A few things from my trip to the Myrtle beach Farmer’s market on Saturday;
Green peanuts; they are great simmered for sixty to ninety minutes in salted water. I took some out of the shell and added to a sautéed shrimp dish for an earthy salty flavor.
The dish was Sautéed shrimp with green peanuts, ginger, brown butter, and rainbow Swiss chard, served with steamed rice and a lemon wedge, it was delicious!
Tiny, tiny asparagus from Indigo Run Farms just over the border in North Carolina; Steam in a pan with salted water, as soon as water comes to a boil remove from heat, top with butter.
Fresh greens; hearty and delicate at the same time, obviously not big farm grown.
Strawberries; eat them just as is, pistachio shortcake recipe is under the recipe tab, drizzle with balsamic and fresh black pepper, toss in a spinach salad, make some jam, freeze some for later!
Sugar snap peas; steam, salt and butter, or julienne and quickly sauté with shallots and thyme and serve under a piece of fresh fish. Steam, puree, run through a food mill, and then whisk in butter for a silky accompaniment to roast chicken or fish.
Sweet potatoes; add 50 next time you make mashed potatoes for a different and flavorful potato puree. Dice and sauté with thyme and country ham for a delicious hash. Slice and layer with cream, butter, and cheese for a silky gratin. Prick with a fork and roast whole, then they can be peeled and eaten or the soft flesh can be used for a bunch of different things.
Baby onions; Slice and add to sautéed vegetables. Grill with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast in foil with poultry or pork.
I consider myself blessed to live somewhere that has such an abundance of great ingredients to cook and eat. I am also proud of the emerging food culture of the Carolina Coastal region and will continue to cook it, think about it, blog it, and promote it. Maybe a Carolina Coastal cookbook soon? Watch for it!
Ciao!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
What makes Myrtle Beach special?
What makes Myrtle Beach special?
Culinarily, the great seafood. Go to C&C Seafood in Murrells Inlet and try a whole fish or soft-shell crabs. They come from the boats behind Divine Fish House, the crabs from a guy in McClellanville who hand picks them out of a holding talk as soon as they molt. Fresh shrimp, oysters, how could you beat that?
The fresh produce, honey, and other cool stuff at the farmers market every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The goat cheese from Black Creek Farm. The farmers market on 10th and Oak is every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Country ham from Lee’s Produce in Murrells Inlet. I bought a slab of side meat that was amazing, used it for cooking demos in NYC and Atlanta.
Shrimp season is May through the end of the year, almost all year round! White roes shrimp in the spring, browns in the summer, then whites in the fall, getting bigger as the end of the year approaches. There are numerous shrimp hawkers, just look closely and make sure they look and smell fresh.
All of the great restaurants and chefs. We have world class dining and people who believe in this area passionately. Watch for a cookbook from the Myrtle Beach ACF soon!
The beach, 60 miles of beautiful beach, much of it uncrowded even in the height of summer season. I just bought a beach Hobie, can’t wait for this summer!
A short list, of course we have world class golf, shopping, amusements parks, and lots of other great stuff. I am glad to live here if you have never been, come see what we have to offer.
Ciao!
Culinarily, the great seafood. Go to C&C Seafood in Murrells Inlet and try a whole fish or soft-shell crabs. They come from the boats behind Divine Fish House, the crabs from a guy in McClellanville who hand picks them out of a holding talk as soon as they molt. Fresh shrimp, oysters, how could you beat that?
The fresh produce, honey, and other cool stuff at the farmers market every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The goat cheese from Black Creek Farm. The farmers market on 10th and Oak is every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Country ham from Lee’s Produce in Murrells Inlet. I bought a slab of side meat that was amazing, used it for cooking demos in NYC and Atlanta.
Shrimp season is May through the end of the year, almost all year round! White roes shrimp in the spring, browns in the summer, then whites in the fall, getting bigger as the end of the year approaches. There are numerous shrimp hawkers, just look closely and make sure they look and smell fresh.
All of the great restaurants and chefs. We have world class dining and people who believe in this area passionately. Watch for a cookbook from the Myrtle Beach ACF soon!
The beach, 60 miles of beautiful beach, much of it uncrowded even in the height of summer season. I just bought a beach Hobie, can’t wait for this summer!
