOVER. FIVE MARKETS AND THREE RESTAURANTS SPECIALIZING IN FARE FROM THE SUBCONTINENT CAN BE FOUND WITHIN A FEW MILES OF EACH OTHER ALONG LORNA ROAD AND ADJOINING STREETS.

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham has played a huge role in diversifying Hoover and greater Birmingham, attracting people from all over the world including India and Pakistan. And where the people move, markets and restaurants set up nearby with their favorite foods.

this excellent eatery merits mention.)

Hoover is home to more than half of the Indian or Pakistani restaurants in greater Birmingham.

(If the U.S. 280 location of Bay Leaf Modern Indian Cuisine and Bar isn’t in Hoover, it’s pretty darned close. Although it is 13 miles from the other restaurants mentioned here,

Creative vegetarian dishes abound in Indian cooking (80 percent of India’s residents follow Hinduism, which promotes a meatfree diet).

Indo-Pakistani food ranks among the world’s greatest cuisines. The cooking can be intricate, including the multi-layered flavors of curries and biryanis, or as simple as yogurt-marinated fire roasted tandoori.

The concept of vegetarianism is so ingrained, restaurant menus often differentiate dishes as “vegetarian”

and “non-vegetarian.”

Indo-Pakistani food features a vast array of regional specialties. Spicing, ingredients and the preference for rice versus bread is different in cooking from the north, central states and in the tropical south.

A few local restaurants also offer Indo-Chinese streetfood popularized by Hakka Chinese immigrants who settled in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Mumbai (Bombay).

This guide to Hoover’s Indo-Pakistani food trail outlines what the markets sell and spotlights the restaurants’ specialties.

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Indo-Pakistani cuisine

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MARKETS IN HOOVER

2 INDIA HERITAGE (MARKET) 3137 LORNA RD. (LORNA VILLAGE)

SPICE WORLD (MARKET) 3659 LORNA RD. (LORNA BROOK VILLAGE)

Opened: 1997 Look for: Dried lentils and other dals, rice, spices, fresh and frozen prepared food, limited produce and ready-to-make meal mixes.

Facebook (@indiaheritagebham); 205-822-8224 Hours: Mon 1 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Tue-Sat 11 a.m.

– 8:30 p.m.; Sun noon – 6:30 p.m.

Opened: 2003 Look for: Dried goods including dals and rice, frozen meats and bread, spices, ready-to-make mixes.

Facebook (@janjuaspiceworld); 205-402-3957 Hours: Sun-Wed 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Thu-Sat. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.”

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4 INDIA SPICES (MARKET) 1853 MONTGOMERY HIGHWAY (PLAZA AT RIVERCHASE)

JUBILEE GROCERIES (MARKET) 3321 LORNA RD. (VILLAGE ON LORNA PLAZA)

Opened: 2005 Look for: Supermarket with dried goods, prepared food, rice, noodles, bread, frozen food, fresh produce and halal meat.

Facebook (@IndiaSpicesHoover); 205-733-7112 Hours: Tue-Sat 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Opened: 2018 Look for: A compact grocery with fresh produce and a limited selection of fresh halal meat. Good array of spices, rice, prepared mixes and frozen food.

Facebook (@jubileegroceries); 205-582-2299 Hours: Sun-Wed 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Thu-Sat 10 a.m. – 10 p.m ALABAMA HALAL FOODS (MARKET) 3150 LORNA RD.

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Opening: Fall 2020 Look for: Fresh halal meat; fresh, frozen and dried goods for making Pakistani, Indian and Arabic dishes.

Contact information TBA

Indo-Pakistani cuisine

RESTAURANTS IN HOOVER

BAWARCHI INDIAN CUISINE (RESTAURANT) 2798 JOHN HAWKINS PKWY. (AL 150)

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Opened: 2018 Specialty: Bawarchi is an Urdu word for chef. The extensive menu showcases the distinct cuisines of northern and southern India, as well as Indo-Chinese street food. Its specialty is biryani, layered rice and meat steamed in a sealed container to meld the flavors. Breads include naan, whole-wheat puri and puffy bhature.

Must try: Any biryani (12 vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices), Kadai Paneer (house-made cheese in spicy sauce), spicy Amaravathi curry (chicken or goat).

