20 Questions with Doctor Amy

Doctor Amy Rabalais relaxes at home (perhaps the crockpot is cooking her kids’ favorite feast while she takes 5 listening to Amy 2020 or Christmas carols??)

Doctor Amy Rabalais is my hero. She’s mom to two grade school children, an ear, nose and throat doctor with a director’s role at Ochsner, a kitchen designer and more, all wrapped up into an energetic and energizing woman. She has been on the front lines of the Coronavirus pandemic and, eyes wide, sums it up in a simple sentence: “This has been wild!” Adding, “homeschooling was not for us. I’m just so glad to have grass, we haven’t had grass since August,” referring to their backyard pandemic project.

Amy and I met two years ago, almost to the date. I worked with her mom Margie Gaudet and sister Sara MacDowell at an event at Thrive Academy and Sara had a thought: ‘could you do a surprise birthday cooking class for my mom at my sister’s house? It’s her birthday, too.’ And so I did! We made a warm cheese dip, French onion soup with homemade stock, a seasonal salad with local greens and chocolate soufflés for dessert. It was a delicious evening of new friendships for me and we long to recreate the occasion when life allows.

Amy’s kitchen is a showstopper and when she told me she designed it, I suggested she consider that as a profession. The doctor detail hadn’t been disclosed until dessert. When I visited on her day off for this interview, she was unloading groceries that had been delivered while she was out to assist with a surgery. Do doctors really get a day off? Not this doctor! When she’s not in her scrubs, she is managing her household with finesse and loves traveling with her husband Mike and their two young kids. She is also an accomplished cook and participates in a supper swap co-op with two of her friends.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I feel like everything I do takes more than 20 minutes. Crockpot turkey meatballs. You make the meatballs with egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan and herbs from the garden. Put them in sauce raw and cook them in the crockpot. They’re done in four hours on low and IT WORKS!! They stay in little balls and it makes the whole house smell good!! My kids LOVE it, it’s their favorite! Its’ my embarrassingly easy go-to. It doesn’t make sense that they hold together but they do! I make the meatballs a little smaller. 

What’s your favorite city? Taos, New Mexico. That’s my place. Four or five years ago we got a house there. My son had a writing prompt at school, ‘describe a place that makes you feel comfortable’ and he wrote about being in the hammock and reading his book in the mountains. 

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? I do love so many restaurants! Going out to eat in the pandemic has been a nice change of scenery. We have only done outdoor dining. I’d say we have blown up Curbside! We can ride bikes there. My overall favorite in Baton Rouge is BLDG 5. We got our Thanksgiving dinner from Rocca. It was awesome! I had two days off at Thanksgiving and I really wanted to have some time to relax with my kids. We put the silver and china on our porch table and it was really great, Rocca cooked! We even ordered a cocktail mixer and it was delicious! 

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I always keep pecans in the freezer. Bergeron pecans. Katey Bergeron is my PA. Her husband’s family has the pecan business. She gives me a box of them every year. We toast them to put on salads or top our desserts. I love having my big box of go-to pecans. 

Who taught you to cook? My Mom, definitely my mom! Big smile

What’s your go-to dish for company? It’s gonna sound weird, shrimp and grits. I do the grits ahead of time. The grits casserole from the old River Roads cookbook. I do a vodka cream sauce for the shrimp and you can do that ahead, just add the shrimp at the end. Grits souffle. I keep that cookbook with no cover just to get to that recipe. It feels fancy for a dinner party but the components don’t have to be timed. It works for company-- gluten free, pescaterian. It’s just easy and feels festive, I also deliver this meal to someone who’s had a baby. Deliver the grits, the sauce and the shrimp.They can add the shrimp when they heat everything up. 

What’s on your cooking playlist? Kind of a long story. Mike is so into music. That’s how he communicates. He spends hours making playlists. He makes me a playlist every year and the theme is that he takes songs from the the previous decade. So the 2016 playlist had songs from 2016, 2006, 1996 and so on. He spends months on these. His family is so music oriented. Right now we are playing the Amy 2020 playlist. It has all the songs he thinks will make me happy. We are listening to the 2020 mix right now. Very eclectic mix. It lost the theme, just happy songs. And right now we are listening to Christmas carols. Have you listened to the She and Him mix? They have two Christmas albums. 

OH the sun is out

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee. 100% coffee! I’m obsessed with the Trader Joe’s almond peppermint mocha creamer. I haven’t been able to find it recently.

Date night--at home? or out? Right now I’m thankful for date nights at home. I don’t know if it’s happened here, but it would be awesome to have date night at home while the kids are away, when things get back to normal.

Most stained cookbook? It’s the River Roads, one two or three. It doesn’t have a cover.

Surf? or Turf? Surf. I enjoy having other people cook me seafood. My mom is really good at cooking seafood. My parents have a home in Gulf Shores and we can get really great seafood there. I love the red shrimp in a boil, they are huge and taste amazing! 

Indispensable kitchen tool? Chef’s knife. 

Staple childhood comfort food? Pita bread, my granddaddy made it every week and we ate it with butter. I still make it and have been making it more during pandemic. My brother John who is in his residency in Boston makes bread all the time. When he was in town before Thanksgiving he made crawfish bread! it was divine! I remember grandpa’s pita bread and my kid’s love Uncle John’s bread, they talk about it all the time. Do you know about the yeast podcast? It is soooo good! Gastro Egyptology. Talk about going down a rabbit hole! 

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Right now, Anthony Fauci!! I just want to tell him thank you!! He has done so much for this country that people don’t even understand! I’d like to know what has gone on behind the scenes. I would like to cook him dinner, now I’m super intimidated. I think I would be too nervous! I think we would end up ordering pizza. 

Ideal grilled cheese? My favorite grilled cheese to buy is at BLDG 5. It’s a mixture of different cheeses on really good bread. In pandemic we have had some Rabalais bootcamp classes! The best grilled cheese is the one I don’t have to make. My son got a mild burn on his arm, it was a teaching moment. Use kitchen safety and plow ahead! It’s a big milestone. It’s whatever cheese we have, whole wheat bread and butter. 

Favorite pizza topping? I like the salty ones. Prosciutto, capers, dressed arugula. 

Where would you want to take a cooking class? MMMMM Napa. That is on our list! There are two places. In Bhutan they make these dumplings. We were there last year, in retrospect I wish I had taken a class to learn to make those dumplings. Bhutan is a vegetarian country. It’s an amazing country to learn about! They are the only carbon-neutral country in the world. Actually carbon negative! It’s an incredible place. They do a happiness survey: gross domestic happiness. It is beautiful!!

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Like a secret cooking tip? Everything is better with cheese! You know, if something isn’t working out so great, just put some cheese on it!

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

Favorite Sports Team? LSU!

just add garlic bread and Amy’s turkey meatballs are a meal in a bowl

Amy’s Crockpot Turkey Meatballs

Embarrassingly easy is right and equally delicious! Combine ground turkey with breadcrumbs, egg and cheese, season to your preference and shape them into petite meatballs. Drop these into some red sauce in the crockpot and put your feet up while dinner cooks itself. Amy shares ‘my crockpot liner can go on the stove, so I sizzle some crushed garlic in a little olive oil, add crushed canned tomatoes for sauce. Then the liner with sauce goes into the crockpot cooking element, I put the meatballs in and dinner is done.’ When I recreated her recipe in my kitchen, I went with a jar of good marinara that began heating right in the crockpot while I mixed and shaped the meatballs. Since I was trying to beat sunset for the photo, I rushed things and turned my crockpot to high. Two hours, done and so delicious!

