20 Questions with Cary

It’s fun to reflect about that first encounter. Cary Charbonniez is certainly my kitchen cousin and our friendship began like an arranged marriage. Multiple mutual friends encouraged us to meet and our first hello was a phone call so long ago that the baby I was bathing when Cary called is turning 20 next month. We met in person a few years later when she was opening Lola’s, her instantly popular pizza restaurant in Charleston. 

Celebrating my 40th birthday on a shutdown Sunday evening at Lola’s is forever etched in my memory. We had homebrew and live music. For Cary’s 40th, it was a fancy impromptu potluck on my patio, a fete I wrote about for my very first newspaper column. Fast forward, Lola’s changed hands (over to Cary’s brother) and I moved to Louisiana. After some years away from the restaurant world, Cary is making a comeback with her upcoming Coco’s on Hale Street. She was scheduled to open last month, just as the stay at home order was shuttering many businesses. The delayed opening gives her some new perspective and optimism that everything will work out. “I’ll open with a limited menu with things that will travel well for takeout. Although we can’t hug each other right now, I want to create this feeling that our customers are being hugged. I’m excited to open, the space looks awesome!”

As we talked this week about pizza, raising kids and our shared love of cooking, we brainstormed for some collaborative Zoom cooking classes. It will be a blast to catch y’all in the kitchen! Virtual hugs and Happy Cooking!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Frittata. You can vary the fillings with what you have on hand, I’ll tell you some of my favorite combinations. I make this easily once a week and serve alongside a nice simple green salad.

What’s your favorite city? I would go with maybe St. John in the Virgin Islands. That’s where I dream about living. If I wanted to sound sophisticated I would say Saint-Raphaël, France, it’s a sophisticated version of St. John.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Chow Thai. I get the same thing each time, Pad Horapa, stir fried vegetables with a delicious brown sauce served with jasmine rice.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Homemade chili oil. You can throw it into a stir fry or anything for a little heat.

Who taught you to cook? My mom definitely experimented with recipes. She was a very adventurous cook. My grandmother, too. We sat down to a set table every night, napkin rings and all. We traveled to my grandmother’s on Friday nights for a big meal, she would get her electric carving knife out. We would finish late and have tea. They both taught me the act of communing together over food.

Surf? or Turf? Surf for sure. I’m not a huge meat eater.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I’ve been listening to west coast hip hop.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee for sure. If I could walk around with an IV of it I would. My cup of coffee is like an extension of my arm.

Date night—at home? or out? Home. I’m kind of a homebody. I prefer to hang out on our front porch or in the backyard.

Most stained cookbook? I love Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. You can find almost anything in there. The recipes are really simple.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My chef’s knife. I love my Global knives, I’m a huge Global fan. Or my Microplane.

Staple childhood comfort food? As a kid I was totally obsessed with the frozen Stouffer’s French bread pizzas.

Go-to butter? I always go to Cabot unsalted butter. Coming from my baking days, we learned that unsalted butter is usually fresher and to add the salt ourselves in cooking and baking.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My mom. I have so many questions I’d like to ask her. Having lost my mom as a teen, I would just love to talk with her as an adult. Girlfriend to girlfriend. Talk about parenting and food.

Ideal grilled cheese? Definitely fresh mozzarella with basil pesto and a freshly sliced tomato. I love it on Charleston Bread’s ciabatta.

How do you like your toast? Very dark and crispy.

Favorite pizza topping? I’m a purist believe it or not. I’m a Margherita pizza all the way.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I love California cuisine. Nothing too pretentious. I’d love to go to California and learn in a small independently owned restaurant. I’d volunteer my services for a week.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Don’t be afraid to use a recipe and don’t get stressed out if you are missing an ingredient. You can usually substitute.

Three things next to your stove? Olive oil, salt and pepper.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I gravitate to a sushi stand. It seems counterintuitive, but I’ve had some good sushi in airports.

Cary leans on frittatas for a quick weeknight meal. This one is Italian sausage, broccoli and parmesan, finished with a shower of fresh basil (from the garden!) For spring, I’m thinking asparagus, leeks and goat cheese.

Cary’s Anytime Frittata

Here’s a little outline for frittata fun: skillet, eggs, spoonful of dairy, cheese, veg’s of your choosing and sausage crumbles if you wish. Finish with herbs and Voila! Lovely for breakfast with a side of fresh fruit, or follow Cary’s lead and serve anytime with a simple green salad.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 to 5 cups filling—here I used 4 cups of sautéed broccoli florets and 1 cup cooked crumbled Italian sausage

• 8-10 eggs

• 3 tablespoons full-fat dairy (cream, sour cream, crème fraîche)

• 1 cup grated or crumbled cheese (1/2 cup if using parmesan)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• chopped or torn fresh herbs for tasty garnish

HEAT the oven to 350 and place the rack in the middle position.