Alcohol: Yes bawarchibham.com; 205-549-3374 Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 4 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

Fri-Sun 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

KABOB-LICIOUS RESTAURANT 1841 MONTGOMERY HIGHWAY (U.S. 31) (PLAZA AT RIVERCHASE);

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Opened: 2019 Specialty: The flavors and cooking techniques in this Pakistani restaurant will be familiar to fans of Indian food. (Pakistan was partitioned from India as a Muslim state less than 75 years ago.)

Skewered and other grilled meats are the stars here. Curries include chicken, goat, beef and three vegetarian options. Three versions of naan bread (plain, garlic and bullet with chiles) are available. Check out the regular specials.

Must try: Triangle-shaped Beef Samosas, Behari Kabob (skewered and grilled marinated beef), Nihari (stewed beef shank), Lamb Biryani.

Alcohol: No kaboblicious.com; 205-407-6777 Hours: Tue-Thu 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat-Sun 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Closed Mondays.

SILVER COIN INDIAN GRILL (RESTAURANT) 3321 LORNA RD. (VILLAGE ON LORNA PLAZA)

8 A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

Opened: 2008 Specialty: More than 20 vegetarian dishes from northern India and nearly a dozen options for pit-cooked tandoori. Non-vegetarian curries feature chicken, beef, lamb, goat, fish and shrimp. Silver Coin introduced Birmingham to dosas, crunchy crepes made from a lentil-and-rice batter, sometimes rolled into a long tube.

Alcohol: Yes silvercoinusa.com; 205-823-9070.

Hours: Tue-Thu 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

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Savor with

Your Eyes EMILY EVELETH - BIG PINK

Food as art

MARGARET MORRISON – FULL STEAM AHEAD

UAB Art Exhibit Explores our Relationship with Food

by WILLIE CHRIESMAN

FOOD BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, SO DOES ART. FOOD EXPOSES CULTURAL ISSUES FAR BEYOND THE OBVIOUS, SO DOES ART. Food is an indispensable part of life, and a recent exhibit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) seeks to expose just how complex and interwoven our connection with it truly is.

It’s called A la Carte: A Visual Exploration of Our Relationship with Food, and, while the name is similar to that of this publication, it is just a happy coincidence.

The exhibit strived to show how food connects us, but it also sought to explore the many and varied issues associated with it.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

As AEIVA’s John Fields, its senior director, describes it, “The A la Carte exhibition is about our culture’s complicated relationship with food."

The exhibit featured 37 artists from all over the world who are making their works either about food – sometimes even with food – or using food to explore some broader cultural or social issue that we face.

And those issues can be farflung. So far-flung, it was hard to narrow down which aspects of food should be featured.

“We ended up with a list

of about 20 or 30 relevant, contemporary cultural or social issues that involved food. Through this approach, we ended up with a very wide range of topics that span all different types of cultural backgrounds,“ Fields explains.

“The exhibition deals with things like globalization, mass production, pop culture, cultural identity, sexuality, body image, activism, sustainability and the list just goes on and on.”

It featured work from artists from all over and from right here at home. One of them was Celestia Morgan, a photographer from 49

CHRISTINA NICODEMA_ELEPHANT RAFT

CELESTIA MORGAN – MILK

CELESTIA MORGAN – SALT

Birmingham. “In the A la Carte exhibit, she documented her own hands making her grandmother’s recipe. By doing so she demonstrated the role food plays in our cultural traditions and our cultural identity, Fields says.

Fields acknowledges that some people can find coming to a gallery and attending an art exhibit intimidating. So, AEIVA was intentional about reaching out to the community and getting it involved with the exhibition.

“So, we (used) the exhibition to talk about the role food plays in our cultural traditions and our cultural identity,” he says.

“We are always thinking about what are the issues our community here faces,” Fields says. “So, we will be using the exhibition to talk a lot

about things like food deserts and food disparities, tradition — like the southern tradition and cultural identity – and things like that."

After developing the narrative of the exhibition and presenting the artists’ takes on its content, AEIVA then reached out to the community and invited it to come in to give their perspective. A series of gallery talks and panel discussions, held

CELESTIA MORGAN – FLOUR

"... (used) the exhibit to talk about things like food deserts and food disparities things like tradition – the Southern tradition and cultural identity."

pre-pandemic, allowed people from the community to come in and give their personal perspective on the topics in the exhibit.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the exhibition to be postponed from its originally scheduled spring debut to the fall. It also forced reconsideration on how the exhibit is presented with a heavier emphasis on online and virtual interaction.