Whisk 1 egg in a mixing bowl, add 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs basil or oregano or Italian parsley, or even a combo, or even dried (reduce amount to 2 teaspoons) Crumble in a pound of raw ground turkey (I used the breast meat). Sprinkle with ¼ cup each of breadcrumbs and grated parmesan. Gently mix together and form into small balls (you should get about 24 one-inch balls, and a cookie dough scoop makes it easy!) Place the balls into 3 cups of your sauce of choice that’s waiting in your crockpot. Cook at low for 4 hours or high for 2, checking to see that the meatballs are cooked through. Your house will smell so good! Serve with your choice of pasta or some garlic breadsticks for dipping. Add a salad for balance. Happy Cooking!

20 Questions with Laura

Laura Securro is a principal at a school in South Florida. Lucky them! She smiles wide at all times and we met when she was a first year teacher in Charleston, West Virginia. I was a volunteer with AmeriCorps Farm to School and she welcomed me into her classroom to do cooking demonstrations and tastings with her students any time, even sharing her cell number. She was new to the classroom and I was just getting started, too. Our passions for kids and food collided and we had the best time catching up recently.

Laura shared her devotion to cooking, a lifelong love her parents cultivated. Cooking is her hobby and a release when she gets home from a busy day at school. First things first, she gets into her comfy clothes, puts on some music and cooks up some fun! Tacos aren’t just for Tuesday, they are a staple for any night of the week when a quick meal is in order.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Tacos! I use that very broadly. I can literally do anything with that theme! I usually keep everything on hand for it. While you’re  browning your meat whether its beef, chicken, fish or shrimp, you get the rest going. Refried beans, slaw with crema. Taco seasoning goes a long way! If you don’t have a big thing of taco seasoning, I don't know why. Guacamole! I always have ripe avocados. My secret is a little olive oil and a LOT of lime juice! Salt and I’ll add in some chili powder, taco seasoning for a kick and chopped up red onions. I cook a batch of dried black beans for the week and use them. 

What’s your favorite city? My favorite place to go is a place I’ve never been. I love new experiences. Really, I would say Grand Rapids, Michigan where I went to college. They have Art Prize every fall. The whole city gets decorated by art by all the local artists. Great food, great night life. There’s a river that runs through. It gets rated as one of the top cities for young professionals.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh that’s a really loaded question. We live in Delray Beach. I’ll say Death or Glory, I have to give them a shout out! They go all out for Halloween and have some healthier spins on food. They do Cheeto dusted chickpeas. Fun drinks and good food. I love the Bear Shack, too. When you go out to a restaurant, you’re looking for good atmosphere, good food and drinks and a good time!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I’m the lemon queen! My father had this love of lemons. I start to get panicked if I’m down to one or two. I drink my water with lemon and I really think it enhances everything! Carrots are great with lemon.

Who taught you to cook? Both my parents. Not one more than the other. I’m 100% Lebanese. My mom made the best food, even fried chicken! My father made more of the everyday food. He could make even an average meal amazing! I watched them, loved being in the kitchen. I think when your parents enjoy it, it’s automatic for the kids.

What’s your go-to dish for company? A really good charcuterie board! There’s so many good things you can do with that for an appetizer. For the main dish I’ll do a big salad with garlic bread and chicken parmesan. I start with a good jarred sauce that I doctor up. I love mushrooms in my sauce. Lots of fresh parm on top. Makes a really good party night!

What’s on your cooking playlist? My top one is Laid Back Beach Music Radio on Pandora! I literally tell Alexa. Tied with Bob Marley. Makes you feel like you’re on vacation. 

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? That’s a hard one! I would probably pick kombucha over everything. I love kombucha! You feel healthy after you drink it. 

Date night--at home? or out? Date night in for sure. If my husband takes over he will make tuna tartare and some scallops. If I’m cooking, I make his favorite meal, a turkey meatloaf with cauliflower mashed potatoes. Really the best date night in is homemade pizza! You can go any direction with this, I try to encourage my friends to do this with their kids. 

Most stained cookbook? Probably my Lebanese cookbook. Or Hungry Girl. I used that all through college. Really easy recipes.

Surf? or Turf? Oh you’re killing me! I’ll say surf. I’ll always pick the scallops or crabcakes on the menu. We had a house on Cape Cod and grew up eating a ton of seafood

Indispensable kitchen tool? My lemon juicer, that old school one. Tied with a baking pan, I mean what would you do without a baking pan?!

Staple childhood comfort food? Macaroni and cheese. A good mac and cheese is...and I love making it homemade! I love a good homemade mac and cheese. 

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I’m embarrassed to tell you.I watch the Housewives shows to unwind.  Bethany Frankel from the Housewives, she’s the Skinny Girl. She does a lot of giving back and she is really entertaining! 

Ideal grilled cheese? There would be no cheese I would leave out! I would put every cheese in the universe on it, including feta and havarti! Gouda, brie, everything. I would throw in some slices of bacon, too.

Favorite pizza topping? Mushrooms for sure.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I know this sounds so cliche, I mean Rome, Italy! With a grandma who will show us how it’s done! We had a trip to Italy planned, we’ll have to get there one day. 

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Is this my secret power kind of thing? I can make anything out of anything! Give me something random, throw me ingredients and I’m confident I will make something awesome! 

Three things next to your stove? Four things. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper. 

Favorite Sports Team? I would say anything Michigan. Detroit Redwings. I do love going to hockey games! 

What do you miss most about Charleston? The seasons and the leaves changing. Wearing those fall clothes and being outside and enjoying the beautiful mountains! I miss my family and friends, the West Virginia people and PEPPERONI ROLLS! 

What’s the secret to perfect guacamole? Read ahead and cook along! (PS it’s red onion, tons of fresh lime juice, good salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Ohhhhh and of course the best ripe avocados)

Laura’s Guacamole

Laura is on autopilot when it comes to taco night. She varies the fillings but one thing is a constant: homemade guacamole. Keeping avocados on hand makes it an any time staple! As I made a batch per Laura’s instruction, I was reminded of the BEST guacamole ($19! And worth every penny) I’ve ever tasted. It, too, was finished with olive oil and had the dreamy consistency of velvety with perfectly ripe melt in your mouth chunks. The homemade version matches the $19 batch!

For one and a half ripe avocados, you’ll need half of a small red onion, finely chopped, the juice of a lime, more if the lime isn’t super juicy or you like it extra lime-y, about a half teaspoon coarse sea salt and a drizzle of good olive oil. Mash the whole avocado with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the remaining half avocado and cut it in leaving soft chunks. Scoop into a serving bowl and drizzle with another splash of olive oil. Serve with your favorite tacos or chips, or straight from a spoon.

20 Questions with Mayor Amy

Amy Goodwin is the mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, a lucky city to be in her capable hands! She’s the most energetic visionary and is as funny as she is smart. My face still hurts a bit from laughing when we chatted for this interview. She might claim here that she’s not much of a cook -- and anyone familiar with the Goodwin family knows Amy’s husband Booth is the mayor of their home kitchen. However, her 20-ish minute coconut rice recipe is a show stopper, game changer, life saver. All the things! Stop what you’re doing and make this rice, and maybe the peanut sauce, too, to quell your hunger.