A short list, of course we have world class golf, shopping, amusements parks, and lots of other great stuff. I am glad to live here if you have never been, come see what we have to offer.
Ciao!
Friday, April 11, 2008
New places, new faces
We welcome Chef Bryan Bodle to Divine Dining Group as the Executive Chef at City Bar. Bryan was Executive Chef of Seablue in North Myrtle Beach for four years before joining us. We are very proud to have him as a member of our team.
I stopped by Habibi's Lebanese Market today, which just opened near Ron Jon's Beer and Burgers just over the bridge off 501. I bought some Halvah, olives, curd cheese, sea salt (I lost my usual one on my trip to NYC and needed to replace), and a meat that looked a lot like tasso ham called Basturma. It is covered with spices and the store owner said to slice thin and enjoy like prosciutto. I will let you know how it is.
Ben Tench is our new Executive Chef of Roy and Sid's and Divine Prime. He is most recently from a restaurant that he owned and successfully ran for ten years, called Tango Seafood and Steakhouse in Vero Beach, FL. He is a talented and visionary chef and I look forward to opening these restaurants with him.
More to come on our other chefs. Ciao,
Chef Kurt
I stopped by Habibi's Lebanese Market today, which just opened near Ron Jon's Beer and Burgers just over the bridge off 501. I bought some Halvah, olives, curd cheese, sea salt (I lost my usual one on my trip to NYC and needed to replace), and a meat that looked a lot like tasso ham called Basturma. It is covered with spices and the store owner said to slice thin and enjoy like prosciutto. I will let you know how it is.
Ben Tench is our new Executive Chef of Roy and Sid's and Divine Prime. He is most recently from a restaurant that he owned and successfully ran for ten years, called Tango Seafood and Steakhouse in Vero Beach, FL. He is a talented and visionary chef and I look forward to opening these restaurants with him.
More to come on our other chefs. Ciao,
Chef Kurt
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Carolina Coastal food
What is Carolina Coastal Cuisine?
I am traveling to NYC next week to culinarily represent the Grand Strand in a brief promotional tour of sorts. To prepare for this, I have had to think about and define what I am already doing, cooking a style of cuisine that in born of the coast and the Carolinas. It is a great thing; it has brought clarity and vision in my mind to a style of cuisine that has not been clearly defined. I recently talked to Becky Billingsley of http://www.myrtlebeachrestraurantnews.com/ and she is going through the same process, together I think we got further than either of us was separately.
What is Carolina Coastal food? Well, first of all, like all great regional cuisines, it is ingredient driven. We enjoy a wide array of locally and regionally fished, grown, and produced foods.
Seafood if paramount, of course. Arguabley shrimp would be king, the local shrimp are amazingly firm and briny when freshly harvested, and are superior to imported frozen in my opinion. Oysters and blue crab, especially soft shell blues, are predominant and wonderful. We also buy fresh gag and scamp grouper, vermillion snapper (or B liners as they are called around here), dolphin or mahi mahi, ahi tuna, flounder, and wahoo from local fishermen.
Pork is big in the Carolinas, and is used generously in our cooking. Bacon, fatback, country ham, and locally cured cuts are favorite ingredients. Chops are seen on many menus, and of course barbeque is a pillar of our culinary heritage.
We also enjoy many locally and regionally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, and grains, including sweet potatoes, mustard, turnip, and collard greens, peanuts, pecans, peaches, tomatoes, berries, melons, onions, field peas, and fresh corn. Rice is seeing a comeback, with locally grown varieties that made the Carolinas a wealthy place 150 years ago. Stone ground grits are a backbone of the area and cuisine, lending a versatile and flavorful component to many dishes.
In addition to our bountiful ingredients, I think that Carolina Coastal cuisine is rooted in our rich culinary history. Methods and traditions, such as smoking meats, cooking greens, mustard, vinegar, and tomato sauces, oyster roasts, chicken bog, and other traditions influence what and how we cook. The last component to Carolina Coastal food is a sense of recreation, fun, enjoyment, and leisure. I think all great food is meant to be enjoyable, of course, but we live in an area that is built around vacations and I think that comes through in our food.
Here are a few dishes that I think best represent Carolina Coastal cooking from my repertoire.
