Love Your CARPET
letter
Hot Take
M
y taste buds confound me. I love anything jalapeño-infused, yet I have to ask for yogurt at Viceroy alongside every dish. I put Sriracha and red pepper flakes in my Tecate, but still can’t bring myself to attempt any sauce past “medium” on my Heavenly Buffaloes’ wings (even then, I smother them with blue cheese dressing). Thankfully, assistant editor Hannah Lee and photographer John Michael Simpson are both more heat tolerant and braver than I am, and they took on the assignment to try some of the Bull City’s spiciest eats and drinks. (See how they rank starting on page 32.) I mostly prefer my meals more mild, paired perfectly with friends, old and new. At the end of July, I was lucky enough to enjoy such an occasion at Grass Grazed’s farm, just a hop, skip and a jump from my own North Durham homestead. I was again joined by John Michael as well as editorial assistant Marie Muir. Farmers Paige Jackson and Derrick Jackson welcomed our group into their fold of friends, fellow farmers and guests at their monthly farm dinner, and it was a beautiful evening of community and cornbread. Read Marie’s story about the Jackson family on page 54. Elsewhere in our 12th annual food and drink issue, meet Beverley Boitumelo Makhubele and Naledi Yaziyo – the couple behind East Durham’s new bookstore and coffee shop Rofhiwa Book Cafe – who are curating conversations around Black art and Black literature and making a mean cup of coffee to boot (page 44). Turn to page 48 to tempt your sweet tooth, learn more about food illustrator and author Emily Wallace’s inspirations on page 52, and catch up with longtime restaurateur Charlie Deal on page 30. In the meantime, I’m going to brave a bowl of ramyun for lunch from Park’s Food St. – don’t worry, I have a gallon of milk on standby.
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durhammag.com
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september 2021
T H E COVER
Photo by John Michael Simpson
@amanda_maclaren amanda@durhammag.com