Amy and I met at Holz Elementary where our kids were enough years apart that they didn’t even overlap in the lunchroom. As moms do, we collaborated on some PTA projects and all the while Amy excelled in her impressive day jobs. She translated her journalism degree into an exciting political career. Before she became the city’s first female mayor, she was the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Tourism and the state’s number one cheerleader. Almost heaven, indeed!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I was going to try to find one, I thought about lying to you about it, but I can’t do that. If I’m anything I’m honest. I’m the eater of the family, not the chef. My favorite thing to eat that I cook all the time is sweet and salty jasmine rice. Boil it in coconut milk, add some sugar and salt. It’s like a side and it’s also like dessert.  I make a triple recipe, my 16 year old and 18 year old love it! It’s great with peanut sauce with ginger (lots of garlic and ginger) 

What’s your favorite city? That’s silly. The city that I serve! Obviously I have lots of favorite cities, but this one is my favorite favorite favorite. I’m a rivers, lakes, creeks and streams girl. If I’m gonna get out of town I’ll go by a lake. I love the Eastern Panhandle and the Potomac.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? You can’t do this to me! This is the problem, I’m an eater. When my husband travels, my boys know we are ordering out. What the question should be is what’s your favorite place to eat breakfast? To get a snack? I’m the girl who can make a meal out of getting an extra thick raspberry chocolate chip milkshake at Ellen’s! Barkadas is my ‘I’m sad cuz it’s bad weather’ restaurant and I get the crispy spam burrito and it’s pure comfort food. We have Food Truck Wednesday on Slack Plaza. My favorite is Bite Mi. Rock City has my favorite pastries. Favorite pie is Sarah’s Bakery. Have you had her pies?! Favorite brunch is Sam’s Uptown. That’s where we eat brunch! Chicken and waffles. So good! Best burger in town is Joe’s. Cheeseburger with everything except onions.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Something that doesn’t have mold on it? My boys eat constantly. There’s usually not much in there! Can it be in the freezer?

OK, then it’s ice cream that people have forgotten about. Those little vanilla mochis. 

Who taught you to cook? OK ok, listen. One thing you know about me is I’m honest! This is how I think people learn how to cook, they learn from their parents. My parents worked constantly so we ate out of a crockpot or we went out to eat. The person who actually taught me the most is Hello Fresh, the meal kit that gets delivered with clear how-to instructions. I really do have a lot of good skill sets, but cooking is not one of them.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Booth cooking on the Green Egg is always a crowd pleaser. I can whip up a low country boil if people who are coming don’t have food allergies. Homemade pizzas on the Big Green Egg are always a big hit! I keep beating up on myself. I’ll tell you I make the best homemade chocolate chip cookies. I make them for the fire department, the police department. If they see me coming with a box in my hand they know what's in there.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I love alternative music, punk rock!

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? OMG coffee 24/7. Coffee, coffee, coffee all day long! Like my old newsroom days. I like it to be khaki color. Not sweet, though I might have a cookie with it. 

Date night--at home? or out?  I just did a story on our city finances. That was easier than this interview! It’s always a split. When I pick, it’s out, when he picks, it’s in. He likes kitchen gadgets and always wants to try out the new ones.

Most stained cookbook? I have hundreds of cookbooks, I like to read them like a magazine. Before I was in public office when I had more time, it was Chrissy Teigen, her first book. Also stuff my sister texts me. If this interview was about cleaning the home I would crush this. I was the cleaner growing up. My sister did all the cooking. 

Surf? or Turf? Both? 

Indispensable kitchen tool? I would say my really heavy marble rolling pin! I like to bake. 

Staple childhood comfort food? Anything out of the crockpot. I grew up in the northern panhandle, lots of Italian food. I love a good red sauce with bread to dip in it.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she is so wicked smart, fabulous, wonderful. I just really love her. I love her! Just to be in her presence.

Ideal grilled cheese? OOHHH! Three different types of cheeses on my father in law’s homemade bread. Oh and that bread is great for french toast, too.

Favorite pizza topping? Mushrooms! Lola’s mushroom pizza is crazy good!

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Jennifer Garner’s kitchen. I’m not being funny about it. I think she would be really nice, she wouldn’t tell me I’m using the wrong knife.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Be prepared for company. Always have good cheese, crackers, nuts and olives, oh and some wine, and people will think you’ve been planning on their arrival.

Three things next to your stove? I have a big planter filled with fresh herbs, my salt pig, four different types of olive oil. Lots of different pepper mills that Booth buys. Lots of hot sauces, I think I have more hot sauces than anyone in Charleston.

Favorite Sports Team? Now what does this have to do with cooking? You know I’m a hockey mom! Pittsburgh penguins.

Sweet and salty coconut rice ready for topping your way. I went with roasted peanuts, lime, red pepper flakes, toasted coconut and fresh cilantro.

Mayor Amy’s Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice

I asked Amy if she makes this recipe in a rice cooker and she replied that’s not one of the zillions of kitchen gadgets in the Goodwin home. So I challenged her that I would try making it in the rice cooker* (talk about game changer! Mine is new this year and I am in love!) and that if it worked, I owe her a rice cooker. Order pending!

1 ½ cups jasmine rice, a can of FULL FAT coconut milk, fill the can with water, ¼ cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons. JQ Dickinson salt

COMBINE all ingredients in a medium saucepan (with a tight fitting lid). Bring to a low boil, stir, then reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on until rice is done, about 20 minutes.

*works splendidly in my rice cooker! when it was ‘done’ I gave it a stir and pressed the cook button again to give it a few extra minutes of full heat. The bottom got a little golden but didn’t stick.

Bonus recipe for Mayor Amy’s peanut sauce in her words:

½ c. peanut butter, all natural is best, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger. (I use ginger on almost everything, I even put it on my toothbrush!’ she said) 1 tablespoon sriracha if you want to kick it up! 5 cloves of garlic, minced or grated. Mix it all up. This recipe saves me! I stole it from Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook Cravings.

20 Questions with Paul

Paul Smith is an ambassador of his hometown Charleston, West Virginia and recognized affectionately as Chef Paul wherever he goes. In his words, he’s from a huge large Italian family where they had Sunday dinner every week in Boomer, West Virginia. He was studying hospitality management out of state, then returned home to study in professional kitchens before diving in to the Culinary Institute of America. After zigzagging around the country, gaining experience with some enviable cooking adventures, Chef Paul landed back at home in 2007. 

Paul and I first met in the kitchen at Lola’s, our mutual friend Cary’s pizza restaurant. When Cary’s maternity leave had her exiting sooner than expected, a team of friends held down the fort. Paul anchored the crew and it is by his side that I learned the fine muscle building art of hand shaping two pizza dough balls at a time. He could triple time anyone in the kitchen! 

Chef Paul became well established as an expert on all things food and just before the world went a little haywire, he was embarking on three Charleston area restaurant projects. As we were talking at 1010 Bridge as evening service was about to begin, he picked up a call for his regular Monday afternoon radio interview. I heard him say, “It’s a tough time right now. The entire industry is in jeopardy. I'm not super optimistic that things are gonna change anytime soon.” When the call wrapped up he resumed with me, “our food is GOOD! We pay attention to the details, it’s the experience” regarding the Bridge Road spot, adding “this is the food I like to cook. The Pitch is the food I like to eat.” (upscale bar food). His third restaurant is Barkadas, a collaboration of four friends that introduces its diners fo Phillippine island staples kissed with additional influences. As I visit this charming town I left four years ago, my first stop was Barkadas. Don’t miss it! 

What’s your 20 minute recipe? When I don’t have time to cook, this is what I make. I get salmon from Joe’s (now General Steak and Seafood). I make a little salmon slather with mayo, dijon, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. I quick sear the salmon first then turn it over and put on the slather and finish it in a hot oven. It’s literally like 5 minutes. We actually have a version of it on the menu here (at 1010 Bridge).