Cracker Crusted Scamp Grouper, Carolina Gold risotto timbale, fresh oyster stew, butter poached onions and leeks and parsley froth
Caw caw Creek pastured pork chop, stone ground grit soufflé, field asparagus, brandy demiglace
Carolina Shrimp with Country Ham and Sweet Potato Hash and
Mustard Verjus Sauce
Dredged in stone ground grits batter and pan fried
Shrimp and Grits
Carolina Shrimp with tasso ham, tomato, scallion, and bourbon cream over stone ground Adluh mills parmesan thyme grits
(On the menu at our newest restaurant called Roy and Sid’s American kitchen – in the market Common development)
Carolina Steamed Bun
Pulled pork and baby mustard greens, seasoned and wrapped in sweet dough, steamed, and served with two barbeque sauces
Cornmeal fried Carolina oysters with Piccalilli relish
(Very quick app, on the menu at Roy and Sid’s)
Carolina Coastal food is reflected in all of my restaurants, not intentionally but it is a natural way for me to cook. I think that, as this concept and understanding develops, we will see a greater definition, statement, vision, and promotion of Carolina Coastal cuisine, and I think that that is a great thing. Ciao!
I am traveling to NYC next week to culinarily represent the Grand Strand in a brief promotional tour of sorts. To prepare for this, I have had to think about and define what I am already doing, cooking a style of cuisine that in born of the coast and the Carolinas. It is a great thing; it has brought clarity and vision in my mind to a style of cuisine that has not been clearly defined. I recently talked to Becky Billingsley of http://www.myrtlebeachrestraurantnews.com/ and she is going through the same process, together I think we got further than either of us was separately.
What is Carolina Coastal food? Well, first of all, like all great regional cuisines, it is ingredient driven. We enjoy a wide array of locally and regionally fished, grown, and produced foods.
Seafood if paramount, of course. Arguabley shrimp would be king, the local shrimp are amazingly firm and briny when freshly harvested, and are superior to imported frozen in my opinion. Oysters and blue crab, especially soft shell blues, are predominant and wonderful. We also buy fresh gag and scamp grouper, vermillion snapper (or B liners as they are called around here), dolphin or mahi mahi, ahi tuna, flounder, and wahoo from local fishermen.
Pork is big in the Carolinas, and is used generously in our cooking. Bacon, fatback, country ham, and locally cured cuts are favorite ingredients. Chops are seen on many menus, and of course barbeque is a pillar of our culinary heritage.
We also enjoy many locally and regionally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, and grains, including sweet potatoes, mustard, turnip, and collard greens, peanuts, pecans, peaches, tomatoes, berries, melons, onions, field peas, and fresh corn. Rice is seeing a comeback, with locally grown varieties that made the Carolinas a wealthy place 150 years ago. Stone ground grits are a backbone of the area and cuisine, lending a versatile and flavorful component to many dishes.
In addition to our bountiful ingredients, I think that Carolina Coastal cuisine is rooted in our rich culinary history. Methods and traditions, such as smoking meats, cooking greens, mustard, vinegar, and tomato sauces, oyster roasts, chicken bog, and other traditions influence what and how we cook. The last component to Carolina Coastal food is a sense of recreation, fun, enjoyment, and leisure. I think all great food is meant to be enjoyable, of course, but we live in an area that is built around vacations and I think that comes through in our food.
Here are a few dishes that I think best represent Carolina Coastal cooking from my repertoire.
Cracker Crusted Scamp Grouper, Carolina Gold risotto timbale, fresh oyster stew, butter poached onions and leeks and parsley froth
Caw caw Creek pastured pork chop, stone ground grit soufflé, field asparagus, brandy demiglace
Carolina Shrimp with Country Ham and Sweet Potato Hash and
Mustard Verjus Sauce
Dredged in stone ground grits batter and pan fried
Shrimp and Grits
Carolina Shrimp with tasso ham, tomato, scallion, and bourbon cream over stone ground Adluh mills parmesan thyme grits
(On the menu at our newest restaurant called Roy and Sid’s American kitchen – in the market Common development)
Carolina Steamed Bun
Pulled pork and baby mustard greens, seasoned and wrapped in sweet dough, steamed, and served with two barbeque sauces
Cornmeal fried Carolina oysters with Piccalilli relish
(Very quick app, on the menu at Roy and Sid’s)
Carolina Coastal food is reflected in all of my restaurants, not intentionally but it is a natural way for me to cook. I think that, as this concept and understanding develops, we will see a greater definition, statement, vision, and promotion of Carolina Coastal cuisine, and I think that that is a great thing. Ciao!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Try Something New Today
I love to try new food!
