If Jared can do it at Subway, it seems it can be done at McDonalds.  Chris Coleson from Richmond, VA is being showcased for his recent weight loss of 85# since December eating a diet of McDonald’s apple-walnut salads, snack wraps, and cheeseburgers.  Read more at SeriousEats

McDonald’s gets a bum rap for their fat-food fare, but let’s all be honest. They serve what we want. Now we are asking for something different and they are responding - salads, low-fat wraps, grilled chicken sandwiches, non-fat dairy desserts - these are some of the healthy options - what else are we asking for? High-sugar, high-fat, high-calorie blended coffee drinks!  Maybe this is only two steps forward and one step back?

Post in the comments and let us know what YOU think!

A couple of weeks ago, to celebrate the end of a very long phase of a project at work I decided to tackle the enormous job of cooking for nearly 40 ravenous Road Warriors who have been traveling to the beautiful state of North Carolina almost weekly since the middle of February! These awesome folks have come from places like Starkville, MS (don’t pick flowers there! Take it from Johnny Cash!), Boston Massachusetts, Warwick, Quebec and Kentville, Nova Scotia! We typically have lunch catered in from a local provider, but a few weeks ago someone mentioned that we have never served them our famous Eastern Carolina-Style Barbecue - that just didn’t seem right! So to right that injustice I set about planning and coordinating a barbecue feast for the whole group.  Before this, the largest group I had cooked for was about 20 at a church gathering - and that was just pulled pork. This time I wanted to go the whole nine-yards and show them how it’s done right.

The menu consisted of Sweet Tea (made by my beautiful bride of Carolina heritage!), creamy cole slaw, potato salad, barbecue beans, tons o’pulled pork and everyone’s favorite - dessert was brownies.  Now someone DID mention that I could go to the supermarket deli and buy the cole slaw and potato salad, in fact, several people offered recommendations on local establishments that would provide the whole affair! But that just didn’t seem like the Chowbelly thing to do! 

After preparing my shopping list I made a pass through the local co-op and was able to get everything I needed. It’s funny how you can do that when using natural and fresh ingredients!  When I got home I got down to it and started the preparations three days early.  Quality takes patience you know!  Rachel’s Mom stopped by and said “Oh Lord, that boy has lost his mind! He’s got whole, raw beans soaking!” Oh ye of little faith!

I started this process by rinsing off the 30-pounds of the finest looking pork butts you ever did see! Then I stacked them up in my counter-top roaster’s pan covered with a salty brine. That went into the beer ‘fridge out in the garage and soaked overnight. The following day I came back, dried those butts right off and started the rub-n-marinade process, then wrapped tightly and back in the ‘fridge they went for another day. Then I set to work on some of the other dishes. I rinsed off the pinto beans and picked through to remove the bad ones and the stones, then set them to soaking right in the slow-cooker crocks that they would eventually be cooked in. Next up, the Cuisinart made quick work of three heads of cabbage. I loaded all that into a tub, covered it and set it out in the beer ‘fridge too. Good enough for Day Two! The following day I started roasting the pork butts, loaded up the slow-cookers with the barbecue bean ingredients, made the slaw dressing and set it to rest back in the ‘fridge, mixed up the potato salad ingredients and set it to rest back in the fridge, and started baking brownies!

The morning of the luncheon I got up about 5am and started assembling everything, checking the pork butts, sampling the beans and packing up the car. Still, I didnt make it into the office much before lunchtime! An enterprising member of our team ran across the highway to get some crushed ice for the Sweet Tea and then helped by frosting the brownies before anyone got to them! Thanks Terry!

A final big thanks go to my beautiful bride, Rachel, who lent a hand whenever I needed it AND had to deal with a less than spotless kitchen that I left behind!

Below are the recipes I made adjusted down to normal proportions.

How a Boy From Detroit Does Pig!
48 Hours Before:
Inject brine into pork butt (Brine: ½ C. Salt in 1 Gal Water)
24 Hours Before:
 Step 1 - Rub with plain ol’ mustard
 Step 2 - Cover with Rub Spices
              Rub Spices:
                        2 ½  Tbs Chili Powder
                        2 Tbs Cumin
                        1 Tbs Coriander
                        1 Tbs Kosher Salt
                        ½ Tbs Paprika
                        1 Tbs Dark Brown Sugar
                        1 Tbs Black Pepper
                        1 Tbs Cayenne
 Step 3 - Give him a shot in the butt! (cajun injector)
              3 Tbs Brown Sugar
              3 C. Cider Vinegar
              1 ½ C. Water
Around 6pm the day before eatin’
 Place butt on a rack in the roaster at 200 degrees - I use a regular countertop roaster
 Baste hourly for 19-20 hours
            Bastin juice
            3 Tbs Brown Sugar
            3 Tbs Black Pepper
            2 Tbs Red Pepper Flakes
            3 C. Cider Vinegar
            1 ½ C. Water
When sufficiently roasted, spread some aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Lift the butt out using the rack, slide the butt off onto the foil and wrap tight.  Let stand 15 minutes to let the juices seep back into the meat.
 FINALLY! Unwrap and with a couple of forks, shred the meat into whatever size chunks you like! Toss on a little more bastin sauce, scoop some up, throw it on an onion roll with some cole slaw and you will go to HogHeaven!!