What’s your favorite city? Charleston, South Carolina. I really like the scene there.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? I’m partial. If it’s not one of my three, I’d say Sam’s for what it is: good food, everything is solid!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I have some weird stuff in there. I found some rendered foie gras fat in the freezer. I rendered it together with some butter and JQ Dickinson salt and spread it on some good toast.

Who taught you to cook? My grandfather. He was a chemist and he did Friday night Italian nights at the Glen Ferris Inn. I stood on a milk crate and stirred the sauce. I wish I had paid more attention and written down the recipes.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Pimiento cheese with some sort of grilled meat, probably ribeye.

What’s on your cooking playlist? A lot of old school hip hop, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, WuTang Clan, Diggable Planets.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Pardon?! Coffee on coffee, as I’m having my seventh cup of the day. I’m alternating coffee and Topo Chico.

Date night--at home? or out? Date night OUT. I’m not of those chefs who sits there and tries to critique the place. Well, maybe I do it in my head.

Most stained cookbook? The little green Lebanese cookbook with the black binder form the Greek Orthodox Church. Also I’m a big fan of Tyler Florence.

Surf? or Turf? TURF. Spinalis, cap of the ribeye.

Indispensable kitchen tool? French knife, 8-inch chef’s.

Staple childhood comfort food? Pastina, little pearl pasta with a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese and either chicken broth if I’m sick or butter if I’m feeling frisky.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Julia Child and Jennifer Garner. I would really like to be on Jennifer Garner’s Pretend Cooking Show. I like watching her because she is so smart and fun. She’s so down to earth and successful, very approachable. I would love to talk to her about our shared love of West Virginia.

What’s your go-to butter? Plugra

Ideal grilled cheese? Good bread, a really nice pullman loaf with white American and good Tillamook cheddar, a slice of tomato and mayo on the inside, butter on the outside.

Favorite pizza topping? Cupping pepperoni, it gives you a charred edge with a little grease shot. We do it at The Pitch.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? El Bulli.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Keep it simple. Pat dry, S&P, hard sear. For anything!

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

Best meal in an airport? Rick Bayless’s Torta Frontera in Chicago.

Do you take any ingredients with you when you travel? No, I like to bring things back.

What’s your go-to olive oil? Napa Valley Olive Oil Company and I really like the Villa DiTrapano. They are really different. 

Favorite Sports Team? I like watching any of the EPL (English Premier League)

Salmon Chef Paul’s way. My interpretation: served with the best of late summer from Capitol Market and Charleston Bread, cooked in my friend Pam’s kitchen. Happy Cooking indeed!

Chef Paul’s Seared Salmon

“Serve this with some simple seasonal things on the side. Beautifully seasoned jewel lettuce salad or a fall-ish root vegetable succotash. My philosophy: cook as seasonally as possible, do as little as possible.”

For four skin-on salmon filets, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, zest of 1 lemon, juice of ¼ lemon (cube or slice the remainder for the top), ¼ teaspoon salt and a couple good cracks of pepper (white pepper preferred).

Heat your oven to 425 and heat a large oven-proof/cast iron skillet over a medium high burner. Season the flesh side of the salmon filets with salt and pepper. When the skillet is HOT, lay the filets in the skillet flesh side down and sear for a good minute. Turn them over skin side down and top each with some of the mayo mixture, spreading with a brush. Slide the skillet into the oven and roast the filets for a few minutes until the top is golden and the fish is as done as you like. If you want a bubbling top ‘crust’ hit it with the broiler for no more than a minute so as not to over cook the fish. Happy Cooking!

20 Questions with Tammi

“There’s no way a movie script can come close!” according to a good friend of Tammi Arender regarding our ‘how did this happen?’ friendship. A new-to-Charleston news anchor from Louisiana with a passion for cooking and a show (WOWKitchen) invited me to join her for one of her cooking segments. We made Personal Peach Pies on TV and continued with some more kitchen fun. This was five years ago and I had just published my first cookbook which Tammi was happy to promote. She wasn’t too happy about living in West Virginia and as I tried to win her over, she announced:

GIRL you’re too late. I’m going home!

I think she lived in West Virginia for about a hot minute. I stayed 24 years, true love.

The following Spring, one snowstorm too many and a well timed job offer had me uprooting from West Virginia to sunny South Louisiana. I messaged Tammi, ‘guess who’s moving to Baton Rouge?’ and her reply: 

GIRL, get OUT! 

We reunited at the LSU v Alabama game and from time to time when she visited from north to south. Then she left last fall to work for the Ag Network in Nashville, reminding me, “I’m a farm girl from Tallulah, Louisiana. These are my roots!” She’s been zigzagging since and as we caught up last week, she was on the road from Dallas to Nashville where she’s lived on and off for 17 years to return to the anchor desk for RFDTV. She will be on the air September 14.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I don’t really have a Tex-Mex background, but I will put ANYTHING on a quesadilla! As long as I’ve got a tortilla and some cheese, I can turn a quesadilla into a gourmet meal. It just depends on what’s left in the fridge. I like to roast a whole chicken and debone it and store it in little baggies. I’ll put that on there with homemade pesto and my go-to Swiss cheese and a slice of cornmeal candied bacon. Let it get bubbly under the broiler, fold it over and I’m in heaven. I’ll jog from Baton Rouge to Gonzales to eat what I want.

What’s your favorite city? My favorite city that has my heart is Tallulah, Louisiana where I was raised. She’s crying. I was raised on a farm there. That’s HOME! I quit a job, sold a house and a Harley Davidson and moved to Nashville. NOT to become a country singer. I moved there to cover the Country Music Awards. I knew it was the place where I wanted to live and work. It’s the only other place on the planet I felt like could be home aside from Louisiana. It’s the perfect combo of country and city having all the advantages of big city but it still has that country hometown feel. Also, I’m a sports fanatic! If you’re a sports fan, you love Nashville (I confess I’ve never been! “Oh girl, you have GOT to come!”)

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Oh wow, well when I go home it’s the Waterfront Grill in Monroe, Louisiana and for so many reasons. The food is phenomenal and the location! It’s on the banks of the Bayou DeSiard across from the University of Louisiana Monroe where I went to school. The dish is called Catfish DeSiard and it is fabulous! I know it’s three and a half hours from Baton Rouge, but you have GOT to go!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? You can never ever come to my house and I not have it. It’s my Geaux Nuts mixture, a great snack and something I crave. Walnuts, cashews and pecans and I don’t overdo the sugar so it’s not candied. I roast them with a little melted butter and a secret ingredient. Here’s a hint: it’s not cayenne! I’m on an 11 hour trip and made a batch of Geaux Nuts before I left so I’ll arrive in Nashville with this and won’t starve to death before I unpack my kitchen. 

Who taught you to cook? Myself! I would say my daddy because he LOVED to cook. I watched him, but I was such a tomboy that I stayed outside on a horse or the Harley. Then one winter when I was living in Baton Rouge I decided to make handmade bread rolls like the bread at the Little Village restaurant. I thought I’m gonna try to make that bread and that’s what got me addicted to cooking 20 years ago. My mother collected cookbooks and I started reading them like John Grisham novels. It became an obsession with cooking and baking!

What’s your go-to dish for company? It would have to be my shrimp and grits. 

What’s on your cooking playlist? I’m a country music fan first of all. Tim McGraw! And I love Michael W. Smith, old school Christian music. And Danny Gokey! I absolutely adore him and Steve Wariner, too. My playlist is the strangest combo of Christian and country music that you have ever heard.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? COFFEE!! Don’t even mention the others. I love CC’s dark roast. I used to have it shipped to me three bags at a time in Nashville. Now I can get it in the store there. 