But the rescheduled event still coincided with a one-day program by AEIVA’s across-the-street neighbor, the Alys Stephens Center. That event, which had to be rescheduled from June to September, featured a virtual chat with chef, author and host of the Netflix show, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” Samin Nosrat, and was moderated by local food luminaries Pardis and Frank Stitt.

It was the first time the two cultural institutions had worked this closely on a project. As Fields explains, it was the Nosrat-Stitt event that served as the catalyst for AEIVA to mount this undertaking. “This is the first from-the-groundup collaboration between AEIVA and the ASC under our new umbrella as UAB Visual and Performing Arts,” Fields says.

MIKE BOUCHET – BROYAL

“So that’s very exciting to see, and I think that new merger reflects the ambition and the scope of the exhibition which is, by far, one of the most ambitious things we’ve ever attempted.”

A la Carte: A Visual Exploration of Our Relationship with Food runs through December 12. Admission to the exhibition is free.

UAB Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) 1221 10th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205. uab.edu/aeiva A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

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Sauce like a pro

Getty

Notes on Homemade Sauces

by ERIC VELASCO

FROM SIMPLE VINAIGRETTES TO INTRICATE MEXICAN MOLES, CHEF MARK DRISKILL TEACHES WAYS TO ADD TASTY TOUCHES TO FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN HIS NEW COOKBOOK, “ESSENTIAL HOMEMADE SAUCES.” Released during the summer, the first cooking tome by the chef/co-owner of Ash Restaurant in West Homewood hits all the highlights for sauces that can be used in every course, from salads into entrées and through desserts.

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Driskill breaks each chapter into “families,” including vegetable/herb sauces such as salsas, vinaigrettes, butter and cream sauces, pan sauces, gravies, mayonnaise and related emulsions, and sauces that are spicy, tangy or sweet.

Three companion recipes for each of the 15 types of sauces round out the chapters in the 140-page book.

The recipe for Sorghum Sherry Vinaigrette (page 22), for example, appears in Driskill’s instructions for making grilled pork tenderloin and toasted walnuts (page 20).

Other recipes using sauces

from Driskill’s book include Tuna Nicoise Salad, Spaghetti Puttanesca with Clams and Herbed Bread Crumbs, Macaroni and Cheese made with Mornay sauce, Herbed Roasted Chicken with Giblet Gravy, Bok Choy in Thai Curry Sauce with Noodles, and Homemade Brownies with Espresso Chocolate Sauce and Salted Caramel.

Regional barbecue sauce recipes include the vinegarrich Carolina style (with instructions for turning it into an Alabama-style red sauce), mustardy South Carolina and sweet and spicy Memphis (with a Texas undercurrent) sauces.

ALACARTE.AL.COM

"I like Alabama (red) sauce, It blends styles from Memphis, the Carolinas and Georgia. It’s tangy, spicy and sweet."

Driskill does a great job of touching on regional or national differences among sauces for mole (negro, amarillo and rojo) and curry (Indian, Thai and Vietnamese). In their culinary home countries, the ingredients and flavors vary by location and even the cook’s personal touch, Driskill says.

Driskill’s world tour docks in Italy with pasta partners – classic marinara, briny olive-anchovy Puttanesca and booze- and cream-enhanced vodka sauce. His recipes for sesameginger and garlic-chile sauces add personality to Asian-style stir-fries and marinades.

Essential Homemade Sauces even improves all-American buffalo wing sauce with the addition of the savory, sweet and salty condiment, Korean gochujang chili paste.

Ingredients are readily accessible to metropolitan home cooks.

Ingredients are readily accessible to metropolitan home cooks. If you don’t see it in your favorite grocery or specialty store, check international markets like Oriental Supermarket and Hometown Supermarket for items like gochujang or markets specializing in Indo-Pakistani food for curry spices. The various dried chiles for Driskill’s moles are readily available at Mi Pueblo or Britos.

Recipes include troubleshooting tips, variations on the basic theme A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

and substitute ingredients. A quickglance chart lists the sauce types that go best with main ingredients ranging from beef, chicken and pork to vegetables and tofu.

Another chart lists maximum storage time in both the refrigerator and freezer for various sauces, and which do not lend themselves to saving. That information also accompanies each recipe.

Ash Restaurant is named for Ashley Driskill, the chef’s partner in life and business. It opened in summer 2018 across Oak Grove Road from Patriot Park in West Homewood. All food is cooked over wood fire; that also plays into the restaurant’s name.

