food + drink – The91Rewind

Bake Yourself Happy

August 2, 2018October 12, 2022 @happedancing

A simple biscuit recipe is a thing to treasure. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up mostly in the southeast, but biscuits are just one of my favorite things. They are little pillows of happiness upon which you can create a masterpiece. Or if you want to keep it simple, you can just enjoy them au naturel. Biscuits are synonymous with lazy weekend mornings and Sunday dinners with family. Here in the old North State, there are entire restaurants, like Rise and Flying Biscuit devoted to the humble biscuit. But if you’re not feeling like making a whole adventure out of it, I’ve found an A+ biscuit recipe that you probably have the ingredients for right now in your fridge…go ahead, bake yourself happy.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

You can find the full details of the recipe here, but the gist of it is quite simple. Mix up the dry ingredients, cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle in. Combine the dry ingredients and butter, and stir until it is like coarse breadcrumbs. Then add the milk in small amounts and continue to stir, finally kneading at the end 8-10 times. You can drop or roll and cut these biscuits before baking them at 450 for about 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of your biscuits).

I took the time to roll these out mostly because…

I wanted to snap an Instagram photo, but I was glad I took the time. I was skeptical I’d mixed it enough, but by the time I turned it out onto the countertop and rolled it a couple times, it was perfect. The biscuits ended up with a really nice even texture, and they were all the same size.

One thing I was really delighted to see with these little biscuits was that, even though I used whole wheat flour that was pretty coarsely ground. I was careful not to overmix, and they were tender and flaky without being dry. A dry biscuit is one of the more offensive things in life, at least to my palette. I had my doubts about using whole wheat flour, but these impressed me. So much so, that I will insist on baking these up next time I have brunch with the fam.

The simplicity of this recipe was the big selling point for me.

I’m not going to lie, I had pretty major munchies when I decided to make these things. So when they finally came out of the oven, I was ready to sample them in a variety of ways. I tried one with strawberry jam and butter, one with Havarti cheese, and then one plain (because it wouldn’t fit in the container…) They were all delicious! This leads me to believe it would be very easy to jazz these up with some fun additions; shredded cheese and chives, or garlic and fresh herbs, maybe some cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.

I will definitely make these again.

Don’t let all this talk of low carb living and eating clean fool you.
Sometimes, you just need a fluffy pillow of happiness upon which to create a masterpiece. So whether you like your biscuits piled high with breakfast sandwich fixin’s, sopping up sauces, or dolloped with delicious shmears, give this recipe a try! Remember, it only takes a few ingredients and a little hard work to bake yourself happy.

food + drink, just for fun

Out & About in Raleigh: Mother/Daughter Date Night

July 12, 2018October 12, 2022 @happedancing

A few weeks back my mother celebrated her birthday, and as Sur La Table…Mother/Daughter Date Night.usual I was having trouble deciding on the perfect gift. I have had this day on my calendar every year for many years now, but every year it’s a scramble to decide what to get. It’s not that she is difficult to buy for, it’s that she never really wants anything. This year, I wanted to do something different. After much investigation and deliberation, I finally decided on a cooking class at

This was something neither one of us had done before…

so at the very I know I’m a damn good cook. We both love to remix recipes on the fly because those are just suggestions anyhow! This venture would likely be a challenge because we had to follow instructions.

least we would share a new experience. The funny thing about this gift idea is that both my mother and I can throw down in the kitchen. She has taught me everything I know, and

We arrived at Sur La Table for our class a little early…

and the staff kindly lets us know it would begin promptly at 7 pm. They also shared we were welcome to shop the store or go next door to purchase “beverages” to enjoy during our class. What? Cooking class is BYOB? This was a game changer! The menu theme was “Everyday Mediterranean” which to me, sounded like a misnomer. In my experience, this type of cuisine required a lot of TLC, so I was intrigued at how anyone could make it every day. The spread included a variety of clean, plant forward dishes that reflected seasonal produce. They even had a little warning that some ingredients may be swapped out depending on what was available. For a locavore like myself, this was great news!