Date night--at home? or out? Skip date night, let’s not go there!

Most stained cookbook? Louisiana Festivals by Enola Prudhomme. She signed it! When I was with WBRZ she and Paul would cook for our show. Actually Paul would come to us and we had to go to Enola in Lafayette. That cookbook has stayed with me for the last 25 years. I move around a lot!

Surf? or Turf? I’m gonna have to say a combo. A well-cooked steak is hard to beat. As a Louisiana girl I can’t say no to shrimp or crawfish.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I’m a good knife girl. I didn’t realize how special a good sharp knife is! Such a valuable tool in the kitchen no matter how much it costs. I’m a sweet potato freak! They are hard to cut. You’ve got to have a good knife.

Staple childhood comfort food? My dad was the cook in the family, but my mom! The one thing she made that I can’t replicate and neither can my sister is my mom’s banana pudding. When I need to feel comfortable I look for something close. That’s my goal in life is to crack the code of Gloria Arender’s banana pudding.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Is it too cliche to say Jesus? I would have loved in his day and time to just have a normal conversion about life! Here’s a food related question to Jesus. Why on earth was an apple the fall of mankind?

Ideal grilled cheese? I am the ultimate grilled cheese girl. I want it done in a skillet, four cheeses and one of them has to be that processed cheese in the little wrappers, plus Swiss, cheddar and parmesan. If I have all those in my fridge, it’s going on there. I’ll cook it in the Iron skillet and put one on top for a 1920’s panini. 

Favorite pizza topping? I’m an Italian sausage girl.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Paris, France. I’ve conquered southern home cooking and frou frou cooking has never been my deal. If I ever have the money I’ll go spend six months at Le Cordon Bleu.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Don’t skip good quality ingredients. My tastebuds rule my world. Use real butter. Use good bacon. Use high quality vanilla. Food is our connection to people. Skip the mani-pedi’s, skip the jewelry and fancy clothing. Don’t skimp on food.

Three things next to your stove? I infuse my own olive oil with garlic and lemon, so it’s there. The Louisiana Festival Cookbook stays on the counter. I leave the butter out on my grandmother’s butter dish.

Favorite Sports Team? I lived in Nashville when the city bought the Houston Oilers and turned them into the Tennessee Titans. I became a Titans fan because I was so invested. There was never a time in my life when I wasn’t rooting for the Saints!

From oven to plate in minutes! Pesto, cheese, white beans and sausage melted inside a tortilla. Instant fiesta!

Quickie Quesadilla—A gourmet meal inside a tortilla

Tammi says “I will put ANYTHING in a quesadilla” and her go-to is with fridge staples pesto, Swiss cheese, chicken and cornmeal candied bacon. I went with what I had on hand: pesto, Jack cheese, white beans and sausage crumbles from Iverstine’s. 

HEAT your broiler to low or high (your oven, your call) with the rack placed a few inches below. BRUSH a large tortilla with olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Quick toast it under the broiler just until it gets blistered. Remove from the oven and flip the tortilla over. Top with a good smear of pesto or other sauce of your choosing, a good handful of grated cheese (please DIY) and some cooked veggies or meat (again your call). COOK this creation under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove your open face quesadilla to a plate, fold it in half and serve with salsa or more pesto if you like.

20 Questions with Tatiana

Tatiana is the daughter of Ignacio, a gregarious Spanish man who lived with my family in coastal Florida during his teen years in the ‘60’s. I met her when we were both little girls, barefoot in our bikinis, racing ahead of the adults from my house down to the beach. When Ignacio first said goodbye, I was an infant on my mother’s hip. He assured my mother he would be back some day and as promised, he brought his wife and his two oldest children for an unforgettable reunion a dozen years later. Then again 20 years after that for my mom’s 70th birthday they extended the invitation “you must come see us in Spain!” And so my husband and I packed up our three girls and ventured to southern Spain to see our extended family.

In the age of international long distance phone calls and air mail, communication was not a constant. Now Tatiana and I keep in touch through Facebook and had a delightful visit on Video Messenger to catch up on life. As I attempted to decipher our relationship, she summed it up beautifully, “we are family!” We reminisced about our in-person visits and a highlight for me was learning to make the classic Spanish omelet from her mom who made enough of the famed tapas dish to serve at my mom’s birthday when they were in town for the festivities. Tatiana said one of her favorite memories was my mom’s angel food cake and said, “I have a lot of memories from the first time we met.”

We aren’t quite sisters or cousins. I cherish our special family friendship and I am grateful technology can keep us connected.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Something very quick we do here is the Spanish omelet, potatoes and onions softened in olive oil and cooked with beaten eggs. It makes a traditional Spanish tortilla. You can chop the potatoes into small squares or slice them, depending on what you prefer. If I’m in a hurry, I slice them.

What’s your favorite city? Prague. We went last summer. It’s a beautiful beautiful city, just wonderful!

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? La Taverna Alabardero. They have very nice cuisine, modern Spanish cuisine also inspired by French cuisine.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Pasta de pimiento Choricero, a traditional pepper paste from northern Spain made with Choricero peppers.

Who taught you to cook? My mom mostly, and my grandmom. Also a lot of books!

What’s your go-to dish for company? In summer, we do barbecues. I also like to make quiches depending on the ingredients I have. A favorite is Quiche Lorraine.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee mostly, cafe con leche.

Most stained cookbook? El Menu de Cada Dia by Karlos Arguinano.

Surf? or Turf? Surf definitely.

What’s your go-to olive oil? A virgin olive oil, has to be from Spain! 99% of the olive oil in the supermarkets here are from Spain.

Indispensable kitchen tool? The spatula for cakes, wooden spoon for regular cooking, oh and a good knife.

Staple childhood comfort food? It’s not very common for kids, but I love white rice made with black sauce from squid.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My dad. We would go out rather than cook at home so we would have more time to focus and talk.

How do you like your toast? Lightly toasted with tomato and olive oil, pan con tomate.

Ideal grilled cheese? Once in England I had a toast spread with lemon curd and a little Emmenthal melted on top. It must have a lot of calories but it was delicious!

Favorite pizza topping? Cherry tomatoes with goat cheese and basil. It’s very nice.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I would like to go in Provence in France or Tuscany. One of these would be fun!

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Always get a good base for any dish. Our traditional base for many dishes is sofrito, made with sauteed tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil. It’s the base for a lot of seafood and meat dishes.

Favorite Chef? Angel Leon, a chef from Cadiz. His restaurant is Aponiente “cuisine of the unknown seas.” He uses a lot of sea plants and experiments a lot.

Master a traditional Spanish tortilla by starting small. Here I used 1 small potato and 2 eggs in my 5-inch seasoned cast iron skillet. Happy Cooking indeed!

Spanish Potato Omelet (Tortilla)

When you combine potatoes, olive oil and eggs (plus onion if you like, and a bit of salt), you get sunshine in a skillet! Spanish Tortilla = Little Cake and it is love at first bite, virtually transporting you to Spain where the dish is served as an appetizer or main dish almost everywhere you go. Exactly 21 years ago, I had a front row seat to an unforgettable Spanish cooking class when Tatiana’s mom Mireya was preparing skillets full of potato omelet for my mom’s 70th birthday. (Mom turns 91 tomorrow!) 

A few tips: 

• keep your heat low enough that your potatoes get tender without browning.

• start with a small skillet which is much easier to flip and cooks more quickly

• use good olive oil and farm fresh eggs if available 

• slice the potatoes for quicker cooking. A mandoline or similar slicing device helps with speed and uniformity 

• Practice makes perfect, the more you make the quicker you’ll master this classic!