Sauces figure prominently in the restaurant’s fare, including Sorghum Sherry Vinaigrette dip for a Grilled Okra appetizer and the Conecuh sausage gravy for Country-Fried Pork and Mashed Potatoes. One night during the writing process, Driskill glanced around his restaurant kitchen and noted some two dozen sauces that also are reflected in the cookbook’s pages.

The chef, who has held top kitchen positions in Frank Stitt’s restaurants and helped open and manage the Brick and Tin restaurant in Mountain Brook, also worked in the test kitchen for what was then Time Inc.’s food publications.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales culinary school in Charlotte, N.C., his recipes have been published in Southern Living, Coastal Living, Food & Wine, People, Health, Real Simple and MyRecipes.

Driskill won out among several candidates for the project, originated

by Calisto Media, which owns the cookbook’s publisher, Rockridge Press. The data-driven company examines Internet searches on cooking topics to quantify what topics most interest people, such as sauces, and then produces books to meet those needs.

Befitting a fire-cooking specialist, Driskill enjoys barbecuing, especially pork shoulder and chicken.

The sauce? “I like Alabama (red) sauce,” he says. “It blends styles from Memphis, the Carolinas and Georgia. It’s tangy, spicy and sweet.”

Order Essential Homemade Sauces ($15.99 list) from Amazon, or buy it from local booksellers or at the restaurant. Ash, located at 705 Oak Grove Road in West Homewood, is open every day but Monday. FMI: ashhomewood.com.

Where to find markets mentioned in this article: Oriental Supermarket 243 W. Valley Ave. (35209), Hometown Supermarket 808 Green Springs Hwy. (35209), Mi Pueblo 228 Green Springs Hwy. (35209) and 3060 Pelham Parkway (35124), Brito’s 118 Green Springs Hwy. (35209)

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Imboredletseat.com

SORGHUM SHERRY VINAIGRETTE From Essential Homemade Sauces Cookbook

By Mark Driskill Copyright 2020 by Rockridge Press Prep time: 20 minutes

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chives, salt, pepper, rosemary and vinegar.

Stirring constantly, add the sorghum until well combined. Let the mixture sit uncovered for 15 minutes at room temperature to let the ingredients meld and the vinegar break down the herbs.

Yield 2 ½ cups 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives 1 ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup sherry vinegar ¼ cup sorghum syrup ¼ cup walnut oil 1 ½ cup canola oil

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Add the walnut oil and canola oil, stirring until mixed. You can keep this vinaigrette at room temperature if it will be used shortly after making it.

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Make sure you take this out of the refrigerator at least an hour before use to let the sorghum soften a bit.

ALACARTE.AL.COM

Simplyrecipies.com

GIBLET GRAVY This recipe was designed for roasted chicken but there’s no reason it can’t work for holiday turkey. Instead of giblets, you can use dark meat from the bird.

From Essential Homemade Sauces Cookbook

By Mark Driskill Copyright 2020 by Rockridge Press Prep time: 15 minutes/Cook time: 35 minutes Yield: 2 cups 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup giblets, including livers, finely chopped ½ cup finely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 tablespoons bourbon 2 cups unsalted chicken stock 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ cup water 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a large saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the giblets, onion and garlic, and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently, until browned.

Add the bourbon and cook for three minutes or until almost all reduced. Add the stock, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

In a small container, combine the cornstarch and water and stir into the stock mixture; bring to a simmer until thickened.

Add the thyme, sage and eggs and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

Can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container for 3-4 days or in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Simplyrecipies.com

REMOULADE This Creole/Cajun classic includes homemade mayonnaise.

From Essential Homemade Sauces Cookbook

By Mark Driskill Copyright 2020 by Rockridge Press Prep time: 10 minutes Yield: 1 cup 2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely chopped 2 tablespoons drained and finely chopped pickles 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 1 medium shallot, finely chopped 2 teaspoons hot sauce 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon pickle juice 1 cup Classic Mayonnaise (recipe follows) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the capers, pickles, parsley, chives, shallot, hot sauce, paprika, lemon juice, pickle juice and mayonnaise.

(If too salty, temper with herbs, lemon juice and/or mayonnaise.)

Store in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic jar for up to 5 days.

Sidechef.com

CLASSIC MAYONNAISE Use farm-fresh eggs. Pasteurized eggs’ yolks will not work as well.