HEAT the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat (if you have a beautifully seasoned cast iron, use this. If you are less confident about your skillet, go with an ovenproof nonstick). Add the raw broccoli florets and toss in the oil. Cover with lid ajar and let sauté/steam for a few minutes while you prepare the egg mixture.

CRACK the eggs into a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the cream of choice and the cheese. Check on your broccoli—give it a stir. When the broccoli is just tender, stir in the crumbled sausage, if using, and add the salt to the egg mixture, whisk again to blend and pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and sausage in an even layer. Shake the skillet gently to distribute.

PLACE the skillet in the oven and bake the frittata until the center is set but not dry and the edges are light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

REMOVE from the oven and let cool briefly before sprinkling with herbs and cutting into wedges for serving. (My C.I. tip: Place a pot holder over the handle so you don’t accidentally grab the oven-hot handle).

Cary’s other suggested combos:

• broccoli rabe, crumbled Italian sausage, parmesan

• spinach, shallots, cherry tomatoes, cheddar, parmesan

• zucchini and cheddar

20 Questions with Adam

One of the first gems I discovered when I moved to Charleston, West Virginia was Mountain Stage. I was at the live show in 2011 when the show’s co-founder and executive producer, Andy Ridenour, passed the baton to Adam Harris who has been producing the show ever since. I met Adam a few years later when he attended a cooking demonstration I was doing at Capitol Market. We forged our friendship over music and cooking, occasionally bringing some of the Mountain Stage production staff to Darin Fisher Designer Kitchens for some day-after-the-show cooking therapy.

When Adam brought some fresh ramps back to Charleston from his family’s property in Greenbrier County, we folded the seasonal allium into biscuits. When he and Trish got married, I was thrilled to be invited to contribute to their dessert display. His knowledge of musicians, NPR stations across the nation, the Mountain Stage roster over the decades, and World Wrestling Entertainment is nothing short of encyclopedic. If I could transport three things from Charleston to my new home in Louisiana, it would be Mountain Stage, Charleston Bread, and Ellen’s Ice Cream.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I’ve been trying to hone my timing for things like this. You know, 30 minute meal is the goal. I try to do my, how do you say it? Mise en place, get all my ingredients ready. Cajun chicken pasta is a good one, it’s pretty simple. We also do a salmon that’s really good, and fast. We do asparagus and top it with a lot of parmesan cheese. My thing has been parmesan cheese. I keep a block handy.

What’s your favorite city? I would probably have to say Chicago. That’s where my wife is from. Lots of culinary diversity. We love a Polish buffet, and there’s a place that does an upside down pizza, like a potpie but pizza. Really I’m a connoisseur of Charleston. I can make anybody feel like a local here. 

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh gosh, I hate to single one out. I like Big Joe’s for bar food. I’m not gonna order a burger anywhere else, and they have award winning mac and cheese. I like Kobe for ramen.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I have some trout from Greenbrier County in my freezer. I’ve learned to use mustard in just about everything. Dressings, marinades, I even coat chicken nuggets in it before the breading. We have three mustards going. It used to be barbecue sauce, now we’re into mustards.

Who taught you to cook? Can I say April Hamilton? Legitimately, you opened my eyes at the cooking demonstration at the Capitol Market. We make that pineapple fried rice all the time. Who knew it was so easy to make fried rice? My mother did a lot of cooking, but I wasn’t observing that much. My dad was a beef farmer. We ate a LOT of beef. I was a freshman in college before I realized not a lot of people have a freezer full of beef! In college I survived on making the same stuff all the time. Ramen, frozen chicken Cordon Bleu, curly fries. I look back on it now and think, ‘how boring!’

What’s your go-to dish for company? For summer cookouts and street festivals, I always bring my cucumber sandwiches. They are so tasty and refreshing! I have a good recipe. Can that be my 20 minute recipe? You can definitely make them ahead so the flavors get acquainted.

Surf? or Turf? If I had to pick, I’d pick turf since my dad was a beef guy. It’s hard to beat the combo of the two.