• Approximate ratios: 6-inch skillet- 2 small potatoes, 4 eggs. 8-inch skillet-2 medium potatoes, 6 eggs

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• 2 small potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

• ¼ cup chopped onion

• 4 eggs

• Salt

HEAT the olive oil in a 6-inch skillet, preferably well-seasoned carbon steel or cast iron or nonstick over medium-low heat. Add the potatoes and season with about ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep an eye on potatoes, stirring to keep from browning. Lower the heat if necessary. 

ADD the onion after the potatoes have been cooking for 5 minutes and continue to stir occasionally until potatoes are tender. 

WHISK the eggs in a medium bowl while you wait.

REMOVE the potatoes and onion to a shallow bowl from the skillet using a slotted spoon, keeping the excess oil in the skillet. Let the potatoes cool a minute or two in the shallow bowl, then stir them into the whisked eggs along with another ¼ teaspoon salt.

POUR the mixture back into the skillet and increase the heat to medium.

COOK, undisturbed, until the sides and bottom are set and the top is losing its gloss. Using a spatula, lift/slide the tortilla onto a plate just slightly larger than the skillet. 

PLACE the skillet over the top of the uncooked tortilla and using cooking mitts, FLIP the whole thing over back into the skillet. SMILE!

CONTINUE cooking a few minutes until the center is just cooked through. 

SLIDE the tortilla onto a large plate or cutting board and let cool before cutting into triangles or small squares for tapas.

20 Questions with Ted

Counter Intelligence is the column I founded and wrote for the Charleston Gazette-Mail for three years before I moved to Louisiana. I also wrote a cookbook of the same name and in this 20 Questions blog series, I have loved reconnecting with friends from everywhere and learning their counter intelligence kitchen tips. Ted Boettner probably reads everything within reach, he made it all the way to the back page of the Gazette’s Life&Style section. He emailed me on occasion about something in my column which led to lively debates about butter, sugar and all things kitchen. It was great to engage on cooking topics with a widely published think tank guy! We made a salad during the legislative session in West Virginia and I shared the recipe in my Counter Intelligence column (linked below with Ted’s recipe question). 

I caught up with Ted when I visited Charleston a few years back to visit friends and unveil the Charlie Cart teaching kitchen at the YMCA. He brought his young daughter to the interactive cooking demo and when they made the featured ‘Three Sisters Saute’ last week in their home kitchen, he sent a pic of his now eight-year old daughter chopping zucchini for the dish. He must have read my mind! He was in my cue for 20 Questions. He just switched to a new think tank and now works as a senior researcher with Ohio River Valley Research Institute, focusing in part on sustainable economic development. 

When he’s not being a policy wonk, Ted enjoys a nice whitewater paddle in West Virginia, running marathons, hiking at Dolly Sods, some political theory, and cooking for friends.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? My go-to because of the kids and what they love is Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce with onion and butter. I serve it over whole wheat spaghetti. I swear it is so good and simple! With a good can of Italian tomatoes it’s 1-2-3 and done in 20 minutes. I like to make a nice salad to go with it.

What’s your favorite city? There are a couple of places I would move to: Missoula, Bozeman, or Helena, Montana. I went to Missoula a few years ago and after driving across the country, went to a paddle shop and the guy there made some calls and lined up a shuttle and everything for us. Big Sky has some of the best backpacking and not very many people. It’s a playground!

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Cafe Cimino. It’s 50 miles away, kind of old fashioned. The chef comes out and they keep bringing you stuff. It’s all really damn good! It’s the kind of place you order coffee after dinner.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? I have some ramp butter. Also there are some things in life you have to have. I always keep feta in my fridge. It makes everything better

Who taught you to cook? My mom definitely. We had meals at the table at least 5-6 days a week, very ritualistic. We had church at the table, preparing good food and taking time to enjoy it. She taught me to be a good analyst of recipes, reading them from the bottom up. It reminds me of a James Baldwin quote: “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

What’s your go-to dish for company? That’s a good question. I do the opposite of what you’re supposed to do. I experiment on company. When it works out, it’s a lot of fun. I always make a grain salad in case it doesn’t work out. I got a really nice piece of flank steak from Dickinson Gould the other day and served it to company. It was like, “chimichurri, come to me!” I like to do a large side of salmon and cook it, it’s easy but the people are like ‘how did you do that?!’

What’s on your cooking playlist? I do a very eclectic mix. I’ve been listening to Florence and the Machine. Sturgill Simpson, I really like him a lot. John Prine, too.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee no doubt. I look forward to my morning coffee when I go to bed at night. I do like kombucha! It helps if I’ve had too much to drink the night before.

Date night--at home? or out? Usually out. We love Secret Sandwich Society in Fayetteville! It’s worth the drive.

Most stained cookbook? Yours, of course! What I end up doing is watching shows and then I google how to make some of the dishes. I got really into this show about Argentinian street food, hence the chimichurri. 

Surf? or Turf? Surf. Fresh caught grouper is really amazing. I’ve had salmon that I caught in Alaska and it was good, but the grouper I caught off the coast of North Carolina was better.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Right now I’d say it’s my new carbon steel pan. There’s nothing that thing won’t do! I keep it out on my stove.

Staple childhood comfort food? Sloppy Joes. My mom used to whip those up all the time. I still make them. I make a really bourgeois version with pickled red onion and a good bun. They make me feel really comfortable.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My reflexive answer is Christopher Hitchens. He was witty and smart and loved indulgence.

Ideal grilled cheese? Hearty wheat or sourdough with a combo of cheeses. I like something sharp with muenster, I like the way it melts. I’ll add thinly sliced apples and onions.

Favorite pizza topping? My uncle makes this wonderful pizza with pepperoni and blueberries. It’s fabulous!

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I’ve always wanted to go the the King Arthur baking school in Vermont for a weeklong immersion bread course. I would love to do that.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? I’m going back to the feta from before. Also when I’m cooking meats, I use a really good quality garlic powder instead of fresh garlic which tends to burn. I’ll make a rub with garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Three things next to your stove? Tongs, kosher salt in a barn, olive oil.

Favorite Sports Team? New York Mets. The first time I went to New York City my dad took us to a Mets game. I took my daughter to Pittsburgh for three games when the Mets were in playing the Pirates. Also I love watching 30 for 30.

Deliciously simple tomato sauce tossed with whole wheat spaghetti, ready to embellish (or not) and serve .

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Marcella Hazan, the famed Italian cooking teacher and writer has many styles of tomato sauce to her credit. A super simple version with canned Italian tomatoes, a halved whole onion and a varying number of tablespoons of butter is arguably one of the most popular. For good reason! It is delicious and the marriage of bright tomato and creamy butter with a backstory of onion is hard to beat, especially since you can cheat the suggested 45 minute simmer time and get ‘er done in 20 flat. Ted likes to serve with whole wheat spaghetti and a meatball or two. He also uses the sauce for lasagne. 

• 1 (28 ounce) can good Italian whole tomatoes

• 1 medium onion (about an 8 ouncer) peeled and halved through the shoot and root

• 5 tablespoons good butter, cut into 5 pieces for quick melting

• Salt
  

POUR the tomatoes and their juices into a large deep pot (I used an enameled Dutch oven. The depth keeps the vigorously simmering sauce from spattering everywhere). Crush them with your clean hands (a great job for the kids!) into smallish pieces, or mash them with a wooden spoon once you get the heat going.

ADD the onion halves, the butter and about a teaspoon of salt.

HEAT the sauce over medium high until it boils, stirring occasionally. 

REDUCE the heat to medium or the level of heat that makes you feel like your sauce is conversing with you while you go about cooking your pasta and making your salad.