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beans
Ingredients
4 slices bacon, diced (omit if desired)
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
2 tsps fresh thyme
1 pound pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
1 C. brewed coffee
1/2 C. Barbecue Sauce (I used KC Masterpiece, but whatever you like best is fine)
1/4 C. plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tbs whole-grain brown mustard
1 tbs molasses
1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
8 C. water
2 Tsp salt
Soak the beans in a large pot overnight.

In a heavy skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until rendered and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Remove from skillet and move to slow-cooker crock. Add the beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper and stir to combine well. Add the water and salt. Cover the crock and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours stirring occasionally until beans are tender.

 
Creamy Cole Slaw
Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, finely shredded
3/4 C. mayonnaise
2 Tbs sour cream
2 Tbs minced sweet onion
2 Tbs common white sugar
2 Tbs white vinegar
1 Tbs dry mustard
2 Tsp celery salt
Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Mix the cabbage and carrots in a good size tub - if you want to do this the day before you might want to squeeze some lemon juice over the mixture to keep it fresh, seal it tightly and refrigerate it. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat and take a little bite - add more salt, pepper, or sugar if you like.

Potato Salad
Ingredients
5 good sized Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into 1″ cubes
5 Tbs pickle juice
3 Tbs chopped bread-and-butter pickles
1 small sweet-onion, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 Tsp Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Wash the potatoes with a vegetable brush. Chop them into 1″ cubes. Place potatoes in a salted pot of boiling water. Simmer until almost soft - they will continue to cook a little bit after removed from the pot. Drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, combine the pickle juice, the pickles, onions, celery, and hard boiled egg if you like. Fold in the mayonnaise, adding the mustard to combine. Mix the dressing with the potatoes and taste it again, salt and pepper to make it taste the way you remember Momma made it!

I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat and I try to learn everything I can from the real professionals - I love to sit down with a chef and just chat about his craft.

Chef Wilder has worked in some of the area’s most prestigious kitchens but currently works as a private chef providing private, personal dining events in The Triangle.

Chef Wilder, what made you decide to become a professional chef?

 As I was growing up I was always on my mother’s hip watching her cook and asking questions. Eventually she let me help. By middle school I was cooking 3-4 dinners a week for my family. I loved watching cooking TV shows like Julia Child, Jacque Pepin, Yan Can Cook, and The Frugal Gourmet. By the time I was 14 or 15 I had pretty much decided that I loved the craft and that I wanted to be a chef.

So where has your career taken you and what are you doing now?

I have been very fortunate to work for some amazing chefs. In Atlanta I worked at Carbo’s Cafe, Blue Ridge Grill, The Abbey, Anthony’s. After moving to Raleigh, I worked for John Toler at Bloomsbury Bistro honing my skills. When he opened The Cosmopolitan in Cary I was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine in charge of daily menu execution and the staff. There I learned that my passion is events with multi-course, wine-paired formats such as the Triangle Wine Experience.  I love the relationship between food and wine. That passion led me to launch my personal chef business that focuses on private, personal, multi-course, wine-paired dinners in private homes.  I provide everything necessary for groups of 6 to 16 - linens, stemware, china, silverware – everything needed to entertain at the highest level without lifting a finger.

Who, in your personal life has influenced your cooking the most?

I have worked with many very talented people over the years. John Toler, chef/owner of Bloomsbury Bistro in Raleigh, has been the greatest influence on me. He has a unique approach and has impeccable standards. I really enjoyed the six years that I worked with him.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

 I love the French Laundry Cookbook - it’s just beautiful. The Joy of Cooking, however, is my all time favorite. It covers it all!

What are your three most important cooking tools or gadgets?

 I’m a big fan of a good blender for great soups. You have to have a chinois for straining stocks and sauces, and I’d be lost without my Wustof Grand Prix Santuko.

Describe you most memorable meal – where was it, who were you with, why was it memorable?

