Archive | vegetarian dining RSS feed for this section

Southern Foodways Alliance Recipe

22 Oct

credit: lickmyspoon.com

The Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium is in full swing this weekend here in Oxford. Guest chefs were seen whipping up prix fixe menus at SnackBar and City Grocery tonight to whet the appetites of visiting foodies from around the country.

Now, to get you geared up for the gluttony ahead, the Southern Foodways Alliance offers up the following recipe:

White Lily 2010 SFA Symposium Recipe
Sweet Potato / True Yam Biscuits

Yewande Komolafe, a talented pastry chef of Nigerian origin, raised in Atlanta, and now living in New York City – where she works in the test kitchen at Saveur magazine – has conceived a couple of recipes that show how an enterprising cook can adapt true African yams for Southern kitchens.

At the 2010 Southern Foodways Symposium, Yewande’s sweet potato biscuits will be served with her own pepper jelly. Tucked inside will be sock sausage, smoked by Tyler Brown of the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. When you try this at home, country ham works just as well as sock sausage.

Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits

Heat oven to 400°.  Using a fork, poke holes all over 2 medium sweet potatoes and wrap in foil.  Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick or a fork goes right through.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Peel the skin off and mash the sweet potatoes. Leave slightly chunky.

2 medium white-fleshed sweet potatoes (yielding 1½ cups mashed sweet potatoes)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, cold
2 ½ cups White Lily all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cold buttermilk
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 400°.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar, and use a whisk to fully incorporate.  Add the cold butter, and, using your fingers, break apart the butter pieces and incorporate into the rest of the ingredients until pea size pieces form.  Add the mashed yams and the cold buttermilk.  Use a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface, pat into a single mass, and roll out 1 inch thick. Using a 2¼ inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the dough and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.   Re-roll the scraps and cut out more biscuits until all the dough is used. Add a little water to the beaten egg and brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash.  Place in the oven and bake till golden brown, 15 – 20 minutes.  Serve while still warm with a hot pepper jelly and slices of country ham or smoked sock sausage.

Makes 6 Biscuits

True African Yam Biscuits: A Variation

In addition to the ingredients above you’ll need:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt to taste
Instead of the sweet potatoes, source 1 small (8-to 10-inch long) African yam

Preheat oven to 425°.  Cut the yam into 1½ inch slices, discarding  both end pieces.  Using a paring knife, peel off the thick layer of outside skin, and immediately drop the slices into a bowl of water to rinse and prevent oxidization.  Cut each slice into ½ inch cubes and keep completely covered with water.

Apple Season

4 Oct

photo: Andrew Crowley

The following story and recipe was submitted to EatingOxford.com by Beth Ziegenhorn, operations coordinator for The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council:

CRUNCH

It’s officially fall. So what’s so great about fall? Apples! It is absolutely apple season. We all feel it, the brisk cool air that hits your nostrils on a fall morning. That certain dampness that makes you grab your sweater on your way to work, even though you know it will be a high of 98 degrees later on because of the Mississippi sun. I am thankful for it every day I wake up, mainly because that brisk air in the morning reminds me of that crisp taste of my favorite fruit.

I’ve told at least six of my friends by now that it’s apple season and they just look at me and say, “oh?” and shrug off, what I felt, was stimulating news. Apples are something to be excited about; healthdiaries.com says that a medium sized apple contains only 80 calories. That’s 80 calories containing fiber, antioxidants, water and sugar. Be picky if you want, because there are 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States every year. We’ve apparently been eating them for a long time anyway; Archaeologists actually have evidence of people eating apples as far back as 6500 B.C.

So since it’s apple season, and it is absolutely worth celebrating, I’ve decided to reach out and share my favorite apple recipe with you. Using my community’s Square Table Cookbook, I was able to quench my crunch with its Crunchy Apple Walnut Salad. If you ask me–apples are the only way to bring in the fall season.

Crunchy Apple Walnut Salad*

DRESSING

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

 SALAD

  • 2 Braeburn or Fuji apples cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 6 cups red leaf lettuce or other salad greens
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • Parmesan cheese, grated

For dressing, in a jar, combine ingredients and shake well.

For salad, in a serving bowl, combine apples, salad greens and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6-8 servings 

*Permission to use the Crunchy Apple Walnut Salad recipe granted by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. Square Table Cookbook is a community cookbook and a fundraiser for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and can be ordered on their website http://www.oxfordarts.com/. For more recipes from Square Table Cookbook check out: aroundthesquaretable.blogspot.com

–Have an Oxford food story or recipe you’d like to share with EatingOxford.com readers? Contact me at foodie@eatingoxford.com.

World Vegetarian Day October 1st

30 Sep

Tallulah's fried okra

Have you ever considered going meatless with your diet? What about trying it out for one day?

This Friday marks World Vegetarian Day, and to celebrate, the food court inside Johnson Commons at Ole Miss is serving up almost an entirely vegetarian menu.