STIR the sauce from time to time, cooking until the tomato juices have reduced a bit and the butter melted into a glossy perfection. With a lively-simmer/boil, I coaxed mine into done at 20 minutes.

REMOVE the onion from the pot (it’s a great cook’s treat or fun to add to your next morning’s egg scramble), add salt as needed, and serve with your favorite pasta.

This batch generously coats a pound of spaghetti. It also invites embellishment: fresh basil, red pepper flakes, maybe some Parmesan. 

20 Questions with Emma

Cooking with my kids is a life highlight. I will never forget the time my youngest daughter Emma pulled the step stool over to the stove and started pouring up the pancake batter onto the hot griddle. I told her she was making the circles a little too close. Ha! She had the situation under control all along--she was making Mickey Mouse pancakes. I think she was three.

Emma still loves kicking around in the kitchen and adores the great outdoors. She recently did a car camping trip mostly on her own, driving along the Natchez Trace from Mississippi to the Great Smoky Mountains, then on to North Carolina and back home to the country roads of West Virginia, then back to Baton Rouge. We uprooted her four years ago and she has been a great sport about the big move. She loves getting back to the mountains to visit her forever friends. We are thrilled she chose to be an LSU Tiger so close to our new home.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Mediterranean turkey burgers. I like it with a Greek salad on the side. You can use ground turkey or leaner all-breast meat. Feta cheese is critical. I love feta cheese! I add crushed garlic or garlic powder, chopped fresh spinach and red onion and bind it together with a beaten egg. I like to add sundried tomatoes if I have them on hand. Salt and pepper, mix it all together gently and make it into roughly 4 inch patties. I cook as many as I need for dinner and freeze the rest raw to cook for later. 

What’s your favorite city? Galway, Ireland. 

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Parrain’s. I love their chargrilled oysters and Louisiana seafood dishes.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Cane’s sauce. It’s good on everything! I like it when I find homemade garlic aioli, too. 

Who taught you to cook? My mom.

What’s your go-to dish for company? I like to make espresso brownies for people. They are always a favorite.

What’s on your cooking playlist? Tyler Childers. And I like to listen to my Spotify Discover playlist. 

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? The occasional iced latte.

Most stained cookbook? My copy of Counter Intelligence.

Surf? or Turf? Probably depends on where I am. If I’m on the coast I’m gonna pick surf. If it’s not fresh, turf.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Cheese grater. You can use it for slices, grated cheese, or for carrots for salad.

Staple childhood comfort food? Pot roast and mashed potatoes. 

How do you like your toast? Slightly tan with a little bit of crunch, but not too much. With butter and coarse salt. Sometimes I put garlic salt on it.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My friend Khairat. We met at summer camp in West Virginia. She lives in Dublin, Ireland so I don’t get to see her very often. I spent 2 ½ hours on Facetime with her last night. I’d really love to sit down and have a meal with her.

Ideal grilled cheese? On Blue Monday bread (from Charleston Bread). Sharp white cheddar. Tomato slices are nice. I like to put mayonnaise on the outside and sprinkle that with some parmesan. It makes it really crispy. 

Favorite pizza topping? The Louisiana culture comes out in our neighborhood pizza parties. I like the muffaletta pizza with salami, olive salad and provolone. I didn’t know what a muffaletta was until we moved here. 

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Sicily. Italian food is my favorite type of food.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? As a college student with limited time and funds, I like to make ramen noodles and instead of making it with the broth, I drain them and stir fry them in a skillet with soy sauce and veggies. The noodles get a little crisp. I learned this from my friend Rob. He says the secret ingredient is Worcestershire but I don’t keep that in my college fridge.

Three things next to your stove? Salt, pepper, soft butter.

Favorite Sports Team? The LSU Tigers!

A few embellishments jazz up the humble turkey burger. Here we go with a dollop of Greek yogurt, some red onion and cucumber slices

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Say goodbye to boring turkey burgers and hello to this flavorful twist! Riff on this with what you have on hand (as Emma says, feta is critical! It’s a staple in all our fridges. Oh and preferably the whole block of feta, not the powdery crumbles). Green onion instead of red. Sundried tomatoes or not (easy to keep on hand). A handful of this and that converts the lean turkey into something delicious. Cook them all or save some wrapped in the freezer to cook later (best to ‘defrost’ these overnight in the fridge, or cook frozen on low heat).

• 1 egg

• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

• ½ small red onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes

• ⅓-½ cup crumbled feta

• Salt and pepper 

• A little oil for the skillet

• 1 pound ground turkey (I used the whole package, 20 ounces)

• Leaf lettuce, sliced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, and plain Greek yogurt for serving

CRACK the egg into a large bowl and whisk with a fork to blend. Add the spinach, red onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes, feta and season with about ½ teaspoon salt and as much pepper as you like. Whisk together with the fork.

HEAT a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat while you shape the burgers.

CRUMBLE the raw ground turkey into the egg-veggie mixture. With clean hands or a rubber scraper, gently mix it all together to evenly distribute the ingredients. 

SHAPE into 6 or 8 patties.

COOK until golden brown, turning after 4 or 5 minutes to cook the other side. 

SERVE each turkey burger inside a lettuce leaf, garnished as desired.

20 Questions with Alden

A quick ten years ago, Jamie Oliver and his crew landed in Huntington, West Virginia to attempt to improve the eating habits of the most unhealthy city (at the time) in the United States and film the process for television. Jamie hired Sustainable Food Systems from New England to work with the child nutrition office and the cafeteria staff in each of that county’s 26 schools, teaching them to prepare real food, mostly from scratch, to help build a foundation of better health. 

Having worked with the wellness teams at my daughters’ schools, I was head over heels with the whole project. When my friend Carol encountered a guy wearing a Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution hat on a flight from Boston to West Virginia, she stopped him in his tracks. So began my friendship with Alden Cadwell and his boss John Turenne, founder of SFS.

Alden is an expert at feeding healthy meals to schoolchildren and has worked his way through multiple programs that specialize in the fine art of delicious nutritious school food. He now works as the Director Of Business Development-New England at Revolution Foods. He is a father of two young kale eaters and when we chatted for this interview, they were en route to a weekend campout in New Hampshire.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Because we have a garden, the kids love kale! They’ll run by and grab a fistful to eat. It warms my heart. A couple times a week we make a simple kale salad with carrots and peppers and make chicken wings in the oven. I roast them in a cast iron pan at 425. They get really nice and crispy. It’s super quick and a super happy dinner.

What’s your favorite city? San Francisco. I LOVE San Francisco! I can visit and get all the best parts: water, mountains, friends and family. The food is so incredible year round. I love the seasons of Boston. I love the ubiquitous produce that comes with California.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? I LOVE Sofra in Cambridge. It’s a Mediterranean Turkish inspired breakfast and brunch spot. The flatbreads and pastries are phenomenal! They’ve done a great job pivoting during the pandemic.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Pepper jelly. I love a hot and sweet jam. It can kick up anything I’m cooking. I pick them up at farmer’s markets. It’s great on my morning eggs or chicken wings at dinner.

Who taught you to cook? I just get one?! It’s a combo of my dad and my grandmother. I fell in love with the smell and taste of baking from her, she really piqued my interest. We lived in Italy for a year when I was 11. That sort of blew my mind! We left school for an hour and a half for lunch. On Sundays we went out to the country for four to five hour lunches. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Balsamico and Prosciutto all come from the area where we lived. It opened my eyes to what food could be. Also I did a NOLS semester in Patagonia and learned to make great meals outdoors with simple ingredients.