What’s on your cooking playlist? We’re listening to NPR, All Things Considered or Marketplace. We listen to less music at home than you would think. Nothing too distracting, maybe some jazz. Now if we’re outside grilling, we like some good country, you know, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis -- I love her -- or the great Kathy Mattea.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Yes to the first two and absolutely NOT to the third one. The labels are so promising and purifying, but no offense, I think it’s an acquired taste. My first taste was not pleasant!

Date night—at home? or out? Now there’s no date nights out anywhere. Really we’re more likely to go to the Fish Market or get some steaks and cook at home. If we are out downtown, we might hop around to a few spots and get some snacks.

Most stained cookbook? Definitely April’s Counter Intelligence. It opens right up to the biscuits page. We print a lot of recipes off the internet and keep a big binder going. There’s a lot of stained pages in there, too.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I use my cheese grater all the time. I have a cool one with two different sides, one for my parmesan and one for grating for my pimiento cheese.

Staple childhood comfort food? I’ve got a good one. My grandmother coated her bacon in flour before cooking it. My wife calls it farm bacon. You wet it first with water to get the flour to stick, then cook it on low in a cast iron skillet until it gets a golden brown crust. It has a nice sweet taste. Try it you will LOVE it! It’s not something you should eat every day. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? WOW! That’s such a toughie. Do I get to cook the meal with the person? Dinner with Chuck Prophet, the San Francisco rock n roller. He was on the first Mountain Stage show that I interned. February 5, 2006. He’s the first person I saw interact with our band. Watching the process was WOW! Now he has a video with Southwest Airlines (two free bags!) where he’s making guacamole and limeade in San Francisco with his band. There’s always Vince McMahon from WWE. I’d love to share a T-bone with him. I could go on and on. The best way I could show love to anyone is through sharing a meal.

Ideal grilled cheese? Hmmmm, wow, one of the things I made growing up. I like it classic, with a slice of tomato is hard to beat. And with tomato soup of course. I had an experience with a grilled cheese sandwich in Scotland, the first time I had it with tomato.

Favorite pizza topping? If I had to pick one, definitely banana peppers. Pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers, that’s a perfect pizza to me.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? A bread baking class in northern Minnesota, at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. That’s where it’s at!

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Experiment. No sense in sticking to a recipe. If you don’t have an ingredient, substitute!

Three things next to your stove? Pasta strainer, cutting boards, a big container of black pepper. I use it on everything! I always have some citrus close by, too.

What’s your favorite sports team? My favorite professional wrestler is Chris Jericho from Manitoba. He wrestled in Beckley, West Virginia when I was about 10 years old. It was his first job in America. He’s reinvented himself numerous times. He is the GOAT! I’ve always had a special admiration for him. I also love the West Virginia Power.

Adam’s cucumber sandwiches, perfect for company or pack them up for a picnic. Ready in 20 minutes with extra points if you make them ahead.

Adam’s Cucumber Sandwiches

Follow Adam’s lead: first a whisper of soft butter on the bread which keeps the cucumbers from weeping into the bread, and plenty of black pepper. This one is so crucial he texted me to remind me: Don’t forget the black pepper! He also said “the KEY is you gotta mash it down with your hands and cut into 2 bite pieces”

• 12 slices thin sliced white bread (Charleston friends: Go with the Blue Monday loaf at Charleston Bread)

• soft butter, about 2 tablespoons

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon mustard

• 2 Tablespoons feta cheese crumbles

• Black pepper

• 2 cucumbers, peeled in stripes to make it ‘fancy’ and thinly sliced

• 1 carrot, peeled, then finely cut into julienne or grated

LAY out the sliced bread on a large cutting board. Spread each with a whisper of butter on the side facing up.

MAKE the spread by combining the mayonnaise, mustard and feta in a small bowl and mixing to mash the feta a bit. Divide this spread evenly on top of the buttered bread slices, then liberally sprinkle with pepper.

TOP half of the bread slices with cucumber and carrot, then cover with the other spread-topped bread slices.

MASH the top of each sandwich gently with your hand while you cut the sandwich into 2-bite pieces using a bread knife.

PACK the tiny sandwiches into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight, if desired. Keep them in a cooler for your next picnic, or serve them with a spot of tea on the front porch.

20 Questions with Cris

Picture this: Fiesta night in the La Vista room at Rick Bayless’s Frontera Grill with margaritas shaking like maracas, guacamole and ceviche expertly crafted to order, corn tortillas pressed and griddled by hand, shrimp and carne asada searing on the grill, and every delicious note choreographed to the Latin beat streaming into the party.