From Essential Homemade Sauces Cookbook

By Mark Driskill Copyright 2020 by Rockridge Press Prep time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 cups 8 large egg yolks 4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon hot sauce (Driskill prefers Crystal brand) 1 teaspoon honey

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

4 cups canola oil, divided 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar In a food processor, pulse the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, hot sauce and honey for 3 minutes, or until combined and starting to thicken.

Remove the processor’s feeder tube plunger and while running, slowly add the oil in a continuous stream. When about 3 cups of oil has been added, pour in the vinegar. Slowly stream in the remaining 1 cup of oil, thinning with a little water if too thick.

Store in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic jar for 5 days.

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lifecurrents.com

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE SAUCE From Essential Homemade Sauces Cookbook

By Mark Driskill Copyright 2020 by Rockridge Press Prep time: 5 minutes/cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 1 cup 2 2-ounce shots espresso 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate ½ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream 1 tablespoon chocolate hazelnut spread Ÿ teaspoon vanilla extract

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In a small saucepan, heat the espresso and chocolate over medium heat and cook for 6 minutes., stirring constantly, or until the chocolate is melted.

Add the sugar and butter and cook for 4 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the heavy cream and chocolate hazelnut spread and stir to combine.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Serve or let cool before storing. Store in a refrigerator in a glass or plastic container for up to 2 weeks. Place the container of sauce in a larger pan of warm water until the sauce melts.

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My Favorite Food

Comedy Central

Roy Wood, Jr.

HE LIVES IN NEW YORK, BUT HE’S IN AN ALABAMA STATE OF MIND WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD

by WILLIE CHRIESMAN

ROY WOOD, JR. KNOWS FUNNY. The actor-comedian has been a correspondent on Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show" since 2015. He also knows Alabama. He grew up in Birmingham and attended Ramsay High School on the city’s Southside before heading off to New York and making a name for himself in comedy. But he still keeps his hometown close to his heart, visiting often. He also has vivid food memories from his youth. He talked about them during one of those visits.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD MEMORY FROM GROWING UP IN ALABAMA? It’s the Red Lobster in Vestavia on Highway 31. And people don’t remember this, but Red Lobster was the pinnacle. You couldn’t even get a seat on a Sunday. Two hour wait. Going there was something that didn’t happen often. Maybe one or two times a year. My mom and dad would pack up and make the long drive from West End to go to Red Lobster. I know there’s a lot of higher end stuff now, but for me at that time that was one of the biggest memories of Birmingham.

My other big food memory is Legion Field hot dogs and that’s because they were free. I was a food vendor there while I was in high school. This was when Alabama was still playing some of their home games at Legion Field.

If you got there early enough, you could get yourself a couple of those hot dogs off the tray, and then, for sure, at the end of the game. It was all-you-can-eat. Now by this point it was 5:30 p.m. They made these hot dogs at 6:00 in the morning. But they were free and don’t nothing taste better than free food, except for maybe Red Lobster.

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RED LOBSTER

Picasa

ALACARTE.AL.COM

Roy Wood, Jr. HE LIVES IN NEW YORK, BUT HE’S IN AN ALABAMA STATE OF MIND WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? I always enjoyed lemon pie from Johnny Ray’s when they were still open on Valley Avenue (in Birmingham). And when Johnny Ray’s closed down and went out of business there then that’s when I discovered Jim ‘N Nick’s. The only reason I started going to Jim ‘n’ Nick’s is because I knew they had lemon pie that was the same as Johnny Ray’s.

LEMON PIE

johnnyraysbbq.com

WHAT’S YOUR FOOD EXPERIENCE LIKE WHEN YOU’RE TOURING? I don’t cook often. Right now with "The Daily Show" we operate on ten-hour days and my girlfriend, who I live with with our son, she’ll cook, but I wouldn’t call it meal planning.

When we do cook it’s usually enough to eat for two or three days. Stir frys and Brussels sprouts, you know. We’d bake sweet potatoes and things like that but I don’t cook nearly as much as I did when I lived by myself or when I was single.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

One Green Planet

WHEN YOU'RE BACK HOME, WHERE IS THE FIRST PLACE YOU GO TO EAT? It depends on what place I didn’t hit the time before. Like this trip, I’ve got to go to Milo’s because last trip I did Jim ‘N Nick’s and Fish Market and I did Green Acres. So, I just rotate. I have my five or six place rotation. This time it will be Milo’s, Niki’s West.