 A few years back, my wife Tara and I travelled to wine country in California. We had an opportunity to eat at The French Laundry. We ordered a 9-course pre-fixe menu which ended up being about 12 courses! The food was amazing and Anthony Bourdain was taping his show “A Cook’s Tour” there. We got the chance to go into the kitchen and watch for a few minutes. Truly inspiring!

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to take it up a level at home and recreate some of the amazing dishes we have in favorite restaurants or see on television?

Try to learn as much as you can about the dish you are preparing. If you want to make something you had at a restaurant, don’t be afraid to call the chef, ask questions. Then try it. And if it doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, try again! Practice makes perfect.

What would you pursue if you knew you couldn’t fail and money was no object?

If money wasn’t an object I’d love to open a soup-kitchen for the less fortunate where I could offer well-prepared meals with excellent ingredients to warm people’s soul.

After speaking with Chef Wilder I really want to run out and take a look at The French Laundry cookbook!  I am really glad I got a chance to talk to Randy - if you have any questions or comments for him let him know by posting a Comment.

Watch for more exciting interviews with Chef’s from your favorite restaurants and beyond!

Last fall I saw a recipe in Gourmet magazine (October 2007) that was an upscale version of the old classic Sloppy Joes. I finally got around to looking at it and decided it might be a good choice for a dinner party we had with friends last weekend.

As usual I couldn’t avoid tinkering with it a bit. The original recipe used ground meat but I thought a truly upscale version would use chunks of steak and perhaps a red wine marinade.  The dish seemed to go over pretty well with our friends and the only change I might make next time would be to really take my time dicing the steak into smaller cubes - pieces about the size of pencil erasers seems just about right!

Sloppy Belly’s

This recipe reminds me of my Mom’s homecooking - I can almost smell the pot of sloppy joes simmering all afternoon just waiting for us kids to come in from the field to eat!  My Mom’s recipe, as funny as it sounds, came from a lunch-lady at my elementary school - it was bright and sassy - just like Mom so many years ago!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
3# lean steak - use whatever is on sale and try to get the thinnest steaks possible - 1/4″ is perfect!
1 bottle red wine - for marinades I really like Charles Shaw from Trader Joe’s (Also known as “2-buck-Chuck!)
Coarse Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1 tbls cooking oil
1 tbls unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
3 14oz. cans of crushed tomatoes - I found a national brand that has fire-roasted, garlic tomatoes - nice flavor to add!
2 tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3 tbls worcestershire sauce
3 tbls brown sugar
2 tbls white vinegar
2 tbls yellow mustard
Kaiser rolls

Preparation:
To begin, the night before dice the meat into small cubes, place in a glass bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour in the red wine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate as long as you like, but no more than 24hrs.

At time of cooking, drain the beef in a colander and discard the red wine marinade. Place 1 tbls cooking oil into a large, hot skillet and add the beef. Cook on medium-high until browned, set aside. In a large sauce pot add 1 tbls unsalted butter and the minced onion. Cook over medium heat long enough to soften up the onions - they should be just translucent.  Add the beef, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Mix through thoroughly and reduce heat to simmer covered as long as you like, stirring occasionally to make sure the flavor profile really comes together.

Toasting the Kaiser rolls really makes me happy - but you can serve these in just about any sort of roll from a hoagie roll to plain ole bread and be just as happy!

According to a Reuters report today, fewer Americans consider themselves daily coffee-drinkers.  It seems like more Americans are drinking what the report considers gourmet coffee (17% up from 14% in a 2007 survey) but overall those who consider themselves daily coffee-drinkers fell from 57% to 55%.  The biggest gap was in the 18-to-24 year old group where consumption fell from 37% in 2007 down to 26% in 2008.

Click here to read the Reuters article

 What do you think? Does this agree with your personal habits? Post a comment and let me know - as for me and mine? We are Starbucks addicts.

Recently my humble little blog here was featured on BlogsWeLuv - I am very honored and hope everybody will go check it out - click here.

*** Announcement ***
OK, by announcing it publicly perhaps it will spur me to get moving - I have been inspired by some new friends to launch Chowbelly-lite!! Stay tuned here to get more information on the countdown to a New Chowbelly!!

A recipe in the Washington Post titled  Pennsylvania Dutch Corn and Potato Chowder got me thinking about a family favorite of ours - I love throwing together hearty soups and chowders on a blustery day!