If you want to get an early start on the meat-free party, the University of Mississippi Vegetarian Association is setting up a Hug a Vegetarian booth outside of the Student Union on Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors to the booth will receive a hug and a vegan cookie! See the Facebook invite here. 

And, if you can’t make it out to the booth or Johnson Commons, Dr. Olivia Walling J.D. from Ole Miss has pieced together the below Tahini Tofu Salad recipe for you to try out at home–perhaps on a Meatless Monday?

If you really get hooked, there’s a group here in town, the Oxford Community Vegetarians that holds monthly potlucks that feature all types of meat-free dishes–everyone is invited, as long as you bring a dish to share.

UPDATE 10/4: Meatless Mondays have been adopted by Johnson Commons on campus. See more here.

Olivia’s Tofu Tahini Salad (with help from Veganomicon)

Tahini Dressing

  • 8 t. olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • ½ c. tahini
  • 2 t. balsamic vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Several dashes of black pepper
  • ½ t. paprika
  • ¼ c. lightly packed fresh parsley
  • ½ c. cold water

Heat garlic in 6 t. olive oil in small sauté pan over low heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Place heated garlic and all other ingredients (including last 2 t. of oil) except parsley in food processor.  Blend until smooth. Add parsley and pulse until it’s small flecks.  Refrigerate for a half hour before serving. It’s good on any veg or as a sandwich spread. If you use as a salad dressing, scoop out what you need for your salad and add a splash of olive oil and a tad of vinegar and mix well until it is a good dressing consistency.

 Marinated Asian Tofu

  • 1 lb. firm tofu
  • ½ c. mirin*
  • 3 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 T. sesame oil
  • 2 t. Asian chile sauce
  • 1” chunk of ginger, chopped coarsely
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed

Take tofu block and slice horizontally so that you have 2 pieces half as thick as your original block. Place on about 4 paper towels, and put another 4 paper towels on top. Then weight it with a cutting board with some cans on top or something like that.  Let it press for at least a half hour.  You can leave it several hours if you are busy. Cut each piece of tofu into 4 pieces. In a large shallow dish such as a Pyrex baker, mix all and marinade ingredients.  Put tofu pieces in marinade. Let sit 30 minutes and then turn over and let sit for another 30 minutes. 

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Put tofu on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes on one side. Turn over and bake another 10-15 minutes. If you want them more brown, broil at end. (You can make a double recipe and freeze what you don’t want to use within a week; the marinade can be used twice when making a double recipe and three times if you make single recipes. Just pour it into a jar to save it in the refrigerator).

*If you don’t have mirin, you can use rice wine vinegar.

Tofu, Brown Rice, Tahini Salad

  • ½ tomato chopped
  • 1/3 bag of lettuce (butter leaf or Romaine –don’t use those little dark greens, too bitter)
  • 1 small grated carrot
  • ½ c. cooked short grain brown rice
  • Sprouts
  • ½ chopped avocado
  • ½ lb. chopped marinated tofu

Chop lettuce so pieces are a bit smaller. Mix everything in a bowl and toss with 2 parts tahini dressing to 1 part green tomatillo salsa to taste. Season with black pepper. You can just use the tahini dressing, but the salsa gives it some zing and cuts down on the fat.

More Than Pastries

5 Sep

When making lunch plans, it’s often common to discount a bakery, thinking that they only offer muffins, croissants and coffee. Thankfully, here in Oxford, the owners of our bakeries understand that Oxonians require more than bread for sustenance.

Bottletree Bakery on Van Buren Avenue is one such bakery, offering sausage biscuits, fruit cups and granola for breakfast along with a full lineup of soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch, including smoked turkey, chicken salad, roast beef, tuna salad and more. A chalkboard out front displays the ever-changing daily soup and sandwich special as well.

Bottletree Bakery hours are Tuesday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Bottletree Bakery on Urbanspoon

Been to The Taylor Farmers’ Market?

31 Aug

I made my way out to Taylor Farmers’ Market this past weekend and came home with some unique finds—San Marzano tomatoes, pickled watermelon rinds and more.

If you haven’t found the time to get out there on a Saturday morning yet, you’re quickly running out of time. The Market only runs through October, so if you enjoy locally grown produce, homemade baked goods, handcrafted art and free music, don’t miss the chance to find it all in one place, especially now that the weather is cooling off.

The Taylor Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday through October from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Good Service Goes a Long Way

23 Aug

Main Squeeze fish taco

When it comes to customer service, a little goes a long way.

I went for lunch at Main Squeeze the other day and when owner Ron Shapiro saw that my lunch partner and I were planning to sit on the patio, he insisted on setting up a fan to help divert the heat and make us more comfortable. Then, when we were getting ready to leave, he gave  us each a sampling of his Elvis smoothie on the house. Now this may not seem like a big deal, and it didn’t take a lot of extra effort from Ron, but I’ve already told this story probably three times, and now to you. The point is, it doesn’t take a lot to impress a customer, and thankfully, there are several people in Oxford who are doing a great job at it.