When it was time to begin, Chef Rebecca, our instructor for the evening, ushered us into the kitchen

as her assistants handed out aprons and showed us to our cooking stations. There was a bounty of beautiful ingredients for our meal of baked snapper with harissa, chilled chard and noodle salad with salsa verde, and blistered green beans with tahini sauce. The meal still sounded pretty fancy for weeknight and I was skeptical we would get everything completed in time.

Chef Rebecca opened the lesson with the best 2-minute cooking basics tutorial I’ve ever heard. Just as casually as you’re reading this, Chef explained how to safely hold a knife; chop, dice, and mince; as well as walking us through the primary cooking utensils and equipment we’d be using. Even though I cook all the time, this little how-to was still a nice refresher. We teamed up with our neighbors; another mother and daughter enjoying an evening out and went about cooking our first recipe.

The thing that was so nice about this lesson was working in teams.

Everyone chose a different task or two to help complete each dish. We were able to divide and conquer without feeling overwhelmed. We still needed to communicate about timing, amounts of ingredients, and order of operations, so this encouraged conversation between everyone in the group. We were all working together and chatting having a great time. A little less than an hour later we’d mixed up the salsa verde, prepped the cold noodle salad, and had our fish ready for the oven.

At this point, Chef told us we’d be taking a short break

to allow the assistants time to clean up a little and get our fish in the oven. Wow, this was definitely worth the money. FYI-cooking is super duper WAY MORE fun when you don’t have to shop or clean 🙂

We went wandering aimlessly through the store as the kitchen was magically tidied up. The place is full of stuff you didn’t even know existed yet would instantly make your life easier. Giving you a few minutes to look around after you’ve been playing with all the gadgets in your cooking class is a pretty great way to make sure people buy something.

After some time we were herded back to the kitchen to finish our dishes.

To my surprise, the handful of steps needed to complete our green bean dish actually taught me something new. I make blistered green beans all the time in the oven, but I never parboil them. I just throw them on in after rinsing and trimming. Chef suggested that parboiling the green beans first would ensure maximum caramelization and even cooking. Ah-ha!

Once the beans were appropriately blistered, we assembled our plates with the fish, the green beans, and the chilled salad. The salsa verde had been quietly melding in a ramekin since the beginning of the lesson, but as we spooned it down over the chilled salad, I knew it was going to be the star of the evening. As the time came to dig into our “Everyday Mediterranean” dishes I could hardly contain myself. They were really delicious, AND the fact that we didn’t have to clean up made the whole experience that much more enjoyable.

My absolute favorite recipe of the evening was the chilled noodle salad with salsa verde , which is just a genius raw sauce to have in your cooking arsenal. Salsa verde is a mix of vinegar, oil, citrus, and fresh herbs…you could add in any other fragrant tidbits like capers or shallots you have on hand. It’s perfect for fish, veggies, grilled naan, or roasted potatoes (I’ve actually made it three times since I went to the cooking class because it’s THAT good).

Simple but effective.

That was really the theme of the whole evening. Simple techniques, flavorful ingredients, and an effective recipe that turned out what I can only call a “weeknight masterpiece”. Sur La Table gave mom and I an opportunity to enjoy creating a meal together while making new friends and learn a few new cooking techniques. The recipes were delicious, but more than that, they were practical and approachable.

The instructor, Chef Rebecca had an inclusive teaching style that allowed each participant to embody their own level of experience. She gave general directions, but offered one-on-one assistance if you had additional questions. If you’re new to cooking, this class will provide a chance to learn in a welcoming and playful environment. If you have some experience, you can really put it to the test! If you’re looking for a delightfully low maintenance culinary adventure, sign up for a cooking class at Sur La Table. You and your best gal / mom / partner / neighbor / WHOMEVER will have an excellent time

food + drink, just for fun

Out and About: Scott’s Addition

June 8, 2018October 12, 2022 Crystal Varner Parker

We have a new series here on The91Rewind, Out and About, where we will take you on an adventure with us in Richmond, Virginia or Raleigh, North Carolina. Both cities hold a space near and dear to our hearts, but Richmond is where our roots began and seemed like a fitting place to kick off this series. Today I am taking you out and about in Scott’s Addition, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia.