I went to Yo’ Mama’s for the first time when I was here two months ago. That was really good. So I’ve got to add them to the rotation. But if I add Yo’ Mama’s to the rotation, I have to take somebody out. So, I’m not sure who’s going to get cut.

I don’t know.

A Fresh Take On Alabama Food & Drink

MILOS

ShapeFit

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Essay

Getty

Times they are a-changin’

by ERIC VELASCO

THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS PROFOUNDLY AFFECTED RESTAURANTS, BARS AND TAPROOMS AS COVID-19 UPENDED MILLIONS OF LIVES AND TRANSFORMED HOW WE INTERACT SOCIALLY. Some establishments like Highlands Bar and Grill, the James Beard Awardwinning restaurant that put Birmingham on the nation’s culinary map, shut down when the contagion hit in March. It remained closed (temporarily, its owners reassure us) months later.

Other places lost weeks’

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worth of business after health officials temporarily banned indoor seating in an effort to reduce exposure to the virus.

In 2018 some 8,600 restaurants and bars in Alabama generated $9 billion in sales, employing 10 percent of the workforce, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Their economic impact only grew into early 2020.

But from March 1 through mid-April sales here dropped by $585 million.

Some 114,000 restaurant workers were laid off or

furloughed, the association says. Wholesalers, small farmers, foragers and other suppliers also lost the steady business guaranteed by independent restaurants.

For months, I tracked for the Á la Carte Alabama newsletter how the novel coronavirus and government-imposed restrictions have turned the food and service industry inside out.

Owners reinvented their business models to rely mostly on curbside delivery, outdoor seating, to-go cocktails and third-party

ALACARTE.AL.COM

EastWest’s Instagram

delivery services (even though they demand as much as 30 percent of the bill as fees).

Some restaurants started selling meat, produce, spice mixtures, condiments – even entire meal kits – to customers now cooking at home.

Wholesalers such as Evans Meat started selling directly to consumers.

Many Birmingham diners and drinkers rallied by providing as much to-go business as possible and by tipping generously for their orders. Businesses sponsored restaurants to feed medical and other frontline workers.

Homebound folks developed a fondness for batch cocktails from their favorite drinking holes.

Unfortunately, state approval for curbside cocktails ended in midSeptember, after two months.

When restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen this summer for on-premise dining and imbibing, they still were limited to a fraction of their pre-pandemic seating. For many owners, that doesn’t add up financially. And in November, December and January – when the weather cools and rains increase – al fresco dining will lose its allure, further limiting seating.

Yes, several restaurants -- both

locally owned and chains -- opened during the pandemic. But COVID-19 killed many others, and the casualty list is expected to grow. The jobs they create vanish, too.

Industry experts estimate 20 to 66 percent of restaurants will go out of business; lost revenue, insufficient government bailout and an inability to negotiate rent relief with landlords will be the leading causes.

COVID-19 will continue to devastate the industry until an effective vaccine becomes available. Even then, the degree and speed of recovery will partially depend on how many people remain unemployed and therefore cannot afford to go out.

Experts predict a paradigm shift for restaurants and bars.

With COVID-19 a fact of life, many of the recent changes it has forced will continue even after the health emergency wanes and people feel safe, including: < Curbside pickup will become standard. Birmingham Restaurant Week in August was an example, with options for curbside and togo orders added this year to its traditional model of in-house dining.

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< Menus will be less extensive. More places will replace paper menus and tabs with digital systems. < While tables won’t remain six feet apart, many restaurants and drinking establishments won’t be able to pack people in to the degree they did pre-pandemic. < Outdoor seating also will become part of the design for new restaurants and bars. < Improved air filtration systems such as the ultraviolet germ killer that Blueprint on 3rd installed last spring will become integral to restaurant and bar design. < Establishments will further enhance sanitation efforts, including installing no-touch sinks and toilets and providing hand sanitizer.

Sanitizers on tables among the condiments are becoming common. < Birmingham likely will follow a national trend toward “ghost kitchens,” establishments without dining rooms that deliver directly to customers, sometimes offering multiple menus like a food court but under a single owner.

Hopefully the industry will emerge stronger and better able to respond to future crises. Hopefully our favorite places will still exist. And hopefully greater Birmingham will regain its place among America’s great gustatory destinations.

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