In the next few weeks I’ll intermittently feature some of the restaurants in Oxford that go above and beyond the call of duty. So often it’s the little extras that make you remember a visit to a restaurant—and inspire you to recommend it to friends. I hope you’ll share your stories as well.

Main Squeeze on Urbanspoon

My Michelle’s Offers Ready-to-Heat Meals

10 Aug

In a little white house with blue shutters on South 18th Street, Michelle Rounsaville is preparing and packaging healthy and affordable ready-to-heat meals for Oxford. A salad bar stocked with items from the farmer’s market and homemade dressings is open for your culinary pleasure every day during the store’s operating hours of 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In addition to prepared meals, Michelle also offers catering and personal chef services. A menu can be found on her website here.

Try some of Michelle’s food during the “Eat Your heart Out” event sponsored by Rebel Body Fitness and the American Heart Association. Scheduled to be held at the Powerhouse at 6:00 p.m, Wednesday, August 11, you’ll have the opportunity to sample food from many of your favorite restaurants around Oxford (My Michelle’s, The Bungalow, Mink’s on the Park, Oby’s, Kabuki, Subway, Holli’s Sweet Tooth, Big Bad Breakfast, Applebee’s, Juice Plus). The cost of admission is $5.00.

New Yum at Honey Bee Bakery

21 Jul

OK, I’m going to start by saying that I have never been a fan of pimento cheese. However, when I caught a glimpse of the new pimento cheese sandwich at Honey Bee Bakery on Jackson Avenue (near Belk’s) I knew there was something different about it. Chef Sean Adams later divulged that he blends it for less time to give it a chunkier consistency and then adds roasted jalepenos to the mix! The taste is very different than any other pimento cheese I’ve tried.

Needless to say, the pimento cheese sandwich isn’t the only new menu item that’s shown up lately at Honey Bee. There are new lunch combos and trios; a roasted veggie sandwich; daily specials such as pork tacos and pizza; and two daily soups that constantly rotate (I recommend the coconut curry lentil). Oh, and let’s not forget about the homemade breads and sweets.

The new menu isn’t live at the website yet, so you’ll need to stop in to check it out. Sign up for the daily specials email while on the site or in the restaurant to receive email updates about what’s on the menu for the day.

Expanding Menu at Main Squeeze

16 Jul

Wraps, melts, burritos and salads were recently added to the menu at Main Squeeze, helping to make it so much more than just the neighborhood juice joint.

Ideal for the elevated temperatures Oxford has been experiencing lately, the fresh fare and health-conscious beverages offered won’t weigh you down as you make your way around town.

Main Squeeze on Urbanspoon

Petit Millets Opens at End of August

14 Jul

After nearly a year of sitting empty, the space that once housed Blue Pan Grille at 302 South 11th Street (behind the Lyric) is getting a new inhabitant—petit Milletts. Curiosity was piqued recently when flyers were posted in the windows of the restaurant; passersby began inquiring about the type of food that would be served and the meaning behind the restaurant’s name.

The brainchild of former University Club executive chef and 13-year culinary veteran Wesley Turnage, petit Milletts will offer French bistro cuisine with a southern twist when it opens its doors the last week of August. Menu items will include fare such as Aubergines Croquant (crispy eggplant topped with roasted tomato, goat cheese, hollandaise sauce and fresh herbs); Rillettes Fume de Saumon (smoked salmon rillettes with toasted baguette, red onion jam and creole mustard); Quiche Lorraine (traditional custard filled with bacon and Gruyere cheese, served with tomato carpaccio and balsamic salad); Boeuf Bourguignon (tender beef short ribs slowly braised in red wine with mirepoix and placed on a grits risotto); and Glacer Profiteroles de Creme (house-made profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce).

Wes is particularly proud of the restaurant’s exhibition-style kitchen—the only one in Oxford, which will allow diners a view into the bustling kitchen, where all of the action will happen. Separate menus will be offered for lunch and dinner, specials will be a regular occurrence, and a daily vegetarian option will always be available. The expansive bar menu will also offer several specialty drinks exclusive to petit Milletts.

For those who are trying to stick to a budget, you won’t break the bank at petit Milletts. While Wes wanted to give Oxonians something different and unique, he also understood that he needed to make it affordable. Through careful planning, he succeeded in pricing everything on the menu under $21, with many dishes hovering in the $10 range. “My goal is to offer refined service with low prices,” he says.

Oh, and the meaning behind the restaurant’s name? Stop in and ask Wes; I guarantee it’s not what you think.

Planned hours of operation for petit Milletts are:

  • Tuesday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (lunch), 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (dinner)
  • Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (brunch), 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (dinner)
  • Sunday – Monday (closed)

For more information and a sample menu, visit the petit Milletts website.

Petit Milletts on Urbanspoon

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 268 other followers