I had the great opportunity to have an afternoon with my husband…

while my mom watched our two girls. This was our first day date, and this most certainly will not be the last. Choosing where to go out can sometimes be a challenge for us, but I can almost guarantee it will include delicious food and drink. Today’s featuring outing was no different, and thankfully my we had a friend recommend checking out Lemon, and claimed it was the best Indian food in Richmond. We’re not sure it’s THE best, but it’s definitely a strong contender. Their lunch menu is ON POINT and includes a soup or salad, a main dish, a side dish, naan, basmati rice, and a dessert. The soup, salad, side dish, and dessert vary based on the day and what the chef has in mind. On our visit, we got really lucky. The side dish was something new, and it was AMAZING. It was this corn dish with cream, fennel, coconut, and other delish but unknown flavors. Just thinking about it has my mouth watering and wanting more. I wish I had a photo to share, but it didn’t last long for either of us. Not only was the food scrumptious, the service was phenomenal, and we are already planning our next trip for more grub. If you like Indian or want to give it a try, get in your car and go get some great food!

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After we finished lunch we decided it was time for…

an adult beverage (or two) since we were free of little people interrupting our fun. We decided to check out Black Heath Meadery, which had been on our “to visit” list (an ever growing list if we’re honest) for quite some time. Maybe it’s because of Beowulf, but there’s something intriguing about drinking mead. My husband and I have tried a variety of meads over the years, including some made by friends, but the recurring problem is the sweet factor. Why must mead be SO SWEET?! Thankfully we were able to find some that weren’t over the top sweet or that were well balance in flavor and sweetness. Thanks to Black Heath, the tides may be changing in meads favor now! By far our favorite mead was their Aw Shmucks strawberry mead. It was like drinking the best summer strawberry jam. We most certainly bought a bottle, have already finished, and I’m hoping they still have it so we can get some more. If you like mead or want to give it a try, get in your car and go get some Aw Shmucks (but not too much so there’s some left for me)!

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Once we had our fill of mead, it was time to hit one more place…

before heading home to our girls. Because of where we were, our next stop was an easy(ish) choice, a brewery as there are no shortage of craft breweries in Scott’s Addition (let alone Richmond). Choosing which brewery to frequent is a tough one for us (we like almost all of them), but we decided to hit up one that was new for me… Vasen. I’ve been to the brewery multiple times for Mindful Mornings, but I’d yet to have their beer. This was probably our most laid back stop on our outing, as we both grabbed a beer, a comfy seat (there’s LOADS of seating in and outside of the brewery), and we savored our final moments of adult time. Our first round was pretty good (I had the Golden Sauvin and the husband had the ….), but the second beer my husband picked (Norse Pale Ale) was the best. We were totally wishing we ordered it from the start, but were grateful we ended our visit with this tasty brew. If you like beer or want a great place to spend time with friends (who like beer), get in your car and go to Vasen!

Once we were done with our beer, we knew…

it was time to be responsible parents and head home. BUT as we were walking out we got distracted. Stella’s Grocery (https://www.instagram.com/stellasgrocery) now has a Scott’s Addition location, and we had to check it out. We were somewhat disappointed we were so full from lunch, because there were SO MANY delicious options. If you are looking for good food, made quickly (but well), or something easy to grab and go then this is your place. There were giant grain bowls, sandwiches made to order, and DESSERTS. We couldn’t resist getting one of the giant cookies, and let me tell you it was YUMMY.