Scott’s Potato Corn Chowder

2 C. Corn
1 lb Smoked Sausage (diced in small 1/4″ chunks)
2 C. Milk
2 C. Heavy Cream
2 Cans Chicken Stock (14oz ea)
6 C. Russet Potatoes (cubed)
1 Stick Butter
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

In a hot skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter – add whole corn kernels and sauté until the sugars begin to caramelize and the kernels are slightly browned. In a large, heavy pot, lightly brown the smoked sausage and remove. Add a bit of the chicken stock to deglaze, then add the rest of the chicken stock and potatoes, boil until potatoes are soft and tender to the bite.  Reduce heat to simmer and add in the remaining butter, salt, pepper, cayenne and Old Bay seasoning, corn kernels and smoked sausage. Simmer 10 mins longer to let the flavors infuse.

My family loves this hearty chowder on a cold winter or fall evening with big chunks of sourdough bread slathered in real creamery butter!

Rachel, Jack and I have recently started attending gracepoint, a community church in Pittsboro, NC. The people there have been amazing and the worship really helps us find our “grace” point. The Lead Navigator, Terry Dorsey, is an amazingly sweet soul who is akin to a cross between the Energizer Bunny and Zig Ziglar - positive energy defined! 

Earlier this week Rachel had another saliva gland removed (remember last June?) This time it was the larger sub-mandibular gland with an attached cyst the size of a golfball! Poor thing is really in a lot of pain and swollen up like a chipmunk! Our new friends at gracepoint have been wonderful calling to check on us, emailing and bringing us amazing meals that have been truly God-sent! For those of you who know how much I like to cook and eat, you can bet I am looking forward to an opportunity to repay their hospitality!!

If Martha or Connie happen to read this - Thank you so much for the wonderful meals!!

As a Boy from Detroit, my exposure to grits came late in life and in a very non-traditional way. Not for breakfast with butter and salt & pepper like many of my good Southern friends are used to, but spicy, bold grits for dinner! Rachel’s family considered it preposterous! “What self-respecting Southerner would eat grits that way?”.  I finally convinced my beautiful bride to try them and she raved to her parents so much that I decided to surprise them one evening with a big steaming bowl of shrimp & grits! Of course they became reluctant converts - - but now I know the truth! After hearing about a pot of grits I made for a potluck at the local Moravian church my Father-in-law Ray said “Why dont you make some of your grits for Thanksgiving” Wooot! Thanksgiving! That’s a Grand Slam in our culinary life - thats like getting called to the big league!  Below is the recipe I am taking to dinner this afternoon.  Moravian’s checking this site for last Sunday’s recipe will see a slite modification in the addition of mushrooms - but everything else is pretty much the same.

Chow!

CHOWBELLY’S HIGHLAND GRITS

Ingredients
1 lb Chorizo Sausage
1 Thick Slice Ham, julienned
1 lb 61-70 ct Tail-off Shrimp
1/2 lb Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
1/2 C. Diced Sweet Onion
1 tbls Minced Garlic
1 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 lb Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 C. Old Fashioned Grits
3 C. Water
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp Zatarain’s Crab Boil
1 C. Sour Cream
1 C. Heavy Cream

Preparation:
Begin by preparing the chorizon - if it’s cased slice it in half and push the meat out of the casing like you would toothpaste. In a medium sized saute pan, brown and thoroughly drain the chorizo and set it off to the side. I prefer to line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel and spread the drained meat over the paper towel to remove even more of the orange grease. Wipe out the pan and add 1/4 stick of the butter. Once melted add the diced onions and mushrooms and saute until translucent. As they are approaching the translucent stage add the minced garlic and saute briefly. Remove to a small bowl and set onion and garlic off to the side.  In the same pan add a bit more butter and add the julienned strips of ham. Let them fry up good with nice carmelization visible.  In a stainless steel pan you will see the remnants of your past few steps crusty on the bottom of the pan.  This is referred to as the fond and it is one of the best parts of any dish! Return the empty pan to the heat and add the chicken stock.  You dont want the chicken stock to boil, you just want to use it as an agent to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan.  This is called deglazing the pan.  Scrape the bottom and stir things around - you really want to get that flavor off the bottom of the pan and incorporated into the chicken stock. YOu can add the remaining butter to the pan for added richness.  Next add the shrimp and remove from the heat.  The heat of the chicken stock and the pan will partially cook the fragile shrimp and they will continue to cook in the grits.  Now in a large pot bring the water to a boil and add the grits, as they begin to open up and absorb  the water stir in the chicken stock and shrimp into the mixture.  Add the onion and garlic to the grits and mix in thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Zatarain’s crab boil, the cream and the sour cream. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and top with layers of shredded cheese, chorizo and the julienned ham slices.