Today I took my family to a small Mexican restaurant in the “downtown” are near the old Pavilion. It is called City Café and I had met the chef at a fundraiser function awhile back. It was a great lunch, ceviche, fresh fruit, gazpacho, marinated cactus salad, braised pork shoulder, pozole, menudo, slow cooked beans with pork, roasted potatoes with chorizo and cheese. Really great stuff
I am also watching for a new Lebanese market to open near my home and the Hard Rock Park, called Habibi’s Market. I will let you know when they open!
I love walking through one of the Asian markets here, the Hong Kong on 8th avenue or the Socastee Market, both have exotic and unfamiliar ingredients to try, as well as things that have become staples in my house.
My point to all this is, get out there, seek out the little places in your town or neighborhood, try new stuff, enjoy food! And when you find something great, pass it along so others can discover it!
Take care and Ciao,
Chef Kurt
Today I took my family to a small Mexican restaurant in the “downtown” are near the old Pavilion. It is called City Café and I had met the chef at a fundraiser function awhile back. It was a great lunch, ceviche, fresh fruit, gazpacho, marinated cactus salad, braised pork shoulder, pozole, menudo, slow cooked beans with pork, roasted potatoes with chorizo and cheese. Really great stuff
I am also watching for a new Lebanese market to open near my home and the Hard Rock Park, called Habibi’s Market. I will let you know when they open!
I love walking through one of the Asian markets here, the Hong Kong on 8th avenue or the Socastee Market, both have exotic and unfamiliar ingredients to try, as well as things that have become staples in my house.
My point to all this is, get out there, seek out the little places in your town or neighborhood, try new stuff, enjoy food! And when you find something great, pass it along so others can discover it!
Take care and Ciao,
Chef Kurt
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Cooking Wild game
Below if a ramble about my experience with wild game from ask the chefs at Myrtle Beach 911 page. Hope it helps some frustrated hunter!
BigEd,
I was an avid hunter in a former life (or really former location), and hosted annual game dinners where all of my hunting friends cleaned out their freezers and we did a 10 course dinner. I have been trying to get into it more but have trouble finding somewhere to hunt. Anyway, here are my thoughts.
The quality of the game is greatly impacted by how it is handled in the field. This means field dressing game ASAP and cooling down the mat. Bags of ice can be placed in the body cavity of animals to cool down quicker.
Venison works well with marinades, spices and sweet fruit components. I like spice rubs and crusts, sometimes I will buy a pre made or mix one from spices in my cabinet. Chili pepper, onion powder, cumin, garlic, ground mustard (just a little), ground cloves, paprika, cayenne, etc. work well. Marinade can be as simple as balsamic vinegar, red wine, and soy sauce. I also use prepared marinades if in a hurry. Fruit works well, cherry, blueberries, plum, peach, and apricot. I use prepared jams and jellies, to make a sauce, you can add pan juices, wine, or a little vinegar gives a nice acidic kick.
Turkey needs brine in my opinion. You can find a recipe on my web site, www.chefkurt.com. I like to roast with butter and fresh herbs rubbed into the skin or tucked under, and the cavity stuffed with aromatics cut into large chunks, onion, celery, oranges, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, apples, etc.
Duck is one of the tougher ones because it tastes like what it eats. I have cooked ducks that actually taste la little like fish! I like to brine or soak in milk or buttermilk, both of which will take some of the gaminess out. Roast or grill, braise, or confit the legs for a beautiful duck.
Some other random thoughts;
Bear meat I braised in a spicy tomato broth and served with whit beans
Elk I grilled and served with a blueberry sauce
Caribou I grilled and sliced
Conch I sliced thin, dipped in egg and sautéed very quickly, served with a piccata type sauce
Goose I cut into cutlets, breaded, and pan fried, with served with sauce Robert (veal stock with chopped cornichon, vinegar, and mustard)Squirrel stew!
Quail I stir fried recently with great success, soy peanut sauce. I also braised and picked the meat from the bones and made a creole rice dish with it.
Wild boar can be tricky; I brined then smoked for 8 hours, served with homemade BBQ sauce
Ground meat is always good for chili, burgers, meatballs (try soaking the crumbs in milk for a moister meatball), lasagna, etc.
