Archive for May, 2010
Chef Joe’s Soy-Ginger Glazed Salmon
May 29th, 2010
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Author: Yesterday I was lucky enough to get Joe all to myself for the entire evening! Hand in hand we strolled through Duke Gardens admiring the beautiful scenery, lush plants, and colorful flowers while searching for the perfect secluded spot to… Well, the Gardens were quite crowded, so THAT was not going to happen. Instead, we decided to zero in on the enchanting wildlife and all the cute critters that make the gardens their home. I noticed Joe salivating when he “joked” that we could catch a fish, turtle or duck and cook it for dinner. Don’t worry, we stopped at Whole Foods on the way home and purchased two pieces of salmon.
The Other Side of the Tracks
In case you don’t already know, I walk on both sides of the tracks. As the wife of the Culinary King I have developed quite the distinguished and decadent pallet for all things rich, succulent and flavorful. Yes, please pour some white truffle oil on my pasta, and I will need some extra Tabasco sauce on my omelet. I’ll take wine with dinner. Oh, excuse me, I need both one red and one white. And yes, I savor the unrivaled and unsurpassed top notch “best beers in the world” that Joe has been sneaking into my juice these past six months, and have developed a liking for them. Well, wait a second. That last sentence, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Sorry Joe, it’s going to take a little more work to convert me in that department… No offense.
And then, there is the other side. Yup, I was brought up on the other side of the tracks. My family’s food philosophy was PFNP, Purely For Nutritional Purposes, aka rabbit food. I enjoy going home to my roots to a kitchen filled with cottage cheese , kale and carrots. If I wake up in the middle of the night hungry, there is no cookie in the cupboard. There are carrots, and trust me, I am not going to grab that. [ Read the full article ] »
Served With Love: Bergama Restaurant
I had driven down Hillsborough St. hundreds of times, never giving Bergama Restaurant a second glance. However, last Monday night, two restaurants where we had hoped to eat were closed (that‘s Monday night in Durham for ya), so we were under some serious pressure to appease Joe’s eager and growling stomach. It was five minutes passed Joe’s dinner time – yikes!
On a whim, we pulled into the parking lot of Bergama Restaurant because we thought it was “Middle Easternish,” the type of food Joe’s belly was craving. We noticed the sign naming several food genres, “Seafood, Italian, American, Mediterranean.” Typically, restaurants that boast a wide variety of ethnic cuisines can be a little sketchy. However, since we were under such serious pressure, any discussion, thought process, logic or reasoning flew out the window. We needed to eat… NOW! [ Read the full article ] »
Posted in joe eats, Restaurant Reviews
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Tags: Durham Restaurants, Interview, Middle Eastern
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Gulden Draak
Up until a decade or so ago, comparing American and European beers was an exercise in futility. I suppose having several centuries of beer making on us should have given them an advantage. Perhaps the greatest disparity between the two continents was the difference in the number of styles – Europe with a plethora and the U.S. with . . . American Lager.Thanks to the many exciting changes happening in the domestic landscape of delicious brews, it can be easy to forget where our newly esteemed heritage came from. It is with this in mind that I wanted to pay tribute to a thoroughly European beer. First, its name is Gulden Draak. Second, it is a dark triple in style. And third? The allure of its flavors are unmistakably Old World.
[ Read the full article ] »
Joe Drinks- every thursday night
It seems that every guy is a collector of something, and we ladies “give him” a designated spot to keep his stuff. For some, it may be the garage where the husband keeps his motorcycle, tools, and the camping equipment he hasn‘t used in decades. For another, the home office may be “that spot” for his book/movie/CD/baseball card collection he’s been saving since his college days.
Well, for my Joe, “Joe Drinks” is HIS spot. “Joe Drinks” is Joe’s section for beer: thinking about it, drinking it, examining it, trading it, and yes, informing and educating the entire world about it. In our house, unfortunately, it’s not that easy. We don’t have a cellar, office, spare bedroom. And yes, I have a few personal possessions too! I can only pray that as his collection of 150 plus beers and counting increases, there is still room for ME in this house!!!! [ Read the full article ] »
La Residence
Last Sunday was Joe’s last day of work at the Old Granary, the brunch/lunch spot at Fearrington Village. This was significant for several reasons. First, and most importantly, Joe is now a full-time employee at The House, the fine dining restaurant at Fearrington. Not only does he now have the title of chef de partie of Veg, he has more responsibility, as he is running the station, and will have someone “helping” him as opposed to vice versa. CONGRATULATIONS JOE!