The Fiesta was a celebration for my niece Lindsay’s bachelorette, her mom Tami made the reservations and I was invited! The room filled up with Lindsay’s ‘Squad’ of 20-somethings and suddenly the staff seemed like old friends. Cristian Camacho, Chef de Partie with Frontera, Topolobampo, Xoco, and Bar Sotano in the family of award winning Rick Bayless restaurants, manned the guacamole and ceviche bar. Conversing with each customer, he customized every order. Fruity? Spicy? Extra citrus? Pinch of salt? Maybe some crunch? At the end of the evening, Chef Cris and I exchanged Instagram names and now we can all keep up with @whats.cris.cooking.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I love making chimichurri salsa, it only takes about 5 minutes unless you make the smoky version. It’s super delicious and simple. I’m a meat person, I love it on carne asada.

What’s your favorite city? Oh that’s a tough one. I’ll say Antigua, Guatemala. My heart is here In Chicago, but every time I visit Guatemala, I have to go to Antigua! All of a sudden, it’s HAPPENING!

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? It’s a tie. S.K.Y. is very fantastic and the chef is phenomenal! And Haisous. I love everything about it! I went for Restaurant Week and had one of the best meals there.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Mochi ice cream

Who taught you to cook? I got started in the kitchen with my mom when I was about to leave home for college. After two years of college, I dropped out of accounting and went to culinary school. It’s the best decision I made in my whole lifetime. Now I love cooking with my mom, we cook together every holiday. And I finished my degree for a safety net when I graduated from culinary school.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Roasted chicken and carne asada. If I’m cooking with my mom, it’s tacos de lengua. She knows just how to cook it and my friends always ask for more.

What’s on your cooking playlist? Cooking with mom, it’s Latin music, Bachata, Salsa which create a good atmosphere. When I’m at work, rock music gets my adrenaline going for the faster pace.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? I LOVE coffee!! I’m a big coffee drinker. A professor introduced me to Counter Culture and Blue Bottle and I got really into it. When I go to Guatemala, I bring back green coffee beans from a farm in Antigua and roast them at home. I do my own cold brew. All the details from grinding to water temp are important.

Most stained cookbook? The Noma Guide to Fermentation by Rene Redzepi. I love fermenting things! I do my own spin off to make it my own.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Chef’s knife, one my parents gave me. It’s a Nakiri with a squared-off blade. It’s easy to sharpen and has a lot of sentimental value.

Staple childhood comfort food? My mom’s enchiladas. She always makes them for my birthday, super simple and comforting.

Three Instagram accounts you follow? Argentinean Chef @francismallman, @nomacph from Copenhagen, and the amazing fish butcher in Australia @mrniland.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? Past, present or fictional? Anthony Bourdain. I relate to him regarding culture and food. We can all be united with food and sharing a meal.

Favorite pizza topping? Pepperoni, simple with thin crust.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I’d like to spend a day in the kitchen with Josh Niland and learn how to break down a whole fish to maximum potential with minimal waste, a skill I want to acquire. Or go to a cooking school in France with my mom.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Build your guacamole one step at a time, first add lime juice before you mash the avocado, then fold in onion, cilantro and serrano chile. Chop your tomato and drain off the juice, then salt the tomato and fold it in.

Three things next to your stove? Spatula, tongs and whisk.

Have you ever tried a CSA (community supported agriculture)? I subscribed to “Imperfect Produce” when I was in college. It was great! Just because produce isn’t beautiful it still tastes good and can make a great presentation.

What’s your favorite sports team? Chicago Bears and Chicago Bulls. For soccer I go for Barca.

What’s Cris Cooking? I’m kind of crazy when it comes to food. I traveled to St. Louis just to try the BBQ. On a road trip to Atlanta I stopped at three BBQ places on the way and found an outstanding, simple, comforting place with great customer service in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been with Frontera for a year and a half and am constantly working to improve my knife skills, cleanliness and presentation. I’m testing a menu for tasting that will be presented for private events. It’s exciting.

Chef Cris’s Chicken Doblada with Chimichurri Photo credit Christopher Craddock

Cris’s Super Simple Chimichurri Salsa

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram (OR 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• salt for tasting

COMBINE the garlic, parsley, marjoram (or oregano), red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt. Can be blended in a food processor, but Cris says, ‘it’s prettier on the plate if hand chopped.’

Cris’s Elevated Smoky Chimichurri Salsa

Follow the above recipe and add 1 jalapeno and 2 lemons, cut in quarters, rubbed with oil, and charred on a HOT grill. Mince the jalapeno and juice the lemons. Add to the Chimichurri. Can also add 1 tablespoon cumin seeds for the next level of flavor