What’s your go-to dish for company? I have a pizza oven in my backyard and I love doing pizza. I also love making the summer strawberry cake from Smitten Kitchen. Amazing, impressive recipe you can do with all the summer fruits.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I will listen to anything from Al Green to Old Crow Medicine Show, all the way to Jay-Z. That’s my range.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? YES.

Most stained cookbook? Probably Joy of Cooking.

Surf? or Turf? Again I have to say yes. I will crush a ribeye and I can eat my weight in oysters.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Cast iron pan.

Staple childhood comfort food? Mac and cheese.

Go-to olive oil? My parents get a case of olive oil every year from where we lived in Italy. I keep a few bottles for special uses and try to stretch it for the whole year, but it never lasts for the whole year. Berio is my everyday.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Michelle Obama. I’d really like to talk to her about her time in the White House. She’s a role model of mine for a lot of reasons.

Ideal grilled cheese? Sourdough bread, Vermont cheddar, Parmigiano and a couple slices of good melty American cheese. Definitely with butter.

Favorite pizza topping? We have some great local cheesemakers in Boston. I love burrata with squash blossoms and basil.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Jamie’s kitchen in England. I’d love to throw down with him.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? I always keep a jar of homemade preserved lemons in the fridge. You cut off one end of the lemon and slice it, keeping it together at the other end and stuff kosher salt between the slices and put it in a mason jar. In three weeks it’s ready to add to anything. It’s a salty, syrupy, citrus deal. So good.

Three things next to your stove? Salt, pepper, olive oil.

Favorite Sports Team? Red Sox.

Crispy wings + colorful salad=a delicious weeknight meal. Per Alden’s suggestion, I served mine with some spicy-sweet jalapeño ‘jam’ on the side.

Alden’s Crispy Chicken Wings with Kale Salad

Cooking the separate pieces of chicken wings in a hot oven in a cast iron skillet makes for a super quick happy dinner in the Cadwell’s kitchen. Total time is more than 20 minutes, but it’s mostly hands off. All told, 8 ingredients and 40 minutes and you have a delicious family feast!

HEAT the oven to 425. Separate the wings into flat and drum pieces. Toss them with a little olive oil (I used a tablespoon for a pound and a half of wing pieces) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange them skin-side down in a single layer in a cast iron skillet (alternatively use a rimmed baking sheet). BAKE for 30 minutes, then turn and bake until deep golden and crisp, about 10 minutes longer.

While the wings are baking, prepare the kale salad.

Strip the tough stalks from a large bunch of kale and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Chop a rainbow of bell peppers and thinly slice a large peeled carrot. Drizzle with good olive oil and a splash of vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. With squeaky clean hands (or tongs if you’d rather), toss the salad well to coat with the dressing. Set aside until your wings are ready (pop it in the fridge if your kitchen is summer hot).

Serve with a smile.

20 Questions with Doug

Doug Toliver can pinpoint the exact circumstances of when we first met. “It was your espresso brownies, I’ll never forget it! I ate so many that I couldn’t sleep that night. I’m obsessed.” We catered hundreds of parties together with our friend Luisa, Charleston’s caterer to the stars. When one of Luisa’s clients was in search of a private chef, she sent Doug in to interview. He worked for them for 12 years and recently switched gears to cheffing at the Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center. 

Cooking is a second language to Doug. He grew up in the kitchen and recalls picking lettuce from the backyard garden to make the salad right before dinner. Tonight he is bringing dinner to the home of a mutual friend whose wife is going through cancer treatment. Rather than drop off a covered dish, Doug offered to cook in their kitchen and have the kids play along. He’s a gem!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Chicken Marsala with mushrooms, garlic and Marsala wine or Chicken Piccata with white wine, lemon and caper sauce. It’s quick and easy, boom boom boom and I’m eating.

What’s your favorite city? I’m gonna say Frederick, Maryland in the Allegheny Mountains. It has great food with an eclectic restaurant scene. I have friends there who I visit regularly. It’s 17th century old, really fascinating. with great shops. 

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? It was the South Hills Market and Cafe. It’s no longer open. It’s where I always took my friends from Maryland. I haven’t been going out much lately.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Buttermilk. I’m in this buttermilk phase now. I soak chicken in it, make cornbread.

Who taught you to cook? My mother. I was Spanky in the Little Rascals. I was ALWAYS in the kitchen! My family can’t tell my cooking apart from my mother’s. I was in charge of Sunday dinner. We always had a garden growing up. After the summer harvest, we planted all the greens.

Surf? or Turf? SURF! I can’t tell you the last time I ate a steak.

What’s on your cooking playlist? 80’s R&B. I love my 80’s R&B!

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee, French roast. I love a strong intense smoky brew.

Most stained cookbook? I download a lot of recipes, mostly from the Food Network. I’m amazed that I can print from my phone! I love the Neely’s potato salad recipe. It’s better than my mama’s!

 Indispensable kitchen tool? A Spurtle, it’s a ladle and spatula in one. I can flip, stir or mix with it.

Staple childhood comfort food? There’s so many! I remember having chicken noodle soup and PB&J when I wasn’t feeling well. When I have that now, it takes me right back to my mom.

What’s your go-to dish for company? When my friend group gets together they say, “Doug, you’ve gotta make your kale and collard greens.”

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I would love to sit down with Patti LaBelle. I would love to cook with her and then sit down and eat with her. I would thoroughly enjoy that!

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I had a great breakfast on the way back from San Francisco.

Ideal grilled cheese? I just made one the other day. I like Muenster and double up with another cheese. I like a big ol’ slice of tomato with a little dollop of Duke’s. Butter on the outside. 

Favorite pizza topping? Caramelized onions and roasted whole garlic cloves.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Your kitchen. I LOVE April’s kitchen! I want to learn those broth recipes and red beans and rice, dirty rice, too! You are my sensei! 

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Keep your knives sharp and clean as you go.

Three things next to your stove? Butter dish, olive oil, pepper grinder.

Favorite Sports Team? I’m a tennis fan. I like Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria. Wimbledon is my favorite tournament. The grass, the lawn, the prestige!

Chicken Piccata over a bed of linguine and broccoli in twenty minutes flat.

Chicken Piccata

Doug likes to serve this with linguine. Start your pasta water, gather your ingredients and in 20 minutes you’re ready to feast. I add broccoli to the pasta cooking water a few minutes before the al dente timer.

• 8 ounces linguine

• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 4 boneless chicken breast cutlets

• 1/3 cup white wine

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon butter at cool room temp

• 1 tablespoon drained capers

• thin lemon slices for serving

BRING a pot of salted water to boil and cook the linguine until al dente, adding the broccoli 3 to 5 minutes before the pasta’s finished cooking time. Drain and set aside until the sauce is ready.

HEAT 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

COMBINE the flour with the salt and pepper in a large shallow plate. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture and press lightly to coat on both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour for the finishing sauce.

COOK the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown and turn to just cook through, about 4 minutes per side. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer the chicken as it’s cooked to a plate and repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken if working in batches.

POUR the wine into the skillet and scrape up any brown bits. Reduce the wine for a minute or so, then add the stock and lemon zest and juice.

MASH the butter with the reserved tablespoon of flour and roll it into 5 or 6 small marble sized balls. One at a time, whisk the butter-flour balls into the sauce in the skillet, then stir in the capers.

LIFT the cooked linguine/broccoli into the sauce in the skillet and toss well to coat. Lay the cooked chicken breasts on top and place a lemon slice on each.

SERVE a twirl of linguine/broccoli onto each plate and top with a chicken breast. Drizzle any extra sauce over each serving.