The move to The House is a significant milestone for Joe. He has only been working as a chef for one year, and has now advanced, one step closer to reaching his goal of becoming “the best chef in the universe.” As for me, this signifies adjusting to Joe’s new work schedule of more nights, weekends, and holidays. But I am not focusing on that part now. Joe has promised to make this up to me, and I am holding him to it!!! So, all in all, this was an opportunity to celebrate and there was nothing Chef Joe would enjoy more than a romantic dinner out with his beautiful wife. Yup, that’s me…. [ Read the full article ] »
Morning Surprise
Typically, I try to wait up for my darling husband to come home from his long days work. I bathe, paint my toenails, put on a negligee, and am ready to pamper Joe, and succumb to his every desire as soon as he sets foot in the door. Ok, yes, this is my usual routine. But last night, I was sleepy at midnight. So sorry Joe, I went to bed. This girl needs her beauty rest!
This morning I awoke with Joe already long gone, off to cooking Mother’s Day Brunch at Fearrington. I opened the front door to take in some early morning sun light and noticed a completely purple saturated, stained and soiled chefs’ jacket along with an apron full of mud, grass stains and flour. After my initial logical wife response, “What the hell is this? Did this boy take a swim in a jar of jelly and then go roll around in the mud for a few hours?” I thought to myself, just another reminder of how sweet and considerate my husband is. [ Read the full article ] »
Reflection and Gratitude
It has been about two months since Joeeats has been up and running. I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on my gratitude toward this process so far. Having this blog has given me a new sense of purpose, and thus, a new sense of joy. It has been very meaningful to me to have a vehicle for creativity, self-expression and “a voice.”
Previously, I was one of the many people who was consumed by finding a job. For me, this was a daunting and distracting task. I was constantly focusing on ways just to make money, while neglecting my interests, talents and abilities. Fortunately, I reached a place of stability in my life, which enabled me to clearly listen to “me” and do what was right for me. This was very freeing. It enabled me to disconnect from what I “should” be doing. Finally, I was in a place where I could live a life true to myself. My point is, I am very grateful to have figured this out. This blog is just one example. I look forward to living my life with a great sense of truth and honesty which for me is pure bliss.
While reflecting on this process, I would like to thank and acknowledge a few people who are close to me and whose support I greatly appreciate. It may seem strange/premature to be giving my thank you speech now, as I have not been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, not contacted to appear on Oprah, haven’t made any money, and don’t have any readers (ok, I know there are a few…keep reading). The point is, what I have gained from this process has been my reward which has touched me the most. Any accolades I receive in the future will just be that extra icing on my cake, or the “added” pimento cheese, horseradish, guacamole, thousand island dressing, ketchup and mustard on Joe’s hamburger. We all know the burger is just fine without that extra stuff. You get my drift… [ Read the full article ] »
Joe gets Lucky (week 2)
I must admit that I did gain a little bit of confidence from the success of my sexy spaghetti. Dinner was delicious, but afterward, yup, that was even better… So, today I felt inspired to pull out a few tricks and tantalize my husband’s taste buds for the second week in the row! Yowzers!
Let me be honest with you. After trying cooking for the second time, I realized that I am a damn good cook. Seriously! I think it’s because of my approach which is derived from instinct and impulse. Textbook, cookbook, recipe- no thank you. That’s for Chef Joe. I, on the other hand, approach cooking the same way I paint, dance, or do anything for that matter, with creativity, freedom and beauty.
While driving home from the Raleigh Flea Market today, I had a thought, and it was “pesto.” So, I stopped off at Whole Foods and picked up some fresh basil, parmesan, walnuts and lemon. I also decided to pick up some ciabatta bread, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Ooh, this sounds good already… [ Read the full article ] »