Hope this helps, and I would take any meat you want to pass along, even squirrel! Or any hunting location or club tips.
Ciao,Chef Kurt
BigEd,
I was an avid hunter in a former life (or really former location), and hosted annual game dinners where all of my hunting friends cleaned out their freezers and we did a 10 course dinner. I have been trying to get into it more but have trouble finding somewhere to hunt. Anyway, here are my thoughts.
The quality of the game is greatly impacted by how it is handled in the field. This means field dressing game ASAP and cooling down the mat. Bags of ice can be placed in the body cavity of animals to cool down quicker.
Venison works well with marinades, spices and sweet fruit components. I like spice rubs and crusts, sometimes I will buy a pre made or mix one from spices in my cabinet. Chili pepper, onion powder, cumin, garlic, ground mustard (just a little), ground cloves, paprika, cayenne, etc. work well. Marinade can be as simple as balsamic vinegar, red wine, and soy sauce. I also use prepared marinades if in a hurry. Fruit works well, cherry, blueberries, plum, peach, and apricot. I use prepared jams and jellies, to make a sauce, you can add pan juices, wine, or a little vinegar gives a nice acidic kick.
Turkey needs brine in my opinion. You can find a recipe on my web site, www.chefkurt.com. I like to roast with butter and fresh herbs rubbed into the skin or tucked under, and the cavity stuffed with aromatics cut into large chunks, onion, celery, oranges, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, apples, etc.
Duck is one of the tougher ones because it tastes like what it eats. I have cooked ducks that actually taste la little like fish! I like to brine or soak in milk or buttermilk, both of which will take some of the gaminess out. Roast or grill, braise, or confit the legs for a beautiful duck.
Some other random thoughts;
Bear meat I braised in a spicy tomato broth and served with whit beans
Elk I grilled and served with a blueberry sauce
Caribou I grilled and sliced
Conch I sliced thin, dipped in egg and sautéed very quickly, served with a piccata type sauce
Goose I cut into cutlets, breaded, and pan fried, with served with sauce Robert (veal stock with chopped cornichon, vinegar, and mustard)Squirrel stew!
Quail I stir fried recently with great success, soy peanut sauce. I also braised and picked the meat from the bones and made a creole rice dish with it.
Wild boar can be tricky; I brined then smoked for 8 hours, served with homemade BBQ sauce
Ground meat is always good for chili, burgers, meatballs (try soaking the crumbs in milk for a moister meatball), lasagna, etc.
Hope this helps, and I would take any meat you want to pass along, even squirrel! Or any hunting location or club tips.
Ciao,Chef Kurt
Monday, January 7, 2008
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everybody. A few of my resolutions;
Learn – I resolve to learn as much as I can about new products and techniques that I come across this year. The more knowledge, the better we can use what we have learned.
Think – I resolve to think about my actions in an environmentally friendly realm. I will strive to recycle, buy locally, support sustainability, control use of water and gas as much as possible
Smile – I resolve to celebrate the joy that life brings daily and to keep things in perspective.
Be Healthy – I resolve to eat well, which to me does not mean no fat or butter, but does mean cooking fresh, honest food and eating a variety of foods including lots of fresh local vegetables and fruits. I resolve to exercise, take walks, and live well.
Cook Well – I resolve to be thoughtful and exact in everything I cook and teach others to cook, striving to be the best I can be every day.
Hope all your resolutions help you to be a better person, and that you achieve everything you set out to achieve. Have a great year!
Learn – I resolve to learn as much as I can about new products and techniques that I come across this year. The more knowledge, the better we can use what we have learned.
Think – I resolve to think about my actions in an environmentally friendly realm. I will strive to recycle, buy locally, support sustainability, control use of water and gas as much as possible
Smile – I resolve to celebrate the joy that life brings daily and to keep things in perspective.
Be Healthy – I resolve to eat well, which to me does not mean no fat or butter, but does mean cooking fresh, honest food and eating a variety of foods including lots of fresh local vegetables and fruits. I resolve to exercise, take walks, and live well.
Cook Well – I resolve to be thoughtful and exact in everything I cook and teach others to cook, striving to be the best I can be every day.
Hope all your resolutions help you to be a better person, and that you achieve everything you set out to achieve. Have a great year!
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