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If you’re looking for something to do in Richmond…

please head to Scott’s Addition and check out one (or more) of the many great restaurants, breweries, and local businesses. We’re regulars down that way, and cannot wait to head back. Where are you headed out and about this weekend? Is there somewhere you’d like us to check out next?

xoxo,
C

food + drink

Hooked on the ‘buch!

May 31, 2018October 12, 2022 @happedancing

I LOVE BEVERAGES! Be it a sparkling water, a fresh pressed juice, a cup of Joe, or even a fancy Italian soda, I love them ALL! There is something about a refreshing sip of deliciousness that reinvigorates me…my favorite “fun” beverage of late has got to be kombucha. Who am I kidding? This is not news. My love affair with this bubbly beverage has been building for years, and I can successfully say that I am, without a doubt, hooked on the ‘buch.

So what is kombucha anyway?

Aside from being unnecessarily difficult to pronounce, this funky, delicious, little treat is mystifying. At its simplest, kombucha is a fermented beverage made from tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast. The fermentation process yields a concoction of vinegar, B vitamins, and other chemical compounds (Mayo Clinic). At its most controversial, kombucha may be a divine wellness tonic no one should live without. (Maybe that’s a little dramatic…)

While there are many aboard the kombucha train, its benefits are difficult to quantify. There are a deluge of claims about kombucha; everything from boosting immune health, to probiotic properties, to lowering blood pressure. Unfortunately, there is no documented scientific evidence to support these claims (plus some people may be allergic to it) so we will just focus on its uncanny ability to delight taste buds.

So what’s the deal? Why am I hooked on this stuff?

It’s a delicious and refreshing, natural and most often organic, substitute for water that does not lead to excessive thirst or calorie intake.

In the quest for a healthy lifestyle, I began to notice that alcohol is a tricky beast. It’s a beverage, but it doesn’t quite quench thirst. It actually makes us thirsty. Most often we answer this “thirst signal” by drinking more alcohol, which makes us even more dehydrated…

This conundrum of beverages-that-leave-us-thirsty is not limited to drinks with alcohol; it can be the case for most beverages that have stuff; i.e. flavors, sweeteners, preservatives in them. The “thirst quenching” properties of said beverage are usually overshadowed by whatever is used to flavor that beverage. Maybe they are not adding calories, but these enhancements can add chemicals. And nobody wants that.

As the weather gets warmer we can appreciate the need for adequate hydration, especially for those of us who reside in these ever-so-muggy southeastern states. But, did you know that hunger can be thirst in disguise? That’s right. A hunger pang can actually just be the body begging for a little hydration. If you have ever heard a dietician recommend drinking a glass of water when hunger strikes, this is why.

Why should you drink kombucha?

It’s ALIVE! This may freak some people out, but it’s actually a cool thing. Because of the bacteria culture that is used to bring the bubbles, kombucha is a living food! This means a lot of complex things for the kombucha supply chain, but for the consumer it means that you’re getting a product that contains perishable ingredients and has a pretty aggressive shelf life. That’s what I call getting fresh!
It’s mostly good for you. You will still need to eagle-eye those labels because not all kombucha is created equal. The industry itself is still in the early stages. Lots of new companies bringing their ‘buch to market in small batches with humble ingredients. Here in Raleigh, NC I can find locally brewed ‘buch that is naturally flavored just about anywhere.
It’s a great way to stay hydrated and refreshed. Maybe it’s the bubbles, maybe it’s the seasonal flavors or the fun colors. In my (incredibly biased opinion) the taste is the VERY BEST reason to enjoy it. And, at less than 50 calories a serving, (again not all brands but a good many) it’s a great way to get hydration and flavor (and bubbles) in one magical, fizzy place.

Don’t just take my word for it, get your buns to the nearest Whole Foods (or grocer of choice) and pick up some kombucha today! It may help stave off a hunger craving, it may help you stay hydrated, it may even cure what ails you, but you will never know unless you try! That ‘buch may be a little funky, but then again so are you. Be brave and buy yourself some ‘buch! 🙂

Cheers!
E